Does formatting a disk delete everything? Not at all!

• Question: Does formatting a disk delete everything? Yes or no?
• Answer: No!

On a Windows computer, formatting is usually perceived as a normal way to clean or wipe a storage device, such as a hard drive or USB flash drive. But does formatting delete everything? The answer is NO!

# What does formatting a disk do?

What will happen if you format a disk? Some may wonder about this, let's find the answer together.

Formatting refers to the process of preparing a hard drive, external drive, USB device, SD card, or other storage device for specific use with Windows File Explorer, Disk Management, or the format command.

So, what does formatting do to a hard drive? Let's take a look:

• Erases all saved data.
• Resets the file system to NTFS, FAT32, and so on.
• Removes malware, viruses, and spyware from the target drive.

According to data recovery tool experts, formatting is not deleting files but clearing all content on the disk, which makes formatted file recovery more difficult than deleted file recovery. Fortunately, a professional Data Recovery Wizard tool can help you undo the formatting.

# Is formatting the same as erasing? Which one should I choose?

What's the difference between formatting a disk and wiping a hard drive? You can refer to the following comparison table:

Refer to the table for a comparison, you can see that formatting is a quick way to empty a disk and reset the file system, while degaussing is a thorough way to clean an entire disk and remove all files.

When should I format or erase? Here are the editor's suggestions:

• You should use formatting to quickly empty a hard drive, external USB device, or SD card and delete everything on it.
• You should use erasing to clear data from a hard drive or computer if you plan to reuse or sell it.

How to format a hard drive and erase all its contents

You might be wondering how to quickly format a hard drive, or how to delete everything on your computer. Here's a simple guide to formatting a hard drive partition using File Explorer in Windows 10:

Step 1: Press the "Windows key + E" to open File Explorer.

Step 2: Right-click the target hard drive partition and select "Format."

Step 3: In the “Format” window, set the “File system” of the hard drive to NTFS.

Step 4: Check the "Quick format" box and click "Start."

Step 5: When the formatting is done, click “OK” to finish.

If you prefer to format the entire hard drive, repeat the process for all partitions on the hard drive. You can also refer to the article "[5 Ways] How to Format Hard Drive in Windows 10" for more methods.

注意: Due to restrictions in the Windows operating system, you cannot directly format the system C drive using the method described above. If you need to do this, please refer to How to Format C Drive.

If you forgot to back up your files before formatting, we offer a solution for formatted drive recovery further down on this page that may help you retrieve your lost files.

How to wipe a hard drive and delete everything on it

Note that Windows doesn't let you wipe or sanitize entire operating system or data drives, as this can lead to severe file loss or unbootable operating systems. However, when you need to clean an entire drive, delete everything before selling your computer or the drive, or reset the drive for new use, you need a reliable way to wipe the drive.

Erasing a hard drive on your own is impossible. Here, a partition manager tool with wiping feature can help you. Notice: Data on the erased disk cannot be recovered, so make sure you have backed up all important files.

Click here to see how to quickly wipe a hard drive:

We have two options for clearing your data. Please choose the one you need.

Option 1: Erase the partition

- Right-click the partition you want to wipe and select “Erase”. - In the new window, set the time you want to erase the partition for, then click “OK”. - Click “Execute 1 Task” in the bottom-right corner to review your changes, then click “Apply”.

Option 2: Erase the disk

Select HDD/SSD, then right-click "Erase Disk." Set the number of times to wipe the data. (Maximum of 10 times.) Then click "OK." Click "Perform 1 Task," then click "Apply."

How to Recover Files After Formatting or Erasing a Hard Drive [2 Methods]

So, how to recover files after formatting or erasing the hard drive? Here are two methods to try:

#1. Recover Formatted or Erased Data from Backup

Connect the data backup disk to your computer. Open the folder and locate the formatted or deleted data in the backup. Copy and save the files back to your disk.

Note: If you don't have a recent advanced backup of the unformatted or erased data, proceed to the next method.

#2. Recover formatted files using data recovery software

If you formatted or deleted the disk without backing up the lost files, stop using the disk. Seek help from professional data recovery software.

Here, the Data Recovery Wizard and its Quick and Advanced scan modes thoroughly search your drive to locate all lost files.

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A step-by-step guide to recover files after formatting:

Note: To ensure a higher chance of data recovery, install the data recovery tool on another disk that has not been formatted, not on the formatted disk.

Step 1: Run tools Data Recovery Wizard. Select the hard drive partition you accidentally formatted and click "Scan".

Step 2: The formatted hard drive recovery software will start scanning all the lost data and files. After the scan, you can click "Filter" to filter specific file types for quick search of your needed files. Or click on "Search File or Folder" to select the data you want to recover.

Step 3: Preview the scanned files, check the ones you want to recover and click "Recover". Select a new location to save these files and then click "OK".

Formatting will not erase disk data, but it may lead to loss of files, so back up your data before formatting.

On this page, we answer the question "Does formatting delete everything from the drive," and the answer is NO.

We also explain the difference between formatting and erasing a disk. So, when do you choose to format or erase a disk?

Here are the recommendations provided by the tool:

1. To quickly set up a disk for storing data or for new use, like changing the disk's file system, try formatting it. 2. If you're completely wiping a computer or resetting it for sale, erasing the disk is more secure.

Also, remember to back up all important files – without backups, Data Recovery Wizard might be your last hope.