Lost all my data!!

Hi guys-
I just accidently saved a blank "documents" folder over the documents folder that contained years worth of material!!! Is there any way to recover what I just lost? I am not too computer savvy so I need all the help I can get. Thanks for the help!!!

If you don't have a back-up I don't know what you can do really. If all else fails there are data recovery services and companies but I hear they are rather expensive.

First off, stop using your Mac. I mean now! Use some one else's to post here and to get Data Rescue II.
http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue.php
Download it on to a USB thumb drive. It has a demo mode that will allow you to see if your files can be recovered. But do not load it on your Mac!
In all probability your data is still on your hard drive, but your Mac thinks that you deliberately deleted that folder and any new files will be allowed to overwrite the old ones.
This includes system swap/cache files that your Mac does behind the scenes. Anything that you do will add to the chance that the files will be completely destroyed, and yes data recovery companies charge enormous amounts of money. Good luck!

exactly what Sherman said.

and dude, you really should have had a backup...

Look at what the OP wrote again....

The problem he's going to run into is that he "saved" a blank folder over the top of the one that contained his documents. What occurred is that the old folder has been overwritten with new information. Recovering in that situation is even more complicated. If had just deleted his documents folder he would have a better chance at recovery.

Regards.

nope, you're wrong.

if you overwrite a folder with data in it, with a folder with no data in it, the markers are basically stripped from the files that used to exist in that folder. the files still exist, they are just marked as "free space" and are likely to get written over at some point - thus Sherman's sense of urgency.

even if you are to overwrite a folder, with another folder that actually has files in it, the old data is just unlabeled, and the new data is written somewhere marked as blank.