![\"how](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/recover-RAW-USB-flash-drive.jpg\")
USB drives and memory cards that have gone RAW are tackled in the same way.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n
<\/span>Key Takeaways<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\t- Check Disk Management before anything else.<\/li>\r\n\t
- If the files are important, recover the data<\/a> first.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Do not format the RAW USB drive if you still need the files on it.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Do not run CHKDSK first. (It can help in rare NTFS cases, but it can also change the file system before recovery.)<\/li>\r\n\t
- USB shows RAW but correct size – scan it with recovery software first, then fix or format it.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Windows asks to format the USB – cancel the prompt and recover your files first.<\/li>\r\n\t
- USB shows No Media, 0 bytes (or wrong size) – \u00a0this may be a controller\/hardware problem, not a \u201cnormal\u201d RAW file system issue.<\/li>\r\n\t
- USB is not detected anywhere – try another port, another PC, and avoid USB hubs.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Save recovered files to another drive. Never recover files back to the same RAW USB.
\r\nAfter recovery, formatting is usually the cleanest fix.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/span>Common Reasons Why a USB Drive Turns RAW<\/span><\/h2>\r\nA USB drive can turn RAW for several reasons, and the cause matters because some situations are only logical errors; others may indicate that the drive itself is failing.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
Here are some of the most common reasons why a USB drive turns RAW:<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- File system corruption<\/b> – improper ejection, a power outage during a transfer, a system crash, or malware can damage the file system metadata Windows needs to read the drive. This is usually more dangerous for the data than for the USB itself: the drive may still be healthy, and recovery chances are often good if it shows the correct capacity and you stop using it right away.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Interrupted or failed formatting<\/b> – if the formatting process is canceled, interrupted, or fails before completion, the drive may be left without a readable file system. The USB hardware is usually still fine, but the risk to the data can be moderate or high because formatting may overwrite part of the old file system structure.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Partition table issues<\/b> – damage to the partition table can prevent Windows from locating the volume correctly and make it appear RAW. This usually does not mean the flash drive itself is failing, and recovery prospects are often good because the original files may still be intact even though the partition information is not.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Aging or failing flash memory<\/b> – USB drives wear out over time and may develop unreadable memory cells. If those bad blocks affect the boot sector, partition table, or file system metadata, the drive can turn RAW. This is the most serious case for both the drive and the data because the condition may continue to worsen, so recovery or imaging should come before any repair attempt.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Unsupported file system<\/b> – a USB drive may appear as RAW or inaccessible when it uses a file system Windows cannot read natively. For example, a drive formatted as ext4 on Linux usually will not open in Windows. In this case, the drive and the data may be completely fine, and the main risk comes from formatting it unnecessarily instead of opening it on a compatible system.Understanding these common causes can help you take better care of your USB drive and prevent it from turning RAW in the future. However, if your drive has already turned RAW, don’t worry\u2014we’ll show you how to recover your data and repair the drive.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
<\/span>Recover Files from a RAW USB Drive<\/span><\/h2>\r\nWhen it comes to RAW USB drive recovery, USB recovery software<\/a> is your best bet. One excellent choice for RAW USB flash drive recovery is Disk Drill.<\/p>\r\nDisk Drill\u2019s powerful RAW scanner can recognize the file signatures of almost 400 file formats, and its deep scan algorithms can recover missing file system information to retrieve files from RAW drives even with their original paths and names (if that information is still intact).<\/p>\r\n
\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n ![\"Disk](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/sidebar-ban-96.png\")
\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n download-block-title<\/b>
\r\n download-block-text \r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n \r\n
\r\nAfter recovery, formatting is usually the cleanest fix.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
<\/span>Common Reasons Why a USB Drive Turns RAW<\/span><\/h2>\r\nA USB drive can turn RAW for several reasons, and the cause matters because some situations are only logical errors; others may indicate that the drive itself is failing.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
Here are some of the most common reasons why a USB drive turns RAW:<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\t- File system corruption<\/b> – improper ejection, a power outage during a transfer, a system crash, or malware can damage the file system metadata Windows needs to read the drive. This is usually more dangerous for the data than for the USB itself: the drive may still be healthy, and recovery chances are often good if it shows the correct capacity and you stop using it right away.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Interrupted or failed formatting<\/b> – if the formatting process is canceled, interrupted, or fails before completion, the drive may be left without a readable file system. The USB hardware is usually still fine, but the risk to the data can be moderate or high because formatting may overwrite part of the old file system structure.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Partition table issues<\/b> – damage to the partition table can prevent Windows from locating the volume correctly and make it appear RAW. This usually does not mean the flash drive itself is failing, and recovery prospects are often good because the original files may still be intact even though the partition information is not.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Aging or failing flash memory<\/b> – USB drives wear out over time and may develop unreadable memory cells. If those bad blocks affect the boot sector, partition table, or file system metadata, the drive can turn RAW. This is the most serious case for both the drive and the data because the condition may continue to worsen, so recovery or imaging should come before any repair attempt.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Unsupported file system<\/b> – a USB drive may appear as RAW or inaccessible when it uses a file system Windows cannot read natively. For example, a drive formatted as ext4 on Linux usually will not open in Windows. In this case, the drive and the data may be completely fine, and the main risk comes from formatting it unnecessarily instead of opening it on a compatible system.Understanding these common causes can help you take better care of your USB drive and prevent it from turning RAW in the future. However, if your drive has already turned RAW, don’t worry\u2014we’ll show you how to recover your data and repair the drive.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
<\/span>Recover Files from a RAW USB Drive<\/span><\/h2>\r\nWhen it comes to RAW USB drive recovery, USB recovery software<\/a> is your best bet. One excellent choice for RAW USB flash drive recovery is Disk Drill.<\/p>\r\nDisk Drill\u2019s powerful RAW scanner can recognize the file signatures of almost 400 file formats, and its deep scan algorithms can recover missing file system information to retrieve files from RAW drives even with their original paths and names (if that information is still intact).<\/p>\r\n
\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n download-block-title<\/b>
\r\n download-block-text \r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n \r\n
<\/span>Recover Files from a RAW USB Drive<\/span><\/h2>\r\nWhen it comes to RAW USB drive recovery, USB recovery software<\/a> is your best bet. One excellent choice for RAW USB flash drive recovery is Disk Drill.<\/p>\r\nDisk Drill\u2019s powerful RAW scanner can recognize the file signatures of almost 400 file formats, and its deep scan algorithms can recover missing file system information to retrieve files from RAW drives even with their original paths and names (if that information is still intact).<\/p>\r\n
\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n download-block-title<\/b>
\r\n download-block-text \r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n \r\n
Disk Drill\u2019s powerful RAW scanner can recognize the file signatures of almost 400 file formats, and its deep scan algorithms can recover missing file system information to retrieve files from RAW drives even with their original paths and names (if that information is still intact).<\/p>\r\n
\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n download-block-text \r\n <\/div>\r\n