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Users often format hard disks to get rid of unwanted files that take up a large amount of storage space and are no longer needed. But sometimes, users unknowingly format the wrong drive or later on realize there were some important files on that drive. The situation is awkward, but there is no need to panic. In many cases, it is possible to recover data from a formatted hard disk.
If you are one of those who have accidentally formatted the wrong drive, your first job is to stop using the disk to avoid overwriting it. In this article, we have compiled steps to be taken when you face a data loss scenario, how to start recovering lost data, and professional tools to help you out.
Can You Recover Data from a Formatted Hard Disk?
Yes, it is possible to recover data from a formatted hard disk. To learn how the data recovery works, you need to know how the file system index works. The File system index saves file names, attributes, and drive location. When a file is deleted, the index entry is deleted. Whenever new data is available to save, the system can save the new data to that location as it is marked free.
The other important thing users must know is that there are two kinds of formatting techniques: Quick format and Full format. In the Quick format technique, the original data is still present on the disk after formatting, as only its index is deleted. While in Full format deletes the file system as well as rewrites the space with 0s, making it impossible to recover data.
Methods to Recover Data from a Formatted Hard Drive
Now, as you know how formatting affects your data, and the factors responsible for successful data recovery. It’s time to learn various methods to recover data from a formatted drive through backups, inbuilt Windows recovery methods, and lastly with the help of a professional data recovery solution.
Method 1: Restore from File History Backup
File history is an inbuilt backup feature available with Windows operating systems. It can restore lost files, including those that are lost after formatting the disk. It saves copies of user files to the network drive or to an external drive. It monitors changes made to personal libraries (Desktop, Pictures, Documents, Music, Videos) for easily restoring deleted files to previous versions.
- Open Control Panel
- Navigate to System Security > File History
- Click Restore Personal Files
- Look for the version you want to restore
- Select the file and click on the Restore button
Method 2: Use Windows File Recovery (Command Line)
Windows File Recovery is another free tool by Microsoft that can recover files. It scans the storage media and tries to recover deleted files. This is a command-line tool; a user must have sound knowledge to use this application.
- First of all, download and install Windows File Recovery
- Double-click to open it
- Run the command winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]
- Once the process is finished, check the destination folder for recovered files
Method 3: Restore Using Previous Versions
The feature takes snapshots of files and folders at regular intervals, which can be used to restore files to an earlier state. If the recent restore point is available before formatting the drive, the user might be able to recover files.
- Open the folder or drive from which the file was deleted
- Right-click and select Properties
- Click on the Previous Versions tab
- Select the version you want to retrieve, and click Restore.
Method: Use BLR Data Recovery Toolkit to Recover Formatted Data
If the backup of data is not available, professional data recovery software is the only option left. Using dedicated software is the most effective method to recover formatted data. BLR Data Recovery Toolkit is one such tool that can perform deep scanning of a storage device and locate recoverable data. It provides users with a preview of all the recoverable items; users can then select and recover files that are important to them. The software is capable of recovering data in case of accidental deletion, formatting, raw drives, data inaccessible due to viruses, corrupt file systems, or hard drive failures. The other important feature of BLR Data Recovery Toolkit is that it can recover data from BitLocker-encrypted drives as well. Users can run this software to recover data from hard drives, SSDs, USB, Memory cards, and other storage media. 
Conclusion
Formatting a hard disk doesn’t always mean that the data is lost forever and can’t be recovered. It all depends on the type of formatting performed by the user. If we perform a Quick format, the data is still there on the hard disk and can be recovered. In the case of the Full format, the data is deleted beyond recovery. The user must stop using the drive any further to increase the chances of successful data recovery. We have already discussed common methods to recover lost data with the help of built-in Windows features and with dedicated data recovery software such as BLR Windows Data Recovery Toolkit.
