This is a cautionary tale about how I nearly lost everything on my external SSD because of a moment of carelessness.
What Happened
I wanted to create a bootable USB with Ventoy to run a Linux or FreeBSD ISO. Simple enough — I’ve done it a hundred times. The problem was that I also had my external SSD connected at the same time.
I somehow selected the wrong disk. Instead of formatting the USB stick, I formatted my external SSD. Just like that — all my data was gone.
That sinking feeling when you realize what you’ve done is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
Recovery with PhotoRec
Thankfully, I was able to recover most of my data using PhotoRec, a free and open-source data recovery tool (currently at version 7.2, with 7.3 in beta as of January 2026). PhotoRec ignores the filesystem and goes after the underlying data, so it works even after formatting. It can recover over 480 file formats.
Install it (it comes with TestDisk):
# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S testdisk
# FreeBSD
pkg install testdiskRun it:
sudo photorec /dev/sdXPhotoRec will scan the disk and recover files into a directory of your choice. It recovered most of my files, though filenames and directory structure were lost — everything gets sorted by file type.
Lessons Learned
- Always double-check the target disk. Run
lsblkbefore any destructive operation. Verify the disk size and partitions match what you expect. Ventoy (currently at v1.1.10) shows disk names and sizes — take the extra second to verify. - Disconnect drives you don’t need. If you’re formatting a USB, unplug your external drives first. It takes 5 seconds and can save you hours of recovery.
- Follow the 3-2-1 backup rule: 3 copies, 2 different media, 1 offsite. If I had a proper backup, the accidental format would have been a minor inconvenience instead of a disaster.
- ZFS snapshots are your friend. On my TrueNAS server, I now run automatic snapshots. Even if something goes wrong, I can roll back instantly.
- Keep PhotoRec/TestDisk installed. You never know when you’ll need it. Better to have it ready than to scramble in a panic.
Don’t be like me. Disconnect your drives, check twice, and back up your data. Your future self will thank you.
/root 