Can Data Be Recovered After A Full Format?

When you accidentally format a hard drive, panic often sets in as you wonder if your valuable files are lost forever. The good news is that data can be recovered after a full format in many cases. This article will explain how formatting works, how you can recover your data using advanced tools and how traditional recovery methods are available. We’ll also share tips on backup strategies to protect your files in the future.

How Does Formatting Work?

When you format a hard drive, it doesn’t instantly erase your data. Instead, formatting clears the file system (like NTFS or FAT32) and marks all storage sectors as available for new data. Quick formats only delete the file system, while full formats rewrite data more thoroughly but may still leave recoverable traces. The original files remain intact on the drive until overwritten by new data.

This is why it’s possible to recover formatted drives if no new data has been written. Specialized recovery tools can scan the drive for residual data and rebuild the file structure, making your files accessible again.

AOMEI FastRecovery: The Ultimate Solution to Recover Formatted Data on Windows systems

AOMEI FastRecovery is a powerful, user-friendly tool designed to recover lost files from formatted hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, and more. Its advanced algorithms make it one of the most reliable solutions for data recovery.

With just a few clicks, you can scan your formatted drive and recover critical files using AOMEI FastRecovery.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI FastRecovery. Choose the exact partition or disk where your data lost and click Scan.

Step 2. Then, the recovery tool start to scan and search. lt will execute the “Quickly Scan" first for finding your deleted data fast, and then execute the “Deep Scan" for searching other lost data.

Step 3. Once the scan is completed, all deleted files, Recycle Bin and other missing files will be displayed. Please select the file you would like to recover and then click "Recover".

Step 4. Then, select a folder path to save your recovered files.

Step 5. Wait patiently for this process of recovering to end.

Traditional Built-in Tools to Recover Formatted Data

If you have enabled backup service or you want to see some more solutions, in this part, you can check Windows tools to recover formatted data.

1. Restore Formatted Files Using Previous Versions

Step 1. Open your computer and click the Start button and click the computer option.

Step 2. Select a hard disk drive and right-click on it, and then click the option Restore previous versions.

Step 3. On the pop-up window, you can check the File versions, you can click "Restore" to get your files back.

2. Recover Data with File History

File History is a simple utility that is included in Microsoft Windows. Restoring your Folders to a previous version is feasible. Consequently, your data will also be restored.

Step 1. Open the Start menu. Once you enter restore files in the search box, you will see a list of options.

Step 2. Select the File History option. Then, look for the container folder. It’s the folder that carries the old address of your Deleted Data.

Step 3. You will notice the File History Records. And you can navigate between each of these, with arrows.

After you hit the Restore button in the middle, the selection will return. You can find the selected data objects in the container folder. Yes, the file restoration brings them to their original location.

3. Use Backup and Restore

The initial stage is to retrieve the lost or formatted files from your Windows backup. If you have consistently backed up your files, you can retrieve the deleted files directly from System Restore. Subsequently, proceed with the following steps:

Step 1. Open Backup and Restore by clicking on the Start button on your Windows computer, then go through Control Panel->System and Maintenance->Backup and Restore.

Step 2. Click Restore my files and then follow the steps.

These methods rely on prior setup, so they may not work if you didn’t enable backups or File History before formatting.

Further Reading: Main Types of Backups for Windows Users

There is no denying that certain types of backups are more suitable for protecting certain categories of files than others, but any backup is infinitely better than no backup at all. Let us briefly examine the primary backup varieties available to you when selecting a method of file protection:

1. Local backups: The most straightforward backup option, local system backups entails the transfer of files from one storage device, such as an internal hard drive, to another, such as a USB flash drive. The human being who performs manual local backups is their greatest vulnerability. For what reason? The consequences of even one missed backup can be devastating, and our hectic lives make it very easy to neglect that it is time to create a new backup.

2. Automatic backups: The good news is that the creation of backups can be easily automated with software applications such as File History. Simply inform your backup application of the files you wish to duplicate, select an appropriate backup destination, and relax.

3. Cloud backups: As convenient as automatic local backups are, they do not protect you against natural catastrophes and other catastrophic occurrences that can compromise not only the original copies of your data, but also all backup storage devices in the same location. Cloud backup options, such as Microsoft OneDrive and Apple iCloud, address this issue by automatically sending files offshore.

4. RAID backups: RAID arrays offer an interesting alternative to typical data backups by increasing the number of hard disks that must fail before you experience data loss. For example, RAID 1 allows you to mirror your data on two hard drives at the same time, effectively reducing it by 50%.

Conclusion

Can data be recovered after a full format? Now you know the answer. In this post, besides how to recover formatted data, you can also check some tips to make backup to prevent data loss during your daily routine. And if you happen to delete files, you can try AOMEI FastRecovery to solve the problem.

FAQs about recovering formatted data from Windows PC

1. Is it necessary to format a drive?

Formatting is sometimes necessary to prepare a storage device (such as a hard drive, SSD, or USB drive) for use or to resolve issues.

• Preparing a New Storage Device: A new hard drive or SSD often comes unformatted. Formatting creates a file system (e.g., NTFS, FAT32, or exFAT) that the operating system can use to store and manage data.

• Changing the File System: If a storage device uses an incompatible or outdated file system, formatting can be done to switch to a compatible one, enabling seamless use across devices or operating systems.

• Removing Corruption or Errors: If a drive has become corrupted or contains bad sectors, formatting can repair file system errors and restore functionality.

• Resolving Compatibility Issues: Devices like cameras, gaming consoles, or other systems may require a specific file system format. Formatting ensures the drive works correctly with the target device.

2. When the best time to recover data from a formatted drive?

The best time to recover data from a formatted drive is immediately after formatting, before any new data is written to the drive. When a drive is formatted, the operating system removes file references but does not overwrite the actual data. The data remains intact until new files are saved, which can overwrite the old data. If the drive has been used after formatting, data recovery tools may find fragmented pieces of files, making full recovery harder or even impossible.

3. Can I recover formatted external hard drive?

Recovering data from a formatted external hard drive is just as straightforward as recovering formatted internal hard drives. The key is to initiate the data recovery procedure prior to the overwriting of the deleted data and to employ a dependable data recovery software application.