How to Recover Files From Corrupted USB Drive With Ease!

This article provides a guide on How to Recover Files From Corrupted USB Drive With Ease. If you’re interested in a detailed exploration, read on for extensive information and advice.

Although USB drives have the advantages of large storage space, fast read and write speed, portability, etc., they are easily damaged or broken due to various factors. When your USB drive is corrupted because of file system errors, bad sectors, virus attacks, and more, you might be thinking: how to recover files from corrupted USB drive?

In this tutorial, we will walk you through the detailed steps of corrupted USB drive data recovery and disk repair solutions.

Table of Contents

How to Recover Files From Corrupted USB Drive

To recover files from corrupted USB for free, you need to choose professional and free data recovery software. MiniTool Power Data Recovery is highly recommended due to its seamless file restoration as well as high compatibility and adaptability.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery is capable of detecting and deeply scanning corrupted or logically damaged USB drives for deleted/lost/existing files. All common file types are supported to recover, including documents, videos, photos, audio, and other data.

Moreover, this file restoration tool is also compatible with other file storage media, such as HDDs, SSDs, SD cards, memory cards, CDs/DVDs, and so on.

Now, go to MiniTool’s official site to download MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free and start USB drive data recovery. You can refer to the steps below.

Step 1: Connect the corrupted USB drive to your computer. Then launch MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free to access its main interface.
Step 2: On the home page of this file recovery software, locate your USB drive according to the drive letter or storage space, and then click the Scan button to scan it.

recover files from corrupted USB for free

Step 3: After scanning, there may be a large number of files displayed on the scan results window. Depending on your needs, you can use several functions to narrow down the files.

Feature 1: Type

By default, the found files are outlined by file location under Path, requiring you to unfold each folder to locate the desired files. If you need to recover a specific type of file, you can switch to the Type category list to view files by file type and find needed items.

Feature 2: Filter

This software allows you to add filtering rules for the listed files. Specific filtering criteria include By File Type, By Date Modified, By File Size, and By File Category.

For instance, after clicking the Filter button, you can expand By File Type and select Picture as well as Document only to filter all photos and documents.

Feature 3: Search

This file recovery tool has a built-in search function, enabling you to search for a specific file/folder by tying the partial or complete file name in the search box and pressing Enter. If you need to find a certain file, this feature is perfect for you.

Step 4. Finally, double-click on each of the target files to preview it for confirmation. Then tick all required data and click Save to store them to a safe location. When finished, you can go to the location to view and use the recovered items.

You need to note that the free edition of MiniTool Power Data Recovery only supports recovering 1 GB of data for free. If you need to recover more, you will be required to upgrade the software to a full edition.

This is all about how to recover files from corrupted USB drive.

Three Solutions to Fix Corrupted USB Drive

Once you get your files back from the corrupted drive, it is time to take some actions to fix the corrupted USB disk for further use.

Solution 1. Check File System Errors

One of the biggest factors leading to disk corruption is file system errors. To detect and resolve issues with the file system, you can run the built-in error-checking tool in File Explorer. Here is the tutorial:

Step 1. Make sure your corrupted USB drive is properly connected to your computer.
Step 2. Go to the This PC section in File Explorer, right-click the USB disk, and choose Properties.
Step 3. Move on to the Tools tab, and click Check under Error checking.

Step 4. Follow the prompts on your screen to complete the diagnosis and repair process.

Solution 2. Format the USB Drive

Formatting is a process that removes all data on your storage medium and recreates the file system. It can repair or hide some logical bad sectors. So, you can format your USB disk to restore its normal function.

Windows built-in tools like File Explorer or Disk Management provide the disk formatting feature. You can opt for one to complete the formatting process. Here are the steps to format your USB drive in File Explorer:

Step 1. Press the Windows + E key combination to open File Explorer.
Step 2. In the This PC section, right-click the USB drive and choose Format.
Step 3. Choose a file system, specify a volume label, tick Quick Format, and click Start.
Step 4. Wait until the formatting process is completed.

Solution 3. Update Disk Driver

In some cases, your USB drive may not be recognized properly by the computer, causing it to appear damaged or corrupted. This may be caused by corrupt or outdated drivers. To address it, you can manually update the disk driver.

Step 1. Right-click the Windows logo button on the taskbar and choose Device Manager.
Step 2. Expand the Disk drives category, right-click the USB drive, and then select Update driver.

Step 3. In the new window, select how you would like to update the disk driver from Search automatically for drivers and Browse my computer for drivers according to the prompts.

Step 4. Follow the instructions on your screen to complete the disk driver update process. If updating the driver does not fix the problem, you may consider uninstalling the driver. After that, you need to restart your computer to make Windows automatically install the most appropriate driver for your USB drive.

Conclusion:)

Now you should have a comprehensive understanding of how to recover files from corrupted USB drive and how to fix corrupted USB drive easily. If the solutions listed above do not help you restore the USB drive, you may need to take it to a professional disk repair agency for repair.

Read also:)

Have you ever had to recover files from a corrupted USB drive? What tools or methods worked best for you? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below—we’d love to hear from you!