Have you accidentally formatted your hard drive and thought your data was lost forever? Fear not! This guide will show you how to unformat SSD/HDD on Windows PC and Mac, even if you don't have a backup.
"Unformat" is a technical term for the process of reversing a disk's formatting. Essentially, it is retrieving files from a formatted hard drive, and it is often used in data recovery scenarios.
About Formatting Hard Disk
It is generally used to erase data, initialize storage devices, change file systems, fix drive errors, etc. After this operation, all the data you stored on the hard drive will be gone. You can choose two ways to complete this process, and it will be helpful to understand how they work before you begin recovery.
💽 Quick Format: This method only removes the file table entries, making the space available for new data. It does not erase the data stored on the hard drive, which means it can be quickly recovered using data recovery software.
💯 Full Format: This is a more thorough way of erasing the hard drive. It will also overwrite all sectors with zeros and repair damaged ones, but it also means that it will be more difficult to unformat the hard drive successfully.
Some Things You Need to Pay Attention to Before Unformatting
Before you start processing a formatted SSD or HDD, certain measures will directly affect the data recovery success rate. So, you can follow these tips:
Stop using the formatted disk
This is the most important thing. If you continue to use it, the erased data may be overwritten, causing them to be lost forever or destroyed.
Disconnect the external drive if it is
This is also to prevent accidental data writing. When you are ready to unformat a hard disk, reconnect it.
Close other applications
When using the software for recovery, try to close other processes to free up more memory so that it can run at its best.
Choose another storage device as the saving location
This will ensure that no data is written to the formatted drive during recovery, avoiding situations where recoverable files are corrupted.
How to Unformat SSD/HDD in Windows 7/8/10/11
You may accidentally format your hard drive and lose the data in it for many reasons. Here, multiple methods on PC can help you get them back. So, you can choose the one that suits you best for your situation.
Solution 1. Use Previous Versions of the Hard Disk
With this built-in Windows backup and recovery feature, you can quickly restore your disk to its state before the format. However, you need to have enabled File History or System Restore before the accident.
After opening "File Explorer," click "This PC" on the left list.
Select the formatted HDD or SSD in the "Devices and drives."
Right-click, select "Properties" and go to the "Previous Versions" tab.
Choose a backup version from the list and click "Restore."
Solution 2. From File History
Although you can use the above method to unformat the hard drive Windows 10/11, but it will probably return a lot of useless data. If you only want to retrieve some essential files, then you can try the following steps.
Connect the external hard drive to store the backup files to your Windows PC.
Click "Window" on the keyboard and type "File History" in the search box.
Choose "Restore your files with File History" in the appear results.
Click the left and right buttons below in the File History window to view the file copies.
Select the ones lost due to formatting and click the green "Restore" button.
Solution 3. Try a Free HDD/SSD Recovery Software
Can I recover data from the formatted hard drive without backup? Of course! You can use FileRescuer. Although it is free software, it still has powerful features and can also recover permanently deleted files in Windows 10, 11, and macOS.
Video Tutorial to Unformat Partition, Disk, or USB Drive
A Text Guide on How to Unformat a Hard Drive
Download and install FileRescuer on your computer. Please do not install it in the formatted partition. For this, you can also download our portable version to run it on an external drive.
Select the formatted hard drive after launching it and click "Search for Lost Files."
Click on the folder on the left side of the page to view the recoverable files. You can also click "Preview" to view its details.
Select the erased data and click "Recover," then choose a location to save them.
Solution 4. Use the System Restore
For users who accidentally formatted the system disk and created a system backup in advance, you can try the following steps to recover formatted HDD/SSD. But before you start, please back up your existing files.
Press the "Windows + R" keys to open the "Run" dialog.
Type "rstrui.exe" and press Enter to launch the System Restore tool.
Click "Next" and select a relevant restore point (created before the files were lost) from the list.
Finally, follow the wizard to recover your erased data.
How to Unformat Hard Drive on Mac
In macOS, you can also use backups or professional tools to retrieve deleted files on Mac after formatting, but there are fewer options than in Windows.
Solution 1. Use Time Machine
If you backed up the data on this hard drive using Time Machine before formatting, you can easily find them now by following the steps below.
Connect the external hard drive used as a Time Machine backup to your Mac and open the directory where the files are lost.
Click on the "clock" icon in the top menu bar and select "Enter Time Machine." If the icon isn't visible, go to System Preferences > Time Machine and check "Show Time Machine in the menu bar."
Navigate to a date before you formatted the drive and find the files you need.
Select them and click "Restore" to save them to their original location.
Solution 2. Try FileRescuer
If Time Machine is not available, then you still try third-party tools. Here, you can still use free file recovery software for Mac - FileRescuer to complete the process.
Steps to unformat SSD/HDD on Mac:
Download FileRescuer for Mac, then double-click its dmg file to install it.
Next, Find the FileRescuer icon in the application folder and double-click to open it.
Once the storage devices have finished loading, select the hard drive you accidentally formatted in the list and click "Search for lost files."
After the scan is done, you can view the recoverable files by clicking the "path" or "type" tab on the left side of the page. You can also double-click on a single file to preview its contents.
Finally, please select the items you need and click "Recover" to save them to your storage device.
More Free Formatted Disk Recovery Software Options
While FileRescuer is excellent, but other options can also help you get your erased data back. To do that, you can check out the following 3 alternatives.
1. Recuva
It is a useful tool. It is adequate for users who are performing basic unformat HDD Windows 10/11. However, it has limitations in terms of deep scan accuracy.
Main Features
Provides a step-by-step wizard, making it easy to use for any type of user.
Supports the recovery of diverse data formats including documents, images, videos, audio files, and emails.
Mark the status of recoverable data to help users find useful items faster.
Pros & Cons
Ease of Use
Free
Only Windows
Doesn't handle damaged disks well
2. Stellar Free Data Recovery
It is an excellent choice for those seeking a reliable and feature-rich tool for unformat HDD/SSD.
Main Features
For users whose systems have crashed severely, Stella can recover data even when they cannot boot.
In addition to basic recovery, it can also repair damaged photos and videos.
Compatible with many storage devices, such as SSD, HDD, USB flash drives, and even CD/DVD formats.
Pros & Cons
Simple GUI
Create a bootable USB drive
Scanning Time-consuming
Functional limitations
3. EaseUS Free Data Recovery Wizard
This is a powerful hard drive recovery tool well known by most users and can handle almost all data loss scenarios.
Main Features
An intuitive interface ensures that any user has an efficient and smooth recovery experience.
Provides quick scan and deep scan for a more thorough analysis of the hard drive.
Supports over 1,000 file types and various storage devices.
Pros & Cons
Comprehensive capabilities
Preview before recovery
Slow Recovery Speeds
Expensive license
The Last Method of Recovery after Formatting the Disk
When your hard drive has been formatted repeatedly or has suffered severe damage, the above unformat SSD/HDD methods may not help you. If the data in it is very important, then you can also contact a data recovery service. They have professional skills and are equipped with dust-free laboratories and may still recover lost files in advance even in the most severe cases. However, this will be expensive and time-consuming.
How to Avoid Data Loss Due to Formatting In the Future
After successfully unformatting the disk, you can follow the tips below to avoid file loss again.
🎏 Backing up important data is crucial to avoiding reliance on data recovery methods. This will ensure that your files remain safe and retrievable.
📝 If formatting is necessary to organize storage space or repair a malfunction, clearly label your drives to avoid confusion and accidental formatting.
🔍 Run disk checks regularly to avoid any potential errors that may require formatting before continued use.
Recap of Key Points
All in all, whether you use backup or professional tools, the above methods to unformat HDD/SSD in Windows PC or Mac can save your important data. However, do you want to avoid such a situation from happening again? To do so, back up regularly and handle your hard drive with care!
FAQs
Stop using your disk immediately to avoid overwriting the erased data. This will maximize the chances of successfully recovering the hard drive after formatting.
Yes, it is possible, but the chances of successful recovery decrease with each subsequent format. When data recovery software is unavailable, you can also seek professional help.
For this, you can use FileRescuer confidently. It was tested by more than 100 anti-virus software before its release. In addition, it is a read-only program and will not damage your data.
The time required for several factors, including the size of the SSD/HDD, the amount of data stored, and the method used. Quick scans may take minutes, while deep scans could take several hours.
Overwriting of old data with new files.
Physical damage to the drive.
Extensive corruption due to malware or system failures.
Like FileRescuer, most tools have user-friendly interfaces that anyone can use easily. However, the advanced features in some programs may require a basic understanding of how data recovery works.
In most cases, recovered data will retain their original quality. However, if any part of the file has been overwritten or corrupted, there may be a loss in quality or partial data retrieval.