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Flash drives, USB drives, external hard drives, and similar devices are essentially smaller counterparts of a computer’s hard disk. These external drives offer finite storage capacity, allowing users to store files just like they would on their computer. Upon connecting one of these drives to the computer, they appear alongside the system’s internal drives. Users can access and manipulate their data, as well as add new files. Occasionally, when attaching an external drive, the antivirus software may detect and remove malicious files. In this article, we will explore methods for data recovery from a flash drive.
A USB flash drive is a portable and reusable storage medium, offering greater data security compared to a floppy disk, with reduced risk of data loss.
Similar to other storage devices like hard disks, USB flash drives can also experience data loss for the following reasons:
Losing your valuable data can occur for various reasons as outlined above. To safeguard against such data loss, it is highly advisable to maintain backups of the information stored on your USB flash drive on alternative storage devices. While many data loss scenarios can be resolved through manual or automated methods, the recovery of data from a physically damaged hard drive is exceedingly challenging, if not impossible. Therefore, it is prudent to take preventive measures to protect your data.
When a USB flash drive becomes corrupted, your computer system is unable to access the data stored on it, and it prompts a message saying, “Drive cannot be read and requires formatting.” Typically, in response to this message, most users choose to format the USB flash drive, leading to data loss.
However, occasionally, when you connect a USB flash drive to your computer, the installed antivirus/antispyware software may flag certain files as suspicious if they potentially pose a threat to your system. In such instances, the antivirus/antispyware program will offer the option to quarantine or remove the file, which can unfortunately lead to data loss.
No matter the cause of data loss, whether it’s due to a virus infection, accidental deletion, or formatting, you have the capability to effortlessly retrieve your lost data. When files are deleted from a USB flash drive, they are not permanently erased but instead marked as deleted. Consequently, you are unable to access them until they are overwritten by other files, you can recover lost data from USB flash drive with little efforts.
Recovering lost data using a hex editor is possible but carries significant risks. It is not recommended for individuals without technical expertise or a solid understanding of the process. Improper execution of this method can potentially worsen the data loss situation. If you are determined to pursue manual data recovery, it’s advisable to seek assistance from someone with a strong grasp of the subject matter to avoid further complications.
To perform the manual procedure, you’ll require several items: the corrupted drive, a computer system, a hex editor such as WinHex, an additional drive to store the recovered data, and the exact name of the deleted file.
Begin by connecting both drives to your system and launching the hex editor. Follow a three-step process that begins with scanning the disk, allowing you to pinpoint the deleted files. Next, identify the cluster chains associated with the deleted files, ensuring you locate the relevant one. The final step involves recovering the clusters containing the deleted files. If you are uncertain about this procedure, it is strongly advised to seek guidance from someone knowledgeable about its intricacies due to its critical nature.
The easiest way to recover lost data is with the help of a recovery tool. Data lost from USB flash drive can be easily and perfectly recovered using Kernel for Windows Data Recovery software. The software repairs the USB flash drive if corrupted and recovers data with full accuracy. In case, the USB flash drive is not corrupted, but you have lost data due to accidental files deletion, virus attack, or formatting, then the software is the best solution to recover lost data in no time.
A USB flash drive can accommodate a substantial volume of data due to its portability and robustness. This makes it a popular choice for securely transporting encrypted data. Consequently, safeguarding your drive becomes imperative. To ensure its safety, consider creating backups or installing a data recovery tool such as Kernel for Windows Data Recovery.