HDD Low Level Format Tool

Low-Level Formatting is a term that describes the disk formatting process. Data is stored on a disk in a specific assigned location. This is how the physical format is built. An application that helps perform this action is called the HDD Low Level Format Tool. The factory is where the true Low-Level Formatting is performed. However, a tool like this one does zero-fills only.



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

Key Features

• 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.

Restore Your Hard Disk Drive to its Factory Configuration

HDD Low Level Format Tool restores the factory configuration to the hard drive. Every location on the hard drive disk has a zero-byte written to it. That is how this configuration is possible. This action permanently erases every bit of data that is on your disk completely.

If your hard drive has become corrupted or infected with a virus, then you’ll find it necessary to restore the hard drive back to its factory settings. It is the only way to remedy these kinds of problems. In addition, this application keeps bad sectors hidden so that your data can be stored on a totally clean surface without any errors.

Simple Interface

The application has a simple interface that is easy to use. When you choose a device, you’ll be given details about it like the model number, serial number, buffer size, firmware version, physical parameters, security features, and the queuing features. If S.M.A.R.T. technology is supported by the drives, different kinds of information will be given to you, such as power cycles, spin-up time, read error rate, and power on time. You can check the hardware temperature too.

Several Major Models and Brands Supported

HDD LLF is compatible with several types of devices, such as flashcards (for those of you with card readers), firewire drives, and USB drives. The biggest hard disk manufacturers are supported by the application as well, such as Samsung, Maxtor, Hitachi, Seagate, Western Digital, Quantum, and Toshiba. Since there is a 50 MB per second limit, the process takes some time to finish. If you need to process a 2TB hard drive, then it’ll take 12 hours.

Before you start, make sure to plug in your target device because it won’t be detected automatically by the application.

FAQ

My media is supposed to be much faster, but I'm only getting about 1.0-1.5 MB per second. Why is that?
The slow speed could be due to using a USB interface with a limit of 1.0-1.5 MB per second (USB 1.0). Investigate potential issues with your USB ports. Another possibility is damage to the storage device.

I noticed that the formatting tool was working at around 10 MB per second before I purchased a license. However, even after buying the license, the speed remains the same. Why is this?
The tool has a speed limit of 50 MB per second in its free mode. If your media operates slower than 50 MB/s, you won't experience any speed increase. The tool's speed is constrained by the capabilities of your storage device.

Can I install both the software and the license key on removable media like a USB stick or CD/DVD disk?
Yes, you can. Simply utilize the version that doesn't require installation, unpack it onto your media, and then insert your license key into the llftool.license file, located in the same directory as the main executable file.

System Requirements

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

Conclusion

You’ll want to use this application if you’re dealing with MBR virus intrusion, bad sectors, or data corruption. Then your hard drive will be as good as new again.

License terms:

• Free for personal/home use (speed is capped at 180 GB per hour which is 50 MB/s)
• Just $3.30 for personal/home use (no speed limit)
• $27.00 per seat for commercial or professional use
• Updates are free for life

PROS

• Restores factory settings
• Supports various interfaces
• Compatible with major brands

CONS

• Slow speed for large drives
• Limited free version
• Lack of official support and updates