Difference between USB and IDE HD from filesystem API point of view?

[llpenq]

For two different hardwares:
1) external USB hard disk
2) normal internal IDE hard disk
Assuming both hard disks are using FAT32 filesystem.

We need to run some data recovery programs (probably using low level filesystem API) to recover the accidentally deleted files from both disks.

Does windows abstract all the hardwares and provide a generic API for manipulating filesystem for both hardware?

Any data recovery software works with IDE hard disk would work identically for external USB hard disk too?


Thanks

 

[evongugg]

Try this:

GetDataBack V4.00 for FAT

http://www.runtime.org/data-recovery-software.htm

 

[evongugg]

If there is a problem recovering the external disk, you may need to remove the hard drive and hook it up directly to the computer.

 

[sminlal]

It depends on whether the recovery software uses the Windows API or whether it uses it's own low-level I/O routines. At a low level the I/O to a USB device is, of course, much different than to an IDE or SATA device. But at the base Windows API level the "CreateFile" routine can be used to open any disk, partition or file regardless of the kind of device or the type of connection it uses.