Files Disappeared from USB Drive [Solved with 3 Validation Methods]

Do you use a USB flash drive to store your important files? USB drives make data transfer easy, but like any other external hard drive, there are instances of data loss, such as the USB drive not showing up on Mac. Additionally, many Mac users report that the files copied to USB drive are missing.

In this article, we will introduce you to 3 verified methods to recover lost files from USB flash drive and resolve the files copied to USB drive disappearing issue. Read on for details!

Solution 1: Recover Lost Files from USB Drive Using Software Method 1: Restore Missing Files from USB Drive with Software

The simplest way to recover files that disappear after copying to USB flash drive is by using a professional Mac USB recovery tool.

Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Pro is one of the best USB flash drive data recovery software for macOS that comes with a straightforward interface to quickly restore lost and deleted data from USB drives.

USB Drive Data Recovery software can perform USB data recovery on Mac in just 3 steps! It's 100% safe to download and install on your MacBook. To make the data recovery process clearer, we provide the following steps for reference:

Step 1: Connect the USB drive to your Mac

Plug in the USB flash drive to your Mac correctly. Launch the Tools Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. Start by selecting the flash drive and clicking “Search Lost Files” to let the software scan for lost files on it.

Note: Before you proceed with data recovery, it's recommended that you click “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar and create a backup of your USB drive to prevent further data loss. After backing up the USB drive, the software can recover data from the USB drive backup, and you can then remove the USB flash drive and use it again.

Step 2. Recover Lost Data from the USB Drive

When the scan is complete, all the files will be displayed in the left pane of the scan results.

Step 3: Recover data from USB flash drive

Select the files you want to recover, then click the “Restore” button. To prevent overwriting your data, do not save the recovered files back onto the USB drive itself.

If this article helped you recover missing files after copying them to a USB drive from Mac, share it on social media so that it can help others too.

Solution 2: Rename the File and Copy it to the USB Drive Again

Renaming files to fix the issue with missing file copies on a USB drive might sound weird, but it works. Some files can suddenly disappear on a Mac, they might not copy to a USB flash drive, or they vanish after copying due to some illegal characters in the filenames. So, rename those files and try to copy them properly.

Solution 3: Format the USB drive and try again Click 3 to format the USB drive and try again.

One of the main reasons files disappear after copying to a USB flash drive is a mismatch in file systems. The missing files are less likely to be a formatting issue and more likely due to incompatibility between your USB's file system and macOS Sonoma/Ventura/Monterey, or an older version of macOS, which leads to abnormal display and reading of the files.

In this case, it's recommended that you back up the USB flash drive first. You can use the quick backup feature provided by data recovery software.

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Backup Your Mac and Never Lose Data

Back up and restore your MacBook/iMac without using Time Machine, iCloud, or an external hard drive.

Here are the steps to back up a USB flash drive (which also apply to external hard drives, SD cards, and the like):

Step 1: On the main Disk Drill for Mac screen, click “Disk Backup” > “Create Backup” > “Next.” You can create an image file backup of your drive to protect your data from being overwritten.

Step 2. Select the internal drive you want to back up, then click "Backup Now." If you want to create a backup or restore data from an external hard drive, USB flash drive, or SD card, connect the storage device to your Mac before proceeding.

Select the disk to back up

Step 3: Choose a location to save the backup file and rename it, then click “Save.” It is not recommended that you save the backup on the same storage device from which you plan to recover data.

Select a location to save the disk backup

After backing up the USB flash drive, you can format it on your Mac with Disk Utility. Follow these steps to format USB drive to FAT32:

Step 1. Connect your USB flash drive to your Mac. Open Disk Utility from your Mac's Applications > Utilities folder.

Step 2: In the left-hand Devices list, find your USB drive, select it, and then click “Erase” from the top menu.

Step 3: Choose a new format, and give it a new name if you wish. Click “Erase” again to confirm the formatting.

Conclusions

This article introduces three effective ways to fix the error of missing files copied to a USB drive. Install a professional and trustworthy USB Flash Drive Recovery tool – Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Pro, and recover lost files with merely 3 steps!

FAQ: Files Disappearing from USB Drive When Copied - UTF-8

Read on to learn more about why and how to fix the issue of files disappearing after copying to a USB drive.

**1. Why do copied files disappear from my USB device?**

There could be several reasons for the disappearance of files copied to a USB flash drive, including them becoming hidden files on the USB drive, accidental deletion of the copied files, bad sectors, or a corrupted file system. Use the keyboard shortcut “Command + Shift + Dot (.)” to view all files on a Mac hard drive or USB flash drive.

2. Why can't I see the files on my USB flash drive on my Mac?

Here are some possible reasons why you might not see files on a USB flash drive on your Mac:

• The USB drive is not properly connected to the port.
• The USB port might not be working or could be damaged.
• The USB flash drive is damaged, or the file system is corrupted.