Formatting a drive doesn't shred your files — in most cases it simply lays a fresh, empty file system down on top of them. Underneath, the old data is usually still there, waiting to be read, until something new overwrites it. Stop using the drive, and we can recover formatted photos, documents and more from almost any storage, in-house.
$ bdr diagnose /dev/sdb → Device: SanDisk SD card (256 GB) · camera → Status: FORMATTED — file system reset, data intact → Client: confidential · Belfast $ bdr engineer-working → Forensic image: taken · originals untouched → Previous file system: rebuilt → Found: 3,180 / 3,210 files (99.1%) $ bdr verify → ✓ photos — 2,940 files → ✓ video — 240 clips → ✓ formatted card — recovered
A formatted drive still holds your old data until new files are written over it — so the worst thing you can do now is keep using it, copy fresh files onto it, or let a backup or sync run. Don't reinstall, don't re-partition, and don't format it again. Set it aside and talk to us while the old data is still there.
Most formats are far less destructive than they feel — but a couple of things decide how much comes back. These are the situations we recover formatted data from most.
We recover formatted data from every kind of storage and every major manufacturer — drives, cards and sticks alike.
Spinning hard disks · solid-state drives · USB sticks · memory cards of every format (SD, microSD, CompactFlash) · portable and desktop externals · plus the internal drives from laptops, desktops and Macs.
Recovering formatted data is about reading what's underneath the new, empty file system. We image the drive first, then rebuild the old structure or carve the files straight out of the raw data — always from a copy, never your original.
We check what kind of format was done and how much of the old data survives, then send a written quote — usually within 48 hours.
Your original media is only ever read, never written: we clone it sector by sector under write-protection and carry out every repair on the clone.
We look for the previous partition and file-system structures left behind by the format, and rebuild them to bring files back with their names intact.
For anything the old structure no longer covers, we carve files out of the raw data by their signatures — photos, documents, video and more.
Recovered files are checked to confirm they open and are intact before anything is returned to you.
Your data comes back sorted and ready to use, on fresh media.
We copy your data to an external drive and post it back, or offer a free download of up to 75GB — whichever suits you.
From accidentally formatted drives and cards to reinstalled systems and reformatted externals, we recover data from underneath a fresh file system — always working from a read-only image, so the original is never put at further risk.
Tell us which device was formatted and what was on it; an engineer will reply, usually within a working day.
We will get back to you soon. If it is urgent, call 028 9002 0144.
A free diagnostic first, then a fixed written quote before any work begins. Memory cards and USB sticks are £250 + VAT and hard drives £300 + VAT; where physical repair is needed there's a 50% deposit toward parts and bench time, with the balance only on success.
A representative selection of formatted-media recoveries across different devices — device types and outcomes shown, customer details kept private.
A quick format in-camera had left the photos intact underneath. We imaged the card and carved the JPEG and RAW files back out in full.
It turned out the wrong disk had been chosen. Working from the image, we reconstructed the prior file system and brought the folder tree back, names and all.
The data was untouched beneath the new file system. A deep scan of the image brought the documents back cleanly.
Real, named reviews from formatted-media jobs will be published here as Belfast clients provide them — we don’t invent testimonials.
No invented reviews here. We're collecting verified, named reviews from our Belfast customers and will publish them here as they come in. In the meantime you're welcome to call and talk an issue through with an engineer on 028 9002 0144.
Post or drop in your device for a free diagnostic, with a note on what happened — an engineer reviews it and confirms your exact quote in writing before any work begins.
First step: get the device onto our Belfast bench. Wrap it well, tuck your contact details in the box, and post it over — the diagnostic costs nothing, and you’ll have a firm written price to approve before we touch a single sector.
Posting it? A tracked, insured service is best. Dropping it off instead? You’re welcome Monday–Friday, 9am–5:30pm — please still pack the device as above.
Not ready to send anything yet? Use the form to describe the fault in your own words and one of the engineers will come back with a quote tailored to your situation.
We will get back to you soon. If it is urgent, call 028 9002 0144.
The questions we're asked most about recovering formatted media.
Usually, yes. A format normally just writes a fresh, empty file system over the top of your data — the old files are still there underneath until something overwrites them. Stop using the drive and there's a good chance we can recover most or all of it.
A quick format only resets the file system, so the data is left intact and is very recoverable. A full format does far more — modern Windows versions write zeros across the drive during one — which can make recovery partial or impossible. If you're not sure which was used, assume quick and stop using the drive.
Very often. Cameras and phones use a quick format, so the images usually survive underneath. As long as the card hasn't been reused since, we can carve the photos and videos back out of the raw data.
Not if it holds anything you want back. That message means the file system is damaged (RAW), but your data is still there — formatting only starts to overwrite it. Let us recover it first, then format afterwards if you want to reuse the drive.
Yes — and it's worth being honest about. Most SSDs use TRIM, which erases data behind a format very quickly, so formatted recovery is much less likely on an SSD than on a hard drive, USB stick or card. We'll tell you at the diagnostic what's realistic.
Cards and sticks are £250 + VAT, hard drives £300 + VAT, with the diagnostic free and no fix, no fee on most jobs. Being logical rather than physical work, it’s among the cheaper recoveries we offer — and the price goes in writing before we begin.
You can hand the device in at Cromac Square any weekday between 9am and 5:30pm, or send it by insured post. Box it securely with a note of your name, contact number, email and address inside — that’s everything we need to log it, run the free diagnostic and issue your quote.
A format nearly always leaves your old data sitting underneath, recoverable — as long as nothing new overwrites it. Stop using the drive and send it in. Free diagnostic, no fix no fee on most jobs.