incrediBILL - 1:30 am on Nov 1, 2012 (gmt 0)

I hadn't considered a file recovery program but that's a good idea.

Couple of issues I see is:

a) if they've replaced the index file and the server is creating server logs and/or processing email it's already busy obliterating files and should be turned off immediately.

b) if it's a rental server the host may not be willing to pull the drive and hand it over, certainly not without charging for the hardware.

c) the time involved before getting a site back online could be quite extensive

It's not even as though I can reinstall a CMS or anything as the system was customised and intracate.

I find it hard to believe that whoever did the customization didn't maintain a local copy.