USB flash drives are convenient for storing and transferring data, but they can become corrupted over time. Corrupted flash drives may not be recognized by your computer or fail to open files stored on them. Fortunately, there are several methods you can try to fix a corrupted flash drive and recover your data.
What causes a USB flash drive to become corrupted?
There are a few common causes of USB flash drive corruption:
- Improperly ejecting the drive – Failing to use the “Safely Remove Hardware” option can lead to file system corruption.
- Physical damage – Dropping or bending the drive can damage components and cause errors.
- Power outages – A power failure while writing data to the drive can corrupt data.
- Bad sectors – Over time, parts of the flash memory can fail, leading to bad sectors.
- Viruses or malware – Malicious software can intentionally corrupt data on a flash drive.
The underlying cause leads to the drive’s file system becoming damaged, resulting in the files stored on it becoming inaccessible or corrupted.
Can you run CHKDSK to fix drive errors?
Running the CHKDSK utility is one of the first things to try if your flash drive is corrupted. CHKDSK scans the drive and looks for file system errors that it can repair.
To run CHKDSK on a flash drive in Windows:
- Connect the corrupted USB drive to your computer.
- Open the File Explorer window.
- Right-click on the flash drive and select Properties.
- Go to the Tools tab.
- Under Error-Checking, click Check.
- This will run CHKDSK and automatically repair any file system errors found.
CHKDSK might be able to fix simple errors like bad sectors by marking them as bad and recovering readable data. However, it cannot fix physically damaged drives or recover corrupted data.
Can reformatting the flash drive fix corruption?
If CHKDSK is unable to repair the flash drive errors, reformatting the drive may fix its corruption issues. Reformatting (or repartitioning) completely erases the flash drive and recreates the file system.
To reformat a flash drive on Windows:
- Open the File Explorer window.
- Right-click on the flash drive and select Format.
- Choose the file system – FAT32 is best for compatibility.
- Check the Quick Format box.
- Click Start to begin reformatting the drive.
On Mac OS X:
- Open Disk Utility.
- Select the flash drive volume.
- Click Erase and choose a file system like MS-DOS (FAT).
- Click Erase to reformat the drive.
Reformatting gives you the best chance to fully fix drive corruption issues. However, the process erases all data stored on the drive.
Can third-party tools recover lost data from a corrupted drive?
If reformatting a corrupted flash drive results in lost files, third-party data recovery software may be able to get them back. Data recovery tools scan the raw sectors of the drive looking for intact files that can be recovered.
Some examples of data recovery software include:
- Recuva – Free damaged file recovery utility for Windows.
- EaseUS – Data recovery wizard with deep scan options.
- Stellar – Advanced paid recovery tool for photos, video, documents.
- Disk Drill – Mac drive recovery with free preview of found files.
To recover data using one of these tools:
- Download and install the data recovery software.
- Attach the corrupted flash drive to your computer.
- Scan the drive with the recovery tool.
- Preview found files before choosing what data to recover.
- Select a location to save the recovered data.
Data recovery tools can salvage data even from heavily corrupted or reformatted drives in many cases. But if the physical flash memory components are damaged, no software can recover the files.
Can you fix a physically damaged USB flash drive?
If your flash drive has physical damage, software fixes likely will not be able to repair it. Ways a drive can be physically damaged include:
- External case cracks, dents or scratches
- Bent or broken USB connector
- Internal component failure
- Water immersion causing corrosion
With physical damage, the best option is taking the drive to a data recovery service. Recovery experts may be able to repair the drive and extract data using specialized tools.
Some things a USB flash drive data recovery service can do include:
- Replace damaged external casing
- Resolder broken solder joints on circuit boards
- Replace failed memory controllers or NAND flash chips
- Bypass USB connectors and interface directly with chips
- Repair corrosion damage from liquid spills
This type of repair is expensive, costing hundreds of dollars. But for valuable or irrecoverable data, it can be worth it to get a damaged drive working again.
Can lost data be recovered after reusing a flash drive?
If you continued using a corrupted flash drive before attempting data recovery, the deleted files may be overwritten by new data. This makes recovery difficult or impossible.
When files are deleted or lost from a drive, their data is not immediately erased. The space they occupied is just marked as available to write new data. A recovery tool can retrieve deleted data if nothing has overwritten it yet.
But using a flash drive with corruption issues causes two problems:
- New files written to the drive will overwrite deleted file data.
- Additional usage spreads damage and increases corruption.
So if you need to recover lost files from a corrupted drive, stop using it immediately. The less you write to the drive, the better chance data recovery will have.
Can you recover data from a dead USB flash drive?
A “dead” flash drive with no signs of life likely has an electronic hardware failure or very severe corruption. But specialized data recovery services may still be able to salvage data.
Types of electronic failures that can lead to a dead drive include:
- Short-circuited USB controller chip
- Failed flash memory controller
- Leaking or ruptured rechargeable battery
- Detached solder connecting components
- Damage to read/write heads if a hybrid drive
In these cases, recovery requires physically repairing the drive with new parts to get it operational. The drive casing will also need to be opened to access components.
If successful, an experienced data recovery technician can often recover all data. But costs for a dead drive start around $1000.
Can USB problems stop a flash drive from working?
USB connection issues are a common reason a physically healthy flash drive may fail to work or appear dead. Problems that prevent proper USB communication include:
- Bent or dirty connectors
- Unsupported USB version
- Driver conflicts
- Insufficient power delivery
- USB port failure
You can troubleshoot USB problems by:
- Trying different USB ports and cables
- Checking for dirt/debris in the USB port
- Connecting the drive to another computer
- Updating motherboard USB drivers
- Testing the drive with a USB power meter
If you can fix any USB issues, the flash drive should work normally again without data loss. USB problems don’t directly damage the data stored on the drive.
Can SSD tools like HDDScan diagnose flash drive errors?
Tools designed for diagnosing and repairing solid-state drives (SSDs) like HDDScan also work with USB flash drives. Since flash drives use the same NAND flash memory technology as SSDs, these tools can check their health and spot any errors.
HDDScan and similar SSD tools work by:
- Reading the SMART health status data reported by the drive
- Scanning for bad sectors in the flash memory cells
- Checking for physical damage from write/erase cycles
Based on this diagnostics information, you may see indicators of drive failure before corruption occurs. The tools can also attempt repairs like blocking out growing bad sectors.
However, these tools have limited effectiveness on flash drives compared to SSDs. USB drives often lack SMART data needed for health checks. And their simple controllers have fewer error correction capabilities.
Can you fix a flash drive not detected by computers?
A common symptom of USB flash drive corruption is when it stops showing up in File Explorer or Finder when plugged in. This typically means the drive’s file system is damaged or USB communication is disrupted.
To attempt to fix an undetected flash drive:
- Try connecting it to different PCs and USB ports.
- Check for physical damage to the connector.
- Reboot your computer to reinitialize USB drivers.
- Try a different USB cable if available.
- Update USB and motherboard drivers.
If these steps fail, you likely need to try reformatting or data recovery methods to repair the drive contents and file system itself.
Can you fix the “write protected” error on USB drives?
A write-protected or read-only error indicates the flash drive is preventing files being written or changed. This is typically caused by:
- Toggling the physical write-protect switch on the drive casing.
- File system errors making the operating system lock the drive.
- Some process or program locking the drive.
To troubleshoot a write-protected flash drive error:
- Check for a write-protect switch and toggle it.
- Use Diskpart to clear read-only flags.
- Reformat the drive to overwrite previous file system issues.
- Change drive letter assignments that may conflict.
Resolving any file system problems that caused the error should restore full read/write access. But reformatting may be necessary in persistent cases.
Can USB power surges damage a flash drive?
High voltage power surges across USB cables can damage components and corrupt data stored on connected flash drives. This typically only occurs with very strong spikes from:
- Faulty USB chargers and cables
- Damaged USB ports
- Electrical storms frying components
Protecting against USB power surges involves:
- Using surge protector strips to limit spikes.
- Unplugging drives before electrical storms.
- Regularly inspecting USB ports and cables for damage.
- Paying attention for correlation between when surges happen and drive failure.
But the most surefire way to defend against surges is proper onboard regulation in the flash drive circuitry itself. Higher-end drives are less vulnerable.
Can you fix flash drive problems without losing data?
In some cases you may be able to fix a corrupted flash drive without reformatting or losing data. This depends on the type and extent of damage.
Methods that can non-destructively repair flash drives include:
- Using CHKDSK to mark bad sectors as unusable.
- Clearing junk data and freezing damaged areas with disk freezer software.
- Updating USB controller/flash memory firmware.
- File recovery tools to rescue data from problem areas.
The best results come from using multiple software utilities together to fix specific issues. But at a certain point, physical damage and file system corruption will require a full reformat.
Can you recover lost flash drive partitions?
If a flash drive’s partition table gets corrupted or deleted, you may see missing or inaccessible partitions. This effectively causes partition loss without damaging the data itself.
Partition recovery software like TestDisk can often restore missing partitions by:
- Scanning drive sectors for partition header signatures.
- Rebuilding partition tables to point to original data locations.
- recovering partitions still detected but marked as deleted.
As long as new data hasn’t overwritten the original partitions, their data will remain intact beneath the surface. Partition recovery software simply needs to restore the map telling the operating system where to find it.
Can USB flash drives get viruses or malware?
USB flash drives can absolutely get infected with viruses and malware just like computer hard drives. Their portable nature makes them especially prone to accidental infection.
Common ways flash drives get infected include:
- Autorun viruses that spread via the USB autorun feature
- Infected PCs writing malware onto connected drives
- Malware-laden files copied onto the flash drive
- Fake flash drives pre-loaded with malware
- Drive firmware modified to install malware
Protecting your flash drive involves:
- Disabling autorun
- Using antivirus scans
- Restricting file execution
- Only copying files from trusted sources
A malware infection can seriously corrupt data on the drive. But an antivirus cleaner tool may remove the malware and repair the damage.
Conclusion
USB flash drives are prone to both electronic errors and file system corruption that can lead to serious data problems. But in many cases it is possible to fix the issues and recover lost data with the right troubleshooting techniques and data recovery software.
The most important thing is to stop using a corrupted drive immediately and avoid writing any new files before attempting repairs. This gives you the best chance of recovering or restoring the original data intact.
With physical damage, specialist data recovery services may be necessary. But logical errors can often be repaired with tools like CHKDSK, reformatting, and data recovery utilities tailored for flash drives.
While flash drives seem small and simple, they can develop complex problems. But thankfully there are many solutions available to help get your corrupted or malfunctioning USB drive working properly again.
