Forum Discussion
How to recover formatted external hard drive using cmd?
- Dec 18, 2024
I’ve been in that situation before — once you’ve formatted the drive, stop using it right away to avoid overwriting data. You can try this data recovery software, it’s super easy and works great for recovering formatted drives:
Check this tutorial: https://www.ulitewin.com/recover-files-from-formatted-hard-drive
I actually used this tool to recover my important project files — got so lucky!
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.