File recovery is the process of restoring files that have been deleted or lost from a storage device like a hard drive. Files may need to be recovered if the hard drive is accidentally formatted. When a hard drive is formatted, the file system information is erased and the drive is returned to a blank slate. While this erases all files and folders stored on the drive, it does not immediately delete the actual data. The files still exist on the hard drive temporarily until they are overwritten by new data. Therefore, it is often possible to recover formatted files using data recovery software as long as the original files have not yet been overwritten.
When Formatting Deletes Files
Formatting a hard drive does not actually erase the data on the drive, but rather it clears the file allocation table (FAT). The FAT is like an index that tells the operating system where files are located on the hard drive. When you format a drive, the FAT is wiped clean so the OS no longer knows where the actual file data is stored on the physical drive.
While the data still exists in its physical location on the disk platters even after formatting, the operating system loses all the pointers to where those files reside. So effectively, formatting makes the data inaccessible by removing the file system structure that organizes the files on a storage device.
Without the file allocation table pointing to the clusters where data is stored, the operating system cannot find or access the files. As far as the OS is concerned, the disk is empty after formatting since it has no way to locate the files. But the raw data still remains in its place on the physical disk until it is overwritten by new data.
This is why data recovery is often possible after accidentally formatting a drive. The files themselves are still there, but the pointers telling the OS where to find them are erased. Specialized recovery software can scan the drive and rebuild parts of the file allocation table to make the files accessible again.
So in summary, the act of formatting a hard drive does not directly erase data. It simply deletes the file system index that tells the operating system how to access the files. The raw data remains in place until the clusters are reused for new files. [1]
[1] https://www.easeus.com/resource/does-formatting-drive-erase-everything.html
Types of Formats
The two main types of formatting are quick format and full format. The key difference between them is how thoroughly they erase data on a drive:
Quick Format: As the name suggests, this is faster but less secure. It simply erases the index of where files are stored, but does not actually overwrite the data itself. This means files can often be recovered, using recovery software.[Source: https://www.partitionwizard.com/disk-recovery/quick-format-vs-full-format.html]
Full Format: This takes longer, but securely overwrites a drive by replacing all existing data with zeros. Full formatting makes recovery extremely difficult, if not impossible. It ensures all existing data is completely erased and overwritten.[Source: https://www.easeus.com/partition-master/quick-format-vs-full-format.html]
So in summary, quick formatting often maintains recoverable data while full formatting is more likely to permanently erase all files. The type of format used impacts the chances of successful recovery.
Stop Using the Drive
It is crucial to stop using the formatted hard drive immediately after accidentally formatting it. This is because continuing to write new data to the drive can overwrite the deleted files, making them unrecoverable.
When a hard drive is formatted, the filesystem information telling where files are located is erased. The files themselves are not immediately overwritten, but remain on the drive marked for deletion. They will only be truly deleted and overwritten when new data is saved to the same physical location on the hard drive.
According to Scot Klopfenstein, “Any activity that writes data to your drive, like downloading files, installing software, saving documents, etc. could overwrite your lost files and make them unrecoverable.”
Therefore, it is essential to stop using the drive immediately after accidentally formatting it. Do not save or download anything new to the formatted drive. The less you use the drive, the more likely a file recovery will be successful in retrieving your deleted files before they are permanently overwritten.
Command Prompt Recovery
Command Prompt is a built-in Windows tool that can be used to recover deleted files from a formatted hard drive. Even though the hard drive appears empty after formatting, the files are not completely erased from the disk right away. The space they occupied is marked as available to write new data, but the original data still exists until it gets overwritten by new content. This means there is a window of opportunity to recover deleted files using Command Prompt after formatting a drive.
Command Prompt has a few recovery commands that can scan the formatted drive and restore deleted files. The main advantage of using Command Prompt is that it’s freeware included in Windows, so there are no costs for the recovery software. It also retrieves data quickly from the formatted partition. However, its recovery capabilities are limited compared to paid software solutions. Command Prompt can only recover certain file types and has lower chances of retrieving files after they have been partially overwritten. But overall, it provides a good starting point for recovering data after accidentally formatting a hard drive.
According to experts, “Even though it’s not entirely successful, using Command Prompt to recover deleted files in Windows is the first approach you should try.” (Source). While basic, running Command Prompt recovery before using the drive can potentially help salvage important files.
Steps to Recover Files
Recovering deleted files using the Command Prompt involves a few key steps:
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Open the Command Prompt by typing “cmd” in the Windows search bar and pressing Enter.
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Type “chkdsk X: /f” where “X” is the letter of the drive you want to scan and recover files from. This will scan the drive for issues and attempt to recover deleted files [1].
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Use the “mountvol” command to list available drives and volumes. This can help identify the correct drive letter to use in other recovery commands [2].
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Type “undelete *.*” to recover deleted files from the drive. An asterisk (*) wildcard will search for all file types [3].
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Use the “attrib” command to reset file attributes and make deleted files visible again for recovery. For example, “attrib -h -r -s /s /d *.*” [3].
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Run data recovery software like Recuva, Disk Drill or EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for an easy graphical interface to scan drives and recover files.
Following these steps precisely while noting the correct drive letter is key for recovering deleted files using the Command Prompt.
Recovery Software
While Command Prompt can recover deleted files in some cases, using dedicated data recovery software often yields better results, especially for larger volumes of deleted data. There are many powerful recovery programs available both free and paid.
Some of the top paid recovery software options include Stellar Data Recovery, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, and Disk Drill. Paid software offers advanced scanning capabilities to dig deeper and recover a wider range of file types. They also provide better support for finding lost data after formatting drives or partitions.
The main advantage of paid recovery software is a higher success rate when retrieving deleted files. With more advanced algorithms and file type support, paid programs can recover data even after multiple overwrites or deep formatting of a drive. The scanning process is also faster and more efficient compared to free alternatives.
For valuable or irreplaceable data, investing in commercial recovery software can greatly improve the chances of getting files back intact. The cost is justified by the ability to recover terabytes worth of deleted data with a high success rate. Just be sure to avoid continued usage of the affected drive to prevent overwritten files.
Prevention Tips
The best way to avoid needing to recover deleted files is to take preventative measures beforehand. Here are some tips to help prevent accidental file deletion:
Back Up Your Files – Regularly back up your important files to an external hard drive or cloud storage. This way you have a copy if something happens to your originals. Some backup software like DataNumen can automatically save previous versions of files.
Image Your Drives – Imaging your hard drive creates an exact sector-by-sector copy as a file, which you can re-deploy to restore your system should anything happen. Software like Macrium Reflect can automate drive imaging.
Change File Permissions – Setting your important files to “read-only” can prevent accidental deletion. On Windows you can do this by right-clicking, selecting Properties > General > Attributes and checking “Read-only.”
Hide Sensitive Files – Sensitive files can be hidden on your computer to avoid accidental access. On Windows, right-click, select Properties > General > Hidden to hide a file or folder.
Install Anti-Deletion Software – Programs like ShadowExplorer monitor for deleted files and let you quickly restore them if something happens.
Recovering Different File Types from Formatted Drive
The type of file you are trying to recover plays a big role in the likelihood of recovering it from a formatted drive. Here are some specifics around recovering common file types:
Documents: Word documents, PDFs, spreadsheets and other text-based files have a good chance of being recovered even after formatting. This is because the text content can often still be extracted even if the original file formatting is lost. Specialized recovery software can scan the drive and rebuild documents based on the recovered text.
Photos and Media: Recovering photos, videos, music and other multimedia is also possible from a formatted drive. These file types are large binary files that may be partially overwritten during the format process. The recovery software will grab any fragments still intact and try to rebuild the media file. The likelihood of full recovery depends on the size of the original file.
Emails: Recovering old emails from a formatted hard drive can be hit or miss. If the emails were stored locally in the Outlook PST file then this binary file can be recovered just like a media file. However, recovering emails after an Exchange or webmail service has been reformatted is unlikely.
The key is to use advanced recovery software designed to identify files based on signatures for that file type. General unformatting of the drive will be less effective. Focus the search on the specific file types you need.
Conclusion
Recovering deleted files from a formatted hard drive using Command Prompt can seem daunting, but is doable with some careful steps. The key things to remember are:
- Stop using the formatted drive right away to avoid overwriting data.
- Use the “chkdsk” command to scan and find recoverable files.
- Employ data recovery software like TestDisk for deeper scanning capabilities.
- Use the “copy” command to extract found files to another drive.
- Focus recovery efforts on document and media files which are easier to restore.
- Experiment with different Command Prompt switches for broader recovery.
- Be patient as scanning and file extraction can take significant time.
Following these steps carefully using Command Prompt gives you a fighting chance to rescue important files and photos even after a mistaken format. Just make sure to avoid further use of the drive and act quickly for the best results.