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While installing Ubuntu 13.04 I accidentally deleted the Windows 8 system entirely!How and where can i get Windows 8 back?

bain
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Kanin
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    reinstalling from the DVDs using the Key ID you have been provided. – mdpc Jul 09 '13 at 17:24
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    Do you also need to get your files back? – papukaija Jul 09 '13 at 17:31
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    It is vital you state whether you need to recover files from the Windows partition. In case you try to reinstall Windows now they might be further detroyed. Here is how to recover: http://askubuntu.com/questions/286181/how-do-i-recover-my-accidentally-lost-windows-partitions-after-installing-ubuntu – Takkat Jul 09 '13 at 18:24

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There is no way to recover the Windows 8 system if you have deleted it.

However, if you happened to have made a bootable clone of the Windows 8 system before deleting, you could boot into the external drive, make a partition so you can dual boot Ubuntu and Windows 8, and restore to that newly created Windows 8 partition.

If you do not have any backup, then you must follow mdpc's advice and reinstall from the Windows 8 Install DVD.

sameetandpotatoes
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Welcome to AskUbuntu. Unfortunately the short and only answer to your question relies in to re install the whole Microsoft Windows 8 Operating System by using the DVD's and the product key which came with your computer when you purchased it.

The process itself is easy in Windows 8, unfortunately the details are off topic on this site so I suggest you to look for assistance in the Microsoft Support site at: http://support.microsoft.com/ where they can tell you exactly what to do even if you weren't provided with DVD's/Product key when purchasing your equipment.

Anyway, if you're not in a hurry and wish to give a chance to testdisk, you may succeed bringing back the whole previous partitions, after which you can easily recover your data and if you're lucky enough, the old OS will work again. I suggest you to check for previous answers to data-recovery related questions in which you will find fully documented procedures to do so. If you are only interested on recovering certain data, the same answers will give you a clue on where to begin.

Good luck!

Community
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Geppettvs D'Constanzo
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  • Hrm... Is it possible to download windows 8 from the an internet site? – Kanin Jul 10 '13 at 01:24
  • I don't think so. It seems that the only legal way to download is by purchasing. See this page for details: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/how-to-download#1TC=t1 – Geppettvs D'Constanzo Jul 10 '13 at 03:01
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For to recover lost datas there are forensic commands like photorec and testdisk.

Actually photorec cannot recover Windows-8 as still too new filesystem.

But testdisk is already familiar with filesystem of Windows-8.

But recovery is only possible if lost datas are NOT in the same track, like the new datas, who have been written over them. If they are in the same track (of your hard-disk), then they are lost.

Forgotten to mention this: You could recover with a live-CD of knoppix 7.2.0 - only in case that new datas have not over-written same physically tracks like your Windows-8 had before.

dschinn1001
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