Why can't format damaged HDD?
It is common for a hard drive to be unable to access partitions, folders, and files due to damaged sectors.
If the intention is to recover data, formatting a hard drive with damaged sectors or bad blocks is not the best way, and this seems to be quite obvious. After all, the expectation is to recover the information and not delete what you want to recover.
However, we have received several cases of hard drive with sectors damaged that were formatted in a process “do-it-yourself” data recovery process.
Some problems this can cause:
- Irreversible data loss: Formatting erases all information on the device. If the disk has problems, such as bad sectors or data corruption, formatting can worsen these issues and make data recovery much more difficult, if not impossible.
- Overwrite data: When you format a disk, it can overwrite areas that contain data you are trying to recover. This reduces the chances of recovering lost files, especially if you start using the disk after formatting.
- Difficulty in recovery: Recovering data from a damaged disk is already challenging, and formatting can further corrupt data structures, making recovery more complex.
- Clear sectors: SSDs and SMR HDDs normally have the TRIM command activated, which can cause many problems with the integrity of the files that are expected to be recovered.
This will all create difficulties in the data recovery process, requiring procedures that would not be necessary if the structure were preserved.
Do not format the HDD or SSD!
If you want to recover data from a faulty disk, it is essential to avoid formatting. The chances of data recovery increase drastically.
It is recommended to search for company specializing in data recovery, as they have equipment and processes to try to recover as much of the information stored on a failed device as possible. This is before taking any drastic measures, such as formatting.
