How to disable ESD-USB and return it to normal state

This page covers solutions to undo ESD on USB drive and restore the device to its full capacity without losing data on Windows 11/10/8/7.

ESD-USB stands for "Electrostatic Discharge - Universal Serial Bus." It refers to a type of USB device or port that is designed with electrostatic discharge protection. ESD protection is important because it safeguards electronic devices from damage caused by sudden electrostatic charges, which can occur during handling or when connecting/disconnecting USB devices. An ESD-USB device or port incorporates mechanisms to dissipate or prevent such static electricity, ensuring the safety and longevity of the connected electronics.

When creating a bootable Windows installer on a USB drive, you need to use an ESD USB, or Electronic Software Distribution. In addition to the ESD-USB drive status shown in the above image, you may have encountered any of the following issues on your hard drive or external hard drive:

• 1. A hard drive or an external hard drive showing only 32 GB or 31 GB of capacity in Windows Explorer
• 2. Partitions on an ESD hard drive or external drive becoming unallocated
• 3. Saved data getting deleted or lost

If you are encountering the same issue, don't worry. Read and learn from the two sections below on how to recover lost data and unformat ESD-USB drive.

How to Recover Lost Valuable Files from ESD-USB

If you create the Windows Media Installation Tool on the wrong drive, you'll lose all partitions and data, leaving only a 32 GB ESD-USB partition. When your storage device turns into an ESD-USB drive, the urgent task at hand is to recover deleted files.

First, delete the ESD-USB partition, and then use a file recovery software to scan and recover all lost files. Read on to learn how to retrieve all your lost data as soon as possible.

1. Use a file recovery software to restore all lost drive files.

A practical and secure way is to use a reliable file recovery software to retrieve all lost files from the ESD-USB device.

You can search for such a tool online, or download the Data Recovery Wizard for assistance.

With the help of Data Recovery Wizard, you can thoroughly scan all existing and lost files on the ESD-USB drive and recover everything on the device in just three steps.

Step 1: Launch tools Data Recovery Wizard, select the lost data USB drive and click 'Scan'.

Step 2: Use the file type filter at the top-left or top-right corner to narrow down the scan results until you find the file you need. Then, you can click the "Preview" button or double-click the file to view its content if you want.

Step 3. To save the recovered data to a secure location, check the box next to the files and click “Recover.” We recommend not saving the recovered data on the same disk from which you lost it.

Click the “Restore” button.

Liked the article? Learn how to fix your ESD-USB or external hard drive right now. Before you go, don't forget to hit the share buttons below and tag this article on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social network.

2. Delete the existing ESD-USB partition

As you know, the existing ESD-USB partition only contains some Windows installation files that you don't need. Therefore, deleting the current 32GB partition will not result in data loss on the drive.

Moreover, to avoid the recovered files being inaccessible, data recovery experts suggest that you delete the ESD-USB partition and scan the entire hard drive with a file-recovery program.

To ensure that the recovered data is usable and can be reused, follow these steps to delete the existing partitions:

Step 1: Connect the external hard drive to your computer and open Disk Management.

Step 2: Right-click the ESD-USB 32GB partition on the device, and then select Delete Volume.

Step 3: Click “OK” to confirm your settings.

Please provide the English content you would like translated, and I will do my best to translate it into Chinese.

6 Ways to Solve USB Flash Drive Not Showing Up on Windows 10/8/7

This article discusses 5 free and easy methods to recover deleted files on a Mac computer before or after emptying the Trash. Read More >>

How to Return an ESD USB Hard Drive to Normal

After following the steps in Part 1, the ESD-USB partition should have been removed from the external drive. The device should now show as an unallocated drive.

Therefore, you can create a new partition on the device to undo the ESD-USB. This will enable you to restore the HDD or external hard drive to its full capacity:

Step 1: Enter Disk Management, right-click on the unallocated space, and select "New Simple Volume."

(2) Click New Simple Volume, and then click Next to continue.

Step 3: Set the new partition size, file system (NTFS), and partition label for your hard drive or external hard drive.

Step 4: When you're done, click “Finish” to exit the setup.

Figure 4: Finished creating the partition

Note: If you need to create more than one partition on your hard drive, allocate the remaining unpartitioned space, and repeat the process.

After that, you can reuse the hard drive or external drive to store your data and files.

However, that's not all. Knowing only how to protect your data and prevent your hard drive or external HDD from turning into an ESD-USB is not enough. In the next part, some reliable tips will help you cope with this problem easily.

Protecting HDDs/External Drives with Data

Knowing how to protect your data and external or internal hard drives will be invaluable, especially in preventing data loss.

Here are some reliable tips to help you get started protecting your valuable files and storage devices right away:

1. Create a data backup and save it to another device or cloud storage.

It's always good practice to back up your valuable files and data to another hard drive or external storage device. That way, you can restore them at any time if they get lost from your device.

One way to do this efficiently is to use reliable software to back up your files automatically.

2. Run antivirus software regularly to remove viruses, malware, and the like.

You should also use antivirus software to assist. With a reliable antivirus program, you can remove existing or dormant viruses, malware, and the like from your hard drive or external storage devices. Relying solely on Microsoft Defender might not be enough; here's a list of trustworthy antivirus software options to consider:

• Norton Security 360/Norton Antivirus Plus
• McAfee
• AVG
• Avira
• Avast
• Malwarebytes
• Kaspersky Antivirus

Whichever one you choose, run it immediately after installation, and perform a full scan of your computer and any external storage devices to eliminate any potential viruses.

3. Use password encryption and lock hard drives/external hard drives

Another way to secure devices and data is to password-encrypt or lock external hard drives.

If you're using Windows 10, 8, or 7, you can enable BitLocker on your device by following these steps:

Step 1: Open Control Panel and click BitLocker Drive Encryption.

Step 2: Locate and expand the drive or external hard disk that you want to encrypt, and then choose Turn on BitLocker.

Step 3. Set a password for the selected hard drive or external drive, and then click “Next” to continue.

Enable BitLocker on the storage device

4. Choose to save your password to your Microsoft account, a USB drive, a file, or print the recovery key, and then click Next to confirm.

Step 5: Choose the amount of space you want to encrypt, then click “Next” to proceed –

• Encrypt only used disk space (faster, for new computers and drives) • Encrypt the entire drive (slower, but better for computers and drives in use)

Step 6. Choose the encryption mode you want to use, and click Next to continue –

• New encryption mode (for fixed drives on this device) • Compatibility mode (for drives that might be moved from this device)

Choose the encryption mode for your device.

Step 7. Click “Start Encryption,” and wait for the process to complete.

In addition, some reliable programs can lock and encrypt your drives with a password, so that no one can access your data, hard disk, or external drive without it.

Ultimately

On this page, we provide you with a complete solution. First, use data recovery software, then create a new partition. You can restore your ESD-USB drive without losing any data.

Follow these guidelines, and you'll also have a solid plan for keeping your data safe from overwrite and protecting your storage devices from accidental transformation into an ESD-USB.

Frequently Asked Questions about Disabling ESD-USB Hard Drive

Here are 4 extra questions about how to disable ESD protection on a USB drive. Click here to see the answers.

< strong > 1. How to recover data from ESD-USB?

The best way to recover data from an ESD USB is by using data recovery applications such as tools Data Recovery Wizard. You can do this by:

• Insert the ESD-USB stick into your computer's port.
• Install and launch the USB Data Recovery tool software on your PC.
• Select the ESD-USB drive and click on Scan.
• Choose the target data and files, then click "Restore" to retrieve them.

2. Can files be recovered after formatting?

Yes, files can be recovered after formatting. When you format a storage device, all previous data is erased – for most users, this means the data wiped during formatting is permanently lost. However, the old data actually remains on the drive until it's overwritten by new data. If you haven't added any new files or directories to the formatted hard drive, you still have a chance to recover files after formatting.

3. How can I recover files from a damaged USB flash drive for free?

To recover files from a damaged USB device, you can use free disk recovery software. To quickly recover photos, videos, documents, and more from your USB drive, try the free data recovery program.

4. Can I install Windows 10 from an ESD file?

Indeed. To get a full installation of Windows 10, you now have to download an ESD file and create your own bootable ISO image. Though Microsoft promised ISOs for each new version of Windows 10, users could download only the components of build 10041 through Windows Update.