So I just nearly wiped my entire hard drive using a DoD-certified data deletion algorithm. I know, I know… I just got done with computer troubles.
I was trying to clean an external drive for possible giveaway, and needed to ensure no info could be resurrected off said device. Unfortunately, when I began this process (using a Linux boot environment I wasn’t familiar with) it appeared that there were two hard drives detected: my main drive and this little external drive. Well… I was wrong, because as soon as I started the wipe the little external drive sat dormant while my main hard drive light came on full indicating IT was the device being wiped! Oops! 
Well… a quick power-down and some sweet, open-source recovery software later I managed to rebuild the partition by rebuilding the master file table through deep file detection… rebuild the master boot record through the backup boot record which was safely undeleted after the master file record was recovered… and ultimately restore my machine from utter oblivion. Props to the Ultimate Boot CD for carrying TestDisk and NTFS Boot Partition.
But be careful with Darik’s Boot and Nuke. In the future I know I will. 
I'm a Christ-follower, compelled by my faith toward reason, which points directly toward conservatism. This world's daily onslaught of lunacy offends my intellect and senses, so this is my venue to blow off steam.
lol, good save!
I myself used Darik’s Boot and Nuke before sending off my old laptop to a buyer off of eBay. Worked like a charm =) But if I accidentally began to delete something I wanted to keep…I wouldn’t know how to stop it.
Will ultimatebootCD help me if I deleted a filter in my registry that resulted in my computer not recognizing my CD burner?
bwawnt bwanant bwanant bwaaw a flirtin with diasta!
Sounded like an adventure!
@Dara
I didn’t know how to stop it, either — actually I think there *IS* no stopping it… that’s why I had to kill the power to my machine.
@Rachel
No. UBCD is more for really serious actions and/or troubleshooting that involve having to operate solely removed from the main operating system. That CD has helped me many times, too.
For your issue the best thing to do is attempt to uninstall and reinstall all drivers supporting your hardware and pray the computer “re-detects” it. If you’re running Vista it’s tricky… I know people who’ve lost drives multiple times on Vista.
S**t, nice save, bet it was an adventure, now i know what to use and what not to use, thax.
Yea Steve, That’s just what I would have done !!!!!! Dad