Recovering formatted documents from a crashed computer is challenging but possible with the right tools and methods. It's crucial to stop using the computer immediately after formatting to prevent overwriting data. Recommended software for recovery includes GetDataBack, which is effective for NTFS and FAT32 file systems, and Stellar Phoenix, which has received positive feedback for its recovery capabilities. The recovery process typically involves removing the hard drive, connecting it as a slave to another computer, and running the recovery software to scan for lost files. Users have reported varying success rates, with some software performing better than others depending on the situation. It's advisable to try multiple recovery programs to maximize the chances of retrieving important documents.