[CLOSED] I messed up a Zorin 12 install

I decided I wanted to try a fresh install of Zorin 12 core, replacing my Zorin 9 Ultimate and made a bad mistake!
Before I started the install, I booted up Zorin 9 , copied my complete home directory ,and sub directories, over to another partition,(on the same drive), to save my photos and mp3s etc.
Then booting from the Zorin 12 disk I went through a "something else" install and installed it over my Zorin 9 partition, sda5, using the formatting option.
After it was finished, (runs good and seems to be installed correctly), I realized I forgot to backup my Evolution email and my FIrefox and Opera bookmarks!
I USUALLY do that first, but I installed it early in the morning,(first mistake), and was in a hurry, (2nd mistake), I had to go somewhere and I hurried and started the install and let it run while I left the house.
Is there any way I can somehow restore that data over from the copy I saved on the first partition earlier? I didn't run these programs first and save the Evolution data or bookmarks, so I don't have that data to restore from.
If I can't do it that way, can I reinstall Zorin 9 over 12, reboot from the Zorin 12 cd and copy the old Zorin 9 data from the 1st partition, and overwrite the fresh Zorin 9 home directory and sub directories , hopefully get those programs running again, and then export the Evolution data and web browser data to the 1st partion and install Zorin 12 a second time? Then I can restore my Evolution email and web browsers' bookmarks into Zorin 12 like I wanted to.
This is a mess, and I would really like to be able to have this data back!
I appreciate any suggestions that may be offered!
Thanks!
Snyde

Hi, don't write anything else to disk and use the guide here:

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk

Here's hoping friend!

So, I'm taking from what you said,(or rather didn't say), that I can't somehow get the data from the copy of my previous version of Zorin 9 I copied from (sda5) to partition (sda6) before I started the install of Zorin 12 to (sda5)?
Thanks!
I'm disgusted with myself!!!
Snyde

Swarfendor437 wrote:Hi, don't write anything else to disk and use the guide here:

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk

Here's hoping friend!

I wasn't saying that specifically, just suggesting safest option.

Well, I found an old Evolution backup from Oct. 2016 on my sda6 partition and restored that successfully, and my Firefox bookmarks from the same date. I at least have all my contacts to that point, I just lost my emails from then 'till now. It's probably mostly junk, so I guess I chalk it up as a learning experience! This is just a "entertainment" laptop, I didn't loose anything critical that I just had to have! I saved all my photos and music to sda6 before I started, THAT would have really been bad!!
Thanks for the help!
Snyde

Swarfendor437 wrote:I wasn't saying that specifically, just suggesting safest option.