Low Level Format Tool — Click to enlarge

Developer: HDDGURU.COM

License terms:

• As of December 17, 2024, HDD Low Level Format tool is free for free for all use, including commercial use, without any limitations whatsoever.

Supported OS: MS Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, Server 2003, 2008, 2008R2, Windows 10/11

HDD Low Level Format Tool is a utility for low-level hard disk drive formatting.

• Supported interfaces: S-ATA (SATA), IDE (E-IDE), SCSI, SAS, USB, FIREWIRE.
• Big drives (LBA-48) are supported.
• Supported Manufacturers: Maxtor, Hitachi, Seagate, Samsung, Toshiba, Fujitsu, IBM, Quantum, Western Digital, and almost any other not listed here.
• The program also supports low-level formatting of FLASH cards (SD, MMC, MemoryStick and CompactFlash) using a card-reader.

This HDD Low Level Format utility can erase and Low-Level Format a SATA, IDE, SAS, SCSI or SSD hard disk drive. Will also work with any USB and FIREWIRE external drive enclosures as well as SD, MMC, MemoryStick and CompactFlash media.

An option to quickly wipe partitions and MBR data is available.

WARNING: After running this low level format tool, the whole disk surface will be erased.
Data restoration is impossible after using this utility!

Download Windows Installer (most people will want this option): HDD Low Level Format Tool ver.4.50 setup
Download Windows Executable (works without installation): HDD Low Level Format Tool ver.4.50

Frequently asked questions

Q: I only get about 1.0-1.5 MB per second, and my media is supposed to be much faster.
A: This is because you are using a very slow interface (1-1.5 MB per second is actually USB 1.0 limit, so you would want to investigate issues with USB ports). Another reason for slow speeds could be that the storage device has some damage.