Damaged flash drive. Flash drive recovery programs

Comfy.ua

First, do some basic steps to eliminate typical problems on the computer side. Connect your device via a different USB port. If it doesn't help, restart your computer.

If the system does not respond at all to connecting a flash drive, first read.

Check the drive for programs that may interfere with its correct operation using .

By following further instructions, you can only restore the functionality of the flash drive itself, but not the information on it. If the USB device does not store important data, then feel free to continue.

Otherwise, first try to recover the information using . And only then follow the steps listed below to repair the drive itself.

Use the flash drive repair program from the manufacturer. Transcend, PQI, ADATA and other USB flash drive developers have such utilities. You just need to go to the manufacturer’s official website, find the necessary software there, download it to your computer and use it according to the included instructions.

If the manufacturer of your drive does not provide support software or it does not help, use a third-party program to repair flash drives. You are unlikely to find such a utility for macOS; this option is designed for Windows users.

This method can either help or harm the drive. If you're not sure, don't risk it.

The essence of the method is as follows: you need to find out the VID and PID parameters of your drive, use them to find a program compatible with the flash drive and use it for recovery.

To find out the VID and PID, connect the drive to your computer, install the program and run it. In the program window, click on the name of the drive - below you will see the values ​​of the necessary parameters.

To find a suitable utility by VID and PID, copy their values ​​into the appropriate fields on the website and click on the Search button. If information about the model of your flash drive is in the catalog, then among the search results, along with your drive, you will see a link to download a program to repair it.

If none of the above helps and the drive refuses to work on other computers, then try returning it under warranty or contact a service center for help.

A USB flash drive is not the most suitable device for permanently storing files, but anything can happen in life. And situations when valuable data located only on it were accidentally erased happen regularly. However, in about half of the cases, grief can be helped by recovering deleted files from a flash drive. Under what circumstances is this possible and how to do it, read on.

I won’t get my hopes up in vain: the chances of successful data recovery from USB flash drives are lower than from stationary drives - hard drives of PCs and laptops and permanent memory of mobile devices. The reason is that flash drives are usually used to transfer files from one device to another. And accidentally deleted data most often ends up being simply overwritten, sometimes even more than once. And overwriting, unfortunately, destroys the information irrevocably.

Full or partial file recovery on your own is possible in the following cases:

• The user deleted them manually.
• The drive was formatted using the operating system.
• The files became inaccessible after a virus attack.
• The files disappeared after the flash drive was divided into partitions.
• A logical failure of the file system has occurred: it has become defined as RAW - unknown, or Windows and programs consider the entire space of the device to be unallocated.

The chances of recovery are extremely low or zero if:

• The flash drive is physically faulty - it is not detected by the computer at all or is recognized as an unknown device, access to its memory is either completely absent, or the size of the latter is several KB instead of tens of GB. The exception is relatively simple breakdowns that do not affect the controller and device memory.
• The files were deleted using a shredder program.
• The flash drive was low-level formatted (essentially repartitioned and rewritten) or reflashed (the controller microcode was rewritten).
• The files are encrypted, but there is no decryption key. It may be the result of an attack by a ransomware virus or user actions (encrypted, but lost the key). In the first case, it is sometimes possible to recover files if you have a suitable decryptor.

In case of physical and complex logical faults, data recovery from flash drives is sometimes possible, but often costs the owner very much - up to several tens of thousands of rubles (not even the result, but the attempt at recovery, can cost that much). Therefore, in such situations, many people prefer to say goodbye to files forever.

How to increase your likelihood of success

Even if your case falls into the simple category, in order to increase the chances of a successful recovery, adhere to the following rules:

• The fewer operations were performed on the drive's file system, the better the result. Therefore, start recovery immediately as soon as you notice missing files.
• Save the recovered data only to another physical medium (computer hard drive, second flash drive, etc.).
• Try to restore everything in one session. Don't interrupt unless absolutely necessary.
• If one recovery program does not help, use others. Sometimes simple free utilities are more effective than expensive paid ones. It is impossible to know in advance what will help in your case, so try everything that is available.
• If the recovery program is capable of creating and saving images of drive file systems, be sure to use this feature. In case of unexpected failure of the flash drive or accidental overwriting before the end of reading, you can restore the data from the image.

7 best programs for data recovery from flash drives

You may already be familiar with some of the storage device data recovery programs. Our site talked about them in an article about. Today our collection will be replenished with seven more applications of the same purpose. Maybe one of them will be life-saving for you.

R.saver

Wise Data Recovery

Wise Data Recovery is another worthy tool for recovering information from desktop and portable drives. Available only in Windows version. Like its predecessors, it works without installation on a hard drive. It has a high scanning speed and displays the possibility of restoring each found object.

If next to the file there is:

• Red circle—data has been completely overwritten and cannot be restored.
• Yellow circle—overwriting is partial, success is not guaranteed.
• Green circle—the file has not been overwritten and is recoverable.

When you click on “green” files, if it is a picture or document, the program shows their thumbnails (if saved). It also has a function to search for certain types of data using keywords: pictures (imagies), audio (audios), videos (videos), documents (documents), archives (compressed files) and mail (emails).

Wise Data Recovery is a completely free application and, by the way, supports the Russian language.

How to use Wise Data Recovery:

• Unpack the archive with the program to any folder and run the executable file WiseDataRecovery.exe.
• Select the desired media from the list and click “Scan”.
• Select the files you want to recover from the list. Click the "Recover" button.
• Specify the location to save the files on your hard drive.

Disk Drill

The Disk Drill utility, well known to many Mac OS X users, appeared in the Windows version some time ago. More precisely, in two: free - free, and paid - pro. The free one allows you to recover up to 1 GB of information, the paid one - without restrictions.

Unlike the three previous applications, Disk Drill requires mandatory installation on the computer (for which it receives a minus, since this simple operation can lead to overwriting the data that the user was just about to restore). But it has a number of benefits that others do not have.

With constant use, Disk Drill keeps track of deleted files and also creates backup copies of them, which increases the chances of their recovery even after a while. In addition, it supports any type of storage device and almost all file systems (it knows more than 300 unique file signatures).

Disk Drill does not have a Russian localization, but it is quite easy to use.

How to recover deleted files using Disk Drill:

• Install the application on your PC and run it with administrator rights.
• Select a USB flash drive with deleted data from the list of media.
• Open the drop-down list next to the Recover button, which is located opposite the flash drive, and click the desired scan type: “Run all recovery methods” (use all search and recovery methods), “Quick scan” (quick scan), “Deep scan” (deep scan) ) or “Load last scanning session” (load the result of the last scan). Click the "Recover" button (or "Continue" if you have already started working with the media).
• In the next window that opens after scanning, select the desired files from the list, specify the location to save them and click “Recover” again.

RS File Recovery

RS File Recovery is a paid Russian-language application. In addition to the main thing - restoring information from physical drives, it is able to save and subsequently work with their images. After creating the image, the physical device with the data can be disconnected, since the program has already “remembered” all its contents. In addition, the application has a built-in HEX editor for manual byte-by-byte correction of files, as well as an FTP client for uploading the recovered file to network resources.

After analyzing the storage device, RS File Recovery displays information about the data on it - when it was created, when it was changed, and whether it can be restored. This information appears in the bottom pane of the window.

Unfortunately, in the free demo version of the utility, the recovery function does not work, only viewing is available. The cost of a license starts from 999 rubles.

Like Disk Drill, RS File Recovery requires installation on your computer.

How to use RS File Recovery:

• Launch the application. Select a flash drive from the list of media by simply clicking on it. All its contents, including deleted files, will be displayed in the middle part of the window.
• Click on the item you want to restore. Information about it, including the forecast, will be shown in the panel below.
• Drag the required files to the recovery list on the right side of the window and click the “Recover” button.
• Select the saving method: to hard drive, to CD/DVD, to the Internet via FTP, or to convert to a virtual ISO image.

• Specify the destination folder on your hard drive. When choosing other saving methods, follow the assistant's instructions.

Ontrack EasyRecovery

Ontrack EasyRecovery is one of the most functional and effective data recovery programs, the main competitor of industry leader R-Studio. It successfully extracts data even from heavily damaged media, supports all types of file systems and more than 250 file formats, creates virtual images of physical storage devices, can boot from DVDs and USB flash drives, and also has a lot of other useful features.

EasyRecovery is available in several paid editions with different sets of functions. The most inexpensive is home-based, which will cost the user $79 per year. Professional, enterprise and specialized (for servers) cost from $299 to $3000 for an annual license.

Despite the enormous possibilities, even a novice user can use this program, since each stage of the work is accompanied by a built-in assistant. It is also impossible to make a mistake because it is completely translated into Russian.

How to use Ontrack EasyRecovery:

• Launch the application (it is available in installation, portable and, as already mentioned, boot versions). Specify the type of media on which the deleted data is located.
• Select the volume to scan (if it is a flash drive, then, as a rule, there is only one volume on it).
• Select a recovery scenario. Restoring objects after deletion and formatting are different scenarios. First, try using the first one - it works faster, and if that doesn’t help, try the second one.
• If the data was affected by a logical failure, identify one or more types of file systems that may be on the media.

• Check again that the conditions are correct and confirm your selection. After this, the program will begin scanning the flash drive.
• After scanning is completed, select the desired objects in the list (to select several, press and hold the Ctrl key). Click the “Save” button in the top panel of the main window and specify the destination folder on your hard drive.

To create an image of a storage device and work with it in the future, after starting the program, select the device in the list of media, open the “File” menu and click “Create image file”.

Active UNDELETE

Active UNDELETE is another paid utility that successfully copes with the recovery of individual deleted objects and entire disk partitions. Supports all types of media, all file systems and over 200 different file formats. In addition to the main tasks, it allows you to solve related problems - correct errors in partition tables and boot records, create, format and delete disk volumes, etc. Like the majority of paid analogues, Active UNDELETE supports the creation of virtual images of drives.

The demo version of the program, available for free download, has a full range of functions, but does not allow you to recover files larger than 1 Mb.

The Active UNDELETE interface is exclusively in English, but the utility is easy to use, since each action is accompanied by a wizard.

Unfortunately, it does not have a portable version. Installation only.

How to work with Active UNDELETE:

• Launch the program. Click “Recover deleted files” in the first window that opens. This will launch the recovery wizard.
• The first window of the wizard is a brief summary of how the program works in English. To proceed to the next step, click “Next”.
• Next, select one or more devices on which the desired files are located. Click "Next" and in the next window - "Scan".
• After scanning, mark the items you want to recover and proceed to the next step.
• Set the saving options - folder, file names, renaming in case of matches, etc. You can leave everything as default.

• The last step is the actual recovery. To launch it, click the “Recover files and folders” button.

If you want to create a virtual image of a flash drive, open the “Disk image management” section in the main window and run the “Create disk image” wizard.

Sooner or later, most users encounter a situation where the flash drive is displayed incorrectly (here you can try formatting first) or the information on it suddenly disappears. But do not despair - it is likely that you yourself will be able to revive the device and successfully restore the photos and documents stored on it or “bring to life” the file system.

Thanks to our recommendations, you can save not only on the services of a specialist, but also on special programs - we will consider exclusively free software for repairing flash drives. However, it is also worth keeping in mind that different utilities are designed for devices from different manufacturers.

If you don't know the model of your USB drive

do the following:

Go to the Start menu and in the “Run” line write mmc devmgmt.msc, then press Enter. In the Universal Serial Bus Controllers section, find your “USB Mass Storage Device”, select it and right-click. Open Properties, then go to the Details tab and in the dropdown select Device Instance Code (or Hardware Codes). Write down or remember the PID and VID.

Then go to the FlashBoot.ru website and enter the VID and PID data in the special field. After this, you will receive information about your device and the utilities that are best suited to repair it.

Recovering a Transcend flash drive

To restore devices of this brand, the official Transcend RecoveRx utility is best suited. With its help, you can conduct an in-depth search for already deleted files, which you can later also recover: photos, documents, audio and video files.

By the way, RecoveRx supports all types of storage devices, including memory cards, MP3 players and external hard drives. This program works extremely simply - you just need to specify the type of files or select all.

The second method is online recovery of flash drives from the JetFlash Transcend series. To use it, you must download JetFlash Online Recovery (you must have an active Internet connection). Once launched, the tool will automatically restore all your data.

Silicon Power flash drive recovery

If you have a Silicon Power flash drive, you are in luck - the manufacturer cooperates with Recuva. The File Recovery tool provides a clear interface that will allow you to quickly scan your device and mark those that are subject to reincarnation. You can read more about the operating features of this program.

Kingston flash drive recovery

If you have lost files on media from this company, a flash drive recovery utility can also help you. If you have problems with the operation of the device, then most likely you will have to format it, and do this not with a Windows tool, but with the official Kingston Format Utility. Just launch it, select your device and click “Format”.

Recovering a SanDisk flash drive

USB drives from SanDisk have a five-year warranty, so if you suddenly encounter problems, feel free to go to the store or contact the manufacturer (e-mail.

Do you have a USB drive that stores important personal files and business data, but it is damaged? Don't worry as this problem can be solved with a few simple methods.

How to recover data from a USB drive if there is a situation where the computer does not recognize it

Since the flash drive is not shattered, you still have a chance to recover the files written on it. There is nothing stopping you from correcting the error and reusing the device. This kind of damage is called logical.

If the USB drive is not recognized by your computer, check it in Disk Management. Then assign a letter or change the connection port. Many people hope to fix a damaged flash drive without losing data, but how?

Try using MiniTool Power Data Recovery.

Step 1. Go to Disk Management:

1. In the “Start” menu, left-click on “Control Panel”.

   

2. In the Control Panel window, select the System and Security section.

   

3. Left-click on the “Administration” section.

   

4. In the “Administration” section, double-click with the left mouse button on the “Computer Management” section.

   

5. In the window that opens, click on “Disk Management” (double-click). This is to see if you can find the damaged USB drive.

   

6. After detecting it, run MiniTool Power Data Recovery.

   

Important! The flash drive must be connected to the computer, otherwise it will not be possible to recover the data.

Step 2. In the main interface of the program, double-click on the “Recover damaged partitions” function.

Step 3. In the list of partitions, select the USB drive you want to restore. Then, to search for lost/deleted files, click the "Full Scan" button in the lower right corner.

Step 4. Wait for the scanning process to complete and select the files needed for recovery.

Step 5. Confirm the request, and then click the "Save" button. This will transfer your important data to another drive.

If you are careful enough, you will find that general information about the found files is displayed in the lower left part of the program interface. In addition, the size and number of data selected for recovery are also shown here. Thus, the resulting picture will allow us to judge:

• the number of files that the utility can resuscitate;
• whether their size will exceed the 1 GB limit.

If the files are larger, you will have to export the scan result manually. Unfortunately, to do this you need to purchase the full version of the program.

Error messages indicating a damaged USB drive

When trying to access a broken flash drive, the following error messages may appear:

As an advanced computer user, you should be familiar with Windows built-in disk management tools and CMD (command.exe). Regardless of who you choose to rely on when you get into sticky situations, the following techniques will be of great help. Learn how to properly recover a USB drive using the Command Prompt and Disk Management tool.

Warning! Please do not use these 2 methods if you are not quite sure what to do when you have not yet finished the process of recovering files from a flash drive. All subsequent operations are performed on Windows 10 64-bit.

Method 1: Check and fix your file system using the command line

Step 1. Connect the broken USB drive to your computer, then run “cmd.exe” using the following methods:

Step 2. How to perform a restore :

Method 2: Recover using Disk Control Panel

Step 1. Preparation . Open Windows Explorer and locate the USB drive, if it is not there then open Disk Management.

Step 2. How to perform a restore :

How to fix a flash drive that the system can't read

After you have tried all the above data recovery methods or troubleshooting methods on your USB drive, it may still fail. The flash drive can also be physically damaged. We provide you with recommendations for troubleshooting these types of problems. As a result, you will save on expensive repair services.

Step 1. Prepare the tools necessary to repair a broken connector:

Step 2. Open the case of the broken device using a flathead screwdriver.

Step 3. Use a magnifying glass to examine the PCB and solder pads.

Important! If during the inspection you find that the circuit board is damaged or the solder pads have been removed, then seek professional help. Otherwise, continue.

Step 4. Cut the thick end of the cable where it connects to the device.

Step 5. Take a cutter and strip approximately 0.6 cm (0.25 in) of all four wires.

Step 6. Carefully solder them onto the four pads.

Step 7 Connect the other end of the USB cable to your computer and check the situation.

If this difficult method worked, then congratulations! In any case, it is better to seek help from specialists.

Read useful information with practical tips in the new article -

Video - How to recover a flash drive

By downloading free programs for repairing flash drives, you can restore the USB drive and regain the ability to use it for writing and reading. In this case, you will have to sacrifice data, which may not be recovered later. But the alternative to using these applications is a non-working flash drive and a lack of information.

Diagnosis of the problem

The main signs that a flash drive requires repair are:

• Issuing messages about USB media copy protection or about an unidentified device;
• The drive cannot be detected by any computer;
• Lack of disk list;
• Inability to read (and, of course, write) information;
• Negative results when attempting to restore or format.

Sometimes the problem may be a USB connector or a lack of drivers on a particular computer. But when problems occur on every device, most likely the problem is with the drive. And you can try to restore it.

Utilities for flash drives

You can try to restore the functionality of the USB drive using system utilities. But when the problem is serious, the best option is to restore it through a program specifically designed for repairs. Some manufacturers produce their own applications that are best suited for repairing these particular brands. Although with their help you can restore a USB drive of any brand.

Advice: Special programs are designed for repair, not restoration. It is not recommended to extract information using them.

JetFlash Online Recovery

To restore non-functioning Transcend drives, the manufacturing company has created a special utility that can be found and downloaded for free on its official website. It's called JetFlash Online Recovery and is very growing in use. There are only 2 commands here:

• Fix the flash drive by erasing all data;
• Recover while saving data.

You should use the second method first. And, if he doesn’t help, be the first.

Silicon Power

There is also a recovery program on the Silicon Power website in the support section, which you can get for free. It allows you to recover, first of all, flash drives of this brand and is called SP Recovery Tool Utility.

Adata

The manufacturer Adata also has a freely available program for restoring USB media on its official website. If, using USB Flash Drive Online Recovery, it was not possible to read the information, the flash drive can be repaired, having lost the data.

Kingston flash drive repair

The owner of a Kingston drive will probably like the opportunity to get back an entire flash drive after running the MediaRECOVER 4.0 Digital Image Recovery program. In some cases, the application manages to save part of the data, even if the USB drive has been formatted. Unlike most such programs, recovery can be performed not only on video, audio and photo files, but also on Word documents, e-books and spreadsheets.

Universal programs

In addition to specialized software that mainly repairs drives of its own brand, there are several applications that can restore the working condition of most devices. One of them is the D-Soft Flash Doctor program, which provides the following benefits:

• Menu and documentation in Russian;
• Lack of localization for individual brands;
• Creating a flash disk image for further work not on the drive, but on its virtual copy.

The following programs, not so well known, but also free and quite effective, are:

• ChipEasy, which can not only easily restore a flash drive, but also recognize the manufacturer if its name is not written on the case or has been erased over time;
• Flash Drive Information Extractor is a utility that can provide the maximum amount of data about a flash drive along with its recovery;
• CheckUDisk – for all its ease of use, it is a very fast working and detailed information application.

How to find a program to repair a flash drive

It is possible that, even after trying all of the above methods, it was not possible to restore the functionality of your USB flash drive. In this case, you should do the following:

1. Download the Chip Genius utility;
2. Use it to find out the VID and PID, as well as the name of the chipset located inside the flash drive;
3. Go to the iFlash website and enter the 2 numbers received;
4. Find your drive model in the list.

Now all that remains is to find the corresponding program in the Chip Model column, paying attention to the match of controllers. You can find and download it for free on the Internet. The principle of operation for all of them is approximately the same - more emphasis on restoring performance, less on saving data.

Thematic video: