Lost files by overwriting folder

Help PLEASE!
I made a stupid mistake and tried to back up a folder with some images by copying my Pictures folder from the PowerBook to an external firewire hard drive. I had a Picture folder there already with some subfolders. Unfortunately the folder structure on the ext drive had some folders which I had created there earlier but are not in the Pictures folder on the PowerBook. Too late I realised that by copying the newer Pictures folder over the one on the ext drive I deleted the subfolders that do not exist anymore on the PowerBook.
I am now hoping that some of the files in those subfolders still exist in some form and I will be able to recover them. I don't know how though. I would be very grateful for any help I could get with this...please!!
Many thanks!
PowerBook Mac OS X (10.2.x)

Hi, K. Download the demo version of one or more of the following data recovery utilities:
Data Rescue II
FileSalvage
VirtualLab
The demo version of each program will show you what files the full, paid-for version would be able to recover from your hard drive. If you like what you see, buy and use the full version.
Any of these programs will require that you have a second hard drive to which the recovered files can be saved as you recover them. In your case, that can be your internal HD, provided there's enough room on it. You'll want to install the data recovery software on the internal HD, boot to that drive, and use the recovery software to inspect the external drive for recoverable files. Any files you decide you want to recover will be saved on the internal drive, to avoid overwriting anything more on the external drive.
To be recoverable, the "lost" files on the external drive must not actually have been overwritten. If the new Pictures folder actually occupies the same addresses on the external drive as the old Pictures folder did, then the files have literally been overwritten and are gone forever. But that may not be the case: if the new folder was written to a different part of the drive, and only the directory entry for the old folder has been removed, the files may be recoverable. There's no way for you to tell where on the drive the files were written except by trying to recover them.
Be aware that everything that has been or will be written to the drive after the Pictures folder was replaced has the potential to overwrite files that you may want to recover. So it's very important that you STOP using the external drive at all until you've recovered whatever you need from it, or determined that your files aren't recoverable.
Good luck.

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Attachments:
Overwrite Files.vi ‏12 KB

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Lost files by overwriting folder

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