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Recover Deleted Files from USB Flash Drive (5 Ways)
With 5 proven methods, you can easily recover deleted files from USB flash drive with or without software in Windows 7, 8, 10, 11, etc.
By Ellie / Updated on September 6, 2023
Can I recover deleted files from a flash drive?
“I need some help here. I deleted some important files from a USB flash drive by accident. Now I really need them back. But I don’t know how to recover deleted files from a USB flash drive. I’ve checked my Recycle Bin but found nothing. Can anyone help me? Thanks in advance.”
In fact, there are two types of deletions. One is to move files into the Recycle Bin, and the other is to bypass the Recycle Bin directly. But nowadays, external storage device like USB flash remove the safety net and will delete files permanently.
The good news is your deleted files still remain on the flash drive. The space occupied by deleted files is marked as free and used to store new data. So there is a chance to recover deleted files from a flash drive if you don't overwrite them.
What might cause data loss on a flash drive?
USB flash drives are fragile and lead to data loss. As with any other storage device, there are many reasons behind this:
| 🚫Accidental deletion | It's one of the biggest data loss scenarios. You may simply click the "Delete" button or "Shift + Delete" keys, or accidentally delete files while cleaning disk, etc. |
| 📋Formatting | When you insert the flash drive, you may be asked to format it and inadvertently click the "Format" option, causing data loss. |
| 📃File system errors | File system errors can be caused by bad sectors, Windows updates, etc., indicating a problem with how data is stored or accessed. |
| 🦠Virus or malware infection | Viruses or malware may reside on your flash drive or the system in which it is inserted as a result of visiting suspicious websites, clicking unknown links, and so on. |
| 💀Software bugs or hardware damage | If your software has defects or there is physical damage (eg: shock) on a flash drive, your data may be lost during this process. |
| 🔗Other reasons | flash drive data loss may occur due to power loss, partitioning mistakes, driver issues, etc. as well. |
Factors that Make or Break USB Drive Data Recovery
There are many factors related to USB drive data recovery success rate. You should know about them and take certain precautions immediately.
1. Are you still using a flash drive with data loss?
When you lose any data on a flash drive, the occupied space will be marked as free for new data. If you continue using this flash drive, such as add new data to it, your deleted files will be overwritten and become unrecoverable. So please stop using it immediately after data loss.
2. How long was the data lost?
In general, recently deleted files are much easier to recover while files deleted 30 days or longer will be more difficult. In addition, small files are easier to recover than large files.
3. Is the "RestorePrevious Versions" feature enabled?
Sometimes, you may just want to restore previous version of files. Be sure the system restore point or File History is enabled. You can then use the "RestorePrevious Versions" feature.
4. Do you have data recovery software?
Data recovery software like MyRecover can be the easiest method to recover deleted files from USB flash drive. It will scan your device thoroughly and retrieve all the deleted files on it. Don't restore your data to the original location, otherwise, your data may be overwritten.
How to recover deleted files from a flash drive
As previously stated, files erased from a flash device can be recovered. But you need to bear in mind that these files are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered from Recycle Bin. Still, you can recover them in other ways. Continue reading to learn about the other 5 methods on how to recover deleted files from flash drive with or without software.
Option 1. Recover deleted files from flash drive with software
Data recovery software like MyRecover is the easiest method to recover deleted files from a flash drive or any other storage device. It will scan your disk thoroughly to retrieve and locate all the deleted files. You can then recover all or some of them in Windows 7, 8, 10, 11, etc.
MyRecover- Retrieve files in any scenario, such as accidental deletion, formatting, virus infection , etc.
- Recover 200+ file formats: recover deleted Word documents, PPT, Excel, 3FR, MP3, MP4, JPG, PNG,etc.
- AFilter and preview deleted files from flash drive before processing flash drive data recovery.
- Support all brands of flash drives, such as SanDisk, Samsung, Transcend, Kingston, Patriot, etc.
100% SecureStep 1. Launch data recovery software - MyRecover. Select the USB flash drive and click Start Scan.
Step 2. Then the scanning process will start automatically. You don’t need to wait for the process to complete if you find the files you want to recover. Expand Other Missing Files and select the deleted files on your flash drive.
Step 3. Confirm you select all the files you want to recover and click Recover xx files to recover deleted files from USB flash drive. You will be asked to choose a destination path to save the restored files. Please select a new location.
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Restoring files to their original location may cause data overwriting, making data recovery more difficult.
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MyRecover is capable of recover permanently deleted files from flash drive for free, up to 30MB. Once your data amount exceeds, please upgrade to the advanced edition.
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You can also recover deleted files from extermal hard drive, SD card, etc.
Option 2. Recover deleted files with Previous Versions
The second option here is to recover deleted files from flash drives with Previous Versions. As its name suggests, it keeps the previous version of your files and you can choose to restore them if you accidentally deleted files or lost them.
Please bear in mind that enabling File History or System Restore is required before using this function. Select Control Panel > System and Security> File History> Restore personal files. If the functionality is enabled, you will see the file copies here; otherwise, you will receive a message stating that No file history was found.
Step 1. Connect the USB flash drive to your computer.
Step 2. Open This PC and find your USB flash drive. Right-click and select Properties.
Step 3. Go to the Previous Versions tab and look at the list of available recovery options. Select a previous version and click Restore.
Option 3. Recover deleted files from flash drive using CMD
If you suspect the cause of deleted files is a file system error, try chkdsk command. It's able to check file system error and fix it. To retrieve any readable information, try the attrib command. You can then access your files on the flash drive again.
Step 1. Plug in your USB flash drive to your computer. Type cmd into the search box and select Run as administrator.
Step 2. Type chkdsk G: /f and press Enter to fix your flash drive when it is corrupted or cannot be summoned. Replace the letter G with the drive letter of your USB flash drive
Step 3. Input attrib -h -r -s /s /d G:*.* and press Enter to display or remove attribute files and unbidden hidden files. Replace the letter G with the drive letter of your USB flash drive
Option 4. Get back deleted files from a partition
If you accidentally delete a partition or something wrong may occur to the partition, causing file loss., try the partition recovery wizard in AOMEI Partition Recovery to recover them.
Step 1. Download, install, and run AOMEI Partition Assistant. Click on Partition Recovery Wizard on the left panel. Then, select the USB flash drive and click on Next.
Step 2. Select a search mode - Fast Search or Full Search. It is recommended that you select Fast Search the first time because it saves time. Then, click on Next.
Step 3. AOMEI Partition Assistant will show you the list of all the deleted/lost partitions from the USB drive. You can select the one you want to recover. And then, click on Proceed.
When the partition recovery process is completed, you will be informed by the Congratulations window. Click Finish.
Option 5. Contact a professional data recovery service
The above methods are able to fix logical reasons in most cases. But if it is more severe, or your flash drive has physical damage, you'd better contact a professional data recovery service. Because any operation on the flash drive with data loss may cause overwriting. Below are simple steps to seek help from service:
Step 1. Search data recovery services online and select one based on prices, recovery rate, or other factors. Geek Squad, CBL, Ontrack, SecureDataRecovery, etc. will be a great choice.
Step 2. Contact the selected service and claim your data loss scenarios. You can also confirm any concerned information, such as price.
Step 3. Send your flash drive to the service and wait until the recovery process is complete. It may take a few hours or days, depending on the damage severity, passed time, etc.
Step 4. After data recovery is finished, the service will send your drive back with a final bill. You can check if your data is recovered and then pay for it.
Bonus tip: Backup flash drive to avoid further data loss
Windows provides users with two backup software - Backup and Restore (Windows 7) and File History. But you may be frustrated when try to backup your flash drive. It only supports backing up data on the internal disk. So please turn to a third-party backup software, such as AOMEI Backupper to back up your entire USB flash drive in just a few simple steps. Let’s take a look.
Step 1. Download, install, and launch AOMEI Backupper for Windows on your computer. Connect the flash drive to your computer.
Step 2. Under the Backup tab, select the Disk Backup option.
Step 3. Edit the task name for distinguishing. Click Add Disk and you will see all the available drives. Select the flash drive in the Select Disk window.
Step 4. Select the destination path to store the backup images. Network path and cloud drive are supported.
Step 5. Click Start Backup to carry out disk backup and wait until the operation is complete. Click Finish to exit the interface.
Conclusion
This post mainly introduces five proven methods on how to recover deleted files from a flash drive. If you have accidentally deleted your important files or you have lost your files for any other reason, you can follow the steps in this post to get your files back. Besides, you’re also advised to backup your USB flash drive in case there are something unexpected happens.
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