Is it possible to recover a flash drive after formatting? Recovering information from a formatted flash drive

For various reasons, a person may have problems with the removable disk on which the data is stored. important information. The media might stop displaying files or become unreadable at all. There are several powerful specialized programs that will help solve this problem.

In what cases is it possible to restore a flash drive?

If something happens to your drive, remember that you can increase the chances of recovery if you do not:

perform reformatting;
overwrite new data;
create new folders.

Answering the question, is it possible to restore deleted files from a flash drive, you should understand that immediately after clicking “delete” the documents are not sent entirely to the trash. First, the data is erased from the drive’s file table, so using special software you can get it back. The exact same situation occurs with a hard drive on a computer, so reconstruction on it is also possible. There are several common reasons for data loss from removable storage:

Human factor. In the course of rash actions, you yourself deleted the existing data from the flash drive. In this case it will be easiest to return them.
File system failure. As a rule, it occurs when the media is incorrectly removed from the connector. In many cases, data recovery from a flash drive is then successful.
Damage to the flash drive controller, electrical, mechanical damage. In case of such breakdowns, it is necessary to use a software and hardware complex in the laboratory. On our own personal computer It’s impossible to cope with such a task.

Data recovery by searching for hidden files and checking for viruses

Deleting data from the media can be performed by malicious software viruses, which tend to hide them. Restoring information from a flash drive in this case does not require special utilities, you only need good antivirus. To display “hidden” data you need:

Go to Start -> Control Panel -> Appearance and Personalization -> Folder Options.
Find the “View” section and select “Show” hidden files, folders and disks."
Open your removable device, if translucent documents or folders appear, copy the ones you need to a safe place on your hard drive.
Run your antivirus program.
Return display hidden folders again to the “Do not show...” position.

Program for recovering deleted files

You can find many different options free programs for data recovery. All of them are capable of finding documents even if they are erased, but are absolutely useless when the drive is broken. Some programs can find more lost data, others less. Below is a small rating of the most convenient, useful utilities with an overview of their use.

How to recover a flash drive with Undelete 360

A very easy to use utility that finds most lost data. It is distributed free of charge, but it must be downloaded from trusted sites, because attackers often plant viruses in installation file. After downloading and installing, you need to launch it. Instructions on how to recover a USB flash drive:

Run the drive test using the "Search" button.
Next, all found data on the media will be displayed.
Anything that has “Excellent” written in the “Status” column can be restored without any problems.
Select all required items with a checkmark and click “Save”.

Recovering deleted files using CardRecovery

A person may inadvertently damage some of the documents on removable media when unsafely removing the device from the connector. Some viruses that disguise themselves as torrents can penetrate drives and hide the contents of folders. CardRecovery is a shareware utility for reconstructing lost data. It should be used as follows:

Select the removable drive you want to check.
Next, you are asked to select data types for reconstruction. For example, you could have a collection of photographs, then the utility will search only by graphic resolutions.
Specify the location where to save the recovered files.
Specify the total capacity of the memory card, start scanning.
All found data can be viewed using the “Preview” button. Mark the required information and click “Next”.

How to recover a flash drive with Recover My Files

This utility can work and recover deleted files from a flash drive, hard drive. After launch, you can choose which action to perform - “Recover a Drive” and “Recover Files”. The first returns data from the recycle bin, and the second will help if you have formatted the drive. After this you need:

In the menu, select the disk on which the recovery will be performed.
The utility will prompt you to automatic search or manually select the data type.
For optimal performance, the “fastest” search method is sufficient.
Click the "Start" button.
All found data can be saved on the hard drive.

How to recover deleted files from a flash drive using PhotoRec

This is a professional utility for reconstructing photos from removable media. PhotoRec can recognize over 200 different types graphic files. Previously, the utility did not offer a graphical interface, the window was in the form of a DOS window, and selection could only be made using arrows; the English layout must be enabled. Recently graphic design implemented, working with it has become much easier. Instructions for use:

Run in the folder with installed program photorec_win.exe.
Select the drive you want to scan.
If the program shows several partitions, it is better to select “No partition” and press the enter button.
All found data will be stored in the recup_dir.1, recup_dir.2 folders.
If necessary, you can stop the program at any time.

Recovering files with Recuva

Some utilities are especially popular because they find lost files more efficiently. An example of this is the Recuva flash drive data recovery program. Among others, this utility is distinguished by its ease of use and versatility, so it will be a suitable solution for most users. It works with all types of data and is distributed free of charge for home use. Downloading and installing Recuva is very simple: everything happens in automatic mode, you just need to indicate where to install it.

After startup, you must perform the following steps to recover data from a flash drive:

After launching, it is better to select “Other” in the utility window.
Through the “Browse” item, find the desired drive.
To discover maximum quantity data, select the “in-depth analysis” option, which can identify even overwritten files. Keep in mind that you can find it, but you can’t always restore it.
After scanning, the program will show all the data found on the media. There will be a colored circle next to them.
A green icon indicates that the file is not damaged, there is a maximum chance of a full recovery.
A yellow icon indicates partial recovery. If this text document, then there may be spaces, only pieces will be displayed.

If someone accidentally formatted your flash drive, then do not worry - deleted data can be returned after formatting. The only condition: the formatting must be fast, and not low-level, which destroys not only the data, but also the file system. Using special programs, you can quickly recover files erased from a flash drive or memory card.

Recovery rules

To restore information after formatting a memory card or flash drive, you need to follow a few simple rules:

Do not write new information to a flash drive/memory card. If the necessary data is overwritten, then no program will help to return it.
You need to restore files to another drive - for example, hard drive. If you return information to a formatted flash drive or memory card, some data may be lost during the rewriting process.

Following these rules in conjunction with the use of suitable software will allow you to recover files deleted as a result of formatting with a 99% probability.

Recovery programs

You can find many utilities on the Internet whose descriptions say that they can return information after formatting. However, in practice, not every program copes with the task.

In particular, the program (costing 290 rubles) shows a result of 90 percent in tests, and the popular free program Recuva returns approximately 80% of files. A good indicator, but if among the remaining 20% there are important data, then what is the point in using similar program? Therefore, we will consider proven options that have demonstrated in tests that they can return all information erased after formatting a flash drive or memory card.

RS File Recovery

The RS File Recovery program helps you recover files after formatting. The only drawback of this utility is that data cannot be saved in free mode. But a convenient wizard allows you to quickly restore the information you need from a formatted memory card.

The more information about deleted files you specify, the faster program will find them and restore them. If necessary documents discovered, you can think about where to get license key. But there are other programs that can be used to recover deleted data without registration.

R-Studio

It also has a kind of recovery wizard, but there are slightly fewer options for filtering files:

Photorec

If you decide to use the Photorec utility, then first create system disk the folder where the recovered files will be saved. Since the program does not have an interface in the sense familiar to a modern user, it is better to prepare in advance for its use.

To an untrained user, the Photorec program will seem complicated and outdated after other utilities, but external attractiveness is not the main thing here. This utility returns all files deleted during formatting for free, so it’s worth figuring out how to work with it.

Very often people are faced with the fact that the data on a flash drive cannot be read due to a failure. Therefore, in order to return this device to live a full life, it needs to be formatted. But what about the data that was deleted during formatting? We will describe below how to restore a flash drive after formatting.

Firstly, you shouldn’t think that your flash drive has become completely empty. Your data, if you didn’t write anything over it, is still in its place. Therefore, special programs are involved in restoring a flash drive after formatting. Very effective and universal program is Easy Drive Data Recovery from ManSoft. Its capabilities allow you to recover files of more than 90 formats.

In addition, after formatting it is possible to restore a flash drive, hard drive, memory card and many other media. Implemented preview files so that you can evaluate the performance of the program before purchasing. Therefore, if you have a problem and need to recover a flash drive after formatting, feel free to download Easy Drive Data Recovery for free from our website.

In one of the previous articles we talked about how, today we will look at the 7 best free programs for recovering deleted data and files from a flash drive, with which you can easily and quickly recover a formatted flash drive.

USB flash drives are one of the most popular types of external storage media because they are compact in size, durable and, importantly, easy to use. However, data on a flash drive can also be easily lost, especially if the information was not backed up first. The only good thing is the existence of special free programs for recovering deleted data and files from a flash drive.

When you lose data from a portable storage device due to formatting, accidental deletion or a virus, you don’t need to panic right away, in this article we will tell you about special utilities, which will help you fully or partially recover lost data.

Free program for recovering deleted data - Recoverit Data Recovery

This program is considered one of the best for flash drives. Recoverit Data Recovery is used to recreate lost files and system folders. This software is fast, secure and can recover all files lost from a flash drive for various reasons. It can also be used to work with multiple file formats and types, including video, audio, saved archives, email and photographs. In order to achieve results with this utility, you will need to follow these steps:

Launch Recoverit Data Recovery and go to Recovery Options external devices" to return data from the flash drive.
Make sure you can connect to a flash drive that won't be recognized by your system.
Select the location of the flash drive from the list and click the “Start” button to process it.
You will be able to view the information detected by the flash drive recovery tool and select the data to recover it.
The quick scanning process will be launched automatically after selecting the “recover” option. If you can't find lost data from your external drive, try Deep Search for a more comprehensive scan.

You can download this auxiliary application for restoring lost information from the website of the developer company.

Important! At the time of writing this article, the interface of the program in question was without Russian, but it should appear there very soon.

Recuva

Today this program is the most popular for recovering files from flash drives. It is completely free and offers a wide range of supporting tools. Even novice users can use the utility due to its easy-to-understand interface. WITH using Recuva you can restore files to any Windows versions, and there are quite a lot of cases of its use with operating systems that even precede XP.

The program interface is also presented in Russian, which makes it especially convenient for domestic users. Recuva is less efficient than the previous program, but it is quite sufficient for recovering regular files. The application is offered in several versions - portable (without installation on your computer) and with a standard installer.

The utility operates in the following order:

Open the program and click on the “Next” icon.
After that, select the folder that you would like to restore.
If you know the probable location of the remote folder, then mark this in the program.
Enable the in-depth data analysis function to enable the most complete data recovery.
Then click on the “Restore” icon and determine a place to save the received information.

Important! Pay attention to the file labels. They can be yellow, green or even red. This shows the level of preservation of files and the possibility of their full or partial return.

PuranFile Recovery

This is a completely free program used to restore a database on a flash drive. If you need to recover lost or deleted files, then Puran Recovery is a really great solution as disk scanning is fast and the program is very easy to learn and use.

The view option in Puran File Recovery has convenient way navigate and search for the exact files you want to recover.

More details about Puran File Recovery:

Puran File Recovery searches over 50 file types to find deleted data;
the program helps you filter the results of deleted files to see only images, music, documents, videos or compressed files;
deleted data can be formed in the form of a list and viewed before recovery;
perhaps restore deleted files to where they were from the very beginning;
File system scanning may be available in FAT12/16/32 or NTFS.

Besides this program to recover deleted data from a flash drive has an additional number of features, which you can learn about by installing it on your computer.

The procedure for using the utility will be as follows:

Click on the “Select All” icon, which can be found at the bottom of the program window.
Then specify a location to send the files after they are restored.
Then click on the “Restore” icon and select the application operating mode.

This can be done in two ways - make a record in the specified folder or place the received data in files.

How to recover a formatted flash drive: video

Transcend RecoveRx is another program for recovering deleted data from a flash drive

The utility performs complex recovery procedures for all types of data by scanning disks and external storage devices for traces of files. RecoveRx works with digital photographs, the most different documents, as well as music and video clips.

Transcend RecoveRx has a simple, accessible interface that lets you search deep inside your storage device for traces of erased files that can be recovered. The program supports almost all types electronic devices, including a variety of memory cards, audio players, external drives and USB drives.

The recovery procedure itself consists of only a few steps that even a novice user can easily complete:

To begin, select a storage device (USB flash drive).
Specify the folder where the recovered files will be placed.
Click on the recovery icon and wait for the utility to finish working.

Free data recovery app R.Saver

This program helps to recover accidentally formatted and lost user data. R.Saver works with most popular file systems, has excellent scanning speed and an easy-to-understand interface.

The application itself selects the optimal scanning option, depending on the detected structure of lost file systems. The data search process can be started directly from the dashboard with one click of a button. The utility will configure all other properties, such as the necessary parameters for operation. Users can access all found data in read mode directly during the scanning process. The program is downloaded for free and without registration.

It works like this:

First, the program itself starts.
After that, a list of available drives appears on its left side.
Then we click right click mouse over the required subsection and go to “Search for lost data”.
Here we select deep file scanning and wait for the program to finish.

As soon as the data search is completed, R.Saver will display a list of the folders and files that it was able to detect. In the future, you will only have to choose from it those that you really need.

PhotoRec

If we compare PhotoRec with the previous program, it should be noted that it is designed for more advanced and experienced users. The thing is that this utility for a long time had only a console version and working with it required more in-depth knowledge of file systems. However, in the latest, downloadable seventh version of PhotoRec, it was proposed graphic version program, which significantly expanded access to it for most users.

If we consider all the free programs available today for recovering deleted data from a flash drive, then this is certainly one of the most successful. It can not only restore lost information, but also carry out the necessary structuring and distribution free space on the media. How to work with PhotoRec:

call the program from the archive and open it;
then double click on qphotorec win.exe;
Next, in the main program window, specify the media that we will need to scan the data;
after that, determine the folder to save the files;
The last step is to click on the “Search” icon.

According to available statistics, PhotoRec does a good job, even when compared with more complex and paid utilities.

Wise Data Recovery

Another successful application is being released for Windows that recovers data from any type of flash drive. It's called Wise Data Recovery and can work in a lightweight version, without the need for installation on your computer. The program has a high-speed scanning function and shows the possible level of file recovery. How to use it:

Open the application and wait until it is completely ready to work.
Specify the required media.
Select the files to be recovered and click on the “Recover” icon.

The program is absolutely free and has a Russian interface, although there is also an extended version of it paid version With a large number opportunities.

Recovering data from a flash drive after formatting

Sometimes you may need help recovering data lost after formatting. For this, it would be nice to use the R.saver program described above. Conduct a full scan of your media and allow the utility to distribute the recovered data among the folders on the flash drive. The program will do this automatically, and you will not have to waste your time searching for appropriate places to unpack the information received.

As you can see, any program for recovering deleted data from a flash drive is ready to help with the recovery of lost data. Most of them have a Russian interface and can be used even by novice users. All that remains is to choose the most suitable one and start working on restoring your files.

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Knowing how to restore a flash drive after formatting will definitely come in handy. It happens that important data is lost, sometimes even hardware errors occur. You can restore information and make the media usable again using various programs. There are paid and free utilities, which differ in capabilities and additional options. The choice depends on the specific situation.

Root Causes of Problems

There are several situations in which information may be lost from removable storage:

The data was deleted by a person accidentally or as a result of rash actions. The most common reason, it is easiest to recover information in this case.
File system failure. Most often this happens if the media was not removed correctly. In most cases, data can be recovered.
Damage flush-carrier (electrical, mechanical). In this case, you should use the services of specialists; you will not be able to cope with this task on your own.

When something happens to the drive, you can increase the chances of recovery if:

do not re-format;
do not write anything down;
do not create folders.

After deletion, the information is not completely sent to the trash and is not erased. First, data is deleted from the file table. Therefore, it is possible to return them back using special software.

Fixing a flash drive using Windows software

The simplest and most affordable option without formatting and restoring data is using command line. A similar tool built into the operating system supports the ability to recover damaged data from any media.

A way to recover a flash drive using internal funds Windows is only good if we're talking about about a software failure in the device. When formatting data on a flash drive yourself, you must use other methods.

First, connect the media to your computer.
Next, go to the Start menu and enter “cmd” in the search bar. Press “Enter” and find cmd.exe in the list of programs. This program must be run as an administrator.
To begin recovery damaged device, write in the command line: “chkdsk /X /f drive letter:”

The operation forces Windows to check and repair the media's file system. If the recovery process is successful, the program displays the message “Windows has made corrections to the file system.” This indicates that the USB drive has been fixed and can be accessed again.

Using recovery tools

Windows has a built-in recovery utility. The method is used when there is no result from using the command line. To recover a flash drive, you must follow these steps.

Insert the flash drive into the USB port;
In “My Computer”, right-click on the device name - “Properties”, “Service”;
Click “Run check”.
After scanning is complete, close the window, right-click on the flash drive icon and select “Eject.” Then remove it from the port.

Repairing the drive using the EaseUS USB Repair Tool

The utility is used provided that the above solutions did not help. This program is designed to recover files. It is suitable as a solution in case of a software failure and the user formats the flash drive independently. After recovering files, you must use special formatting programs. Repairing damage with EaseUS programs USB Repair Tool is carried out for almost all cases of loss of access.

Unfortunately, the utility is not free. trial version It only allows you to scan the drive and determine which files are available for recovery. Sometimes it is convenient to use it as a check.

To determine which files are available for recovery, you need to insert a USB flash drive and select it in the list of drives, click “Scan”.
Run a quick or deep scan to find all existing files.
After searching in licensed version you can select the corresponding files and click the restore button. This will make it possible to remove them from the damaged media.

Recovery using iBoysoft Data Recovery

This program is safe and simple and helps you recover lost data. The option is available both with a faulty USB drive and with a damaged SD card, hard drive. It can revive files saved on a deleted or lost partition. Restoring a flash drive using iBoysoft Data Recovery is carried out in three steps:

Download and install the program on your computer;
Open it and select the faulty drive in the list of devices and scan it;
Select the data to be restored, find the device to transfer it to and click “Recover”. After copying, you can format the device and use it again.

If the above methods do not help, try simple tricks:

find and destroy viruses on the flash drive by running an anti-virus scan;
restart your computer and try again;
connect a flash drive to another operating system or another USB port.

Other programs

You can find a large number of other utilities that can return information after formatting. However, in practice, not each of them is able to cope with the task and show good results. It makes sense to consider optimal options, capable of returning all or most of the information.

RS File Recovery

The program is designed to recover files after formatting. Its main disadvantage is that in free mode the data is not saved. But it is equipped with a convenient wizard that allows you to quickly find information. The sequence of actions is as follows:

Launch the utility, select a formatted flash drive or memory card;
Cancel the “deep analysis” option; in normal scanning mode, the program does not detect all formatted or deleted data;
Start scanning.

RS File Recovery

If necessary, you can use filters by size (date, type). The more information about files is specified, the sooner the program finds them. If documents are found, you can buy a license. But there are other utilities that can help you recover data for free.

R-Studio

This utility also includes a kind of wizard, but it has fewer search options:

First you need to launch the program and select the desired media in the disk panel.
If there is a need to restore specific files, click on “Known Types” and indicate what data you want to look for. If the goal is to return all deleted information, simply enable scanning.
An Extra found File section appears under the drive symbol. You need to go to it to open the directory with the installed data.
To save the file to your computer, check the boxes and click “Recover”.

Photorec

The program does not have an interface in the usual sense, so you need to prepare for use. To do this, create a folder on the system drive in which all recovered files will be saved.

Launch the program and use the arrows to select the drive. Specify the desired address on the flash drive and select the file system.
Use the arrows to indicate the folder in which to save the data.
Start the search by pressing “C”.

This program may seem complicated to an inexperienced user, but it has good functionality and returns deleted files for free.

Recuva

There are two versions of this software. The first is intended for installation on the OS, and the other is portable, they are absolutely equivalent. The program is capable of recovering files from a flash drive, SD card, MP3 player. The instructions look like this:

Go to the “Settings” options, go to the “Actions” section, tick all the proposed search criteria, in addition to “Show files with zero size”.
Restart the program, click “Next”, select the type of files to restore. If files were written different types, which you need to receive, you should check the appropriate box in the “Other” option.
Specify the location of the lost files, check the “Enable in-depth analysis” checkbox and wait until the program detects the deleted data.

Recuva

After the program finishes, a window appears showing the found files. Sometimes Recuva finds data that was deleted long before the flash drive failed or was accidentally formatted. Green dots indicate files that can be recovered.

You need to select them and click “Restore” at the bottom, select the folder to move. The program recovers files only if the flash drive is no longer used after formatting. It is important that when assigning a location for data recovery, the same flash drive is not used.

Formatting via SDformatter

This program does not provide the ability to return data, but it is very helpful in restoring the functioning of the device after an error. Signs that you should use SDformatter:

No necessary files or they have already been restored;
the card or flash drive is unreadable;
no display when connected to a certain computer configuration.

SDformatter

To avoid conflicts file system, it is best to format the device in Fat, this ensures that files will be read/written correctly under Linux, Windows and Mac OS. The SDformatter program only performs the function of formatting the drive. At the same time, it copes much better than many analogues. To fix a damaged memory card, you need to download the program, run it as an administrator, connect the memory card to the computer and specify in the settings not quick, but full formatting.

Correcting errors with the SDFormatter recovery program has a drawback - all files stored on the media will be lost. Therefore, if you need to restore them, you should immediately turn to the program to eliminate errors, then restore them and only then format them.

You can minimize the risk of data loss if you use a flash drive correctly. All devices have their own safety margin and service life. Their correct use automatically extends the life of the device.

The basic rule is not to remove the drive while reading/writing information. This does not always lead to immediate failure, but regular repetition of this action significantly increases the chances of device failure. Before removing the flash drive from the port, you must use safe removal. The required icon is located in the lower right corner. You need to right-click on it and select “Eject device”.

Windows is equipped with special protection removable media, but you can only rely on it at a time when the flash drive is not performing any read or write operations.

Even if all necessary information has already been written and read from the flash drive, this does not mean that it is in standby mode. There may be other programs that access it in at the moment, for example, an antivirus that checks for malware, or updating the index table on a flash drive.

Another important factor, which determines the resource for using the device - the frequency of rewriting memory cells. On physical level its organization has specifics that must be taken into account. When recording information, the initial memory cells are occupied. After deletion, they deal with new data when writing.

Most often, the middle and last cells remain unused and during frequent rewriting of information, the first ones wear out faster. To avoid this, you should not delete files from the card if possible and try to download it completely. This will help ensure maximum use of all cells and ensure that they wear evenly.

The likelihood of losing information can be reduced by setting a password. Despite all the advantages of the drive in terms of storing data transfers, other users can access it. To keep your business and personal files safe, you need a flash drive.

Sometimes it is convenient to use the medium as bootable flash drive or to store programs necessary for work, which are not always available on any device.