Formatting a USB drive can easily result in accidental data loss if you’re not careful. Fortunately, with the right tools and techniques, you can often recover deleted files from a formatted USB drive. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through the steps and best practices for recovering files from a formatted USB drive.
How Formatting Deletes Files on a USB Drive
Formatting a USB drive erases all the data on the drive by removing the file table – the index of where files are located. Without the file table, the operating system sees the USB drive as empty even if the file contents are still physically present.
Formatting does not immediately overwrite the actual file data. The files remain intact in their original locations until they get overwritten by new data. So there is a window of opportunity to recover formatted files before they get overwritten.
However, the longer you use the USB drive after formatting, the higher the chance of file data being overwritten. So it’s crucial to stop using the formatted drive right away and attempt data recovery.
When Can Files Be Recovered from a Formatted USB Drive?
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If the formatted USB drive hasn’t been used much after formatting, the original files have a high chance of recovery.
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Recovery success depends on the formatting scheme. A quick format is more likely to recover files than a full format.
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The recovery process is easier if you remember the original folder structure and file names. This helps identify recovered files.
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Advanced data recovery software provides the best chance of getting back lost files from a formatted USB drive.
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If the formatted drive has been heavily reused, overriding significant portions of data, recovery becomes difficult or impossible.
Step-by-Step Guide to Recover Files from a Formatted USB Drive
Follow these steps to recover deleted files from a formatted USB drive:
1. Stop Using the Formatted USB Drive
As soon as you realize important files are lost due to formatting the USB drive, stop using the drive. Continued usage can overwrite your deleted files making them unrecoverable.
2. Connect the Formatted USB Drive to Your Computer
Carefully connect the formatted USB drive directly to your computer where you want to perform recovery. Avoid copying any new files to this drive.
3. Download and Install Data Recovery Software
Stellar Data Recovery and EaseUS Data Recovery are two excellent, free file recovery programs that work well in this situation.
Install the data recovery program on your computer. Be sure to decline any offers unrelated to file recovery during installation.
4. Select the Formatted USB Drive to Scan
Run the data recovery program you installed. Select the formatted USB drive as the location to scan for recoverable files and click Scan.
The software will scan the drive and search for recoverable files based on file signatures. This may take some time depending on the drive size.
5. Preview and Recover Deleted Files
Once the scan completes, the program will display files it found that can be recovered. Browse through them and preview to confirm they are your lost files.
Then select the files you want to get back and click Recover. Choose a new safe location like your computer’s hard drive to save the recovered files, not the formatted USB drive itself.
6. Perform a Deep Scan If Needed
In case the quick scan did not find all your lost files, run a Deep Scan on the formatted drive. Deep Scan thoroughly searches the drive for recoverable file data. It can take several hours to complete but has a higher chance of finding more deleted files.
Tips for Successful Data Recovery from a Formatted Drive
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Recover data from a formatted drive as soon as possible before more data gets overwritten.
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Don’t save recovered files back to the formatted drive itself or they may get overwritten again.
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Keep trying with advanced recovery tools if a normal scan does not find your files.
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Full format deletes files more thoroughly making recovery difficult compared to quick format.
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For severely overwritten drives, send to a professional data recovery lab – but it is expensive.
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Back up important data regularly so it’s protected if you accidentally format a drive.
Can Files Be Recovered After Full Quick Format?
A full quick format deletes the file table and scans the disk to make a new empty one. It can still recover files since it does not erase or overwrite the actual file data areas. A full quick format only takes seconds compared to hours for a full format.
Advanced recovery software looks at the raw data level on an formatted drive to find recoverable files regardless of the format type. So data recovery is possible from a full quick formatted disk before too much new data gets written to it.
Is There Free Software That Can Recover Files After Formatting?
Yes, free data recovery software like Recuva, Photorec, and Disk Drill can recover files from a formatted USB drive on Windows and Mac computers. They scan the raw drive sectors looking for files that can be salvaged based on integrity of data.
Recuva has a simple interface and is easy to use. Photorec specializes in recovering photos, videos and popular file formats. Disk Drill can do both quick and deep scans with useful file filtering options.
While free tools may recover lost files in many cases, commercial software like Stellar and EaseUS often produce better results due to more advanced algorithms. But free software provides a cost-effective starting point for formatted drive file recovery.
Can You Recover Files After Full Format?
It is possible but difficult to recover files from a USB drive after a full format because it actively overwrites file system data. A full format can take hours to complete compared to the seconds of a quick format.
With a full format, the file table, directories, and allocation units are rebuilt from scratch. Areas occupied by deleted files get overwritten with zeroes. So original file content is destroyed, making recovery unlikely unless an area wasn’t fully overwritten.
Advanced recovery software that reads raw data can still find traces of former files on sectors that were not fully overwritten after a full format. But you have the best chance of file recovery from a full format by stopping the process midway before completion.
Final Thoughts
Accidentally formatting your USB drive can be devastating if you lose important files. However, with the right approach, recovery of deleted files is possible in many cases with the help of data recovery software.
Stop using the formatted drive immediately, connect it to your computer, download recovery software, and scan for recoverable files. Choose a new safe storage location for saving retrieved files.
Act quickly, don’t overwrite file data, and use advanced recovery tools for the best chance to restore your files and get back lost photos, documents, videos and other important data after accidentally formatting your USB drive. Just don’t give up too soon – recovery takes patience but pays off.
