Recovering information from usb. How to recover deleted files from a flash drive? Natural memory wear and tear

Hello.

Today, every computer user has a flash drive, and more than one. Many people carry information on flash drives that costs much more than the flash drive itself, moreover, backups they don’t (naively believing that if the flash drive is not dropped, flooded or hit, then everything will be fine with it)…

I thought so too, until one fine day Windows OS was unable to detect the flash drive, showing file system RAW and offering to format it. I partially restored the data, and now I’m trying to duplicate important information...

What to do before restoration and what not to do?

1. If you find that there are no files on the flash drive - then don’t copy or delete anything from it at all! Just take it out USB port and don't work with her anymore. The good thing is that the flash drive is at least detected by Windows OS, that the OS sees the file system, etc. - which means the chances of recovering information are quite high.

2. If Windows OS shows that the file RAW system And prompts you to format the flash drive- do not agree, remove the flash drive from the USB port and do not work with it until you restore the files.

5. If the flash drive is not detected by computers and they do not see it at all, but you really need the information, contact service center, I don’t think we can manage here on our own...

6. And lastly... To recover data from a flash drive, we need one of special programs. I recommend choosing R-Studio (we’ll talk about it later in the article). By the way, not so long ago there was an article on the blog about programs for data recovery (there are also links to official sites for all programs):

Recovering data from a flash drive in the R-STUDIO program (step by step)

Before you start to work with the R-StUDIO program, I recommend closing everything third party programs that can work with a flash drive: antiviruses, various Trojan scanners, etc. It is also better to close programs that heavily load the processor, for example: video editors, games, torrents, etc.

1. Now insert the flash drive into the USB port and run R-STUDIO utility.

First you need to select the flash drive in the list of devices (see screenshot below, in my case it is the letter H). Then click on the “Scan” button

2. Should A window with flash drive scanning settings will appear. Several points are important here: firstly, we will scan completely, so it will start from 0, we do not change the size of the flash drive (my flash drive in the example is 3.73 GB).

By the way, the program supports quite a few file types: archives, images, tables, documents, multimedia, etc.

3. After this the scanning process will start. At this time, it is better not to interfere with the program, do not run any third party programs and utilities, do not connect to USB ports other devices.

Scanning, by the way, is very fast (compared to other utilities). For example, my 4 GB flash drive was completely scanned in about 4 minutes.

4. After completion scanning - select your flash drive in the list of devices (recognized files or additionally found files) - click on this item right click mouse and select " Show disk contents«.

For example, select a photo or picture, right-click on it and select “preview”. If the file is needed, you can restore it: to do this, right-click on the file, just select “restore" .

6. Last step very important! Here you need to specify where to save the file. In principle, you can choose any disk or other flash drive - the only important thing is that you cannot select and save the recovered file to the same flash drive from which the recovery is taking place!

The point is that the file being recovered can overwrite other files that have not yet been recovered, so you need to write it to another medium.

Actually, that's all. In the article, we looked at step by step how you can recover data from a flash drive using the wonderful R-STUDIO utility. I hope you won't have to use it often...

By the way, one of my friends said, in my opinion, the right thing: “as a rule, similar utility they use it once, there’s simply no second time - everyone makes backup copies of important data.”

All the best to everyone!

In the 21st century, most users believe that the best source for storing important data is a flash drive. This is primarily due to its convenience, speed of writing and reading information from the media. Also having a big impact was the 100% compatibility with all existing devices on the market. However, judging by numerous user reviews, problems often arise with portable media, which most users simply do not pay attention to until they are lost. important files. This article will help all owners of portable storage media to return lost files, as well as restore a flash drive without losing data in case of malfunctions.

To warn is to protect

An important rule that any user needs to know is that if files are lost, it is prohibited to write to a portable media. This action will help you recover data from a flash drive with 100% confidence. This is explained simply. In the process of deleting files or formatting the media, nothing is actually destroyed, but only a command is created in the chip that removes the first letters in the headers of all files located on the media. According to disk layout standards, such files are considered deleted. Many users who have used operating systems of the last century could observe a picture when, when opened, the “recycle bin” contained many files with the first character missing in the name. But writing over deleted files will destroy the contents of the media cell and write new data.

Access to data infected with a virus

A pressing problem for many users is when files are present on a flash drive, but there is no access to them due to virus activity or antivirus blocking. The first method is simple, but not always effective. You need to open the flash drive in Explorer and click the folder button, which is located in top menu conductor. This method will display content that you can copy to your computer. The main task listed actions is conservation important information to a computer, accordingly, it is not recommended to even try to open files on a flash drive. Professionals also recommend having alternative conductors on hand from third party developers"Far" or " Total Commander”, who don’t care about Windows’ reaction to viruses. In addition, users will be interested to know that the “Total Commander” application has built-in tools that allow not only recovering data from a flash drive, but also cleaning and testing the entire system.

And if we talk about programs

The problem that the user may encounter is the large selection software, which should recover data from a flash drive. For proper and effective recovery, you need an action plan, which includes compiling a list of tools for efficiency and ease of use. Why is this being done? It's very simple. There are free and paid ones on the market software products, which have different data recovery algorithms. Free products do not have any restrictions in their functionality and are available for free download from the official website of the developer. Paid applications very often limit search capabilities, for example, they find lost files, and demand for recovery registration code. Naturally, they go first free products, and then, if unsuccessful, paid. Fortunately, in the post-Soviet space people willingly share the keys to paid products.

Lost disk partitions

But what to do if a partition is lost, and a new flash drive asks to be formatted, how to recover the data? This happens very often after using the drive for car radio. Often the flash drive is removed from the connector during playback, when voltage is applied to the contacts. A small electric shock to the microcircuit destroys the markings and sometimes the flash drive. The fact is that the electronics of the device provide power to the media when connected. And the shutdown should be accompanied by the absence of writing and reading to the device partitions. It’s not for nothing that “ safe removal" It is this action that guarantees the safety of partitions when the flash drive is disconnected. Accordingly, it is necessary to remove the media from a switched off device.

Best among the best

The set includes the British company Piriform, which is known to every user thanks to CCleaner utility, There is free program Recuva. It can be used to recover data from a flash drive. The application is convenient because it contains two algorithms for searching for lost files. Surface scanning detects the markup, reads headers from the chip, and attempts to reconstruct the deleted data. Deep scanning “lifts” each cell and presents the user with everything it finds. In the latter case, let the user discover a lot excess garbage, but the chances for positive result much more. The program also includes manual mode work with searching for a remote file by mask. However, judging by numerous reviews, it is ineffective, and therefore spend free time not worth it.

The program is not for beginners

The PC Inspector program is designed to work with lost partitions when a flash drive asks to format new partitions. How to recover data without completely destroying it by formatting requires you to figure out a complicated utility from CONVAR. Trying to please the user in everything, the developers created a strange interface that vaguely resembles social survey, which, in their opinion, should have narrowed the search. If you don’t pay much attention to this and constantly tell the application that you’re ignorant, PC Inspector will eventually find everything you need. You need to be prepared for the fact that the program finds files that were deleted long ago, after several formattings. Besides basic version program, there is a multimedia version - PC Inspector Smart Recovery. This program for a flash drive is recommended by all sources of information and authoritative printed publications to all owners of digital cameras and players. This best app to restore photos, audio and video recordings.

Free professional

The R.saver application is designed for system administrators and is often included in collections of system recovery programs due to its freeness and high efficiency. This is a program that recovers data from a flash drive, hard drive, optical disk, other magnetic storage media. Main feature The application is compatible with any operating systems; accordingly, it is able to work with any formats. R.saver may be intended for professionals, but its interface and control panel will not create difficulties for any user. Everything is convenient and clear. Need a search by mask - please. There is a need for a deep analysis of the contents of the media - indicate where to save it.

Quick solution to the problem

What to do if you deleted data from a flash drive, how to restore it? A pressing problem for many users who panic after deleting the necessary files from the storage device. A simple solution is to open the Recycle Bin on your desktop and restore the data. But in cases where files are deleted past the recycle bin, the Pandora Recovery program will help. You shouldn't expect partition recovery capabilities from it. She doesn't know how to do this. Its task is to recover accidentally deleted files. And she copes with the task very quickly and efficiently. In addition to the flash drive, the application understands the Windows partition format, which makes it universal for the average user.

Solving Photographers' Problems

Judging by numerous reviews, quite often after removal from a digital camera, the flash drive does not open on the computer. How to recover data without loss is a pressing question among photographers. Two will come to the rescue free utilities, the purpose of which is to search for photographs.

MjM Free Photo Recovery. Even though the application has not been updated by the developer for many years, and its interface causes confusion among the user, the program has no analogues in terms of the quality of photo restoration. The program has one feature - it does not restore folders. Accordingly, the user will have to sort all recovered photos again.

AnyFound Photo Recovery. Another photo restoration project. Don’t let the user be confused by the last century interface; the program copes with the task perfectly. In addition to flash drives, the application understands Windows partitions and will help you find old photographs on your personal computer.

The best paid analogue

There are situations when the user intentionally formatted the flash drive. How to recover data in such cases, especially if the formatting was complete? Will help you recover data paid application R-Studio. In addition to flash drives, the program understands Mac formats OS, Linux and other operating systems, which makes it universal in terms of recovering all kinds of data. Its interface is focused on regular user, which will allow even a beginner to cope with recovery. This is the only application that produces relatively quickly deep scan on the media and provides the result.

Branded utilities of device manufacturers

Besides third party applications, there are utilities that manufacturers provide to recover data to their devices. The program for the flash drive is supplied complete on a disk or is immediately recorded on the sold media. If you conduct a review of such applications, the user will find many negative reviews on the operation of proprietary utilities. First of all, this concerns the program’s support for certain device chips. A in simple language- if the chip number matches the number in the utility database, the program will try to find the files with a 50% probability, otherwise it will display a message that the device is not supported. This attitude of the manufacturer towards customers was met negatively, therefore under recommendations proprietary utilities are not included in the review.

Conditional free

Is it possible to recover data from a flash drive that has been subjected to virus attack, deleted by antivirus and formatted by the user? Such an interesting set of circumstances is quite possible in the life of any user. Having tried free options and if you don’t find the files you need, you shouldn’t give up. We recommend using the GetDataBack application. Let it be paid and require as much as 70 to restore data conventional units. The main feature of this program is an amazing mechanism for scanning a flash drive, searching for data that was once recorded with the ability to put it together bit by bit. The usefulness of this program for the user is that it scans and displays what it finds completely free of charge - a kind of advertising ploy. If you want to restore your data, pay. It is thanks to this application that the user will understand whether it is worth continuing to restore data or whether he will have to accept irretrievable loss.

In conclusion

Any user should understand that it is not always possible to recover data from a flash drive. There are often cases when a microcircuit, under a powerful electronic pulse, randomly erases cells so that no program can help restore them. And the control circuit itself is very easy to destroy, otherwise portable storage media would be eternal. That's why main task any user is safe use portable media and compliance with safety precautions. And first of all, you should remove the flash drive from a working device only in cases where turning off the equipment is impossible. After all, turn off the camera, mobile phone, player or radio will not be difficult?

Introduction

Have you ever accidentally deleted documents from flash drives? Have you ever lost photos from your camera's memory cards? If not, you are a happy person!

Important! If you deleted a file and want to restore it, do not write anything else to the flash drive until the recovery procedure. Folders cannot be created either. You can't delete anything either.

The more operations performed on the flash drive, the lower the chance of successful file recovery.

The fact is that when you delete a file, it is not actually deleted (such a pun), only its entry from the file table disappears. In the future, other information may be written to the location of the file, as a result of which the contents of the file will be irretrievably lost. This is how the storage of information is organized both on the hard drive and on flash drives - nothing is immediately deleted. Therefore, the fewer operations performed on a flash drive, the higher the chance of returning what seemed to be irretrievably lost.

For fans of video instructions

At your request, I made a video on how to use the Recuva deleted file recovery program. After watching, please leave a comment whether you liked it and whether you should continue creating video versions of your articles.

Check your flash drive for viruses

Perhaps the files were not deleted - they were hidden by a virus. That is, there was no deletion and you just need to make the files on the flash drive visible.

There are many programs to recover hidden files from flash drives. I prefer USB Folder Fix.

Download it from the link above, run it as an administrator (right-click on the program icon - “Run as administrator”), select the drive in the program (button "Browse"). Files from the flash drive will appear in the list, which may include your “lost” ones. If this is the case (on the right in the file properties column there will be the words “Hidden” and/or “System”), click “Yes! Unhide the folders!” And hidden files will appear. The program can be closed, the files are “recovered”.

How to recover deleted files: Recuva

Whether you deleted it by accident or an evil virus cleaned the flash drive, there is a way out in the form of the program Recuva. She will help you recover deleted files from a flash drive (from other drives too).

In fact, there are a lot of such programs and each has advantages, but I settled on Recuva as the simplest and most universal, suitable for recovering all types of files from flash drives - documents, photos, music, videos and more. The good news is that it's free for home use.

You can recover data from USB flash drives, memory cards, hard drives, even old floppy disks.

After a simple and straightforward installation of the program, you need to complete several steps.

The modern Recuva is slightly different in appearance. For aesthetes, updated instructions for restoring files from using Recuva located here: The instructions below are still relevant, just new version Some inscriptions have changed.

Let's run the program:

We choose what we want to restore. It's best to choose " Other» to recover all types of files:

Select "Other" to find all files

Then click " Review" and select the flash drive.

« In-Depth Analysis» allows you to detect more deleted files, even completely overwritten ones. Unfortunately, overwritten files cannot be recovered, but overall this option improves the result:

If you enable "Deep Analysis", more deleted files will be found

We are patient and wait while the program scans the flash drive for deleted files:

Then we will see the result. Not all of these files can be recovered - look at the color of the circle to the left of the file name (this is the state of the file).

If the circle is green - likely, the file is not damaged, then it will be restored completely and open without errors.

Yellow circle - only part of the file will be restored. If you need to recover a deleted coursework or diploma, then this result may be acceptable - pieces of text are better than nothing.

The circle is red - such a file once existed, there are “mentions” about it, but it will not be possible to restore it (instead of the contents there will be a mess of data that is not related to the desired file).

To select all files, just check the box indicated by the red arrow.

You can sort the results by “Status” or other parameters, mark necessary files check marks manually.

Click " Restore" and specify the folder in which we want to restore deleted files. The folder where we want to save the recovered files should be on any drive, but just not on a flash drive, the files from which we are recovering.

Depending on whether the files were recovered completely (without damage) or only part of them, the report will be different:

About partially recovered files

Programs for repairing damaged files Tips there.

Fully the recovered files will open correctly. Partially recovered files - from case to case, depending on the type of file. For example, there is a chance to extract several files from damaged archives.

Partially restored documents(for example, created Word program) most often contain part of the text, which is quite logical. If a document is badly damaged, then there is a chance to get at least something out of it using special programs. Which ones exactly - see the descriptions in the list. Some programs from that list are designed to “repair” damaged files, some are analogues of Recuva.

When recovering deleted photos (Jpeg format) you may encounter a problem: corrupted (partially recovered files, indicated by a yellow circle in Recuva) image files of the viewer refuse to open. In this case, try opening them in standard Paint and save through it again (preferably in new file via "Save As"). Often this helps to restore at least part of the photo, because Paint can “digest” partially damaged files images.

Damaged video recordings it will be possible to view it, but with strong artifacts (digital noise). I recommend using the VLC player, it is unpretentious to the contents of files.

Questions and answers about file recovery

Question: I want to recover X from device Y. Will Recuva help?

Answer: Until you try, you won't know. Please do not write this question in the comments. Only you can find the answer to this question.

Question: Nothing appeared on the flash drive after recovery. The program didn't work?

Answer: You did not read the instructions carefully. All files detected by the program are restored to the folder you specify on the computer, not onto potentially damaged media.

Question: The program did not recover anything or did not recover all important information. What to do?

Answer: If Recuva does not display a single file found after scanning, either you selected the wrong drive for scanning, or the storage media was damaged full formatting, in this case, there is still a chance to return files from oblivion, but you will have to contact specialized companies.

Question: The flash drive is asking for formatting or you need to restore data after formatting. What to do?

Answer: Do not format it under any circumstances! First, use other programs like the free one (instructions for it are below) or. These tools can work with disks where the file system is damaged.

Question: The flash drive has become zero size. What to do?

Answer: If this is not a hardware failure, you can pull out the data using , and then the file table.

Question: Is it possible to recover files from a flash drive that were deleted 2 (3, 4, 5 - any number to your taste) years ago?

Answer: Time doesn't matter. What is important is the fact that the files are overwritten with new data. Until you try to restore it, you won’t know.

Question: A file was deleted to the Recycle Bin and then it was emptied, is it possible to undo the Recycle Bin emptying?

Answer: Yes, it's possible. Recuva program, which I described above, can be restored after emptying the Recycle Bin. But there are nuances regarding all programs for recovering deleted data:

1. If the data deleted from the Recycle Bin is truly valuable, you should immediately turn off the computer and take its hard drive to a specialized company that specializes in data recovery. The longer the operating system runs, the less chance there is of recovering a valuable file.

2.On the hard drive (especially the one where Windows is installed), files are constantly overwritten, so Very there is a good chance that your file will be erased in the near future forever. Therefore, we must act quickly. Ideally, you should turn off the PC and take it to a specialized company. But, if you don’t really need the file, you can try to restore it yourself. If you download Recuva from the Internet, save it to a flash drive - this way there is less chance that the downloaded file will end up exactly on the disk where the file deleted from the Recycle Bin is physically located.

3. If you have a second operating system on a different drive from where the file was deleted, boot into it and restore the file from there.

Question: Is it possible to recover recordings from the hard drive of a camcorder, phone memory or other devices using Recuva?

Answer: If the device’s memory appears as a hard drive or flash drive when connected, there is a chance to recover the data. Try it - it might work. To resurrect data from memory cards phone or camera (not internal memory), connect the card via a card reader. The fact is that when cameras and phones are connected to a computer by wire, a flash drive is often identified not as a flash drive, but as an MTP media device that no recovery program will see. The card reader will allow the card to work like a regular USB flash drive and file recovery programs will see it.

Question: Is it possible to return using Recuva? deleted contacts, SMS from your phone?

Answer: No. For an explanation of why this is not possible, see the separate article.

Question: Only photos (music, documents - i.e. files of the same type) were recovered from the flash drive. How to restore everything else?

Answer: Make sure you select "Other" in the File Type window. Also read the answer to the second question

Question: The program recovered the files, but (some) cannot be opened. Is there any way to open them?

Answer: This means that the files were too damaged. As I said in the previous chapter, there are programs for restoring (or rather, “fixing”) damaged files, but the chance of successfully repairing a damaged file is low. So nothing can be done at home.

Question: The program restored the document, it turned out to be empty or with gobbledygook inside. What to do?

Answer: Most likely, the file was too damaged. But there is a chance that your document was recovered under a different name. In the “File Type” window, select “Other”, then check the “In-Depth Analysis” box and restore all the files that were found, then open all the documents in a row and see their contents. One more point: if there is no text in the document, but the file is not zero size, see the previous chapter “About partially recovered files” - perhaps the text is still in the document file and it can be restored with programs specially designed for this.

Question: The program saw only photos, other types of files do not see. What to do?

Answer: In the Recuva Wizard you need to select the “Other” item instead of “Pictures”.

Question: Where can I find these “specialized data recovery firms” you are talking about?

Answer: Search with using Google or Yandex - maybe there is one in your city. Ask about the service at service centers where computer equipment is repaired.

Question: Does Recuva recover videos/photos/music/anything else normally?

Answer: Success in recovering files erased from a flash drive does not depend on the file type. However there is specialized programs, which can “repair” partially recovered files of a certain type so that at least part of the data can be “pulled out.” For example, you will be able to see at least a piece of a photograph or part of a video frame. I won’t give examples of specialized software, because almost all such programs are paid and I can’t test them. For example, they may turn out to be Unfortunately, free Recuva does not know how to do this - it restores the data that remains on the storage medium, without trying to “repair” the contents of damaged files.

Question: I want to open a flash drive, but some error appears. What to do?

Answer: Reasons similar problems many. Use Google or Yandex to find a solution.

Question: When saving recovered data, the error is “The path is too long.”

Answer: Save all data to a folder at the root of the disk. For example, create a “Recovered” folder on the C: drive and save the recovered files there.

Question: Recuva found months-old photos, but not recently deleted ones. What to do?

Answer: Most likely, after deleting, you wrote down some kind of file that “overshadowed” the recently deleted files, erasing them forever. Try restoring with another program - PhotoRec, link below. If it doesn’t find it, it means there is no chance to recover such files.

When the flash drive asks for formatting (recovery using TestDisk)

Something worse than deleting files can happen to storage devices. The file table may become damaged, which is why instead of opening the flash drive, a window will appear asking you to format the disk:

This means that the operating system cannot understand what kind of file system is used on the flash drive. Formatting a disk is a radical solution. A new file table is created, where there will be no records of old data. Simply put, The flash drive will become clean. Naturally, you don’t need this, because the flash drive contains important files!

If suddenly you have formatted the flash drive and it is visible as empty disk, you can scan it using the program above, maybe you’ll find something. But if you haven’t done anything with the flash drive yet, there is a chance to open a damaged file table and copy files to hard drive by using TestDisk programs. I will also tell you in passing, how to restore available flash drive capacity, if it has decreased due to file system errors.

1. Download TestDisk (replacement link for version 7.1) and unpack it to any folder.

2. In the folder with TestDisk, create a folder where the files from the damaged flash drive will be copied. The name doesn't matter, 11111 will do.

3. Run the program from the unpacked folder testdisk_win.

4. At the first stage, the program will ask the question - should I record my actions in a log file?

The mouse does not work in the program, operate the keyboard in the English layout. Use the down arrow ↓ button to select No Log and press Enter.

5. TestDisk will then ask you to choose which disk to work with. It is important not to make a mistake, otherwise you will waste your time.

Typically, flash drives are defined as “Generic Mass-Storage”. Portable hard drives - “Generic External”. The disk size is also visible in the list. Therefore, unless you have 100,500 flash drives connected at the same time, you can't go wrong. Use keyboard arrows ↓ to select required disk, then press Enter.

6. The program will ask for the type of stored file tables, in 99% of cases this is the first item - Intel, so just press Enter.

7. Then there are several operations to choose from - Analyze (searching for remote file systems, helps after formatting), Advanced (working with existing file tables) and others. To start you need Advanced, because perhaps the file table is still there, although it is damaged.

8. Using the keyboard up and down arrows you will need to select a disk partition. Usually there is only one, but there are exceptions. For example, hard drives computers contain a lot of partitions - drive C:, D:, boot, backup, and so on.

When you select using the up and down arrows, the action bar at the bottom of the window changes depending on the file system of the partition. Do you need an item Undelete. Selected using left-right arrows ←→. After selecting the section and action, press Enter.

9. A list of files and folders in the section will open. You can navigate the disk using the arrows and pressing Enter. Items "." and “..” at the top of the list of each folder - return back.

Action Buttons:

a- select all files.
: - select only the selected file/folder (over which the cursor is hovered).
q- go back to partition selection or cancel the recovery action.
h- switch the viewing mode - whether to show found deleted files (they are red in the list) or only existing ones.
Shift+c- copy selected files to your hard drive.
c- copy the selected file/folder.

When you are in the root folder (immediately after selecting the partition), click h to hide deleted files (most likely they are damaged and will not open), then a to select all files and folders of the flash drive, then Shift+C.

Immediately after pressing Shift+C, copying will not start. You need to select a folder where to copy the data. This is where the folder you created in step 2 inside the TestDisk folder comes in handy. Select it with the arrows and press C. The process will go:

Then you can simply close the program, all files from the flash drive will be in the selected folder.

10. If on 7 At the -th stage, after clicking the Advanced button, you do not have a list of partitions (you never know, you suddenly formatted the disk), restoring deleted files will be difficult. Then instead of Advanced you need a section Analyze, which will start searching for remote file tables.

There will most likely be no partitions in the next window; they have not yet been found:

Click Enter(in the panel below, the “Quick Search” action is selected by default, which is what we need), wait for the search to complete. If you're lucky, the file systems will be found and appear in the list:

There is important point. WITH using TestDisk You can restore the file table directly on the disk, then it will open normally through the “Computer” folder. This is what is advised to do in some instructions for data recovery via TestDisk. I, in turn, do not recommend doing this. You never know why the disk partition was lost? Suddenly, there are hardware problems with the flash drive and the data is written with distortion, then any attempt to write can completely destroy the existing files. That's why best way- select the section with arrows ↓, press P to view and act as in step 9 - select all folders and files, copy them to your computer’s hard drive.

How to format a flash drive (and return the full capacity)

When the data is copied to the computer’s hard drive and you are convinced that everything is in order with the files, you can format the flash drive and use it as usual.

Formatting method No. 1 (simple).

Open the “Computer” folder, right-click on the flash drive - Format - button Begin. Ready!

Formatting method No. 2 (more difficult).

The first method will not always work. The file system can be so damaged that the operating system does not understand what size to make the partition. It looks like this:

In the formatting window, in the “Capacity” item there will only be an item "Capacity unknown" or size smaller the actual capacity of the flash drive. When you try to start formatting, a window will appear "Windows cannot complete formatting."

What to do? Just recreate all file tables. Windows has a Disk Management tool for this. In Windows 10, it is launched by right-clicking on the Start menu button - Disk Management, in older operating systems it is located in Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Disk Management.

At the bottom of the window of this program, find your flash drive, right-click on the sections (rectangles with a blue stripe, there may be several of them) - Delete partition.

Then, when all the partitions are deleted, there will be only unallocated space left on the flash drive, displayed as a rectangle with a black stripe at the top. Call up its menu with the right button - Create a simple volume.

File system, if it is a flash drive for a phone or you do not need to store files larger than 4 gigabytes on it, you need to select FAT32. However, for flash drives in this window the choice of other file systems is not available.

If your goal is transfer large files between computers, you need to format the flash drive into a file NTFS system or exFAT. This can be done later by right-clicking on the partition rectangle and selecting “Format”.

The cluster size can be left at default. The volume label is the name of the flash drive, which is visible in the “Computer” folder. You don’t have to uncheck the “Quick Format” checkbox, then only the area where the file system is stored on the flash drive will be overwritten. During quick formatting, files physically remain on the flash drive, but will not be visible and will soon be overwritten with new data.

12. If you can’t format even using method No. 2, This means that the flash drive ordered it to live. This often happens with MicroSD cards for phones, memory cells run out of read/write resource and writing to them is blocked.

Other programs for recovering deleted files from flash drives

In most cases, such a drive appears unformatted when connected to the system. It is correctly detected, connected and displayed in the list of devices.

Data recovery is carried out using special software, manually or automatic mode. First, the entire flash drive is scanned. As a result of scanning, based on the detected official information, a map of the data location is compiled. It contains information about which sector belongs to which file or directory, sizes, names and other attributes of the elements of the scanned file system. Then the data recovery itself is performed, which consists in the fact that the selected information in accordance with the card is transferred to another medium.

Flash recording is not performed while work is in progress.

If you are interested software recovery data from flash without the help of specialists, we recommend paying attention to the following materials:

Flash recovery in case of hardware failures

Hardware failures usually occur due to a malfunction of the electronics that exchange information between the memory chip and the USB bus. In this case, the drive is detected incorrectly or not detected at all. The malfunction may be physical malfunction controller chip, or in logical damage to the control firmware code.

To recover data from flash, the memory chip is desoldered (this is only possible for usb flash drive) and connects to the programmer, which reads its contents. Next is carried out software processing read data to obtain an image of the file system, and, if necessary, further reconstruction of the file system using software.

Software processing of the read memory image, usually called “assembly,” is required for the reason that the flash drive controller does not store data in memory in the form in which we see it from the computer. For example, the wear leveling algorithm constantly moves the contents of memory sectors, which are often written to, to different physical addresses, “shuffles” the contents of memory. The correspondence between logical and physical addresses is provided by a translation mechanism, which does not work if we have unsoldered the memory chip and read data from it directly. Therefore, the data is read in “raw” form and requires further processing. Often, each flash drive model requires the development of its own assembly algorithms, so this part of the work is considered the most difficult.

It is also possible to restore flash by resoldering the memory chip to a similar drive that is in good condition.

Flash recovery in case of physical damage

As a rule, it is performed only for usb flash drive. They dropped it, hit it, and the flash drive got under the roller. Sometimes it is possible to repair. Repair is impossible when the internal tracks of the electronics board are torn as a result of bending. In this case, if the memory chip is intact, data recovery occurs in the same way flash recovery in case of hardware failures. If the memory chip is damaged, recovery is impossible.

Exists large number reasons why we can lose data stored on a flash drive. This accidental deletion or formatting, incorrect removal of the device from the USB port, etc. But if this happened, we are unlikely to be interested in why this happened. The first thing that comes to mind is how to recover files on a flash drive. Fortunately, today there are several current solutions, and completely free and simple, so it doesn’t matter whether you’re a professional or a beginner. Let's talk about everything in detail.

What should I do?

If you accidentally deleted important documents or files, don't panic. Firstly, this will not make it better, and secondly, you will waste precious time. In addition, it would be a bad idea to format the device, since in this case the process of restoring the lost one will be much longer and more difficult. Follow a few basic steps. To get started, simply restart your computer and remove the flash drive from the port using “safe removal.” After inserting it, perhaps the problem will disappear. You can also try checking the file system of the media for the presence system errors. To do this, go to the properties of the flash drive and find the “service” section. Then click on “run check”. Before starting the procedure, it is advisable to check all the boxes. The correction will be carried out automatically. There is a small chance that this will help. However, in practice this helps in about 10% of cases. Let's see how to recover files on a flash drive using additional software.

Starus File Recovery

Today this is one of the most best utilities. This is due to the fact that file recovery is carried out in just a few mouse clicks. It is noteworthy that the program supports almost everything modern versions"Windows" and can work with the following file systems: FAT 16, FAT 32, NTFS 4 and 5. Many users are faced with the need to recover compressed and encrypted files. In this case, most programs are powerless, but this is not the case with SFR. If recovery is possible, it will be completed fairly quickly. If the disk is damaged or formatted, it will take a little longer. To do this, you need to use the “deep scanning” mode.

Fast, convenient and safe recovery

Since recovering files on a flash drive can sometimes be quite difficult, SFR provides a simple and intuitive interface with easy navigation. All this, along with powerful recovery bases, makes the utility indispensable not only among beginners, but also among professionals. Since automatic step by step wizard to recover lost data, then you essentially don’t need to do anything.

As for the moment safe recovery, then this is more likely to be needed by professional users. This implies the ability to create a complete copy of the disk. IN further work will be carried out on the image, and not real disk. This will eliminate the need to access damaged media, which significantly increases your chances of success. How to recover files on a flash drive and do it quickly and safely, you ask? Use SFR and enjoy the results.

A little about the utility's capabilities

As noted a little above, the functionality of the program is quite wide, and the recovery bases are very powerful. Thus, among the main advantages of this software is the ability to return documents or files that were deleted from the trash or Shift keys+ Delete. The Fat and NTFS systems work in most cases without failures, but sudden shutdown power supply, emergency removal of the device from the port can lead to the deletion of the logical volume. In this case, SFR will help you recover erased files from a flash drive. In addition, the utility works with digital images and multimedia, as well Microsoft package Office. From all of the above, we can make a simple conclusion that such software is very effective in all emergency situations and it can help out a lot.

How to recover data from a flash drive using PDR

"Power date recovery" is a free program that will help you get out of difficult situation. The utility only works if you have access to the media. If you insert a flash drive into a port, and you are asked to format it, then this situation is just for you. In this case, you will need to install a program called "R-studio". After the system recognizes removable media, you need to scan using PDR. Before doing this, be sure to choose the “Fat” system. By the way, many experts strongly recommend checking the integrity of the disk, and not just its logical partitions.

Once the scan is complete, several new sections will appear on the left side of the screen under our media. We need a section highlighted in yellow. The directory called “Root” contains all the data that can be recovered. We mark all files with a tick and dump them to new medium. Since it is not difficult to recover data from a flash drive using PDR, you will definitely cope with everything. Despite the fact that the utility's interface is in English, it is very easy to use.

How to recover hidden files on a flash drive?

And this is a separate topic for conversation, since in in this case everything is a little different. However, there is no fundamental difference, so you shouldn’t have any problems either. First, you need to understand that there are several types of viruses that can hide files and folders. There are several ways you can go here. Remove the virus, but in this case there is no guarantee that the affected documents will be saved. The second approach is to use free versions USB programs Hidden Recovery.

It is very easy to use this software. If you cannot restore it manually, and this is most often the case, then you need a program. This is due to the fact that the virus makes its changes to the file system of the removable media, as if blocking information. Thus, USB Hidden Recovery performs a full scan of the flash drive, finds all hidden files and displays them in separate window. After that you can restore them. After completing the procedure, do not forget to run a full system scan to remove malware. Agree, it’s clear how to recover data from a flash drive, because all you need to do is click the mouse several times.

Accidentally formatted? Use Unformat

As noted at the very beginning of the article, not all programs can help in case of complete cleaning carrier. Formatting may be completely accidental, but that's not the end of it. It happens that a large amount of important information with a certain structure was stored. It could be work reports or something like that. Eat free software, which can partially restore files and folders, but we need a holistic picture. In this case, not just any software will do. To efficiently recover files from a flash drive, you will need the Unformat program, which is one of the best free solutions.

Because this software supports almost all Windows operating systems and modern formats (Fat, NTFS), then this solution can be called optimal. It’s impossible not to name a few more undeniable advantages: 100% recovery, saving folder structure, saving file and document names, etc.

Note to the user

We have already talked to you about how to recover information on a flash drive. You probably noticed that this is not very difficult, however, there are several important details. One of them is that if you accidentally deleted or formatted something, then you do not need to write new files to this media, otherwise you are 90% likely to lose everything that was previously deleted. In addition, you cannot disconnect the device from the port during recovery. This can lead not only to data loss, but also to damage to the media, remember this. Sometimes it makes sense to perform recovery using several programs at once. For example, one of them works effectively with deleted data after formatting, and the second is able to save the names of files and documents.

Conclusion

If you watch where you insert a flash drive or any other removable media, then you should not have any problems. You can install a “USB security disk” on your PC, which will check the flash drive after you insert it into the port. This will prevent not only crashes or file deletions, but also infection operating system. However, sometimes nothing depends on us and we may need to restore damaged files on a flash drive. We have already figured out how to do this, so you don’t have to worry about it. But remember that the more time passes, the less chance you have of returning important documents, especially if you have used the media afterwards. In any case, in order to recover files from a flash drive, almost any program that is aimed at solving these problems will do.