Does formatting a hard drive erase everything on it? The answer is no. Formatting does not erase data on the disk, which only makes file recovery much more difficult. So what does formatting a drive do? Is formatting the same as wiping? Check the answers here and learn how to safely format or erase a hard drive without losing data in Windows 10.
Formatting is regarded as a normal way to clean up or empty a storage device, like a hard drive or USB flash drive, in Windows computers. However, does formatting a drive erase everything? The answer is no!
So what happens if I format a drive? Some of you may have the same doubt. Find out the answer here.
Formatting is a process that prepares your hard drive, external hard drive, USB, SD card, etc., storage devices ready for a specific usage by using Windows File Explorer or Disk Management, or format command.
So what does formatting do to a drive? Check it out:
According to EaseUS data recovery experts, formatting doesn't erase files but delete everything on a disk, which makes formatted file recovery even more difficult than deleted file recovery. Fortunately, professional EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can help undo the format.
So what's the difference between formatting a disk and wiping a hard drive? Check the comparison table here:
Comparison | Formatting (Quick Format) | Wiping |
---|---|---|
Data Damage Extent | Delete data | Permanently erase data |
Working Logic | Regenerate file system structure, resetting file system, marking disk as writable. | Completely wipe up all data, overwrite or wipe every part of the drive |
Data Recovery Possibility | Yes | No |
According to the comparison table, you can tell that formatting is a quick process to empty a disk, resetting the file system. While wiping is a complete way to clean up the whole disk, erasing all files.
When to use formatting or wiping? Here is the EaseUS editors' recommendation:
So you may want to know how to quickly format a hard drive, or deleting everything on your computer. Here is a brief guide that you may follow to format a hard drive partition in Windows 10 by using File Explorer:
Step 1. Press "Windows key + E" to open Windows File Explorer.
Step 2. Right-click on the target hard drive partition and select "Format".
Step 3. On the format window, set the file system as NTFS for the hard drive.
Step 4. Check "Quick Format" and click "Start".
Step 5. When the formatting complex, click "OK" to finish.
If you prefer to format a whole disk on your computer, repeat the process to format all partitions on your hard drive. For more ways, refer to [5+ Ways] How to Format Hard Drive in Windows 10.
Note that you can't directly format a system C drive with the introduced way as listed above as Windows doesn't allow you to do so. If you have this need, follow to see: How to Format C Drive.
If you fail to back up files before formatting, we have a format recovery solution listed at the end of this page to help you out of file loss dilemma.
Note that Windows doesn't allow you to erase or wipe a whole OS or data disk, which may cause serious file loss or OS unbootable issues. However, when you need to clean up a whole disk, erasing everything to sell the computer or a disk or resetting a disk for new usage, you'll need a reliable way to wipe the drive.
Wiping a hard drive can never be done on your own. Here, EaseUS Partition Master with its Wipe feature can help. Note: Wiped disk data is unrecoverable, so please make sure that you've backed up all vital files.
See how to completely wipe a hard drive in a few clicks:
We've set two options for you to wipe data. Choose the one you need.
Option 1. Wipe Partition
Option 2. Wipe Disk
So how to recover files after formatting or wiping a hard drive? Here you have two ways to go:
Note that if you don't have an advanced backup of the formatted or wiped data, turn to the next method.
When you formatted or erased a disk without a backup of the lost files, stop using your disk. Turning to professional data recovery software for help.
Here, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard with its quick and advanced scan modes will thoroughly find all lost files from your drive.
Step by Step Guide to Recover Files after Formatting:
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".
On this page, we answered the question of "Will formatting erase everything on a drive" and the answer is NO.
We also explained the difference between formatting and wiping a disk. So when to choose to format or wipe a disk?
Here is our suggestion from EaseUS Software:
Also, remember to back up all your important files first. If you failed to create the backup, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can be your last chance.
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