Repair Damaged USB Drive Without Formatting

A USB flash drive or pen drive is similar to a hard disk that stores all its data in the memory space. This portable device allows people to transfer or carry data very conveniently. However, there can be various issues that may render the USB drive inaccessible.

So, how do you access a USB flash drive that is corrupted or unresponsive? This page will help you fix the USB without losing data or formatting it, even if you have no idea about how to repair a damaged USB flash drive.

Scenario 1: The USB device is recognized

If your USB device is still being detected or recognized by your computer, you can fix logical errors to repair the flash drive so that you can access the USB again.

First, check and fix the corrupted USB device error

If the flash drive itself is not damaged and your computer recognizes it and assigns it a drive letter, you can check for and fix logical errors as follows.

How to Check and Repair USB Devices Directly

1. Plug the USB into your computer.

2. Go to My Computer > USB Drive.

3. Right-click on the USB drive and select “Properties.”

4. Click the "Tools" tab.

5. Click the "Check" button.

6. Close the scan window after the scanning is completed.

7. Right-click the USB flash drive icon on your desktop, and then select Eject. Safely remove the flash drive from the USB port.

"Repairing a corrupted USB using CMD with UTF-8 encoding"

The process is much the same as above, but with more feedback at the end to help you determine whether the problem is resolved.

1. Plug your USB flash drive or pen drive into your computer.

2. Click the Start menu, type “cmd” into the search bar, then hit Enter. You should see an application called “cmd.exe” in your list of programs.

3. Right-click "cmd.exe," and run it as an administrator. Type in "chkdsk /X /f G:" or "chkdsk G: /f" (replace G: with the letter that corresponds to your USB drive), and press ↵ Enter. This will begin the process of repairing your damaged USB drive.

This will prompt Windows to scan and fix the USB drive's file system. If the process completes successfully, you'll see "The file system was successfully fixed." This indicates that your corrupted USB flash drive has been repaired and can be accessed again.

Secondly, try to recover data from USB drive

After you've checked and fixed the logical errors on your USB drive, you can scan your device for any lost data that might have occurred during the process. File recovery software can search for any missing files on the device and attempt to restore them.

The tool handles USB data recovery in all cases of data loss. You can download the free version to scan your device and see which files it can recover before you buy the full version. If you don't think it will give you the results you want, you don't have to pay! You have nothing to lose. So, the next time you face data loss after fixing a corrupted USB flash drive, don't hesitate to give it a try.

Step 1: Connect the USB device to your computer and run the USB data recovery software.

Connect the USB flash drive that contains your files to the computer, and launch the USB data recovery software on PC – Data Recovery Wizard. Select your USB drive under “External Devices” and click “Scan” to start searching for lost files.

Step 2: Scan the USB to find all missing files.

The Data Recovery Wizard will thoroughly scan your USB flash drive and find all lost data.

Step 3: Retrieve all lost files from the USB.

• After the scan, you can view and preview the found USB files in the program. • The "Deleted Files" category helps you locate erased files, while "Lost Partition Files" is your gateway to quickly restoring formatted data. • Preview files by double-clicking, select the recoverable files, and then click "Restore" to save them to a secure location on your computer or another external storage device.

Scenario 2: Your USB drive is not recognized, etc.

If your USB drive is physically damaged and won't detect or isn't recognized, follow the instructions here.

Please note:

• Attempts at physical repair are usually ineffective unless you have the professional experience to fix a damaged flash drive.
• If the internal storage on your flash drive is damaged, your only real option is to send the drive to a professional recovery service.
• Data recovery costs can range anywhere from $20 to $850, depending on the extent of the damage and the type of recovery needed.

First, try fixing the USB drive manually

If you'd like to try it yourself, here are the details.

Preparations:

• A soldering iron with solder and flux
• An old USB cable
• Wire cutters/strippers
• A small flathead screwdriver
• A magnifying glass or jeweler's loupe

Detailed steps to fix the USB drive.

1. Unscrew the casing of the flash drive with a screwdriver.

2. Examine the circuit board (PCB) and the pads with a magnifying glass. If the circuit board itself is damaged, or if the pads are lifted, you may need professional help. The pads are the four solder points that connect the USB port's pins to copper traces on the board. If the board or the pads aren't damaged, the port is just loose and you can proceed.

3. Lay the USB drive flat on a hard surface with the connector facing you and the pads facing up.

4. Use the wire cutters to snip off one end of the USB cord. If your flash drive has an adapter, make sure you cut off the USB end.

5. Strip the USB cable. Expose about 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) of each of the four wires that connect to the USB cable.

6. Solder each wire to its respective pad. Take your time here, as a poor connection will keep your drive from working.

7. Plug the other end of the USB cable into your computer. It should slide into one of the rectangular slots on your computer's case.

8. Open your USB drive. If your computer recognizes the drive, move your files to a safe location as soon as possible. If your files are missing, proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Use the tool to recover the data.

If you find that files are missing from your USB drive, you can download a free data recovery program to restore lost data. You can also use this tool to scan your drive for any missing files that you might not have noticed right away. This is your last chance to recover all of your lost data, and it's free, so give it a shot. It only takes three steps to recover lost or deleted data from a flash drive. The instructions for how to use the software are provided in Scenario 1.