There are many common reasons why people may need to recover files and data from a USB pendrive or flash drive without relying on software or external services:
Computer crashes and freezes are a common scenario. If your computer becomes unresponsive or fails to start up properly, you may lose access to files and pendrive data stored on that system. Recovering the data directly from the pendrive allows you to bypass relying on the damaged computer.
Malware infections can potentially corrupt, encrypt, or delete files stored on a pendrive when it is plugged into an infected computer. Recovering data directly from the pendrive gives you a chance to rescue your files before they are damaged by malware.
Accidental formating or deletion of a pendrive will make all files seem permanently erased. But recovery without software is often possible by remounting or rebuilding the pendrive’s file table.
Pendrive hardware failure, bad sectors, or connector damage can make data inaccessible by normal means. But the underlying data may still be intact and recoverable through manual methods.
Sensitivity to cost is another reason people avoid paid software for pendrive data recovery. Manual methods without requiring an additional software purchase provide a free way to try restoring lost pendrive contents.
Check Basic Connectivity
The first step when troubleshooting a pendrive that is not being detected is to check basic connectivity between the pendrive and computer. This involves verifying the pendrive is properly connected, trying different USB ports, and checking if the pendrive shows up in Disk Management.
Check that the pendrive is fully plugged into the USB port. Try unplugging it and plugging it back in to get a firm connection. Inspect the USB connector and port for any obstructions like dust or damage. If using an adapter or extension cable, try connecting the pendrive directly to the computer’s USB port.
Attempt plugging the pendrive into different USB ports on the computer. Test the ports with another USB device first to ensure the ports are functioning properly. The pendrive may work in some ports but not others due to hardware differences.
Open the Disk Management utility in Windows to verify if the pendrive is showing up there, even if it is not accessible from File Explorer. In Disk Management, external drives should be listed even without a drive letter assigned. If the pendrive is listed, try assigning it a drive letter. If it does not show up at all, the computer is not properly detecting the device.
Checking basic hardware connections is the initial troubleshooting step as this can resolve many cases of a pendrive not being detected. If the device is still not showing up after trying different USB ports and cables, the problem likely requires more advanced solutions.
Try Alternative Cables or Adapters
One of the easiest potential fixes is to try using a different USB cable or adapter. The issue may be with the specific cable or adapter you are currently using, rather than the pendrive itself. Try connecting your pendrive to the computer using a different USB cable that you know is working properly. Make sure the cable is not frayed, bent, or damaged in any way. You can also try using a USB extension cable or a USB hub. Additionally, if you are connecting the pendrive to your computer via an adapter (like USB-C to USB-A), try substituting the adapter for a different one.
Problems with cables, ports, and adapters are common causes of USB devices not being detected. By trying different cables and adapters, you may find a configuration that allows your computer to recognize the pendrive again. If your pendrive works with a new cable or adapter, you know the issue was with the faulty component rather than the pendrive itself. Investing in a new high-quality cable or adapter can often resolve connectivity issues. Just make sure to keep track of which cable or adapter allowed your pendrive to work again.
Install/Reinstall USB Drivers
USB drivers play a critical role in enabling communication between the operating system and connected USB devices like a pendrive. The drivers act as translators, converting the device’s raw data into a format the OS can understand. Without the proper drivers installed, the OS will be unable to detect, access or interact with USB devices.
If your pendrive is not being detected, reinstalling the USB drivers can often resolve the issue. The drivers may have become faulty or corrupt, preventing the necessary communication. Reinstalling will overwrite the existing drivers with fresh, stable versions. This guide from Driver Easy provides step-by-step instructions for reinstalling USB drivers in Windows: https://www.drivereasy.com/knowledge/how-to-reinstall-usb-drivers/
The basic process involves uninstalling the current drivers, restarting your PC, and allowing Windows to automatically reinstall the drivers by detecting the USB device. You may also install the latest drivers directly from the device manufacturer’s website. Be sure to restart your computer after reinstalling the drivers, so the changes can fully take effect.
Reinstalling the drivers resets the communication between Windows and your USB ports. Often this simple fix will enable the OS to properly detect your pendrive again.
Check for Physical Damage
Before attempting any software solutions, it’s important to visually inspect the pendrive for any signs of physical damage or corrosion. Carefully examine the USB connector to see if any of the metal pins are bent, broken, or corroded. Also check the plastic casing for cracks or broken parts. Gently shake the pendrive and listen for any rattling noises which could indicate loose internal components.
Physical damage is one of the most common reasons pendrives stop working properly. Dropping the device, getting moisture inside, or bumping the USB connector while plugged in can all cause physical issues. If the damage is relatively minor, it’s sometimes possible to carefully bend back pins or tape cracked plastic. But major physical damage likely requires professional data recovery services.
If no obvious external damage is visible, the problem could be internal – for example, the flash memory chips or controller board being knocked loose. In that case, a professional data recovery service may be able to open the device in a cleanroom environment and repair the internal components.
Try Professional Data Recovery
If you’ve exhausted all the DIY options for recovering your pendrive data and have had no success, it may be time to turn to professional data recovery services. According to Data Recovery Success Rates, professional services can achieve up to 99-100% successful recovery of files and sectors. Professional services have access to advanced tools and techniques that aren’t available to the average user.
Signs that it’s time to use a professional service include:
– You’ve tried multiple cables, computers, operating systems and still can’t access the pendrive
– The pendrive makes clicking or beeping noises indicating hardware failure
– There is obvious physical damage like cracks or broken connectors
– DIY software can’t detect the pendrive or hangs when scanning
– You’ve reformatted or overwritten some data trying to recover it yourself
Reputable professional data recovery services like Secure Data Recovery claim over 95% success rates recovering data from damaged drives. The cost for professional pendrive data recovery typically ranges from $100-$1000 depending on the extent of damage and type of recovery required. Weigh the value of your lost data against the cost of recovery to decide if using a professional service makes sense for your situation.
Recover Deleted Files
If your pendrive is detecting properly in Windows, you may be able to recover deleted files using Previous Versions or the Command Prompt.
To recover deleted files using Previous Versions in Windows 10 and 11:
- Open File Explorer and navigate to the USB drive.
- Right click on the folder where files were deleted and select “Restore previous versions.”
- Select a previous version from before the files were deleted.
- Copy the files you need to recover to another location.
This allows you to restore pendrive files from a Windows system restore point or backup. It only works if System Protection was enabled on the drive.
You can also try using the Command Prompt to recover deleted files from a USB drive with the “dir /a” command (source). This scans for deleted file records.
- Open the Command Prompt as Administrator.
- Type “dir /a” and hit enter after navigating to the USB drive letter.
- Deleted files will be displayed if recoverable.
- Copy any needed files back to the USB drive.
Using Previous Versions or the Command Prompt to scan for file records allows you to recover deleted files on a USB drive without requiring any additional software.
Try Data Recovery Software
One option to recover data from a corrupted or damaged pendrive without software is to use data recovery programs on a separate working computer. Software like Recuva is designed to scan storage devices like pendrives and recover deleted or lost files.
Recuva and similar programs work by scanning the pendrive for files that still exist but may be marked as deleted. Even if you have reformatted or deleted files from your pendrive, the data itself often still exists until it gets overwritten by new data.
To use Recuva or similar data recovery software:
- Connect the corrupted pendrive to a working computer.
- Download and install the data recovery program.
- Run the program and select the pendrive to scan.
- The software will scan the drive and show files that can be recovered.
- Select the files you want to restore and save them to another location like your hard drive.
The key when using data recovery software is to avoid saving the recovered files back to the damaged pendrive, as this can overwrite the data you want to restore. Overall, quality data recovery software provides an effective way to retrieve lost pendrive data by leveraging the intact data still residing on the drive.
Remount the Pendrive Partition
If your pendrive’s filesystem has become corrupted and shows up as RAW in Disk Management, you may be able to remount the partition to regain access to the data. This can be done using the command prompt and the diskpart utility:
First, connect your pendrive to your computer. Open the Start menu and type “cmd” to open a command prompt window. Type “diskpart” and hit enter to launch the diskpart utility.
Next, type “list disk” to view all connected disks and drives. Identify the disk number of your corrupted pendrive. Select this disk by typing “select disk x” where x is the disk number. Then type “list partition” to view the partitions on this disk.
Select the partition on your pendrive by typing “select partition y” where y is the partition number. Finally, type “assign letter=z” to assign a new drive letter to this partition. Replace z with an unused drive letter on your system.
The partition should now be accessible under the new drive letter in File Explorer. You can attempt to access files and transfer data off the pendrive before reformatting it to fix any residual corruption issues.
This remounting technique can often recover access to an apparently corrupted USB flash drive using commonly available tools in Windows. However, results aren’t guaranteed if the drive hardware itself is damaged or failed. Refer to DiskPart’s documentation for more advanced usage of the utility.
Sources:
https://superuser.com/questions/422662/how-to-fix-corrupted-filesystem-shows-as-raw-in-usb-device
https://www.diskpart.com/articles/corrupted-usb-drive-recovery-0310.html
Conclusion
In summary, there are several options for recovering pendrive data without software that are worth trying before resorting to paid software or professional data recovery services.
First, check for basic connectivity issues and try different cables, ports, and adapters to ensure your computer recognizes the pendrive. Installing the latest USB drivers can also help ensure proper communication between your pendrive and computer.
If the pendrive seems physically fine but files are missing, try remounting the partition or enabling hidden files to recover deleted files. You may be able to recover files that were mistakenly deleted but are still present on the disk.
As a last resort before paid services, you can attempt data recovery using the command prompt or recovery software available free online. While this software may not be as robust as paid versions, it can still recover lost or deleted files in some cases.
The key takeaways are to first troubleshoot basic connectivity, attempt file recovery of deleted data, and try free software options before resorting to expensive data recovery services. With some persistence and the right tools, many files can be recovered without costly software or professional help.