So in a haste to install XP, I did not partition my hard drive... I know, I know.

Here's the problem. (another stupid move) I hadn't backed up several files I had hoped to keep.
Now.
When installing XP, it only recognized 120 gb free (or so) of my 250 gb hard drive.

So, I ran a few partition and file programs from Hiren's and it can see that there is 250 gb, but 130 of it is unreadable.
I was wondering if anyone knows a way (perhaps reinstalling vista over xp without a format kinda thing) would allow for those files to be seen again.

Or any other way of doing it really.

I have backups, but some of the files were just created in the last week or so and I'd like to have them back.

The Vista OS is gone (I changed the active partition to the one that is not being detected) but it is showing a file system there, I just can't view the files, XP wants me to format the rest of the hard drive (which is where I assume the files are).