Huh... You got me kinda stumped here... How did you get information ON TO a floppy disk that's unformulated? As soon as you attempted to put the files on the disk the operating system should have given you an error, and refused to save the data until the disk was formatted.
So what did you have to do to save the files to that disk, and what computer did you use? If you're using the same computer that wrote it, it should be willing to read it... Have you EVER been able to read the data? If you never tried, it may be that the system you tried to save the data with may have attempted to write the data, but then simply failed due to the disk not having been formatted, and just never told you that your data was not saved.
Now IF it WAS, in fact, saved, then you can try to use a data recovery program to attempt to restore the data to your hard-drive(do a google search for possible programs - 'free data recovery program' should do nicely), or if all else fails, there are a large number of companies that will recover your data, if it's actually on the disk....
But you're right, if you format the disk, the data CAN, theoretically be recovered, but it becomes that much more difficult. Try a recovery program, and if that does not work, look in a computer magazine for the name and contact info for data recovery services and start calling around.
One word of warning. If you send it to a company, and IF they can recover it, they will see the contents, so make sure the data was not something that could qualify as illegal in nature, as they will be required by law to report the contents to the appropriate authorities... It should be safe in their hands otherwise, as a data leak could destroy their reputation with potential clients.
Best of luck, and I hope I've given you some ideas of where to go from here.
So what did you have to do to save the files to that disk, and what computer did you use? If you're using the same computer that wrote it, it should be willing to read it... Have you EVER been able to read the data? If you never tried, it may be that the system you tried to save the data with may have attempted to write the data, but then simply failed due to the disk not having been formatted, and just never told you that your data was not saved.
Now IF it WAS, in fact, saved, then you can try to use a data recovery program to attempt to restore the data to your hard-drive(do a google search for possible programs - 'free data recovery program' should do nicely), or if all else fails, there are a large number of companies that will recover your data, if it's actually on the disk....
But you're right, if you format the disk, the data CAN, theoretically be recovered, but it becomes that much more difficult. Try a recovery program, and if that does not work, look in a computer magazine for the name and contact info for data recovery services and start calling around.
One word of warning. If you send it to a company, and IF they can recover it, they will see the contents, so make sure the data was not something that could qualify as illegal in nature, as they will be required by law to report the contents to the appropriate authorities... It should be safe in their hands otherwise, as a data leak could destroy their reputation with potential clients.
Best of luck, and I hope I've given you some ideas of where to go from here.
