Summary
The article discusses the issue of lost or deleted files from USB flash drives on Windows 10 and 11. It highlights the improvements in antivirus and error-checking tools in these operating systems, while acknowledging that data loss can still occur. The article emphasizes that data recovery is often possible and likely, especially if backups are available. Factors such as the availability of backups significantly affect the success rate of file recovery. The guide aims to provide the necessary tools and information to maximize the chances of restoring lost files.
Have files disappeared from your USB stick? Safely eject your USB from your PC and set it aside until you read the rest of this article. Windows 10 has greatly improved its antivirus and error-checking tools, which have gotten even better with the release of Windows 11. However, both systems are still prone to errors that lead to data loss on both internal and external storage devices . But depending on what caused it, you still have a good chance of restoring your files with the right tools and information. This guide has all the tools and information you need for the best chance of getting your files back.
In many cases, data recovery from a USB flash drive is not only possible but highly likely. However, several factors affect your success rate:
- Availability of backups : Certain cloud backup services can automatically back up external storage devices as they are connected to the PC. Backups guarantee successful recovery. If you don’t have any backups, pay closer attention to the other factors below.
- Data overwriting : Successful data recovery often relies on whatever “file data” remains on the flash drive. Even if you delete a file through Windows, its physical data still exists on the flash drive itself. However, it will eventually be overwritten by new files . At that point, recovery is pretty much impossible.
- Size of the drive : Smaller flash drives are harder to recover simply because they are more likely to have their data overwritten. There’s just less free space for Windows to write new data so overwriting occurs more often.
- Flash drive health : Flash memory cells have a limited number of write/erase cycles and wear out over time. The more worn the NAND flash memory is, the harder it is to recover.
- Logical damage : Logical damage, such as accidental deletion or formatting, file system corruption, files disappearing after copying, USB not showing files, etc., is easy to recover in most cases.
- Mechanical damage : Mechanically damaged drives are not recoverable until the damage has been resolved. For example, if your storage device isn’t detected, data recovery won’t be possible (unless handled by experts).
- Physical damage : If your drive is physically damaged , DIY data recovery should absolutely not be attempted.
Below are step-by-step guides for 4 reliable methods to recover files that disappeared from your flash drive on Windows 10 and 11. We strongly recommend reading through all the content once while your flash drive is disconnected from your PC to avoid any more data loss from occurring before you’re ready to recover your data.
The Recycle Bin stores those files until you empty it, manually delete them again from within the Recycle Bin, or choose to recover them. In other cases, files that are deleted from external storage devices are sent to a hidden .Trashes folder you can find in your drive’s root.
If your USB files are missing but space is still used or the files deleted from the flash drive are not in the Recycle Bin, there’s a good chance they’re in the .Trashes folder.
Windows Recycle Bin
1. Connect your flash drive to your PC.
2. Open the Recycle Bin by clicking its icon on your desktop or using the Start Menu.
3. Right-click the file you want to recover and click Restore . You can also drag a selection box over the files missing from the flash drive so you can restore multiple at once.
.Trash folder on Flash Drive
1. Open File Explorer and navigate to your flash drive’s root folder.
2. Click View > Show > Hidden items . If the .Trash folder appears, you can copy its contents to your PC.
Mac Trash
The Mac Trash functions similarly to the Windows Recycle Bin , temporarily storing deleted files. To restore these files without emptying the Trash, follow these steps:
Step 1 : Start the Mac computer, double-click the (Trash) icon.
Step 2: Find the file that needs to be restored, right-click it, and select (Put it back to the original place).
Cloud storage services like OneDrive , Google Drive , iCloud Drive , Dropbox , etc. have certain automatic backup features that sometimes include external drives. For example, Dropbox has a feature called Autoplay , which automatically uploads photos and videos from external devices upon connection.
In other words, it’s possible that you automatically backed up your flash drive just by plugging it into your PC if you have cloud storage apps installed.
Those photos and videos are uploaded to a Dropbox folder called Camera Uploads , where you can view and download them.
In OneDrive or Google Drive, items in the Recycle bin/Trash Bin are automatically deleted 30 days after they’re put there.
1. Log in to Dropbox.com (or whichever website is used by your cloud storage service).
2. Click the Folders button in the sidebar and open the Camera Uploads folder. Mark beside the files you want to download and click Download .
We’ll demonstrate this process below using beginner-friendly data recovery tools that specifically excel at restoring a variety of data types, which commonly make up the contents of USB flash drives.
Option A: Renee Undeleter
If your files are no longer in the Recycle Bin nor the Trash folder and you don’t have any backups, the next viable solution is to use data recovery software . Data recovery software can recover missing files in a USB by scanning for and restoring its physical data directly from the flash drive’s disk. We’ll demonstrate this process below using Renee Undeleter , a professional data recovery tool that can help you retrieve lost or deleted files from your computer. It is a user-friendly and comprehensive tool that offers a high success rate for file recovery.
Renee Undeleter also recognizes more file signatures than most of its competitors, including documents (.pdf, .psd, .doc/.docx, .xls/.xlsx, etc.), photos (.jpg, .png, .gif,.cr2, etc.), and deleted videos (.mp4, .mov, .gopro, etc.). It’s very good at restoring original file names and folder structures from exFAT, FAT32 , and NTFS file systems , which are commonly used on flash drives.
Step 1: Download, install and run Renee Undeleter on your Windows computer.
Step 2: Select the [Fast Partition Scan] option in the main interface.
Tips: Please avoid installing the software on the disk containing the data to be recovered in order to prevent data overwriting . Also, refrain from saving new data to the same disk partition after a file is lost to avoid further damage or complete loss of the lost file.
Data Recovery Features
Fast Partition Scan: Recovers files from accidental deletions or recycle bin clearance.
Whole Partition Scan: Restores files from inaccessible or formatted partitions.
Whole Disk Scan: Analyzes partition information for a comprehensive disk scan.
Image Creation: Generates a partition mirror image for backup purposes.
Step 3: Next, select the partition where the lost data is located, and click [Next].
Step 4: Select the [Fast Scan] option and click the [Next] button to scan. The [ Fast Scan ] mode scans the initial 30GB of available space on the chosen disk. If desired files are not found, the [ Deep Scan ] mode can be used for a thorough scan of the hard disk partition , though it will require additional time.
Step 5: Wait for the scan to complete you can double-click the file to preview, then check the files that need to be recovered, and click the [Recover] button to recover the files to other disks.
Tips: Please select a disk without any important data when installing the software to avoid overwriting it. If the quick scan mode doesn’t find the necessary files, we suggest trying the deep scan mode for a full search. Using a professional software like Renee Undeleter can greatly increase your chances of successful file recovery. It is important to note that the longer you wait to use this method, the lower your chances of successful recovery become.
Option B: PhotoRec
PhotoRec is a free and open-source data recovery software with a humble interface and powerful signature scanner. While it’s not as polished as Renee Undeleter, it’s straightforward enough as a tool for beginners to use if you follow along with our guide.
PhotoRec also has a massive file signature database and supports almost every common extension across documents, photos, videos, and more. It’s a good choice for storage devices that carry a variety of files, like flash drives.
The app’s biggest weakness is that it only has a single scan type, but it might be enough under good conditions if you have a really strict budget.
1. Download TestDisk (which includes PhotoRec) to your PC. Unzip the folder if required.
2. Connect your flash drive to your PC. Then, open the TestDisk folder and double-click QPhotoRec.exe .
3. Use the dropdown menu near the top of the window to select your flash drive from the list of disks. Select the entry with the Label “[Whole Disk]”, then click Browse .
4. Choose a folder where PhotoRec will save the files it manages to restore. Then, click Select Folder .
5. Click File Formats .
5. Mark the boxes beside the file signatures you want PhotoRec to scan for. Then, click OK .
6. Finally, click Search .
7. PhotoRec will automatically save all the files it discovers to the location you specified in Step 4: It will also tell you how many files of each type it was able to restore. Feel free to close the app at this point.
If your flash drive is physically damaged or you simply want to skip DIY options and hire specialists instead, you can send your USB to a professional data recovery service . Professional data recovery services have advanced tools and expertise that can restore data under conditions where DIY solutions can’t. They also have a higher success rate for less complex data loss scenarios, so they’re ideal if you need to restore your flash drive files at all costs… Just expect to spend a few hundred dollars at least. If you’re unfamiliar with data recovery services, try to shop around for the following:
- No Data – No Charge : Most top data recovery services will only charge you for the job if they successfully restore the specific data you wanted to recover. If they fail, you will only have to pay for shipping.
- Reasonable shipping fees : Big recovery centers have multiple branches so make sure you’re sending your drive one close to you in order to manage shipping expenses. Some companies offer free inbound shipping, but you’re typically expected to pay for return shipping.
- Free replacement drive and/or parts : Some recovery services provide the return drives and/or replacement parts of your old drive for free. This perk isn’t as common.
- Cleanroom : While unnecessary for certain cases of data loss, having a cleanroom is critical if your flash drive needs to be disassembled for recovery. It prevents tiny particles from damaging sensitive internal components.
- Good user reviews : Check user reviews on platforms like Google Reviews , Yelp! , TrustPilot . Make sure that you pay attention to: (a) reviews with different star levels, (b) reviews for the correct branch (it matters), and (c) the most recent reviews.
Can files disappear from a flash drive? Not if you didn’t delete them or format the USB. If any files copied to the USB drive disappear for seemingly no reason, the device might be corrupted. We recommend formatting it once you’ve recovered your data to start with a fresh file system. We also recommend creating regular backups of your flash drive if you use it to store important files – consider using cloud storage services with automatic backup features.
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