Quick format vs full format

A quick format only writes a new, empty file system (a new table of contents). The old file data stays on the disk untouched.

A full format in Windows Vista and later also writes zeros over every sector of the partition. After a full format, the old data is gone and no software can bring it back.

In the Windows Format dialog, Quick Format is ticked by default. If you did not untick it, your files are probably still there.

What can be recovered after a quick format

  • File contents: usually yes, as long as nothing new has been written.
  • File names and folders: usually no, because the old file table was replaced.
  • Which types: files with a recognisable structure – photos, videos, music, Office documents, PDFs, archives and programs.

How to recover with Deep scan

  1. Do not copy anything to the formatted drive.
  2. In TEA-disk, pick the drive under ...or scan a whole drive.
  3. Turn on Deep scan and click Scan for deleted files. TEA-disk reads the whole drive, so this takes a while on large disks.
  4. Results appear under $Carved Files, grouped by type. Use the type filter and sort by size.
  5. Recover to a different drive and check the files.
TEA-disk reads each format's own structure (JPEG markers, MP4 atoms, ZIP directories and so on) to find the exact file size, so recovered files are not padded with junk.

Limits you should know

  • Plain text files, CSV and source code have no signature and cannot be found by content.
  • Large, fragmented files (long videos on a nearly full disk) may come back only partly.
  • Reinstalling Windows on the formatted drive overwrites a lot of data – recover first.

Frequently asked questions

Is a full format always permanent?

On Windows Vista and newer, yes: a full format overwrites every sector with zeros, so the old data cannot be recovered.

Why do recovered files have names like jpg-0001843200.jpg?

The format removed the old file names. Deep scan names files by type and by their position on the disk.

Get your files back with TEA-disk

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