Recovering Files From a Reformatted External HDD This Year

Introduction

Losing important files on an external hard drive after accidentally reformatting it can be devastating. However, with the right tools and techniques, recovering those files may be possible even in 2022. In this article, I will provide an in-depth look at the options for file recovery from a reformatted external HDD.

Why Files Can Often Still Be Recovered After Reformatting

When you reformat a hard drive, the file system information telling where all the files are located is erased and overwritten. However, the actual file contents are often still present on the drive platter until they get overwritten by new data.

So reformatting doesn’t immediately delete all your files – it just removes the “signposts” telling where they are. With the right recovery software, we can rescan the drive and rebuild that file system map to regain access to your files.

Here are some key points on why data recovery is often possible from a reformatted drive:

• File contents aren’t wiped instantly – Only the file system metadata is erased during a quick reformat. The actual 1’s and 0’s comprising your files stay on the platter.

• Overwritten data can be reconstructed – Even some data that gets partially overwritten during a format can be rebuilt using advanced recovery techniques.

• Drive sectors are only overwritten gradually – A full overwrite of the entire drive happens slowly over time as new data is written. Recently formatted drives have less overwritten data.

So in summary – a reformat simply removes the file pointers, not the actual files themselves immediately. This leaves a window of opportunity for recovery software.

Best Practices Before Attempting File Recovery

If you have just now reformatted an external hard drive accidentally, here are some important steps to take:

• Avoid writing new data – Don’t save or move any files to the drive, as this will start overwriting your deleted files permanently.

• Don’t attempt recovery from the formatted drive – Connect it as a secondary drive or removable media to another computer for recovery.

• Scan for recoverable data first – Use recovery software to see what can be rescued before you try to actually recover files, which could overwrite data.

Following these best practices will help avoid making the deleted files unrecoverable before you can attempt to rescue them.

Software Options for File Recovery from a Reformatted Drive

There are a number of data recovery programs out there that can restore lost files from reformatted media. Here are some of the top options:

1. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard

EaseUS is an excellent recovery program for all storage devices. It has a simple interface and deep scanning capabilities to find even recently deleted files.

2. Stellar Data Recovery

Stellar offers robust advanced scanning for formatted drives. It can identify more than 300 different file types.

3. R-Studio

R-Studio provides advanced RAID, disk imaging, and other features. It has excellent deep scan support for recovering from heavily corrupted drives.

4. Recuva

Recuva from Piriform is focused on recovery simplicity and is very lightweight. Best for quick undeletes.

These programs provide an excellent starting point for recovering lost files from a reformatted HDD.

Recovery Techniques and Procedures

Now let’s go through the steps to recover files from a reformatted external hard drive:

1. Connect the Reformatted Drive for Recovery

Connect the target drive to another computer as a secondary drive, not the main boot volume. This avoids writing any data to it during the operating system boot process.

2. Scan the Drive for Recoverable Data

Run your chosen data recovery software and have it scan the reformatted drive. This identifies files that can likely be recovered before attempting actual file recovery.

3. Select Files to Recover

Browse the scan results and select the files you want to recover. Avoid recovering to the same reformatted external drive – pick another drive instead.

4. Perform File Recovery

Have the software perform the actual file recovery process to restore your selected files. Save them to another safe location like a new external drive.

5. Check Recovered Files

Verify that the rescued files are intact and uncorrupted by opening them on a clean system.

Following this process carefully can help successfully recover your valuable files from an accidentally reformatted drive in many cases. But it’s still wise to have backups of truly critical data.

Final Tips for Preventing File Loss

While data recovery from a reformatted HDD is often possible, it’s much better to avoid getting in that situation in the first place. Here are some final tips:

• Have backups of critical data – Maintain current backups on separate media to avoid reliance on recovery.

• Confirm reformatting – Double check when reformatting any drive to avoid accidentally picking the wrong one.

• Eject drives safely – Always properly eject external HDDs before unplugging to avoid corruption.

• Avoid drive fragmentation – Defragment your HDDs occasionally to limit fragmented data scattered across the platter.

• Watch for drive errors – Monitor HDD health so you can recover data before total failure.

Following best practices for drive maintenance, backups, and safe computer use is the best way to insure against file loss. But if disaster does strike, recovery software can sometimes still help retrieve your important files from a reformatted drive with the right approach. Just don’t write any new data to the drive and act quickly.