If you want to free up storage space and therefore format the external or internal hard drive, you should make sure that important files have been saved in a backup (cloud storage, second external storage device). But sometimes things slip through the cracks. If you notice after formatting the hard drive that you still need certain files, the shock is significant. If you stay calm and take the right steps, you can recover the (supposedly) deleted files after formatting a hard drive or partition in most cases without any problem.
Recovering a Formatted Hard Drive: Data Still Present After Formatting
After formatting the hard drive, the data is usually still present. However, the PC no longer knows where these files are located, because the table of contents or allocation directory of the storage device has essentially been deleted.
Step 1: Avoid Write Operations
After formatting the hard drive, all write operations must be avoided. Otherwise, data could be overwritten and thus actually deleted. Learn more in our guide on first aid measures for data loss.
Step 2: Use Recovery Tools?
The next step would be to download a free recovery tool such as "Recuva", "Easeus Data Recovery Wizard", "7-Data Recovery Suite", or "TestDisk & PhotoRec" - at least if you follow some guides on the web.
In our experience, however, the tools rarely manage to recover all supposedly deleted files, even in the paid premium version. And when they do succeed, the data is in a completely unsorted state on the hard drive after recovery.
As a user, you need considerable time to restore the original state before formatting. The recovery process itself can also take several hours or even days.
Important: With a defective hard drive, both write and read operations should be avoided at all costs. Using consumer-grade data recovery software can do more harm than good here.
Step 3: Commission Data Recovery
If you have decided against a supposedly effective tool from the internet for good reason, or if the tool was unsuccessful, you should hand the matter over to a specialist. For logical errors, which include a formatted HDD or SSD hard drive, data can be recovered with a very high success rate and in the shortest possible time.
Because - unlike mechanical defects - no components need to be replaced or repaired, the costs for data recovery after formatting a hard drive are comparatively low.
Lars Müller