3 Ways to Fix a Corrupted USB Flash Drive and Recover Data

Uncover the efficient ways to fix a corrupted flash drive and safely recover data from a corrupted USB drive. ✅ For a reliable flash drive recovery tool, visit: bit.ly/42mBGMD
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:32 Signs of the USB drive corruption
01:41 Recover data from a corrupted USB drive
06:00 Assign a new drive letter
06:31 Reinstall drivers
07:17 Use CMD commands
08:25 Conclusion
It's important to understand that as long as the USB drive is being recognized in Disk Management and shows the correct USB stick size it's completely possible to recover data from it.
📌To recover files from a corrupted USB drive:
1. Download and install Disk Drill.
2. Select the USB drive from the list of devices.
3. Click the Search for lost data button to initiate scanning.
4. Once the scan is finished, select the files (photos, music files, videos, documents, etc.) you wish to restore and click Recover.
5. Choose a recovery location. Make sure that your recovery location is not your USB drive.
6. Click next to recover data from a corrupted USB drive.
In some cases, you may not be able to access your USB drive or specific files on your flash drive. Here are a few additional methods that might help you to fix a corrupted flash drive.
Method 1: Assign a drive letter
You can try assigning a drive letter yourself or changing the existing drive letter.
1. Right-click the Start icon and click on Disk Management.
2. Right-click on the disk number for your USB and click Change Drive Letter and Paths.
3. Click on the drive letter that’s already assigned, then Change.
4. Choose a new drive letter from the dropdown list.
Method 2: Update the drivers
If the USB drivers are corrupted or out-of-date, reinstalling them or updating them can fix the issue.
1. Right-click the Start icon and click on Device Manager.
2. Expand the dropdown for Disk drives, right-click your USB, and click Uninstall device.
3. Unplug your USB then plug it back in. This will trigger the latest drivers to be downloaded and installed automatically.
Method 3: Fix the corrupted USB flash drive using CMD commands
Windows allows you to fix your corrupted flash drive using specific commands in CMD.
1. Click on the Start menu and search for CMD. Right-click and click Run as administrator. If you’re prompted by a window to allow CMD to make changes, click Yes.
2. To repair a corrupted flash drive with bad sectors, enter chkdsk D: /f into the command line and press Enter (replace D: with the drive letter of your USB). Windows will begin to verify the files and folders on the USB.
3. To unhide files, enter attrib -h -r -s /s /d D:*.* and press Enter.
🟢 GUIDES
More ways to restore files from a corrupted flash drive: www.cleverfiles.com/howto/rec...
Fix a corrupted flash drive without formatting: www.handyrecovery.com/fix-cor...
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#FlashDrive #Windows

[@beijuizsam8455]

Does this work for jpeg or jpg files? My USB jpegs are ruined and there's a lot of shady jpeg recovery options out there

[@justachipofftheiceberg6313]

thank you so much you just saved a decade of family photos. bless you!

[@cleverfiles]

You're welcome!

[@samueljayrivera2280]

Hello, I just recovered my files, and thanks to you. I followed your step-by-step USB file recovery. God bless you. 😌

[@cleverfiles]

Glad I could help 🙌

[@ProwoodStuff]

I was worried all the strats wouldn't work but the last one ended up being the one that worked. Thanks for the guide!!!!

[@cleverfiles]

Glad I could help!

[@knalcarr]

I want to think you for the information. I was able to recover a file that has been lost for years about a Geology Research presentation. I was almost in tears from able to see the PowerPoint working again.

[@cleverfiles]

Happy to help 🙌

[@bluefishaddicted]

How Disk Drill can Fix a Corrupted USB Flash Drive when cannot see it !?!?! Any advices??

[@stinkycheese804]

Except that first method, it shows that it recovered files, but they are not necessarily intact instead of corrupt. Been down this road many times, essentially you should NEVER trust a USB flash drive as the only source of your data. It is a transportation method or perhaps a single copy of multiple other copies you have, so if it has a problem, you aren't needing to try to recover data off of it. If you need more than that out of a USB flash drive, get one that's actually an SSD with a USB bridge chip in it. For example Sandisk Extreme Pro, not their lesser models.

[@petercheung6861]

Thank you so much man! I recovered my USB drive by watching this video. I was using the cmd command method and it fixed!! Thanks a lot!!

[@cleverfiles]

Glad I could help ✌️

[@raymondflowers1473]

Thank you so much this is a big help

[@iancarney1847]

I can't read the attrib line. Can anyone share it? please

[@anugrahisingh4662]

thanks man, god bless you, really saved me from loosing some priceless moments.

[@JustusKiprotich]

Thanks man. Very Helpfull

[@cleverfiles]

Glad it helped!

[@fatimaelissati4178]

Hey. What if the backup process went wrong?? Like didn't give the same result as yours?

[@cleverfiles]

Please contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@xx_Firefox_xx]

exactly what do you do if it doesn't show up in disk drill or any other software similar to it?

[@cleverfiles]

First check if your drive is not recognised in Disk Management correctly. If it's not recognised there, then most probably you need to send this drive to the data recovery center: www.cleverfiles.com/salvage/

[@ZHall-bv6mb]

Thank you for this video! My flash drive does not show up in Windows or Disk Drive. So, I can't back it up or scan it using Disk Drive. Suggestions?

[@ZHall-bv6mb]

Correction: Drill Disk (not Disk Drive).

[@cleverfiles]

Please contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@ruqiaashraf5518]

Thank you for sharing this video❣

[@cleverfiles]

You are so welcome! ❣

[@davelay2656]

Hello - I'm currently doing a byte-by-byte backup. The backup has been running for an hour, and the status is currently at 4.00 MB out of 29.2 GB. With 6,305 hours remaining. Is this correct? Or, is it not functioning properly. Please advise. Thank you.

[@cleverfiles]

Please contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@exshyguy]

i doubt.

[@loganbsurfin]

That last one worked! thank you!

[@cleverfiles]

You're welcome!

[@xkiari_8130]

for some reason my usb just wont pop up anywhere at all. file explorer, disk drill, disk management, and even disk list in the command prompt but it does the sound and lets me eject when i plug in its so weird. if i press eject it also take a long time and says error ejecting. RIP my 268gb usb

[@cleverfiles]

Please contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@edgetown1]

Hi, when I insert the USB drive into USB port, the computer cannot open it. The USB drive also becomes hot, the metal part. Can the data be saved and recovered? Thanks

[@cleverfiles]

Please contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@SeizeTheM]

You don't know how thankful I am. Thank You ❤

[@cleverfiles]

Happy to help!

[@andrewysk7181]

This video just saved my digital life. When my USB stick went bonkers, I followed their advice and used software to recover my precious data. But... how can I get the USB drive to become completely functional again? Should I format it?

[@cleverfiles]

Hi! I am glad you found our recovery tips useful. Thank you for your question. The first thing you should consider trying is reassigning a drive letter and reinstalling drivers. If that does not work, try CMD commands to get rid of a possibly broken file system. Here is a time code for more detailed instructions 6:00

[@anitabeckstead1118]

Hey hey hey...lol. I was trying to do that Byte to Byte backup on the Disk Drill...but it said I didn't have enough room. My USB is a 1TB.. 1.62 MB used...976 GB free space .C drive has 350ish GB useable. I tried to use my desktop for the backup....said I didn't have enough space....So I tried my Seagate Backup Plus slim (2TB)...it also said I didn't have enough space. It has 1.70 TB free space. I lost the information...used your other tricks to find the files. You said not to use the USB that had been corrupted to put the files back on. But what do I do if it says it doesn't have the space for the backup. I used the Disk Drill to open one folder...and though I don't recognize the files (some were there....some weren't). What am I doing wrong with the BYTE to BYTE BACKUP? Do I need to purchase the software before it works....because I don't have 60 hours to do a byte to byte?

[@cleverfiles]

Please contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@dericktravis8483]

Thank you for this video guide, I did not know that you can recover data from a corrupted flash drive even if it does not show up in File Explorer.

[@cleverfiles]

You're welcome!

[@miaislazione]

Sadly, nothing worked for me. When I did the first methods, a screen pops up saying it needs to reformat (this was my initial problem). When I try the last method, it says the following after I press enter: "The type of the file system is RAW. CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives." I am not sure what else to do. I don't know why the usb drive got corrupted. I have a lot of photos/videos and important files on it... Please help :(

[@cleverfiles]

Please contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@_kundan_2403]

U found any solution or not?

[@miaislazione]

​@cleverfiles sorry for the delay. I just emailed

[@miaislazione]

​@@_kundan_2403i have not. I just reached out via email to cleverfiles' help Hopefully they can help me with a solution

[@DUMPL1NGZ]

Thank you!

[@moussamerabtine4495]

Thank you very much Sir, your video really helped me to recover my usb drive using the cmd , I really appreciate it.

[@cleverfiles]

You are welcome!

[@raogamerz7481]

Why it is asking for activation code

[@jarjarjar2013]

HELP Andy... I followed your video exactly... Disk Drill backup found 0 files... I continued with all the other Disk Drill procedures + your drive renaming and the CMD check which found it to be a RAW DRIVE [ NOT available for CHKDSK]... YIKES... now what? Judy

[@cleverfiles]

Please contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@Mahvash]

I put USb on my laptop but it not showing even no beep when insert in jack. Now how to recover data. Or how to connect it. Thanks

[@cleverfiles]

First check the port and cable for issues. Try the device on another computer to isolate the problem, and if it still doesn't work, update the drivers in Device Manager. If you need to recover data from the USB device, consider using data recovery software like Disk Drill or professional services to send the drive to.

[@evalarslars2566]

Why? You keep saying free. Which is not free! I can't recover the file w/o upgrading😢

[@cleverfiles]

You can recover up to 500 MB of your data for free if you use Disk Drill for Windows.

[@ILikeConcerts]

​@@cleverfiles no i had the same problem as @evalarslars2566. 500MB is BS, if the file you try to recover doesn't work, then you are screwed out of future attempts unless paying a lot of money. i understand that you still need to make money off of things you worked on and created but the 500mb threshold is a joke

[@worldofglimpse7272]

Same issue not free i install and again uninstall

[@evanikkilee]

I insert the usb and the dish doesn't even show up in the disk section. It only shows up when I unplug it. It doesn't let me do anything. Doesn't let me do a storage backup, nothing.

[@cleverfiles]

Try plugging the USB drive into different ports or another computer to see if it is recognized. On Windows, check Device Manager and Disk Management for issues or unrecognized devices, and update USB drivers if needed. On Mac, use Disk Utility to see if the drive appears and run First Aid. You might also need to use a third-party recovery tool like Disk Drill. If the drive still isn't recognized, it may be damaged, and professional data recovery services might be necessary.

[@terakelley7293]

I used the disk drill method. I made it all the though the recovery process. But I get a message saying I need to upgrade because I have more than 500MB. How can I recover all of my files?

[@cleverfiles]

If you can fully preview your files, you can upgrade to Disk Drill Pro for a guaranteed recovery.

[@chriswalkin953]

None of these steps work! :( My drive didn't show up in Disk Drill and doesn't show up in Windows Explorer. I don't care about data recovery, I just want to be able to use the drive again! Any suggestions?

[@cleverfiles]

Please contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@oluwakemisolaeleshin4152]

Thanks so much for sharing this video. It worked perfectly . I was able to recover my baby's pictures

[@cleverfiles]

Glad it helped!

[@user-eu9fe7vx9u]

LIFE SAVER

[@s.a.wiatrolik1811]

Disk Drill did not recognize nor find my USB Lexar 3.0 flash drive. Other USB drives I own work fine (newer MAC computer) This particular USB Drive had been ejecting itself a couple of times before it failed. So I have little hope for recovery (truly tragic :(

[@cleverfiles]

Please contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@RJHElias]

Please tell me how I can recover my sandisk sd card. After formatted in a raspberry pi it is now a RAW sd card and I can't get it back to ntfs or fat

[@cleverfiles]

Use Disk Management to delete the existing RAW partition, create a new volume, and format it as either NTFS or FAT32. On macOS, use Disk Utility to erase and format the SD card to MS-DOS (FAT) or ExFAT. If built-in tools fail, consider using third-party software to manage and format the partitions. Follow the software prompts to delete the RAW partition and create a new one with the desired file system.

[@cryptoman5740]

Please can you help me with the license code it asking me of it.

[@cleverfiles]

You can upgrade to a Pro version here www.cleverfiles.com/pro.html

[@nataliaarce7143]

Can I use these steps on a mac?

[@cleverfiles]

You can use Disk Drill for Mac to scan your drive and see what can be recovered.

[@js50025]

USB drive that has info from back when i was in highschool got corrupted a few minutes ago. Using CMD commands fixed it! Thank you! Also, it said convert lost chains to files. I entered Y and 55 files were recovered. Where would these files go?

[@cleverfiles]

In this case, the recovered files are typically placed in a directory named FOUND.000 in the root directory of the drive.

[@soniasahu2463]

I recover all my data but when i want save in my device .. it shows me that i have to take premium for saving my files in my device

[@cleverfiles]

We offer a free recovery of up to 500 MB of your data if you use Disk Drill for Windows. Unfortunately, this option is not available for Mac users at this time. We do guarantee the recovery of the files you can fully preview in the free version.

[@joyharry12]

Hello, I just recovered my files, and thanks to you. I followed your step-by-step USB file recovery. Thanks my friend . 👍

[@cleverfiles]

Welcome 👍

[@rogerrosen2323]

i have bo disk space i cant try to use repair annnd fix i dont need files wont start up or repair says it cant repaur the unit is ayound 5 years old it want cleaned up and cdt remove programs no more icons just sayscnt repair

[@diveshjangid9172]

That 500 MEGA BITE sounds like 500 GB when the data loss you have is too large

[@gypsyjones]

None of these worked for me when I did the last one my cmd said "Cannot open volume for direct access."

[@cleverfiles]

Please, contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@shativeahamilton]

my issue is that my flash drive is not even being detected so the app wont detect it either

[@cleverfiles]

Please contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@sheeeeeeeeeesh]

doesn't work, when usb is plugged it, the program crashes

[@cleverfiles]

Please contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@jeranic]

Drill drive doesn't recognize my thumb drive.😢

[@cleverfiles]

Please contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@roberthubbard2004]

Nothing you mention in the video worked. The recovery software you mentioned did not "see" my usb flash drive so obviously I couldn't recover the files. The other advice you gave as well, did not recognize my usb flash drive.

[@cleverfiles]

If your drive is not recognised in Disk Management correctly most probably you need to send this drive to the data recovery center: www.cleverfiles.com/salvage/

[@user-rj1sn5nx9p]

Hi u saved my life. Didn't know this was possible. I need a registration code to recover my stuff. Can u help me out. It's my baby's pictures so I really don't wanna lose anything

[@cleverfiles]

Please contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@user-rj1sn5nx9p]

@@cleverfiles hi I did

[@BilalAhmadmohmad]

thanks

[@cleverfiles]

You're welcome!

[@teacherjha6149]

Where to find activation code?

[@cleverfiles]

You can upgrade to Disk Drill Pro here www.cleverfiles.com/pro.html

[@dallisreya]

nothing worked for me not even disk drill

[@cleverfiles]

I recommend reaching out to [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@jasongonzaga9745]

website not working

[@cleverfiles]

Please contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@ayyy3684]

It’s not giving me the recover button please help

[@cleverfiles]

Please reach us at: [e-mail]

[@DoctorKeo]

Thanks able to recover files but still have an unusable USB stick.

[@cleverfiles]

Please contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@DoctorKeo]

I'm posted a reply - thanks

[@DoctorKeo]

Kingston deemed the flash drive beyond repair. Thanks for the help.

[@lynnmarnielvalderrama6352]

is it free?

[@cleverfiles]

We offer a free recovery of up to 500 MB of your data if you use Disk Drill for Windows. Unfortunately, this option is not available for Mac users at this time. We do guarantee the recovery of the files you can fully preview in the free version.

[@doyouluvit]

nope.......did not work. Does not show my thumb drive at all......waste

[@cleverfiles]

Please contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.

[@doyouluvit]

@@cleverfiles just did, thank you

[@johnmcook1]

i tried a hammer

[@peterdawoud2294]

Is this free?

[@cleverfiles]

We offer a free recovery of up to 500 MB of your data if you use Disk Drill for Windows. Unfortunately, this option is not available for Mac users at this time. We do guarantee the recovery of the files you can fully preview in the free version.

[@lukasin.8510]

Hi,I found the folder/file that I want to recover but it's .lnk,so how do I make it normal before I recover it because if I try to turn the file into .txt after I recover it says the file can't be found.I just want to get the file back because it's really importnat and I don't how was it even deleted.Someone pleasse help! I have a file and a folder that i want to recover and that folder holds the files that i want to recover if that's any help. @CleverFiles

[@cleverfiles]

Please contact us at [e-mail] for further assistance.