How to Recover Data after Quick Format? (2 Solutions)

It's not the first time someone is searching to undo quick format. We all have been there. Follow this article for solutions that can recover files after quick format in a few simple clicks.

Written by John Harris, Updated on June 05, 2024

Can I Recover Quick Formatted Drive?

Yes, data can be recovered after a quick format. A quick format only erases the pointers of the files saved on the drive, making the previous data inaccessible and allowing you to add new information. As the actual data isn't erased, there is a chance of recovering files after a quick format.

Quick Format vs Full Format

Feature Full Format Quick Format
Data Recovery Difficult but possible Possible
Volume Label Yes No
Create a new File System Yes No
Check Bad Sectors Yes No
Write Zeros Yes No
Data Erasure Erases data completely Does not erase data completely
Speed Slower Faster
Bad Sector Checking Checks for bad sectors Does not check for bad sectors
Delete Files Yes Yes
Operating System Windows, macOS, Linux Windows

How To Perform Quick Format Recovery?

1: Quick Format Recovery Using Data Recovery Software

2: Quick Format Data Recovery from Backups

1: Use Data Recovery Software

Choose an effective data recovery tool to recover a quick formatted drive. We suggest you try Remo Recover for this job as it supports a wide range of modern storage devices and modern file systems like NTFS, exFAT, and APFS.

The tool is completely safe and easy to use to help you recover data from a formatted drive in a few simple clicks.


Steps to Recover Data From Quick Formatted Hard Drive

  • Download and install the Remo Recover software and connect the Hard Drive from which you have lost data after quick format.
  • Now, Launch the software, select the drive and click on the Scan button to start the recovery process from your drive after quick format.
  • select the quick format drive to scan

  • Once the scan starts you can click on the Dynamic Recovery View to recover the lost files after quick format during the scanning process itself.
  • use dynamic recovery view

  • After completion of the scanning process, the recovered data will be presented under the Lost and Found folder or Lost Partition folder.
  • list of recovered files

  • You can Preview the recovered files to examine if your data is recovered properly.
  • preview the files for free

  • If you are satisfied with the recovery results, select the files which you want to restore and hit the Recover button to save them at your desired location.
  • save the recovered files to desired-location

Method 2: Restore from Backups

If you have a previous backup, then you can recover files after a quick format for free, whether it's stored in cloud storage or on an external hard drive.

You can choose the built-in backup and restore feature on Windows to undo quick format. Here is how to do it:

  • Go to Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore
  • quick format recovery using backup and restore

  • Click "Restore my files"
  • Browse for the specific files or folders you want to restore
  • Choose a destination to restore the files to (not the original drive)
  • Click Restore

Now check the recovered files and folders on your destination.

Tips To Protect Your Data From Accidental Quick Formatting

Regular Backups: Schedule an automatic backup using Windows Backup and Restore or any other backup services to prevent data loss due to formatting, device failure, etc.

Enable File History and Previous Versions: Enable File History on Windows to keep versions of your files.

Write Protection: Use write protection on the drives physically or via software to prevent formatting.

Partitioning: Make multiple partitions on your drive to minimize the risk of data loss during quick format.

Antivirus: Scan your device using an updated antivirus tool to prevent virus and malware attacks from corrupting and erasing your drive data.

Conclusion

As we conclude this article, we hope the question “How to perform quick format recovery?” is answered. Still, here are a few things you need to remember before formatting a drive.

Check whether the device you are formatting is the right device or not. Take a backup of the data if you intend to format the drive and follow the suggested tips to avoid data loss in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you want to scan partitions to fix bad sectors, the full format is better. If the hard drive is new, the full format is better because it will help you check errors without worries about data loss. If you want to erase data to make them unrecoverable, you can use full format. However, if you want to save time, a quick format is better.

No, A quick format allows you to overwrite any files on the drive, but it does not fully erase them.

When you choose to run a regular format on a hard drive, files are removed from the volume that you are formatting, and the hard disk is scanned for bad sectors. The scan for bad sectors usually makes the normal formatting process long.

On the other hand, you should choose the Quick format option, when you know that your hard disk has been previously formatted and you are sure that your hard disk is not damaged. Quick format removes files from the partition but does not scan the disk for bad sectors.

To delete data from your hard drive, you can do a quick or standard format or a low-level format. The quick or standard format will get rid of most malware, but won't work on a bootkit.

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