Unformat NTFS/FAT drive to recover format lost files

The "Recycle Bin" on Windows desktop allows us to restore many sorts of deleted files if not be emptied, but it is useless when you want to recover NTFS files or FAT files from formatted drive. So we have to find another method, that is, professional data recovery software which is able to help you to unformat NTFS drive or FAT drive. First of all, we should have some basic knowledge about file system.

FAT and NTFS File System

FAT is in the most common use during our pc life. FAT file system is short for File Allocation Table, which is a table of numeric values each cell of which describes the allocation of clusters of a partition, in other words, the state (used or not used by a file) of each cluster in the partition on which it is located.

The NTFS file system (or New Technology File System) is based on a different structure, called a master file table(MFT), containing records about the files and directories of the partition. The first record, called a descriptor, contains information on the MFT (a copy of it is stored in the second record). The third record contains the log file, a file containing all actions performed on the partition. The following records, making up what is known as the core, reference each file and directory of the partition in the form of objects with assigned attributes. This means that the information concerning each file is stored in a file, which is itself registered inside the MFT. The MFT is therefore a storage structure of the data in the partition, and not a list of clusters.

Format NTFS Drive or FAT Drive

Although there are several differences between FAT files system and NTFS files system, but the hard drive with both of them should be formatted before being used. And there is a common point for two files system, that is, once we format the FAT drive or NTFS drive, all the files on those drives will be lost. Because when we perform "Format", the Operating System erases all bookkeeping information on the disk, tests the disk, sets the file system, marks bad sectors and creates internal address tables for you to locate information.

But sometimes when you format drive by mistake and files are lost, what will you do to recover files from NTFS drive or FAT drive?

Unformat NTFS Drive or FAT Drive

You should know that, if you accidentally format a critical NTFS drive or FAT drive, it is possible to get all the data back, because format does not really erase the data on the disk. A computer specialist is able to recover NTFS files or FAT files from formatted drive with a certain method to unformat NTFS drive or FAT drive. An easier way is to try some reliable data recovery software, such as EASEUS Data Recovery Wizard, assisting with unformat of NTFS drive or FAT drive to recover files from formatted NTFS drive or FAT drive.

EASEUS Data Recovery Wizard works on all environments of Windows including Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista, supports NTFS file systems and FAT files system, recognizes all NTFS/FAT versions includingFAT12, FAT16, FAT32 and NTFS. It is reliable unformat software that provides you with powerful unformat, undelete function, and you can unformat NTFS drive or FAT drive easily and safely.

Steps to Unformat NTFS Drive or FAT Drive:

1. Click the "Complete Recovery" button on the main window of Data Recovery Wizard.

2. The first screen on the "Complete Recovery" tool will display a list of volumes found on the drives. If the volume does not have a drive letter, then the volume will be listed at the hindmost and the drive letter will be instead by "*".

3. You should choose the formatted volume that you want to unformat and click "NEXT" to start searching on this volume.

4. The Intelligent Searching module will scan on the selected volume, collect and analyze every byte on the volume, then show you a list of volumes which are possible on it.

5. After this scanning is finished, EASEUS Data Recovery Wizard will permit you choosing 6 volumes at best to recover the data. And then, press "NEXT" button. EASEUS Data Recovery Wizard will launch the "Building directory" procedure to searching the files. You will see file/folder tree soon.

6. Select the file or directory that you want to recover and press the "Next" button.

7. Select a directory and press the "NEXT" button to save the data.

EASEUS Software provides demo version for NTFS/FAT data recovery, you can free download it. Actually, demo version can not save the recovered files but just identify. A full version allows you to save the recovered files from formatted NTFS drive or FAT drive.

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For better data security, our free backup software - EASEUS Todo Backup will help you a lot. It provides easy-to-use interface to backup and restore your system, disk and partition in a few minutes.

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