Unformat Hard Disks/USB Drives with Ease Recovery

Applies to: Unformat and recover data for free, unformat HDD/SSD, external hard drive, USB flash drive, SD card, etc.

Did you mistakenly format a hard drive when Windows pops up an error message, telling that "You need to format the disk in drive N: before you can use it", and then lost important data?

Follow the content navigation bar to get your best unformat solution now:

What Does Unformat Mean

To understand what unformat means, you should first understand the meaning of format.

Format, which usually refers to a high-level format, is the process of preparing the chosen partition on the drive by deleting all data and setting up a new file system.

Unformat means recovering lost data from a high-level formatted disk, like a hard drive, USB flash drive, memory card, etc., and converting the file system to the previous state if possible.

The good news: A quick format does not erase your actual files. It only marks the space as available for new data. Until that space is overwritten, your files remain recoverable. This is why unformatting is entirely possible — and why acting fast is critical.

So, what do you do when you format the wrong device, and how do you unformat the drive? For a Mac user, you may refer to Unformat Mac Hard Drive for help. Windows users can follow the guidance below to safely unformat your drive and bring back all their files immediately.

What to Do When You Formatted a Wrong Drive

Here are two things you should do when you committed formatting on the wrong storage device, like hard drive, external USB, SD card, etc.:

• First, stop using your formatted device. Don't use or save new files to your drive.
• Next, turn to reliable format recovery software for help.

If you need free unformat software, EaseUS free data recovery software can help.

Best Unformat Freeware Free Download

Free data recovery software — EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free Edition is able to solve the problem completely, allowing all level of users to recover formatted data from a local hard disk, external hard drive, USB flash drive, memory card, etc., easily.

If you lost something important due to a hard drive formatting, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is here to help you get it back.

This unformat freeware is worth trying for its high performance, stability, and flexibility:

• Support formatted recovery, deleted file recovery, partition recovery, OS crash recovery, etc.
• Support  all existing file types (photos, videos, audio files, documents, emails...)

How to Recover Formatted Data with EaseUS Unformat Freeware

To unformat a storage device, you need to follow through with the two processes below:

1. Recover Data from Formatted Hard Drive

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard makes it really simple for you to unformat your hard drive, USB flash drive, memory card, etc. With a few simple clicks, you can retrieve your lost files after formatting within minutes.

Video Tutorial to Recover Files from Formatted Hard Drive

Note: To guarantee a high data recovery chance, install EaseUS data recovery software on another disk instead of the formatted disk. 

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. Choose the hard drive partition which you've accidentally formatted and click "Search for Lost Data".

Step 2. This formatted hard drive recovery software will start scanning for all the lost data and files. After scanning, you can click "Filter" to filter a specific file type to quickly find files you need. Or search the file's name in the search box to select data that you want to recover.

Step 3. Preview the scanned files. Then, select the ones that you wish to recover and click "Recover". Choose a new location or Cloud drive to store the files and click "OK".

Note: Don't save the restored files to your formatted device until you're sure it's available for data storage again.

The steps above show you the way to unformat a hard drive. You can use the very same way to recover data from other storage devices.

2. Format or Revert The Device to Its Previous File System (Optional)

If you've changed the device's file system during formatting and want to restore its previous file format. You may retry to format and reset the file system on your drive again.

This is why we suggest you save the recovered data to another secure location so as to avoid further data loss.

Here, we'll take formatting USB to FAT32 as an example to show you how to revert the device to its previous file system:

Step 1. Connect USB to your PC, press Windows + E keys to open File Explorer.

Step 2. Right-click on your USB drive and choose "Format".

Step 3. Set FAT32 as the file system (assume FAT32 is its default format), check "Quick Format" and click "Start".

You can also apply this method to restore your device to other file systems, as long as you've recovered and saved the formatted data to a safe location using a reliable unformat tool.

Debunking Common Myths: CMD, Full Format, and What Really Works

Many users search for "recover data from formatted hard drive using CMD," hoping for a free command-line fix. However, commands like attrib, chkdsk, or diskpart are not designed to recover formatted data. chkdsk only checks the file system's integrity and may even exacerbate data loss by writing temporary files. attrib restores hidden files but cannot recover data after a format. And diskpart can partition drives, but it does not recover files. Do not experiment with CMD commands on a formatted drive. You risk overwriting the very data you want to save.

If you performed a full format (i.e., you unchecked "Quick Format" in Windows), the system writes zeros to every sector of the drive. This is a destructive process that permanently erases data. In this case, no software can unformat the drive. Your only hope is a professional data recovery lab, which can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. Always choose "Quick Format" if you intend to keep the possibility of data recovery open.

Bottom Line

On this page, we explained what " unformat " is, which actually is the process of recovering data after format. When you mistakenly format a hard drive, you should first stop using the device and then turn to a reliable unformat software for help.

Versatile unformat software - EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can fully fulfill your needs and recover files from your formatted disks in only 3 steps.

If some of you prefer to reset or revert the file system of your device to a previous format, you may commit formatting again on your drive after saving the recovered data to another secure location.

Last, to protect your valuable files from being formatted, it's a wise choice to create an extra backup of your data in the right way. You can either manually copy and paste files one by one or turn to reliable file backup software to safely back up all data at once.

Unformat Freeware FAQs

Here are 4 additional questions about unformat freeware. Check here for the answers.

1. Can I unformat a hard drive for free?

Yes, you can recover data from a formatted hard drive for free using tools like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free Edition, which allows up to 2GB of free recovery. For larger recoveries, open-source tools like TestDisk are available but require technical expertise and have no graphical interface. Commercial tools offer higher success rates and better user experience, but many provide free scanning and preview so you can see your files before purchasing.

2. How long does it take to unformat a 1TB hard drive?

A deep scan on a 1TB hard drive typically takes 2 to 4 hours, depending on the drive's speed, the amount of data stored, and your computer's performance. External USB drives may take longer. Most professional tools allow you to pause and resume scans, so you can split the process if needed. Be patient — a thorough scan is essential for high recovery rates.

3. Can I unformat an SSD?

Unformatting an SSD is much harder than a traditional HDD because of the TRIM command. When you delete or format files on an SSD, TRIM tells the drive to permanently erase the data blocks almost immediately. If TRIM has been activated after formatting, recovery is nearly impossible. However, if you disable TRIM immediately after data loss (before the system triggers it), you may still have a chance. For SSDs, we strongly recommend using professional recovery software as soon as possible.

4. How to recover files after format on Windows 10/11?

• Don't add any new data to the formatted hard drive.
• On a Windows computer, download and install a trusted data recovery tool (install it on a different drive).
• Open the formatted partition for scanning in the recovery program.
• Preview and transfer the recovered data to a separate healthy drive.