(Free) How to Recover Files from Corrupted Flash Drive and Fix the Drive?

Are you looking for ways to recover data from a corrupted USB flash drive? Here, you’ve come to the right place. A flash drive can get damaged owing to abrupt removal, power outage, software failure, etc. This kind of corruption we commonly encounter is called logical damage, which is exactly this article aims at, namely, telling how to recover files from a USB that is logically damaged and how to fix the drive after recovery. 

In case your flash drive has been physically damaged after dropping down, exposure to water or high temperature, you’d better pay for professional data recovery services as soon as possible.

Top way to recover files from corrupted flash drive

The most recommended option to retrieve data from corrupted flash drive is utilizing a piece of dedicated USB data recovery software, for example, Cisdem Data Recovery. The amazing thing is that Cisdem can get access to a corrupted drive even it isn’t recognized by the computer, without any help from Windows Explorer or Disk Manager.

Both available on Windows and Mac, Cisdem Data Recovery is a robust flash drive recovery program, having the ability to read a device that’s being damaged or corrupted and rescue data from the disk. In addition to USB flash drive, Cisdem also covers other storage media, such as internal disk, pen drive, HDD, SSD, SD card, digital camera, video player and more. 

Also, there are a couple more reasons to consider Cisdem:

• Restore lost data from corrupted, damaged, formatted USB flash drive
• Support more than 1000 file types
• Retrieve files from internal and external hard drive, performing equally well
• Recover files from crashed or unbootable computer
• Repair corrupted images, videos and documents
• Filter tools applied to locate wanted USB files quickly
• Preview items before recovering
• Support NAS, Linux recovery
• Recovered files saved to local disk or cloud platforms

How to recover files from corrupted flash drive on Windows 11/10?

1. Connect the corrupted flash drive with your PC.
2. Download, install and run Cisdem Data Recovery on the computer.
   Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7 Free Download macOS 10.9 or later
3. Go to Hardware Disk, select the USB flash drive from which you need to recover files, then click Search for Lost Data to continue.
4. Wait for Cisdem to scan your flash drive thoroughly. After scanning, based on different file categories, find the specific files you wish to recover. You’re allowed to preview them to make sure they are exactly what you want.
5. Select the wanted files and click Recover to restore files from corrupted flash drive.

FREE: How to recover files from corrupted flash drive using CMD?

While opting for specialized-grade help like Cisdem is the best choice, many USB users still wonder if there is any solution to get back files from corrupted flash drive for free. Yes, as following we’ve gathered 3 methods for your reference to achieve a free USB flash drive recovery. All of them need the aid of Command Prompt utility, so act carefully when dealing with any command lines. Before you take actions, make sure your USB flash drive is connected to the PC properly.

Method 1: Recover with TestDisk

If your corrupted USB flash drive is found to be caused by broken partitions, TestDisk can come in great handy. It’s a free and open-source data recovery application, especially useful for fixing bad partition tables to recover lost partitions and files. Just pursue the following steps to use TestDisk combined with CMD.

How to recover corrupted files from USB flash drive for free?

1. Download and extract the archive of TestDisk app.
2. Open testdisk_win.exe.
3. Choose Create and press Enter to create a new log file.
4. Use arrow keys to locate your corrupted flash drive > press Enter to proceed.
5. Select the partition table type of your USB. TestDisk will usually detect it automatically.
6. Press Enter to analyse the USB structure and search for lost partitions.
7. Perform a Quick Search to locate lost partitions. If a quick search doesn’t find the partitions, go for a Deeper Search.
8. Select the partition that has been found > press Enter.
9. Highlight Write option using arrow keys > press Enter to continue.
10. Type Y to confirm your choice.
11. Press Enter and reboot your PC to restore partition and make your corrupted USB readable again.

Method 2: Recover via Windows File Recovery

Developed by Microsoft, Windows File Recovery can be freely accessed in Microsoft Store. It’s a reliable tool to rescue various file types (photos, documents,videos, etc.) from a wide range of storage devices, like USB flash drive, even it’s damaged. Likewise, Windows File Recovery doesn’t offer a graphical interface either, so we need command lines to pursue the following steps.

How to recover files from corrupted flash drive using CMD?

1. Download Windows File Recovery from Microsoft Store.
2. Open this tool, type the command: winfr D: C: /extensive /n RecoveryFolder and hit Enter to execute it. 
   Notes: Replace D: with the drive letter of your own USB and C: with the destination drive where you want to store the recovered files. “RecoveryFolder” is the folder where the recovered files will be saved in the recovery drive.
3. Type Y to continue the recovery process. Once done, check the restored USB files in the selected location.

Method 3: Recover using ATTRIB command

There is another possibility that the files are just hidden, rather than removed from your USB flash drive. In this case, the major reason could be that potential virus or malware in the drive has changed attributes of folders and files, which leads to their invisibility and further causes corruption to the USB. Then let’s try ATTRIB command to reveal the missing files and folders.

How to recover corrupted files from USB flash drive using CMD ATTRIB?

1. Press Windows+R to launch Run box.
2. Type CMD > click OK to open Windows Command Prompt.
3. Input this command: D:\>attrib -h -r -s /s /d *.* and press Enter. Remember to replace D: with your flash drive’s letter.
4. Exit CMD and check if the disappeared files show up in your USB drive again.

How to fix a corrupted flash drive without losing data?

Now that your files have been reverted back from the corrupted USB flash drive, it's practicable to repair the drive for its reuse. To fix a damaged flash drive without losing data, 4 proven tips will be covered as below. Of course, ensure your drive is plugged in the computer beforehand.

1# Assign a new drive letter

At times the USB drive is present in Disk Management, but not in File Explorer. It’s wise to add a new drive letter or change the existing drive letter to fix the drive in damage.

1. Right-click on the Start menu > choose Disk Management.
2. Locate your flash drive > right-click on it > click Change Drive Letter and Paths.
3. Click Add button.
4. From the drop-down list, select a new drive letter and click OK to assign it.

2# Use Windows error checking tool

The next approach to repair a corrupted USB flash drive is using the disk error checking tool built in Windows operating system. This tool is mainly designed to check disk for file system error. Let’s dive into the finer details.

1. Again, navigate to Disk Management on your Windows.
2. Find your flash drive > right-click on it > choose Properties.
3. Click Tools tab > choose Check button.
4. Head to Repair drive option. This utility will scan your USB drive and repair any errors if necessary.

3# Update and reinstall drivers

The next fix that you can try is to update and reinstall drivers. We can think of drivers as a sort of communication pathway between an operating system and a device. If drivers get interrupted, then your USB will be corrupted and non-readable.

1. Search Device Manager and open it.
2. Under Disk drives section, find your USB flash drive > right-click on it > select Update driver.
3. Go for “Search automatically for drivers” option to install the latest version of device driver available.

4# Format the corrupted flash drive

As the end wit, formatting the USB flash drive will correct faults or corruption within its internal file structure. For this formatting, we are still going to conduct it in Windows Disk Management.

1. Go to Disk Management and locate your corrupted flash drive.
2. Right-click on it > select Format.
3. Choose an appropriate file system, tick the box of Perform a quick format > click OK.
4. After formatting, verify if your flash drive can work fine.

Bottom line

In conclusion, this article focuses on how to recover files from corrupted flash drive and how to fix a corrupted USB drive without data loss. The longer you wait to try and recover the file, the lower your chances of success may be. So act quickly when you get a damaged USB flash drive and need to rescue precious data from it. One trustworthy tool you can try is Cisdem Data Recovery, which can restore your files back from a corrupted USB drive within seconds.