How to Initialize a Disk in Windows 10/11 Without Losing Data

Hard drive showing unknown, uninitialized.

"Disk (0, 1, 2…), Unknown, Uninitialized and Unallocated" are common hard drive issues that can be frustrating. When your hard drive becomes uninitialized, you're no longer able to access the data on it. So, the question is how to initialize a disk without losing data. You may encounter an "Unknown, Uninitialized disk" in two situations:

The disk is new and has never been used. You must initialize the disk before you can partition it. Then, you must format the partition to prepare it for storing data. The disk has been in use for a while and suddenly became "uninitialized."

"What does 'Initialize Disk' mean?" In computer terminology, "Initialize Disk" refers to the process of setting up a hard drive with its basic storage structure so that it can be recognized and used by an operating system. This usually involves creating one or more partitions and assigning drive letters to them. Initialization is typically necessary before you can format the disk and proceed with installing an operating system or storing data. It's important to note that initializing a disk will erase all existing data, so make sure to back up important files before proceeding.

When you add a brand new hard drive to your computer, it will appear as “Uninitialized” and won't show up in File Explorer right away. Before you can use the new drive without worrying about losing data, you'll need to initialize it manually. You can learn more about initializing new disks from Microsoft.

However, a disk might also become “uninitialized” after being used for some time, usually due to certain system errors. In this case, most users would have stored files or folders on the disk and be anxious to know whether initializing the disk will delete data.

Will initializing a disk delete data?

Will initializing a disk delete data? Yes, initializing a disk will delete everything on it and prepare it for use by Windows. After that, you can format it and store files on it. In other words, you'll lose your data during the disk initialization and formatting process.

But don't panic. If you're wondering how to initialize a disk without losing data, you've come to the right place. This article will show you the step-by-step guide on how to safely initialize a hard drive. You can first use a powerful file recovery software to recover data from an uninitialized disk and then safely initialize the disk.

Now that you know disk initialization erases and removes data, share this information on your social media platforms to spread the word.

How to Initialize a Disk Without Losing Data (3 Steps)

Given the above information, the correct steps to handle an uninitialized disk without losing data are:

Scenario 1: Recover Data from Uninitialized Disk Firstly

You might find the hard drive status as neither "Uninitialized" nor "Unallocated," meaning the disk is inaccessible and unusable. Before initializing the drive and creating a new volume, you should use a data recovery tool to retrieve data from the disk first to safeguard essential files.

We recommend that you try using the Data Recovery Wizard tool. It can perfectly perform deleted file recovery, formatted data recovery, RAW drive recovery, and recover data from an inaccessible disk, just like in this case.

Please download a data recovery tool and follow the steps below to recover your data.

Step 1. Select and scan the lost partition

Launch the Data Recovery Wizard, select "Lost Partition," and click "Scan" to search for all lost data. If you have multiple lost partitions, you may be able to identify it by its size.

Note: Since the Windows system does not support Linux file systems, Ext2 or Ext3 partitions will be recognized as unallocated partitions without drive letters in this software. If you want to recover data from Ext2/Ext3 partitions, please follow the steps below.

Step 2: Refine the scan results

Since there will likely be many files, you can quickly filter by file type, such as Images, Videos, Documents, Audio, and Others. If you remember the file name, you can also search directly in the box in the top-right corner.

Step 3: Preview and recover data from the lost partition

Before recovering, you can preview the files to make sure they're the data you need. Select all the files you need, then click “Recover” to restore them.

You may also try using the powerful Data Recovery Service tool to save your lost, deleted, or corrupted data. This tool has helped millions of users to recover data from undetected hard drives, as well as retrieve files from unallocated hard drive partitions, RAW hard drives, formatted hard disks, virus-infected hard drives, and more.

When you lose data from your hard drive after it becomes unknown, uninitialized, or unallocated, you can attempt to recover the lost data with simple steps.

Data Recovery Service

Contact our experts for a free assessment.

Consult with our Data Recovery Specialist for a one-on-one manual recovery service. After a free diagnosis, we can offer the following services:

• Repair damaged RAID configurations, unbootable Windows OS, and corrupted virtual disk files (e.g., .vmdk, .vhd, .vhdx)
• Recover/repair lost partitions and repartitioned drives
• Unformat hard drives and fix RAW drives (BitLocker encrypted drives)
• Restore disks that have become protected by GPT

Step 2: Initialize the disk MBR or GPT

Now that you have recovered your files, you can safely initialize the disk.

Program 3: Partition and Format Disks

You can now safely create a new volume on the disk without losing any files.

Step 1. Right-click on "This PC" and select "Manage" > "Disk Management".

Step 2: Right-click on the Unallocated space, and select "New Simple Volume" ...

Step 3. Click Next in the New Simple Volume Wizard to continue.

Step 4 Follow the wizard to specify the size of the volume, assign it a drive letter, and format the partition.

Bottom line

Does initializing a disk delete data? The answer is both "yes" and "no." Initializing the disk itself doesn't remove data. However, to use the disk, you need to further partition and format it, which will lead to data loss. Hence, if you don't want to lose files on the hard drive, you'll need to employ data recovery software.

If you found this tutorial helpful, please share it on your social media accounts.

"Frequently Asked Questions on 'Initialize Disk Without Losing Data'"

Have you learned how to initialize a disk without losing data? You'll discover more about this in the following answer:

Can I initialize the hard drive without losing data?

You can initialize your hard drive without losing data by following this tutorial:

1. Open Disk Management on your computer. 2. Initialize the hard drive by right-clicking it. 3. Choose a partition style. 4. Recover data from the hard drive. 5. Re-create partitions and format the disk.

Will initializing a disk delete data?

When you need to install a new hard drive on your computer, you will be told to initialize the hard drive first. Will initializing a disk delete data? Does initializing a disk format it? Initializing a disk will not affect any sectors in the MBR partition table, so initializing a hard drive will not delete data.

Should I initialize my hard drive with MBR or GPT?

If you have a hard disk that you want to use that's 2TB or smaller, choose MBR when you first initialize it. If you have a hard disk larger than 2TB that you want to use but not boot from, choose GPT (GUID Partition Table).

Can data be recovered after initializing a hard drive?

Yes, you can use the Data Recovery Wizard tool to recover data after initializing the hard drive.

1. Launch this hard drive recovery tool and scan the target hard disk. 2. Filter files and select each file you want to recover. 3. Click "Recover" to get back all the files you need.