When the USB stick was created, it made our lives a lot easier, didn’t it? Anyone who lived through the era of floppy disks knows how limited they were! With USB sticks getting smaller and with more capacity, it has become much simpler and safer to store and transport files. Unfortunately, however, it is still common to have a corrupted USB stick. These storage devices, although much more powerful than floppy disks, are fragile and vulnerable to falls, electronic problems or virus attacks. And what happens to the data stored on it? You could lose everything… Well, we know you don’t want to lose any files, do you? That’s why we’re going to talk in this article about what to do with a corrupted USB stick and how to recover the files. Follow along to find out everything!
How to check if a USB stick is corrupted?
A corrupted USB stick often has some common symptoms. See if this has ever happened to you:
- You insert the USB stick into the USB port, but the computer or laptop doesn’t recognize the device;
- You try to access a folder or a file on the USB stick, but the computer gets a busy status and can’t open it;
- Open a file from the USB stick to edit, but the program crashes while it’s open.
If these situations have already happened to you, your USB stick is faulty… But what could have caused it? After all, why does a USB stick get corrupted? Well, there are several reasons why a USB stick can become corrupted.
First, think about the physical structure of the USB stick. The device is small and light. Although it has a protective casing, it is also fragile. So a fall on the floor or a strong impact can damage the parts and corrupt the files.
The USB flash drive can also suffer from electronic failures. The device uses flash memory technology, which exchanges data via an electronic board – unlike the old floppy disks, which used magnetic memory.
So, in some situations, the electronic circuitry can burn out. One of the most common is the abrupt removal of the USB port. Operating systems recommend ejecting the device from the system before removing it from the port, because failure to do so can corrupt the USB stick.
In addition, when the USB stick is exposed to water, humidity or heat, the electronic components can also be damaged.
USB sticks can withstand low and high temperatures, but when they heat up above the limit, the components can burn out. This can happen when exposed to the sun, but it can also happen with excessive demands, such as transferring very heavy files or editing images directly from the USB stick.
Another common problem is malware infection. As USB sticks make it easy to transport files, it’s common to plug them in at various locations – at school, at work, at the internet café, etc. However, this makes the device more vulnerable to viruses.
That’s why it’s important to keep your computer’s antivirus always active and only connect the USB stick to reliable equipment.
How do I recover a corrupted USB stick?
So, if you have a corrupted USB stick, what should you do? You can try some solutions to recover the device and access to the files stored on it.
We’ll give you some tips, but be careful when carrying out any procedure. It’s best to get expert help, so you don’t run the risk of making recovery completely impossible.
Here are some options for recovering a corrupted USB stick:
With Error Checking
The Windows Error Checker tool can identify and fix faults on the USB stick that are preventing access to files. To access it, connect the USB stick to the computer and follow the steps:
- Open Windows File Explorer and click on This Computer;
- In Devices and Drives, identify the USB drive to which the USB flash drive is connected;
- Right-click and open Properties;
- Click on the Tools tab > Error Checking;
- Click on Check > Check and repair the drive.
That’s it: Windows will now scan the drive and, if it finds any corrupted areas, it will fix them.
However, this process doesn’t always work, okay? So you can try other options for recovering the corrupted USB stick.
With Administrative Tools
In Windows, you can also try to fix USB flash drive problems with the administrative tools. Here’s how to do it:
- Right-click on the Start Menu and go to Computer Manager;
- Click on Disk Manager and find the USB Flash Drive;
- Right-click and click on “Change drive letter and path”;
- In the new window, click Add and assign a new drive letter.
With these steps, Windows can recognize your USB stick again. However, this procedure does not solve burnt-out board problems, which require physical intervention on the device.
With ChkDsk
ChkDsk is a Windows tool for diagnosing and fixing bad sectors. It’s like Error Check, but capable of making more in-depth corrections. To use it, do the following:
- Open the Windows Command Prompt (type “cmd” in the search bar or press “Win + R” and type “cmd”);
- On the black screen, type “chkdsk /r/f USBDriveLetter:” and hit Enter. Use without the quotes and replace with the letter of the USB drive you are using (for example: chkdsk /r /f d:).
This command will check and correct the drive’s file system. If Windows displays the message that it has made the corrections, it means that the USB stick has been recovered.
But be careful when running these commands, okay? A wrong procedure can lead to unrecoverable problems.
Reinstall the drivers
Another option is to reinstall the drivers that run your USB stick. They may be corrupted, so they can’t detect the storage device. Follow these steps:
- Right-click on the Start Menu and go to Device Manager;
- Under Disk drives, right-click on the USB drive of your USB stick;
- Click Uninstall and OK.
- Disconnect the USB stick and restart the computer.
Then you can plug the USB stick back into the USB port and the computer will probably recognize it.
Format
Often, when a USB flash drive is corrupted, Windows displays a notification recommending that you format the drive. You can use this solution too, but be aware that formatting the USB stick means losing all the data on it.
To do this, simply right-click on the USB stick and select Format.
Formatting is intended to “clean” the device, including errors and storage problems, so that you can reuse it. But it also takes your files with it. So be aware of that, okay? Ideally, you should save the files elsewhere before formatting. But if you can’t access them, it’s difficult, isn’t it? We’ll show you how to recover lost files from a USB stick.
How do I recover corrupted files from a USB stick?
If you’ve tried the above procedures and still can’t find a solution, you need to look for other solutions to recover your files. If you choose formatting, it’s also important to save the files first.
To do this, you can use file recoverers, called data recovery software. Tools like EaseUS Data Recovery and Recoverit are good examples.
They can be used when Windows still recognizes the USB stick, but can’t access the files. These tools then try to recover the data and fix problems and bad sectors. After saving the files safely elsewhere, you can format the device.
Data recovery tools try to reassemble the device’s index to give you access to the files again. However, this process is quite complex, can take time and may not always recover everything. So be patient and careful.
To be on the safe side when recovering corrupted files, we recommend looking for a specialist company.
Data recovery is a complex job, dealing with important data that cannot be lost. In the case of USB sticks, it is often necessary to open the device and carry out some procedures directly on the electronic board.
But only qualified and trained professionals, in clean and controlled environments, can do this safely. And when data recovery is done professionally, the chances of success are close to 100%. So you can recover your files and USB stick, ready to be used again!
How Bot can help
Bot is a leader in data recovery in Portugal. With over 11 years’ experience in the market, we can help you recover files from your corrupted USB stick.
We have experienced and qualified professionals who have dealt with the most diverse data loss situations. We work in laboratories with complete sanitization, according to strict standards, and we use state-of-the-art equipment to carry out the procedures.
Therefore, you can count on a specialized company, with total security for your files and the best chances of recovery.
You can contact us at a Bot unit, located in various cities in Portugal, or request a free collection of your device for us to carry out an assessment.
Now, fill in this form and start recovering data from your USB stick!
