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10 September 2024  John Weaver  Senior Program Developer
 

Summary
It is possible to unformat a Thumb drive on a Windows PC if it was formatted using the Quick Format method, which only deletes the address tables and not the actual data. Data recovery is not possible if the Thumb Drive was formatted using Full Format or Secure Format methods, as these methods overwrite the data completely. The Quick Format option is the default setting in Windows, increasing the likelihood that a quick format was used, making data recovery feasible.



Table of contents

table iconIs it Possible to Unformat Flash Drive? It Is!
table iconHow to Unformat a Thumb Drive on Windows
table iconHow to Recover Lost Thumb Drive Data from a Backup
table iconHow to Increase Chances for Successful Data Recovery From a USB Drive
table iconConclusion
Carelessly formatting a thumb drive can lead to disastrous consequences. What’s even worse is that you can’t simply press CTRL + Z to unformat the drive. But does that mean all hope is lost? Not necessarily. While there’s no straightforward “undo” option for formatting a drive, there are still potential ways to recover your data, and we explain them in this article.
quick Format

Is it Possible to Unformat a Thumb Drive? It Is!

Yes, it’s possible to unformat a Thumb drive on a Windows PC, but only if it was formatted in a specific way. That’s because three main formatting methods are available to Windows users:
Quick Format: This method only deletes the address tables—it does not delete the actual data. As a result, data recovery after a quick format is quite possible.
Full Format: Unlike a quick format, a full format not only deletes the file system and file table but also completely overwrites all data with zeroes. This process makes data recovery impossible.
Secure Format: Offered by some third-party applications, a secure format goes a step further than a full format. It overwrites data multiple times using different patterns so that recovery is impossible even using highly experimental and extremely expensive-to-implement recovery methods.
Luckily, the Quick Format option is ticked by default on Windows, so chances are that you performed a Quick Format on the pen drive. Unfortunately, there’s one extra complication to consider. Even if you know for certain that a Quick Format was used, new data may have overwritten some or all of your old files if you’ve been using the drive since the formatting occurred. The key to maximizing your chances of successful data recovery is to act quickly. The sooner you attempt to unformat the drive and recover your data, the higher the likelihood of retrieving your files intact. In the next section, we explain how to unformat a thumb drive on Windows using data recovery software, which is your best bet for restoring files after an accidental format.

How to Unformat a Thumb Drive on Windows

Solution 1: Renee Undeleter

Renee Undeleter is designed to restore lost/deleted data files. Whether you accidentally delete important files, empty the recycle bin, or format the disk/storage, this tool can retrieve lost data. For formatted partition, Renee Undeleter scans the whole partition and lists all files, especially for the formatted partition or inaccessible issue.
Renee Undeleter - Powerful Data Recovery SoftwareRenee Undeleter data Recovery software

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan for different recovery needs.

File types Support to recover pictures, videos, audios, documents, mails, etc.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Supported systems Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS X10.6, 10.7, 10.8.

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes - 3 scan modes for different recovery needs.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Free TrialFree TrialFree Trial

3000 users have downloaded Renee Undeleter and found data back!

Step 1: Download, install, and open Renee Undeleter, and select (Whole Partition Scan) which is suitable for “Formatted data recovery” and “Memory card data recovery”.
Note: Do not install Renee Undeleter in the disk where data is lost to avoid data overwriting.
select whole partition scan in renee undeleter to recover deleted video from sd card
Data Recovery Function
Fast Partition Scan – Retrieve files lost from accidental deletion or emptying the recycle bin.
Whole Partition Scan – Recover files from inaccessible or formatted partitions.
Whole Disk Scan – Analyze partition information and perform a full scan of the entire partition.
Image Creation – Create an image of a partition to back up its current state.
Step 2: Select the Formatted partition where the files are lost, and click (Next).
Renee Undeleter Whole Partition Scan
Step 3: After the scan is over, select the files you want to recover and click the (Recover) button.
Note: To prevent data overwriting, ensure to save the recovered files onto different disks rather than the original storage location.
preview and select the files to recover in renee undeleter
Renee Undeleter - Powerful Data Recovery SoftwareRenee Undeleter data Recovery software

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan for different recovery needs.

File types Support to recover pictures, videos, audios, documents, mails, etc.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Supported systems Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS X10.6, 10.7, 10.8.

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes - 3 scan modes for different recovery needs.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Free TrialFree TrialFree Trial

3000 users have downloaded Renee Undeleter and found data back!

Solution 2: Microsoft's Windows File Recovery

When you delete a file on Windows 10, it doesn’t necessarily disappear forever. Windows offers a built-in recovery tool, known as Windows File Recovery(WFR), to help you retrieve deleted files. This tool works for mechanical hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, and memory cards.
where do deleted files go windows 10
However, it’s important to note that the Windows File Recovery Scan tool is only available for Windows 10 and 11. If you have an older version of Windows, you won’t be able to use this tool. Additionally, if you previously installed the tool but haven’t updated it, the interface may look slightly different. For our main course of action, we will be using the updated version of Windows File Recovery on Windows 10. If you have a different version of Windows, please refer to the appropriate instructions or consider using a third-party recovery tool.
Step 1: To begin using the Windows File Recovery tool, open the File Explorer and navigate to the folder where your deleted file was located. You can also search for the file by name using the search bar at the top of the File Explorer window.
Step 2: Once you have located the folder or file, open the Command Prompt by pressing the Windows and R keys on your keyboard, typing “cmd” into the Run dialog, and pressing Enter. Alternatively, you can right-click on the Start menu and select “Command Prompt” from the list.
run as administrator
Step 3: In the Command Prompt, type winfr source: destination and press Enter. The source refers to the drive where the deleted file was located, while the destination is where you want to recover the file to. For example, if you want to recover a file from drive C and save it to the desktop, you would type

winfr C: C:\Users\YourUsername\Desktoph

Step 4: The tool will start running in either regular or extensive mode, depending on the size of the file and the current status of the drive. It may take some time for the tool to finish scanning and recovering the file, so be patient. It’s important to note that the success of using the Windows File Recovery tool depends on various factors, such as how long ago the file was deleted and whether the space it occupied has been overwritten by new data. If the tool is unable to recover your file, it’s recommended to try a different method or consider using a third-party recovery tool.

How to Recover Lost Thumb Drive Data from a Backup

If data recovery software like Renee Undeleter fails to recover your files, your last resort is to turn to backups. However, it’s important to note that USB Thumb drives are not automatically backed up by native Windows features such as File History or OneDrive. This means your options are limited to backups you’ve set up yourself or created manually. If you’re diligent about data management, you may have:
* Created a manual backup of your thumb drive’s contents on another storage device.
* Used third-party backup software that includes your USB drives in its backup routine.
* Synced your thumb drive’s contents with a cloud storage service.
Review these potential backup locations to see if you can find copies of your lost files. Since users often copy files to thumb drives from internal storage devices instead of saving them there directly, it’s worth thoroughly searching your computer’s hard drive or SSD. You might be able to find original copies of the files you thought were lost. To do this:
1. Launch File Explorer.
2. Click the Search bar and enter the name or extension of your missing file.
windows search jpg files
3. Press Enter and give File Explorer some time to scan your computer.
If the search feature doesn’t yield results, consider using Renee Undeleter or similar data recovery software to scan your internal drives. Even if files were deleted from your computer after being transferred to the thumb drive, there’s a chance they could still be recoverable from your internal storage.
Renee Undeleter - Powerful Data Recovery SoftwareRenee Undeleter data Recovery software

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan for different recovery needs.

File types Support to recover pictures, videos, audios, documents, mails, etc.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Supported systems Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS X10.6, 10.7, 10.8.

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes - 3 scan modes for different recovery needs.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Free TrialFree TrialFree Trial

3000 users have downloaded Renee Undeleter and found data back!

How to Increase Chances for Successful Data Recovery From a USB Drive

Being proactive and keeping good data recovery etiquette in mind goes a long way in determining the extent of data recovery from a USB drive. Here are a few useful tips that will help you unformat a thumb drive with maximum success:
1. Stop using the USB drive immediately. As soon as you notice the data loss from your pen drive, securely eject it and don’t reconnect it to your PC until you need to perform data recovery.
2. Don’t write new data to the drive. Copying new files to the pen drive will overwrite the data you want to recover and make it impossible to get back.
3. Perform data recovery as soon as possible. Delaying data recovery will only increase the chances of accidentally writing new files to the drive.
4. Use a good data recovery program in the first data recovery attempt itself. The first data recovery scan is usually the most successful. Repeated scans further stress the drive, therefore use a good data recovery program from the get-go.
5. Follow the steps in our data recovery tutorial carefully.

Conclusion

As we’ve demonstrated in this article, it’s possible to unformat a USB Thumb drive on a Windows PC. In fact, with the right tools and guidance, it’s so easy that even regular home users can accomplish it without any problems. Of course, the results of any attempt to unformat a storage device are not guaranteed. That’s why it’s necessary to begin the recovery process as soon as possible so that your chances of success are as high as they can be. Hopefully, that’s exactly what you’ve done, and your lost data has been successfully recovered.
Renee Undeleter - Powerful Data Recovery SoftwareRenee Undeleter data Recovery software

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan for different recovery needs.

File types Support to recover pictures, videos, audios, documents, mails, etc.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Supported systems Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS X10.6, 10.7, 10.8.

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes - 3 scan modes for different recovery needs.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Free TrialFree TrialFree Trial

3000 users have downloaded Renee Undeleter and found data back!