USB flash drive errors: what are they and how to fix them?

USB flash drive errors are very common. Flash drives are among the most widely used portable storage devices and get plugged into many different computers, which increases the risk of virus infections, data corruption and data loss.

Errors like this can have a logical or a physical cause, and repeated repair attempts can make things worse. If the files matter, see how flash drive data recovery works, starting with a free diagnosis.

Although many different problems can cause USB flash drive errors, most of them are not hard to fix. With a few simple steps, you can often correct the error and get your files back.

Want to know how to get your USB flash drive working again? Read on to discover the most common errors and how to fix each one!

What types of USB flash drive errors are there?

A USB flash drive can show several kinds of errors when you least expect them. That’s why it pays to watch out for the warning signs, so you can deal with them properly and avoid bigger problems.

The good news is that most of them are easy to fix, and you probably won’t lose your device because of a simple fault.

So if your USB stick has a problem and you don’t know what it is or how to fix it, check out the main types of USB flash drive errors and the best solutions below! If the files on it are important, recover or copy them before trying any repair.

Corrupted USB flash drive

You may be wondering how to tell whether your USB flash drive is corrupted. The answer is simpler than it sounds.

Windows won’t always display a message warning you of the corruption, but the drive does show some signs: computers don’t recognize it, files won’t open, or programs crash while you are using it.

There are two simple ways to try to fix the problem. The first is Windows’ error checking tool:

1. Plug the USB flash drive into the computer;
2. In File Explorer, right-click the drive;
3. Click “Properties” and open the “Tools” tab;
4. Click “Check” under “Error checking” and wait for Windows to scan the drive for problems.

The second is the Check Disk command:

1. With the USB flash drive plugged in, search for “Command Prompt” in the Windows search bar and run it as administrator;
2. Type chkdsk E: /f (replacing “E” with your USB flash drive’s letter) and press Enter;
3. Wait for the scan to finish: at the end, Windows will show the errors it found and fixed. Bear in mind that chkdsk may remove or alter damaged files, which is why it is best to recover your data first.

USB flash drive won’t format as NTFS

USB flash drives can use different file systems (such as NTFS, exFAT and FAT32), and many people have their own preference.

If you want to switch your drive to NTFS and Windows won’t let you, you can convert it from the Command Prompt (the convert command changes FAT32 to NTFS without formatting, but make a backup of your files first):

1. With the USB flash drive plugged in, search for “Command Prompt” in the Windows search bar and run it as administrator;
2. Type convert E: /fs:ntfs (replacing “E” with your USB flash drive’s letter) and press Enter;
3. Wait for the process to finish.

If the conversion doesn’t work and the drive holds important files, it is best to seek professional help to avoid irreversible damage.

USB flash drive: file system not recognized

One of the most common USB flash drive errors is the message “The volume does not contain a recognized file system”.

This message usually means that the drive’s file system is damaged (the drive has become RAW). Do not format it before recovering your data with a recovery program. If the drive works normally on another computer, the problem may be in Windows itself, and you can try repairing the system files:

1. Open the Command Prompt from the Windows search bar and run it as administrator;
2. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter;
3. When the process is complete, restart the computer.

If that doesn’t work, you can use two more commands in the Command Prompt:

• DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth (followed by sfc /scannow).
• DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /RestoreHealth /Source:C:\RepairSource\Windows /LimitAccess (followed by sfc /scannow).

USB flash drive not recognized

A USB flash drive that isn’t recognized by any device is a clear sign of trouble. There is no single cause: it could be errors on the drive, operating system problems, incorrect formatting, unsafe removal and more.

If the drive shows up in File Explorer, one way to find and fix errors is:

1. Plug the USB flash drive into the computer, right-click the drive and select “Properties” > “Tools”;
2. Click “Properties” and open the “Tools” tab;
3. Click “Check” under “Error checking” and wait for Windows to scan for errors.

What to do when your USB flash drive won’t open

If you have plugged your USB flash drive into your computer and it won’t open, format or display any error message, Windows may not have assigned it a drive letter.

To fix this, follow these steps:

1. Press Windows + X;
2. Click “Disk Management”;
3. Right-click your USB flash drive’s volume and click “Change Drive Letter and Paths”;
4. Finally, click “Change” (or “Add”, if it has no letter) and choose a new letter.

Conclusion

As we have seen, many different errors can stop your USB flash drive from working, so there is a long list of possible solutions you can try before you start to worry.

Keep in mind that some of these solutions can lead to file loss. Even then, the data can often be recovered by a specialized company with the right tools and techniques — and Bot Data Recovery is one of them!

So before you do anything that could permanently affect your files, get in touch with us and start recovering the data from your USB flash drive safely right now!