Unformat

After about twenty years, I felt ZAR can no longer be updated to match the modern requirements, and I decided to retire it.

ZAR is replaced by Klennet Recovery, my new general-purpose DIY data recovery software.

If you are looking specifically for recovery of image files (like JPEG, CR2, and NEF), take a look at Klennet Carver, a separate video and photo recovery software.

Unformat is the process of data recovery from a storage device (which can be a hard drive, a camera memory card, or an USB pen drive) that was formatted.

The step-by-step tutorial below describes the procedure to recover data when

• the drive was accidentally formatted and you want to unformat the drive;
• Windows reports "raw filesystem", or the drive is "not formatted."

Download and install ZAR data recovery software just like you do with any regular program.
When you run it, ZAR displays the window like the one below:

1. Click "Data Recovery for Windows and Linux"

2. Select an appropriate device, or a partition on a device to unformat
3. Click "Next" to start the unformat process

This part may take up to three hours and requires absolutely no intervention.

4. Mark files to recover by clicking their corresponding checkboxes
5. Click "Next"

6. Enter the name of the folder for the recovered files
7. Click "Start copying" to start file retrieval