There are two distinctly different processes which are both referred to as formatting. Quick format takes seconds, creates a new blank index (or catalogue), and leaves all files physically where they were before. Full format takes hours to complete and writes zeros into each section of the disk so that none of your original content exists there. The time yours took tells you most of what you need to know.
When you format a drive, it creates a brand new file system structure over the top of the existing file system structure. The newly created file system structure contains no reference to the former file system structure; therefore, no references to any of the files you had stored on that drive (their folder names, file names and dates) will exist, even though the file contents themselves have not been overwritten.
Recovery can be accomplished in two ways. First, where sufficient portions of the old file system remain, they are rebuilt and files will have both names and folders restored to them. Second, when not enough remains, the data is carved by signature: scanning for recognisable headers of JPEG images, documents, video and database files, and restoring the files based on the content alone.
Carved recovery has a good success rate, and each file is returned identified by type (i.e. JPEG) instead of by name. On a card full of photos that is usually entirely acceptable, but it is very painful if you had to build an entire directory structure over ten years, even though every file comes back.
Each time you write a new file to disk, it replaces a file previously stored at the same location. This is the single most damaging thing that occurs after a format. It's also the most common.
A second format, writing a second file system over the first, damages any remaining elements of the first file system's structure that may have survived. It never helps.
On modern Windows this will zero out the volume and end the matter forever. If the first format was quick, a second full format after will destroy all of the remaining data.
The cost of recovering formatted media starts at £250 +VAT for cards and USB devices and £300 +VAT for disk drives. We charge it as logical-class work throughout, so you only pay if we recover your data.
If our diagnostic shows that the volume has been fully formatted with zeros, we will inform you that it is unrecoverable and no charges will apply. This occurs often enough that we wanted to mention it up front.
Unlikely. A camera performs a quick format. The camera quickly formats the directory information, leaving all images physically stored on the card. As long as you do not use the memory card again after the format, the odds are extremely good that the images can be recovered from it.
Recoverable in most cases, provided the user performed a quick format and has not written new data to the media since then. That dialog box appears when Windows cannot recognise a file system. In most instances where this occurs, the underlying data is still intact.
Only partially. An installation process typically writes tens of gigabytes of new files onto the drive, but not across the whole volume. It is common for files located outside those regions to survive, while the folders that contained them rarely do.
Sometimes. When enough of the previous file system remains, then yes. However, when too much of the file system is missing, the recovered files will be returned organised by type and content rather than by their original file name and folder location.
No. New photographs are stored in the same location as those before them, and you cannot select where they will be. Put the memory card away, and pull out another.
2-5 working days. Our fastest turn-around is for logical work, and the main thing that adds time is signature carving on a large volume.
All diagnostics are at no cost. In most cases you only pay if we recover your data. We also offer formatted-media recovery from any type of media (drive, stick, card). The less written onto it, the more comes back to you. Begin now.