Sometimes, you may need to recover files after wiping a hard drive. In this article, you will get the most powerful tool for wiped hard drive recovery as well as an alternative way if you have backup.
Can data be recovered from a wiped hard drive? Actually, it is usually possible in most cases. When data is erased, it becomes inaccessible, but it remains physically on the drive until new data requires that space. The critical window for successful data recovery occurs when new data is intended to overwrite previously erased information.
However, certain factors may hinder or make data recovery impossible. There are several reasons why wiped hard drive recovery can be challenging:
β€ Continue drive usage: After data loss occurs, it is crucial to stop using the drive immediately to prevent overwriting the lost data. Continued use increases the risk of losing some or all of your data and making it unusable.
β€ Type of format performed: Two main formats exist: quick and full. Quick format removes only data references, allowing the data itself to be recovered. In contrast, a full format overwrites all data with zeros, making it unrecoverable.
β€ The existence of TRIM: SSDs use TRIM to extend the life of the drive. If TRIM is enabled, data cannot be recovered after executing the TRIM command. In this case, it is recommended to recover data quickly.
β€ Physical wipe: Physically erasing a hard drive using magnetic force significantly reduces the likelihood of data recovery. This process can easily damage the hardware, making data recovery from wiped hard drive nearly impossible.
There are several methods available for recovering data from an erased hard drive, each depending on your specific situation. The following methods will show you how to recover data with or without backup.
When faced with the challenge of recovering data from an erased hard drive without backup, employing a dedicated data recovery tool is crucial. AOMEI FastRecovery is a professional solution designed for this purpose. This tool excels at recovering lost or deleted data from hard drive, providing a comprehensive and effective data retrieval method in such situations.
β Multifunctional storage device supports: AOMEI FastRecovery is compatible with a variety of storage devices, including hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, and various other types of storage media. β Extensive format support: AOMEI FastRecovery can accommodate more than 200 data formats, including but not limited to photos, emails, videos, and audio, ensuring a wide range of recoverable file types. β Quick and deep scan options: Users can benefit from fast and deep scan capabilities, allowing efficient and thorough scanning of storage devices to recover lost or deleted data.
Here is a demo version of AOMEI FastRecovery, download it to see how to perform wiped hard drive recovery using professional data recovery software:
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 bins 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 ends.
Once you have successfully backed up your data before it is lost, the recovery process becomes simple. While various third-party applications offer unique data recovery wiped hard drive methods, we'll guide you through the entire process using Backup and Restore, a free backup utility integrated into Windows.
Step 1. Go to Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore (Windows 7).
Step 2. Click Restore my files.
Step 3. Click Browse for files > Select photos you want > Next.
Step 4. Specify the destination to save your recovered photos and click Restore.
That’s all about wiped hard drive recovery. Between the two ways presented above, AOMEI FastRecovery would be the best data recovery tool because of its high recovery rate and speed and high compatibility in most cases.