How to recover formatted external hard drive using cmd?

In short, while the Windows File Recovery Tool can be a powerful way to recover formatted external hard drive, it’s not the most user-friendly option. If you’re up for a bit of a challenge and feel comfortable with command-line tools, then go ahead! But if you’re looking for something a bit less stressful, consider other user-friendly recovery software. And remember, prevention is the best cure—make regular backups to save yourself the heartache later!

Before recovering formatted external hard drive, take a moment to read Microsoft’s documentation on using Windows File Recovery. They explain the commands you might need, which can save you from a headache down the line. If the command line feels too hairy, there are plenty of third-party tools that have user-friendly interfaces. They offer a free version and might do the trick without the command-line hassle.

Moving forward, consider using backup software or cloud storage solutions to avoid data loss. Products like Microsoft OneDrive or even Windows’ built-in backup options can help keep your data safe and sound. Data recovery can be a slow process. If you're trying to recover a lot of files, give it some time. Rushing through it can lead to mistakes.

Recovering a formatted external hard drive using Command Prompt can be a bit tricky. So, be super careful when identifying your external hard drive in Diskpart. It's easy to confuse the disk numbers, especially if you have multiple drives attached. Before you start issuing commands, double-check the disk number. Always double-check! You don’t want to accidentally wipe or mess with your main system drive.

Sometimes, your drive might be set to read-only because of various reasons—hardware, system settings, or file protections. Before you start trying to recover files, you might end up banging your head against the wall if you don’t clear the read-only attributes. The Command Prompt command for this, as I mentioned before, is:

attributes disk clear readonly

If you attempt a quick format thinking it’ll make things easier, you could be digging your own grave. Quick formatting doesn’t erase the data, but it removes the file table, making recovery harder. If you’ve started down this path, stop!

Using the Windows File Recovery Tool is a solid way to attempt to recover files from a formatted external hard drive, but it definitely comes with some bumps along the road.

If you mess up a command or don’t specify the source and destination correctly, you might end up with a headache. Plus, depending on the options you choose, it can become a guessing game figuring out what works best. Just because you run the tool doesn't mean you’ll get everything back. Files can be partially corrupted or completely lost, especially if they’ve been overwritten since the formatting. It can be a nail-biting experience with no promised happy ending.

Depending on the size of the drive and the amount of data, the recovery process can take a while. If you’re in a hurry, this might not be the best solution for you.

Important considerations for recover formatted external hard drive:

Stop Using the Drive Immediately: To maximize recovery chances, avoid writing new data to the formatted external hard drive.

Use a Different Destination for Recovered Files: Always recover files to a separate drive to prevent overwriting data on the source drive.

Consider Professional Help: If the data is critical and recovery attempts are unsuccessful, consult professional data recovery services.

Regular Backups: To prevent data loss in the future, maintain regular backups of important data using reliable backup solutions.

CHKDSK is a built-in Windows utility that checks the file system and file system metadata of a volume for logical and physical errors. While primarily used for repairing disk issues, it can sometimes help recover data from a formatted drive.

Run CHKDSK with Recovery Options: 

chkdsk X: /f /r

• Replace X: with the drive letter of your external hard drive.
• /f: Fixes errors on the disk.
• /r: Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information.

CHKDSK will scan the drive, fix filesystem errors, and attempt to recover readable data. This process can take a considerable amount of time depending on the drive size and condition. The recovered files are typically moved to a folder named FOUND.000 at the root of the drive, with file fragments saved as .CHK files.

Navigate to the FOUND.000 folder to review and attempt to recover formatted external hard drive using cmd.

Caveat: CHKDSK is not a dedicated data recovery tool. Its primary function is to repair disk errors, and while it can recover some data, it's not as effective as specialized recovery tools for comprehensive data restoration.

Using the free Windows File Recovery Tool provided by Microsoft.

Windows File Recovery is a command-line utility provided by Microsoft that can help recover lost files from local storage devices, including external hard drives.

How to recover formatted external hard drive using cmd:

Step 1: Download it from the Microsoft Store.

Step 2: Press Win + X and select Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows Terminal (Admin).

winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [options]

Source-drive: The drive letter of the formatted external hard drive (e.g., E:).
Destination-drive: The drive where recovered files will be saved (ensure it's different from the source to avoid overwriting).

Step 3: Check the destination drive for recovered files. The tool organizes recovered data into folders based on file type.

Note: Windows File Recovery has a learning curve and requires familiarity with command-line operations. Ensure you read the official documentation for advanced options and usage.