Regarding The myth of a DOS FORMAT C:/ command...
Although it is true that the dos format command does not overwrite the data on the disk, apparently running a LOW LEVEL FORMAT does render the data unrecoverable. I found this response in the FAQ of a data recovery software package:
Question:
Can data be recovered from a hard drive that has been formatted?
Answer:
Yes, FinalData can in most cases recover data from a drive that has been formatted. During a quick format, only the drive's directory information is erased or altered, but in general all previous data on the disk remains intact and is recoverable.
Although a "Low Level" format is not the common way to format a drive, it does completely erase the drive's data together with the directory information. Since all data sectors are overwritten during a low level format, recovery is impossible using the FinalData software. A low level format generally requires a utility disk, available from the drive manufacturer (or another third party vendor), and it is not the standard mode of format used under the Windows OS environment.
Re-installing an operating system will furhter complicate the recovery process, please see Related Topics for more help on this matter.
Note that the software to perform a low level format is usually available free from the website of the drive manufacturer. I found PowerMax at the Maxtor web site very easily, and performed a low level format on a drive that had errors on it.
FYI,
Esteban |
