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<\/p>\r\nLost files on a USB flash drive aren’t usually gone for good. If you’ve deleted the wrong files by mistake, or formatted the drive, or pulled it out mid-transfer, then the data is probably still recoverable, but you must stop using the drive right now, because every new write to it lowers your chances of getting those files back.<\/p>\r\n
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In this guide, we show you how to recover deleted files from USB drives using four tested methods. Our team ran each method on real flash drives (multiple storage sizes and brands) and data loss scenarios, then ranked them by how well they actually work. Some of the methods don’t need any additional software besides what you already have, while other methods rely on a dedicated recovery tool. In any case, the right starting point depends on what happened to your drive, and we will walk you through that decision next.<\/p>\r\n
USB drive data loss most commonly happens because users accidentally delete the wrong file or format the wrong storage device. It can also happen due to improper USB flash drive removal, file system corruption, file name attribute changes, malware, and hardware damage\/failure.<\/p>\r\n
That said, there are certain things you need to do to successfully recover deleted files from flash drives:<\/p>\r\n
The table below maps the most common data loss scenarios to the methods we recommend trying first. Some methods work better than others depending on what actually happened to your drive, but data recovery software applies in almost every case.<\/p>\r\n
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