Have you ever connected your external hard drive just to get a message that needs to be formatted? Lets Fix external hard drive iisue as It can be experienced immediately when you plug the drive into the computer or when you attempt to open the drive using the file manager. This message not only prevents you from getting any of your files but despite this it doesn’t seem like a big problem and actually it is a simple problem with a solution.
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My External Hard Disk is asking me to format, why?
When your external hard disk is showing format disk error, it usually points to one of two types of issues: What kind of problems we have: Logical Problems or Physical Problems.
I made logical problems that affect how your computer reads the drive and are not indicative of hardware failure. These are often fixable with DIY solutions:
- The first common problem is the ejection and probably the outcomes of that action. Removing the drive without proper ejection is similar to closing the door when files are still being transferred. This can corrupt the file system and bring up the problem where the computer cannot read the data properly.
- Another possibility is file system errors. Eventually, external drives accumulate remnants from power outages, improper system shutdowns or bugs in other applications. These errors can actually turn the system against the drive and make it believe that the drive needs formatting while all it requires is a bit of repair work.
- There is also a problem of bad sectors that appear once in a while. Disk drives manage data in sectors and when some of those sectors are bad then the file system gets affected. There is always hope that you might still have the rest of your files intact even if the data is in damaged sectors.
- We can’t forget malware. Some of the viruses and the malware specifically target your file system and they are capable of damaging it making the drive appear un writable. Interestingly this is another problem if tackled right that can be easily solved.
- And, of course, an unsupported file system. If your drive was formatted with a format that the running OS does not recognize (for example, you have plugged in a drive with the Linux file system into a Windows machine), you will see the format pop up. As you may have surmised, the data is still there — it’s a matter of compatibility.
But now, if you find that the “Windows hard drive asking to format before use” error is actually originating from the hardware, things become a little complicated. This must be more than just logical if the hard drive was dropped recently, had been exposed to heat, or has internal damage. A hardware failure might completely stop the drive’s functionality while managing it individually can aggravate the issue. Sometimes that means you should go to the professionals to get your data if you have to.
Fix an External Hard Drive That Needs Formatting
Now, if your drive doesn’t make any abnormal operations such as clicking sounds, there is a rather efficient two-step self-solution for an external hardware drive which needs formatting. First of all, we have to backup your data on the drive. And once your data is safe, we can use a scan program to correct the logical difficulties that are causing this problem.
Way 1: Recover Data From a Hard Drive That says It Needs to Be Formatted
To transfer files from an external hard drive which is not detected by the PC we will require its data recovery software. There are many tools of this kind on the market, but we need one that satisfies the following criteria:
- To this end, it should support a range of file systems most commonly used by external hard drives including NTFS, exFAT, FAT32 and HFS+. In your case, we need a tool that would assist to read the file system that was in the drive before all of this happened.
- If the file system is bad or missing completely a good recovery tool must incorporate a signature scan. This feature enables the software to detect the type of files through analysis of their internal structures.
- At other times, your external drive might appear as RAW meaning that Windows can no longer read the file system. A recovery tool should be in a position of rastering and reconstructing lost data from the newly formed RAW drives disregarding the file system.
- The software must be developed in a way that it can extract data without having to write on the damaged drive. This helps avoid overwriting of data that can be very disastrous to the overall work being done.
- It is also good that it is possible to go through the files before doing full recovery, to ensure one is recovering the right data.
Some of the best data recovery software that meet these requirements include BLR Tools which is among the best we’ve reviewed to-date. Also, let me point out that BLR Data Recovery Software has two more features which will appear useful – and I will tell you about in a couple of phrases.
Here is how to recover data from a hard drive that says it needs to be formatted:
Step 1: Install the Software:
Download and install BLR Data Recovery Software on your system.
Step 2: Scan the Hard Drive:
Launch the tool, select the affected drive, and initiate a deep scan.
Step 3: Preview and Recover Files:
After the scan, preview recoverable files, select them, and save to a secure location.
Way 2: Run Error Checking Tool (CHKDSK)
The next step once your files are secure is to repair the external drive in question. One of the basic methods for the file system check in a Windows machine is the feature, known as CHKDSK or Check Disk. This utility is particularly useful in correcting such problems as file system attrition, bad sectors, disk failure that results in asking for format.
Bonus Tip: Although it is possible to run CHKDSK without Step 1, we always advise the reader to recover their data. As a result, this is the safer way because CHKDSK has been reported to result in minor loss of data sometimes.
There are two ways to run this tool: The check disk can be run by entering the chkdsk command through the Terminal or utilizing the Error Checking Tool.
How to fix external hard drive asking to format using Terminal:
- Click the Windows key at the bottom-left corner and type Terminal in the search bar. Open Terminal with Administrator Privileges by right-clicking over it and then clicking run as administrator.
- In the Terminal window, type the command chkdsk X:./f /r – replace X with the letter that stands for your external hard drive.
- If you are ready to scan, press Enter here on the keyboard. ‘/f’ flag invokes the check process and if the errors are located, they are repaired while the /r flag looks for the ones that are considered as bad sectors, then attempt to retrieve data that is readable from the磁 Marco VirtualMagnets:Technologies Using : Discuste there.
- Let CHKDSK continue the scanning process. The time taken to execute the command will vary and depends on the size of your drive and the density of the errors. One should not interrupt the CHKDSK process after it has begun. Also if you cancel some errors may not be rectified. If the process is interrupted, run CHKDSK again and fix some unforeseen problems.
- As soon as the operation is over, verify that you can access the external hard drive, using it during work as before; without having to format it.
Another way to run CHKDSK is as Error Checking Tool via Disk Management:
Step 1: Open the Start Menu and right click on it then click Disk Management.
Step 2: Locate your external hard drive, click the right button on it, and click Properties.
Step 3: Navigate to the Tools option and then there is Error Checking and then Click on ‘Check’. This is nearly the same as running the actual CHKDSK process but through an interface.
Step 4: Then click on Scan and on the next screen select Repair drive. These stems let Windows check the drive and try to correct errors in the disk surface on its own.
If the CHKDSK process corrects all the errors, then you should be able to use the drive through File Manager once again.
What to do when Your External Hard Drive still reads: (Need to format). Do It
In every other case, the previous step ought to have resolved the issue. However, if your attachments or external hard drive is not recognized or it tells you it has to format what you will have to do next. The entire reason we’ve been steering clear of this formatting prompt is the fact that formatting tends to delete all files from a drive. But it is not a problem because we have already managed to recover your data in this case. Formatting will be effective in eradicating some fundamental file system problems that cannot be solved by other procedures.
Bonus Tip: Anyway, data can be recovered even in cases when a quick format has been performed on the disk. But the risk of losing part of it for good rises as well, it is always better to recover data before formatting the drive.
If a drive is formatted, there are two options that a person can define: the Quick Format and the Full Format. A Quick Format is fast because it only deletes file entries from the file system table without the confirmation of bad sectors or other problems. It is particularly appealing to drives in good condition should you wish to erase data in a short time. However, it doesn’t repair and scan file systems, and it won’t also identify bad sectors which can leave existing issues unresolved.
Given that the drive has errors which may be resultant of stricken file system and/or bad sectors in the drive, a Full Format is advisable. Above all, it not only erases all the data from the drive but also checks and secures elements that Quick Format cannot identify. Therefore, the drive should run well after that. The high choice is perfect for most drives that render errors or when you want to physically prepare a used drive for new data. It brings out and partitions bad sectors and in so doing the possibility of future error is minimized.
Here is how to format your external hard drive that is showing format disk error:
Step 1: Right click on the Start menu then select Open Disk Management.
Step 2: There, search for your external hard drive among the list of drives that is accessible to the user.
Step 3: Finally, right click the drive and choose Format.
Step 4: Select the file system, for instance, exFAT or NTFS; the crucial point is to Leave the ‘Quick Format’ box unchecked.
Step 5: Click OK to begin the format.
Bottom Line
If your external hard drive prompts for formatting, avoid formatting it immediately to prevent data loss. Instead, check the file system status via Disk Management or run chkdsk in Command Prompt to fix errors. For secure data recovery, use BLR Hard Drive Data Recovery Software to scan, preview, and recover files efficiently without risking additional damage.
