MyRecover
I Accidentally Formatted My Seagate External Hard Drive! Recover Files Easily
When I accidentally formatted my Seagate external hard drive. The following recovery methods help restore my valuable data safely and efficiently. In this guide, I’ll share the most effective solutions I used to recover files from a formatted Seagate external hard drive, so you can do the same, whether you performed a quick format or a full one.
By Emma / Updated on August 1, 2025
I Accidentally Formatted My Seagate External Hard Drive?
I went to format usb drive and accidentally formatted my secondary Seagate hard drive. I thought I had a backup of the drive but didn’t. What’s the best software or way to recover the files from formatted seagate external hard drive?
- Question from reddit
When you format a drive, the operating system essentially erases the file system structure that keeps track of where your data is stored. This means that while the actual files aren't immediately wiped from the disk, the pointers to them are removed, making the drive appear empty. There are two common types of formatting:
1. Quick Format
This is the default option in most operating systems. It simply clears the file table and marks the drive as empty, but the original data still physically exists on the drive sectors until overwritten. That makes it easier to recover files using data recovery software.
2. Full Format
A full format not only clears the file table but also scans the disk for bad sectors. In modern systems (especially Windows 10/11), it may also overwrite the entire drive with zeros, making recovery much more difficult or even impossible in some cases.
How to Recover Files from Formatted Seagate External Hard Drive?
As mentioned earlier, common formatting doesn’t instantly destroy your data and it just removes access to it. So, if you act quickly and avoid writing new data to the formatted Seagate hard drive, there's a high chance you can recover your files. Next, we will show you how to perform Seagate file recovery after formatting with backup and without backup.
Method 1. Restore Files using the Drive Manager software (Require Prior Backup)
If you previously enabled the AutoBackup feature in Seagate's Drive Manager software, you're in luck even if you performed a full format. Drive Manager automatically creates backup copies of your selected files and folders on a scheduled basis. To restore them:
Step 1. Connect your Seagate external hard drive to your computer.
Step 2. Open the Seagate Drive Manager software.
Step 3. Go to the "AutoBackup" section and click the backed up data button.
Step 4. Browse the available backup versions and select the files or folders you want to recover.
Step 5. Choose a destination folder (you can restore to the original location or a new one).
Step 6. Enter your SafetyKey password to begin the recovery process.
Method 2. Restore Formatted Seagate External Hard Drive via Winfr Command (Not Require Backup)
If you don’t have any backup, you can try Windows File Recovery (Winfr), which is a free command-line utility from Microsoft designed to recover deleted or formatted files on Windows 10 and 11. It supports various file types and storage devices, including external hard drives like Seagate.
⚠️Before You Begin:
- Download Windows File Recovery from the Microsoft Store if it’s not already installed.
- Ensure you have a separate recovery destination drive (not the formatted Seagate drive).
✅Step-by-Step Instructions:
Step 1. Press "Win + S", type "cmd", right-click "Command Prompt", and choose "Run as administrator".
Step 2. Enter the following command format: winfr source-drive: destination-drive: /mode /switches
For example: winfr G: D: /extensive /n *.pdf
- Notes:✎...
- "G:" is your formatted Seagate drive.
- "D:" is where recovered files will be saved.
- "/extensive" is ideal for formatted drives.
- "/n *.pdf" recovers all PDF files.
Step 3. Confirm the operation and let the scan complete. Once done, check the recovery folder on your destination drive.
Winfr is powerful but not user-friendly for beginners. If you prefer a simpler method with a graphical interface, consider third-party recovery software like MyRecover.
Method 3. Recover Using MyRecover (Not Require Backup)
If you’re looking for a user-friendly, effective solution to recover data from a formatted Seagate external hard drive, MyRecover is an excellent choice. It supports over 1,000 file types, including documents, photos, videos, and more. With its clean interface and deep scan capabilities, even beginners can restore lost data without technical knowledge.
MyRecover- ✅ Supports 1,000+ file types: documents (DOCX, PDF), images (JPG, PNG), videos (MP4, MOV), emails (PST), and more.
- ✅ Works on 500+ devices: HDDs, SSDs, USB drives, SD cards, cameras, PS4/5, drone, CCTV, music/video players and more.
- ✅Covers 500+ data loss scenarios: accidental deletion, formatting, power failure, file transfer interruption and more.
- ✅ Quick Scan + Deep Scan modes to ensure maximum data recovery.
- ✅ Preview files before final recovery.
100% SecureStep 1. Install MyRecover on your PC. Connect your Seagate external hard drive to your computer. Launch the software, and select the formatted Seagate drive from the main interface.
Step 2. Click "Start Scan" to begin the scanning process. MyRecover will automatically perform a "Quick Scan"or a "Deep Scan" to locate lost files.If the "Quick Scan" does not find your lost files, switch to "Deep Scan" manually.
Step 3. Once the scan is complete, browse the list of recoverable files. You can filter by file type (e.g., documents, photos, videos) or search for specific file names.
Step 4. Select the files you want to restore, click "Recover", and choose a safe destination to save them (do *not* restore to the original Seagate drive).
The time MyRecover takes to recover formatted Seagate external hard drive depends on the drive’s capacity and the amount of data to recover. For few files, it only needs seconds to complete. For large amount of drive data (e.g., 1TB or more) or if the formatting happened some time ago, it might take a longer time. Upon of the completion, you can see a mini window that indicates the number and location of restored files.
Conclusion
Accidentally formatting your Seagate external hard drive can feel like a disaster—but as you’ve seen, recovery is often possible if you act quickly and follow the right steps. Whether you’ve created a backup with Seagate Drive Manager or need to use professional recovery tools like Winfr or MyRecover, there’s a solution for both beginners and advanced users.
Not sure which method to use? Start with MyRecover for a quickandguided experience. Your files might be just a few clicks away.Moreover, it also supports recovering files from inaccssible partitions, deleted partition or from unbootable computer.
100%
Clean & Secure
