HGST Ultrastar internal hard drives are commonly used in enterprise and high-performance computing environments, offering reliability and high-capacity storage. However, when an error message appears stating “You Need to Format This Drive Before You Can Use It,” it often indicates a missing or corrupt partition table, making the stored data inaccessible.
This case study details how we successfully recovered critical files from an HGST Ultrastar internal hard drive, after partition table corruption rendered the drive unreadable.
As Leeds Data Recovery, with 25 years of experience, we used partition table reconstruction, file system repair, and deep sector-level data extraction techniques to restore lost data.
HGST Ultrastar Hard Drive Asking to Be Formatted
A client contacted us after their HGST Ultrastar internal hard drive became inaccessible, with the following issues:
- The system recognised the drive but displayed “You Need to Format This Drive Before You Can Use It.”
- File Explorer could not access the drive, and Disk Management showed it as RAW.
- Attempts to recover data using standard software failed.
- The drive contained business documents, project files, and backup archives.
Since formatting the drive would erase all remaining data, an immediate professional recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the HGST Ultrastar hard drive arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full partition and file system diagnostic. Our findings:
- Partition table corruption (MBR/GPT) – Preventing the operating system from reading file structures.
- File system corruption (NTFS/EXT4) – Making stored data unreadable.
- No mechanical failure detected – Meaning a logical data recovery approach was possible.
Since partition corruption can worsen if improperly handled, we prioritized sector-level imaging and manual partition repair.
The Recovery Process
1. Cloning & Imaging the Hard Drive to Prevent Further Data Loss
To preserve the existing data, we:
- Created a sector-by-sector clone of the HGST Ultrastar hard drive.
- Used advanced recovery tools to bypass corrupted sectors and extract readable data.
2. Repairing the Partition Table & File System
Since the partition table was damaged, we:
- Rebuilt the partition table without formatting the drive.
- Repaired the NTFS/EXT4 file system to restore directory structures.
3. Extracting & Verifying Business Files & Archives
Once the partition was successfully restored, we:
- Recovered business documents, project files, and financial records.
- Checked all recovered files for accuracy and completeness.
- Transferred the fully restored data to a secure external backup drive.
The Results: 100% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our partition repair and sector-level data extraction techniques, we successfully recovered 100% of the client’s lost files, including:
✅ Business documents and project reports
✅ Financial records and company archives
✅ Backup files and digital media
The client was able to regain access to all critical files, preventing permanent data loss.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful recoveries, we are the leading partition corruption data recovery specialists in Leeds and the UK. Our expertise includes:
✔ Partition table repair & file system reconstruction
✔ Master Boot Record (MBR) and GPT recovery
✔ RAW drive recovery & missing data extraction
✔ Secure & confidential business & personal file retrieval
If your hard drive is asking to be formatted, showing as RAW, or preventing access to important files, stop using it immediately and contact us for expert data recovery.