How to Recover Files after Quick Format

  author
Rollins Duke   
Published: May 13th, 2024 • 4 Min Read

Setting Up for Formatting

In the instances like when you are selling your system or attempting to install a new OS in your system or for getting rid of viruses and malware, or even while setting up some external drive for the purpose of backups; you sometimes come in the need to erase the hard drive completely and format it. However, it is important to note that while formatting the hard disk drive; the process will erase all your data on that drive, so ensure that you are choosing the correct file system before copying of the data. In certain cases, it is surely possible to convert the drive without the melancholy of losing the crucial data files; and this is possible while converting the hard drive from FAT32 to NTFS; however, under most of such circumstances, the one and only way of changing your file system is to completely erase your drive and then start formatting it from scratch.

Low-Level & High-Level Formatting

The initial part of the process of formatting is that where a basic and medium level preparation is done which is often termed as “low-level formatting”. Then comes the second part of the process also referred to as the “Partitioning” which is a common term for this part of the formatting process; it makes the storage device able to be seen to an OS. The 3rd part of this process is known as “high-level formatting” which is referred to the process to generate a fresh file system oftentimes.

Quick Format

The third part of the formatting process i.e. the “High-level” one is basically the process of generating a new and empty file system on a logical volume or on a disk partition and, for the PCs, it is the way to install the boot sector. This part of the process is a very fast and speedy one, and is therefore termed as “quick format” sometimes. The major difference between a regular formatting process and the quick formatting process is that; whether or not the volume will be scanning the bad sectors with the help of the chkdsk command. In the latter one, it will not be scanning the disk for the bad sectors. This is utilized in the cases where your hard disk drive was formatted before and it is not damaged. However, all this data will get lost if you now perform the process of quick format.

quick format

Be Quick to Restore Data after Quick Format

A regular format of the system is basically the process where all your data on the hard drive is deleted, but try to be aware of the process of ‘Quick Format‘ as it leaves all of the data in place and only makes your drive appear to be null. A quick format is a good option in the case you have a fresh new hard disk drive or when you are reinstalling MS Windows OS, but it is not a good option in case you are disposing it off or giving it to anyone known.

How to Recover Files after Quick Format

In the situation where you have mistakenly and accidentally performed the process of quick format and have unfortunately lost all your crucial and important data files, there is no need to panic as there still are chances to restore data from formatted hard drive after a quick format operation. Quick format process only rebuilds the file system, whereas the data area is not touched so it is not damaged. For performing the process of a formatted hard drive recovery, a 3rd party professional format file recovery tool would be the best bet and the safest bet to help you recover formatted partition data.

download