Fix Format Disk Error Without Formatting Using CMD In Windows Manually
Error: You Need to Format the Disk Before Using It
“One of my colleagues gave me an external hard drive with important files and data stored in it. I just connected that drive with my laptop and suddenly an error occurred ‘You need to format the disk in drive H before using it. I was very tense as I needed to access my data immediately. I just started browsing the Internet and found that if I format the disk then all my files and data will get deleted. Now, I am stuck and not able to understand how to fix format disk errors without formatting. Please suggest an instant and reliable way to eliminate this error.”
So if you are stuck in the same situation and wondering how to fix format disk error without formatting, you are in the right place.
In this guide I will explain safe, practical, and tested methods to fix this error “external hard disk showing format disk” without losing your data, including how to use CMD properly and when it’s better to secure your files first.
Facing Format Disk Error? Check Do’s and Don’ts First
The format disk error can appear on system’s internal hard drives, external HDDs, SSDs, USB flash drives, or your SD cards too. If you see the error: you need to format the disk in drive before you can use it without losing data check the important warning below what to do and what not.
Things to Remember: So do not format the drive unless you have already backed up or recovered your data as data is more valuable assist that anything.
Do you know?
Why Hard Drives Keep Asking to Format It?
There can be different reasons due to which format disk error occurs. Some of the possible reasons are:
- The issue with the File system or corruption (NTFS / exFAT / FAT32)
- Sudden power outage while working with a hard drive
- Improper removal of external hard drives
- External hard drive detached incorrectly or pulled with the force
- Virus attack
- Bad sectors in the hard drive
- Your drive turning RAW due to any logical damage
Understanding the cause helps you decide whether using manual method CMD repair is safe or recovery should come first.
Methods to Fix Format Disk Error Without Formatting
Using the most safe approach we are going to explain different methods using which the user can fix the format disk error without formatting. After that, the user can access his/her data present in the hard drive without any issue.
- Fix Disk Format Error Without Formatting
- Resolve Disk Format Error Without Formatting Using CMD
- First Save Your Data and After that Fix Disk Formatting Error
Method 1: Try Easy Things Out to Fix Format Disk Error
Connect your external hard drive to another USB port or another computer system. Check whether you are able to access your files or not
Restart your system and then check hard disk drive is working properly or not
Run antivirus to scan your hard disk drive. If there is a minor issue with the hard drive then antivirus will fix it and you will be able to access your data present in the hard disk drive
If still, format disk error is not resolved then switch to the other workarounds given below.
Before Using CMD – Read This Carefully
If you are using a CMD tool like CHKDSK well it will help you, but you should not always rely on it as it is not always safe.
From recent testing on RAW drives I found:
- CHKDSK works only if the file system is partially readable
- And on severely corrupted or RAW drives – CHKDSK may modify metadata and making recovery harder
Method 2: Fix Format Disk Error Without Formatting Using CMD
Run the commands listed below to resolve the format disk error without formatting the disk. Simply perform the all steps:
- First of all, click on the Start button and then click on Run
- Now, you need to type ‘cmd’ into the blank and hit Enter key
- After that, type ‘chkdsk n:f’ into the Command Prompt window (Replace n with your hard disk drive letter)
- Press the Enter button
- You damaged files will start repairing. If the message appears asking you want to save lost chains into another location then click on the Yes button
Now, by implementing the CMD method if format disk error is not fixed then it recommended opting for an automated and reliable solution which is explained in Method 3.
When CMD Does NOT Work
This is very common case as CMD method usually fails if this meet the following conditions your:
- Drive is RAW
- File system metadata is severely damaged
- Bad sectors are extensive
In such cases you should not continue CMD attempts as it may reduce recovery chances so here a data first approach becomes necessary.
Method 3: Perfect Way to Save Files First, and Then Fix Format Issue
With the software, the user will be able to save all files and folders from the disk and after that move to fix format disk error without formatting. The user just has to scan the hard disk drive with the help of the tool save all the data including documents, videos, photos, etc. associated with the hard disk drive. Additionally, the software is associated with numerous features such as recover data from both internal and external hard drive, support RAW recovery, user-friendly interface, high-performance, etc. To fix the format disk error without formatting, the user has to follow the steps given below:
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- First, download and install Hard Drive Recovery Software on the local machine and launch it
- Now, select the Scan option. The tool will start the scanning process
- After that, the software will display all the data associated with the hard drive
- Select the data which you want to recover and click on the Save button
- Now, select the location where you want to save your recovered data
- The software will begin the process. After the completion of the recovery process, go to the destination location to view data associated with your hard drive
Note: – After performing all the steps listed above simply click on format disk option. After formatting your disk will be in a healthy state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is it safe to format the disk directly?
Answer: No not safe to format directly as formatting will remove the file system and increase the chances of data loss risk.
Q2. Can CMD recover my data safely?
Answer: CMD can repair file system errors but does not recover your lost files reliably and also not guarantee to recover safely.
Q3. What if the drive shows RAW?
Answer: I will suggest you to recover your data first using professional recovery software as this is the most trusted and reliable way that professionals are using.
Q4. How to format a disk drive after recovering data?
Answer: After safe recovery of your data you can safely format the disk drive using Disk Management or File Explorer and Diskpart for advanced users. Formatting resets the file system and prepares the disk for you to reuse.
Q5. Does this work on Windows 10 & 11?
Answer: Yes it works well and all methods apply to Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Q6. Can’t format HDD in Disk Management what does it mean?
Answer: If you are not able to format HDD in Disk Management this simply means severe file system corruption, RAW status, or bad sectors so in such cases Disk Management cannot process the drive. The best option is to recover your data first before you seek any formatting methods again.
Q7. How to format a disk drive for Windows PC and Mac?
Answer: Very simple to format a disk drive for both PC and Mac you can just use exFAT file system for cross platform compatibility, NTFS is best for Windows only and APFS/HFS+ is for macOS so always back up or recover data before formatting.
Summing Up
Format disk error is one of the most common issues faced by users while working with the hard disk drive. However, this type of error makes difficult for the user to access his/her data present in the hard drive. Sometimes, the user also has to face data loss issue due to format disk error. Thus, in the above section, we have explained different methods using which the user can easily fix the format disk error without formatting hard drive.