If you have an old USB flash drive that is not working or that only responds occasionally, you may have a chance to get it back up and running again. Just read on to find out how.Pendrives, also known as flash drives, are very useful tools for carrying all the information we need from one place to another effortlessly , in a small space and with enough capacity to store large amounts of data.
In most cases, there are solutions to flash memory problems that allow you to recover the data you need.
To know how to recover data from a broken pendrive, just keep reading:
- Why can a USB flash drive get damaged?
- Recover data from a pen drive with hardware problems
- What to do when the problem is software
Why can a USB flash drive get damaged?
On many occasions, the main reason why there is a problem with a pendrive you have is that it was unsafely removed , something that happens more or less often with this type of device, causing a lot of pain.
This action may corrupt the data we have transferred , or at least part of it, while the drive’s file system itself may break and stop working.
Failures can also occur due to malware, some type of error when formatting a drive, excessive use, a failure of an internal component, the hardware itself being damaged, or even a power surge.
Recover data from a pen drive with hardware problems
When recovering data from a pen drive, you must first check whether the drive is capable of working on the computer , that is, whether the device is detected by the operating system when you place it in a USB port.
If your computer is unable to detect the drive, there is little you can do except perform some other checks in case the problem arises from very specific situations.
Check if the USB drive is properly connected to the computer port
If your computer does not detect a USB flash drive, the first thing to do, since it is the most affordable, is to check that it fits correctly into your computer’s port.
It may be the case that the USB port, for whatever reason, is damaged and there is slack , being unable to properly hold the pendrive.
This type of problem can also result in you being able to connect to your computer, but still experiencing random disconnections, slow transfer speeds, and randomly missing files .
You can try to fix the problem by gently moving the USB drive to make sure that you get it to fit properly without it moving around. You may even need to hold the flash drive in some way to keep it in the right position.
Make sure the pendrive is in good condition
It may be that the problem is not with the USB port, but with the flash drive itself. You should check that the pins on the USB drive and the external casing are intact. If these pins are worn out or the casing is bent, that may be the source of the problems you are experiencing.
It is also advisable to check if the unit has dust or debris inside , to remove it if it does.
Check USB ports
You should also check your computer’s USB port in the same way as the flash drive.
You should take a look to see if there is any dust or dirt inside the computer’s USB port, as well as see if any of the pins are bent or defective .
What to do when the problem is software
If we have checked the hardware and everything is correct, then it is time to recover data from a broken pendrive that has a software problem, which prevents it from working properly.
You will have different options to recover photos from a pendrive, for example, when everything is caused by the software.
Error analysis
You will be able to use the various error correction services for a unit of the different operating systems that currently dominate the computer market.
You have this type of possibility in Windows , MacOS , as well as Linux .
Windows
- Select the USB drive in Windows File Explorer , right-click on it and click Properties .
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- You will then see the Check button ( Tools tab ), which you must click to perform an error checking analysis.
Mac OS
- Go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility .
- You should now see a list of drives on the left side of the window. Find and select the USB drive from the list.
- Then click First Aid (top of the Disk Utility window).
- A dialog box will appear asking if you want to run First Aid on the selected drive.
- Click Run to find and repair any errors on your USB drive.
Linux
- Having the USB pendrive open the Terminal.
- Type lsblko sudo fdisk -l and press Enter. This will display a list of all the disks connected to your computer.
- You need to identify your USB drive by its size, name or partition. It should look something like “ /dev/sdb1” .
- Before starting the repair process, the disk must be unmounted. Type sudo umount /dev/sdb1 (replace “/dev/sdb1” with your disk identifier) and press Enter .
To check and repair the USB drive, type sudo fsck /dev/sdb1 (replace “/dev/sdb1” with your disk identifier) and press Enter .
Change drive letter
There are times when you can recover data from a pen drive with seemingly very simple changes. It may happen that by simply changing the drive letter, Windows ends up recognizing a drive that it couldn’t before.
To change the drive letter on a pendrive we must do the following:
- Press Windows + R keys and Run will open .
- Then you must type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter .
- Find the USB drive, right-click it, and then click Change Drive Letter and Path .
- Click the Change button.
- Select the drive letter you want and click OK .
USB Drivers
As with any computer hardware component, USB requires drivers. If these fail, they are sure to cause problems, as are outdated drivers.
To solve it you must follow these steps:
- Right-click the Start menu button on the taskbar, and then click Device Manager .
- Under Disk Drives , you need to right-click on your USB drive and then click Update Driver .
- Click Search automatically for drivers and Windows will automatically search for and install any relevant drivers.
Run the Windows Hardware Troubleshooter
The Windows Hardware Troubleshooter is a really useful part of Windows to help you solve problems.
To run the Windows troubleshooter do the following:
- Press Windows + R keys and open Run .
- Type cmd and press Enter .
- Now type msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic and hit Enter . You should let the troubleshooter run.
With everything you have just read, you have a good chance of getting your USB flash drive working again and thus not losing the data you had on it.
In general, recovering data from a pen drive is relatively easy, but complicated if none of the solutions you have read have worked for you.