Quick format” and “full format” both belong to high-level formatting. As indicated by their name, they differ in the amount of time needed to complete a formatting.
A quick format will only erase the file table from the filesystem. The operating system will not locate any files without their index so when you look at the hard drive you would not see any data and assume the drive is erased. In fact, the files are actually still there untouched and can be accessed again with the right tool. This is how software like Hdata Recovery can recovery data from formatted disks. Their special algorithm enables you to scan, view and recovery any files you wish. Also the drive is not checked for bad sectors during quick format.
A Full format will write zero to the entire drive to overwrite (erase) the old data. The exact amount of time required to complete the process depends on the capacity of the HDD. The larger the capacity the longer it will take. As a Full Format would wipe your drives clean, the data stored on them will become unrecoverable. This is very useful when you are disposing of or recycling your hard drives containing senstive or personal information. Repeat the Full Format process serveral times to minimize data remanence (or ease paranoia). Additionally, A full format also checks the hard drive for bad sectors.
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