Flash drive recovery programs. Instructions for restoring flash drives Program for fixing bad sectors on a flash drive

Cure for Flash Drive! (soft repair BAD blocks)

Good day!
The reason for writing this article was my two Kingston flash drives.
One of them was not used for quite a long time and when I decided to use it, it turned out that it was impossible to write data to it! Using the HD Tune 3.5 utility, it was found that a decent portion of the surface was marked as unreadable! Attempts at formatting using Windows did not lead to anything, due to the fact that when formatting a flash drive, only service information is created. Low-level formatting was required, a utility for this was found without problems using Google. The format was produced and it started working.
A few days ago, when trying to copy sources from a second flash drive, a message was given that it was impossible to copy such and such files. Moreover, it was possible to delete these files! My first thought is that BAD blocks have appeared.
Checking the flash drive using HD Tune 3.5 did not reveal any BADs!

The reason for the unreadability of the files remained unidentified for several days, until I came across the HDD Scan 3.2 utility.



A surface test carried out with its help immediately revealed the presence of BADs, which actually explained the unreadability of the files! In addition, the reason for the dips in the speed of writing and reading files immediately became clear: these are sectors with an access time of more than 150 ms.







To eliminate them, a previously found low-level formatting utility was used HDD Low Level Format Tool.



After formatting was completed, a surface test was carried out using the same HDD Scan 3.2.







BAD blocks were eliminated, and we also managed to get rid of slow sectors, which eliminated dips in writing and reading speeds.

Conclusion.
Using the HD Tune utility to test the surface is not recommended; it produces incorrect results, so it is better to use other utilities, such as HDD Scan or similar.
To treat BAD blocks, you need to use low-level formatting utilities. In addition to eliminating defective sectors, it allows you to eliminate clusters with long access times, which ultimately eliminates dips in read and write speeds.
Using a similar method, you can return seemingly non-working flash drives to work, but it is worth remembering that you should no longer trust such media, the wear and tear process that has begun cannot be stopped and over time the number of bad sectors will grow and eventually the time will come when the media can no longer be used ! The time for complete failure depends on the intensity of use of the flash drive!
This technique and set of software can be used not only for flash drives but also for hard drives, both portable connected via USB and stationary with IDE and SATA interfaces.

Best regards – StrateG-1.

We express our opinion

Flash drive recovery is possible in almost all cases. The recovery methods listed below are intended to eliminate software failures; if the flash drive is sunk, broken, or melted, then software data recovery methods will not help. Therefore, at the very beginning it is necessary to determine the type of failure. To do this, insert the drive into the USB connector and look at the indicator or at the list of connected devices in the “My Computer” section:

  1. If the device appears, but the files are not visible or inaccessible, then there is a malfunction that is often resolved using special programs and you can proceed to selection;
  2. The light has gone out and will not start (or the device not displayed) — there is a physical breakdown;
  3. Flash drive appears as a 0 MB disk. Not the most popular type of malfunction, but if this is what you have, then feel free to skip the main part - a quick solution to this problem is described at the end of the article.

Selection of a special program

There are a number of free programs through which you can bring a flash drive back to life. To select the right program, you must first determine the VIP and PID.

Determining VID and PID

VID and PID are identifiers that determine the type of controller installed in the flash drive. Using these identifiers, software for working with the device is selected. Programs are developed for different types of controllers.

To determine VID and PID you need to:

Program selection

You should use the obtained information about controller identifiers to find the best compatible program. For this:


The service will automatically find compatible software for working with the flash drive. You need to select an entry with the same manufacturer as your flash drive and click on the link. If the link does not work, you can enter the name of the program in search bar browser and download through the developer’s website.

In some cases, searching by VID and PID does not bring results. The website does not display software compatible with the controller. Then you need to select a program to work with the flash drive manually. Some of them are universal, suitable for restoring most cards. Such programs will be discussed below.

Recovery using built-in Windows utilities

CHKDSK utility

The utility is suitable for the simplest cases when file system data fails without disrupting the cluster layout. When trying to display existing files when there are bad sectors, the computer will often simply hang, so there is no need to try to open the device. Instead, let's use the command line by doing the following:

  1. Look at what letter the system identifies the drive under (in our case, G).
  2. Run command line. To do this, press the Win and R keys or use the “Start” button to open the “Run” window, write the line cmd in the input field, and click Ok.
  3. In the command prompt window, enter G: /f (under the letter G, in our case, the system identifies the flash drive).

This will launch the CHKDSK program to check for file system errors, the /f key will give it the command to automatically correct the problems found. Upon completion of the utility, you will most likely successfully restore the flash drive without losing data.

Windows DiskPart utility

The Diskpart utility is launched via the command line. You can launch the command line by searching in the Start menu. To restore the flash drive you will need the following commands:

To work with the utility, you will need administrator rights on your computer. It should also be run as an administrator. Otherwise, some commands may not work.

Other recovery programs

Fortunately for owners, restoring data and performance of flash drives is much easier than for hard drives or microSD drives. Below are several effective programs that will make a “dead” flash drive work.

SDformatter

What it can do:

  • Format devices if the system fails;
  • Restoring functionality due to software, virus damage or improper cleaning in the past;
  • Flexible settings for working with a flash drive.

Suitable for Windows and MacOS. Disadvantage: there is only an English interface. Not compatible with all types of removable storage devices.

PC Inspector Smart Recovery

The program is suitable for working with any storage media, including HDD and removable cards. PC Inspector Smart Recovery is distributed free of charge, you can download it. There is a Russian interface.

PC Inspector Smart Recovery can recover files of most existing extensions, including rare ones. The program itself has a convenient hint system, which is aimed at helping users during recovery. The software even recovers data for which header lines have been deleted. The program can clean and format data on storage media different ways. The user is offered flexible parameter settings and extensive functionality.

RecoverRx

The program was developed by the removable storage manufacturer Transcend. It is free, there is a Russian language. You can download it. Designed specifically for working with removable devices, including players, phones, microcards, SD and flash drives.

RecoverRx can:

  • Recovers data. Helps to return deleted files of most formats: text, audio, video, applications.
  • Formats. Safely clears the disk of all data without affecting its performance.
  • Protects. With RecoveRx you can set a password for the device memory. Deleting data will only work if you enter this combination. The function is only compatible with Windows OS.

The program is simple and easy to use. The main window offers a list of all connected devices. The user needs to select a flash drive and the function he wants to use.

The system detects a USB drive as a disk size of 0 bytes

If the system detects a flash drive with a size of 0 bytes, the file system fails with a violation of the cluster layout. If you want to restore data, then it is better to use the instructions above, but if you need to return the flash drive to working capacity, then it is much simpler and quick way without use additional programs- formatting.

For this:

Why do crashes occur?

Problems with flash cards arise for various reasons:

  • Wrong selected file system when formatting;
  • The flash drive was cleaned incorrectly, the operation was interrupted before formatting was completed;
  • The device was repeatedly forcibly disconnected from the computer while it was working, without software removal;
  • The device memory is infected with a virus;
  • The memory has been overwritten many times without formatting, and the sectors are damaged.

Serious memory problems with flash drives are rare. Common problems include incorrect formatting and virus infections. If you overwrite information in the card's memory, it is recommended to format it.

Careless, careless handling can lead to damage to even the most durable device. Cards do not have moving elements, as in HDD drives, but they are also prone to malfunctions. You can avoid many problems with flash drives if you store them in dark, dry places, carefully remove them from the computer, and continue formatting and processing files so as not to cause a critical error.

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How to recover an SD card or USB flash drive if the computer does not see it, does not read or write data? Problems with flash drives are rarely caused by natural wear and tear. Most often, problems with them are caused by users ignoring the rules safe removal devices, experiments with various software in which these flash drives are involved, as well as their initially lousy quality. Below we look at the list possible actions, carried out in a Windows environment, which can solve the problem, unless, of course, the cause lies in a mechanical failure. And we, friends, will go from simple to complex.

Recovering SD cards and USB flash drives in Windows

  • Note: below we will only talk about restoring the functionality of flash drives, but not about saving the data stored on them. This is a separate topic, and there is something about this on the website; you can also use this program for. Most of the methods proposed below for recovering SD cards and flash drives will lead to the loss of their data.

1. Hardware lock

SD cards, MicroSD adapters and flash drives can be hardware protected from writing data or completely blocked even for reading. On such devices there is a lock switch, which must, accordingly, be set to the “Unlocked” position.

2. Problems not related to the drives themselves

Politics may be the cause of problems with SD cards and flash drives Windows security. You need to find out whether access to removable drives is blocked (in whole or in part of writing data to them) by the computer administrator. You also need to check the card reader or ports Computer USB. If everything is fine with the latter, the card reader reads other SD cards, but problems still arise with the flash drive, no matter how you connect it to others USB ports, go ahead.

3. Windows Explorer

Standard formatting tools Windows Explorer can help in simple cases such as unsuccessful writing of data to a flash drive. Or when for some reason a smartphone, tablet, camera or other device cannot cope with this operation regarding SD cards. In any of the current Windows versions In the Explorer window on the drive, call up the context menu and click “Format”.

We leave the original file system and first try a quick format.

If it fails, we repeat the operation, but with full formatting (uncheck the fast box).

4. Windows Disk Management

You can try to perform the formatting procedure in disk management. To launch this tool, enter in the system search field:

diskmgmt.msc

In the disk management window, focusing on the size of the drive, we look for it among the disks connected to the computer. And in the context menu called on it, we launch formatting.

You can immediately select full formatting.

If the flash drive has a partition structure like a hard drive, you must delete each of those partitions. This is done using the “Delete Volume” option in the context menu.

And then, in place of the resulting unallocated space, you need to create a single partition. To do this, in the context menu on this very unallocated space, launch the “Create a new volume” operation and follow the instructions of the step-by-step wizard.

5. Programs for low-level formatting

Standard formatting tools may not help in complex cases, for example, when flash drives are displayed (in the same Explorer or Disk Management) as unrecognized devices with the RAW file system. The latter means that either Windows environment does not understand the file system of the drive, or there is no file system as such in principle. Actually, this is what causes problems with a flash drive or SD card when it works on other devices, with other operating systems. In such cases, third-party Windows programs designed for so-called low-level formatting will help restore the flash drive.

In fact, low-level formatting is a procedure that is carried out either in the production conditions of flash device manufacturers, or in serious specialized services. Various types of Windows software that claim to perform this kind of operation actually perform a regular full format, but using mechanisms that differ from those used by the operating system. Such programs cope well with flash drive problems if these problems arise at the file system level. Let's look at two of these programs.

HDD Low Level Format Tool

http://hddguru.com/software/HDD-LLF-Low-Level-Format-Tool/

Shareware portable program HDD Low Level Format Tool can format different types storage media, in particular SD cards and USB flash drives. After unpacking the archive with the program, run it and agree to the license terms.

We choose free use.

Directly in the program window we indicate the problematic drive and click “Continue”.

We confirm the decision.

We wait for the operation to complete and check the operation of the media.

SDFormatter

http://flashboot.ru/files/file/355

A completely free small program called SDFormatter is another tool for so-called low-level formatting. Works with both SD cards and USB flash drives. Install SDFormatter into the system, launch it, and indicate the problematic flash drive in the “Drive” column. Click “Format”.

The program wants to make sure that our intentions are serious, click “Ok.

He asks not to touch the drive while the operation is being performed.

Upon completion, test the flash drive or SD card. If this does not help, repeat the operation with the settings for complete overwriting of sectors (nothing more than full formatting). Press “Option”, select “Full (OverWrite)”. And also click “Format” at the bottom.

If using the above methods it was not possible to revive the flash drive, and it is still under warranty, you need to stop at this stage. And do not take any further action except contact the seller with a request to replace the device. All the actions described below should be resorted to only when, in fact, there is nothing to lose. The instructions below apply to USB flash drives, SD and MicroSD cards. However, in the case of the latter, the likelihood of recovery is extremely low.

6. D-Soft Flash Doctor

D-Soft Flash Doctor performs so-called low-level formatting, and at the same time also detects damaged sectors (cells). Well, and, accordingly, knows how to block them and replace them with backup ones. The program can help when flash drives or SD cards have difficulty reading separate files that fell on damaged sectors. The program is free and portable. I did not find the official website, but it can be freely downloaded on the Internet.

In the D-Soft Flash Doctor window, the first thing you need to do is run a scan to detect errors.

In my case, there were no damaged (broken) sectors.

But if in your case, friends, the scan results are different and bad sectors are detected, we start the recovery process.

The window for performing this operation promises that the process will not last longer than 10 minutes, but in fact, reassigning bad sectors on a drive with a capacity larger than 4 GB can take quite a long time. So it is better to run the recovery operation at night.

7. Flashing the memory controller

Programs for so-called low-level formatting or their analogues, which in any other form claim to be able to resuscitate all types of SD cards and/or USB flash drives, turn out to be powerless in the event of a software failure of the controller, when it requires flashing. This problem can have different symptoms, but more often it is either the computer does not see the drive completely, or it sees it and can even read the data, but cannot format it by any means. In particular, due to write protection even though the drive is not locked by hardware.

We choose the best programs for flash drive recovery. We tell you how to recover a USB flash drive and revive it using free utilities.

Flash drive – small device for storing information (documents, music, videos, files), convenient for carrying and connecting to a USB port, removing from a computer, laptop. It contains a controller and special chips that store information inside the microcircuits.

Sometimes we copy files and forget about them, and when we remember, we find that valuable files have either been erased or permanently deleted. Either the device is broken, you formatted the partitions. What can you do, often the digital flash drive (most often, the controller in it) breaks down, generates errors, the flash drive does not open on the PC - not even a month will pass. One day the flash drive may need to be restored. The reason for this may be:

  • incorrect, careless operation of the flash drive
  • incorrect formatting of the storage medium
  • low-quality flash drive, bought on the market or cheaply from a Chinese (probably by mistake)
  • physical or software failure of the flash drive (the most likely reason)
  • Also, the reason for inoperability can be an incorrectly removed flash drive from a computer or laptop. This happens when an impatient user literally rips the flash drive out of the USB slot while copying or transferring files.

There are many reasons when it is necessary to restore a flash drive that does not open on the computer or is recognized with read errors. Fortunately, today specialists from service centers They will help you return valuable files and restore the functionality of your device without any problems or errors. Recovery programs will return files safe and sound or at least partially restore data on a USB flash drive. The flash recovery procedure costs a lot of money, which makes you think about recovering a USB flash drive yourself. Alas, free utilities are not always useful.

Flash drives and SD memory cards are equally characterized by all the symptoms and consequences of removal digital information. This could be accidental erasure, unconscious or deliberate deletion of files from a USB drive, damage to the structure, physical or mechanical damage to the controller or memory chips... One way or another, restoring a flash drive and SD card is a more than relevant task for PC owners. Therefore, first of all, read the contents of this section.

The flash drive does not open: we study the symptoms of damage

In the recovery section we will talk about the main problems associated with recovering information on flash and secure digital storage. As a rule, this is due to hardware or software damage to the flash drive - if it does not come off or is not recognized correctly. Sometimes the memory wears out, sometimes the controller fails. And the USB controller drivers have nothing to do with it. In some cases, you can solve the problem yourself and, as a result, save the files on a flash card or repair the chip or device, ignoring reading errors on the computer. Here are just a few of the symptoms that indicate a drive failure:

  • The PC does not see the flash drive in the list of readable devices
  • The flash drive does not appear when connected to a laptop or computer (OS does not matter)
  • The flash drive is not readable: although the files can be seen on the USB drive

Help with the contents of the section "Recovering a flash drive" (Flash Recovery)

  • A small guide related to the question of how to find the reasons why the card does not work or the PC does not see the flash drive along with other drives (the device is not recognized, has problems being read, requires formatting, freezes, gives an error when copying to the card, etc.) flash drive -storage device. Diagnostics of malfunctions is important in such situations, because without identifying the disease, it is impossible to cure the patient, or even easily ruin his life, using the wrong tools, using the wrong methods and programs that can revive the drive. In this article, we analyze the causes of damage and possible symptoms that lead to the need to restore a flash drive, secure digital, controller, memory chip and flash card.
  • We try (with the help of instructions and utilities posted on the site) and at the same time qualitatively - how to solve problems with our own hands - fix a breakdown on the sd card, revive the controller, correctly format, solder the loose contact or memory chip, scan information and process bad sectors on flash "ke, sections with reading errors. However, the described methods require certain dexterity and experience in using the specified tools.
  • , if it does not open on your computer or does not display correctly. What is “VID&PID”, what does this abbreviation stand for and what to do when the device is not recognized or cannot be opened. Explanation of terminology, without which it is difficult to imagine recovery for flash drive, data and digital information on it.
  • - testing 5 good programs, each of which has remarkable features when working with memory or a drive chip.

Recovering USB flash drives and memory cards. Formatting utilities

One of the best ways resuscitation of the Jetflash flash card - reformat it again, at a low level. As a rule, such measures are taken when the flash drive is not readable. If possible, you should ask the memory manufacturer (say, A Data, Seagate, Transcend SD, Datatraveler, etc.) if they have proprietary utilities or fresh drivers for reconstruction. Scroll through the contents of this section for help and you will see several articles on the topic of low-level drive formatting. Fortunately, in the operating room Windows system 7 and higher there are tools for formatting a flash device without using third party applications computer. One such program for a flash drive is HP USB Disk Storege Format Tool.

Diagnostic formatting of a flash card in the program for recovering flash drives HP USB Disk Storege Format

Utility for recovering HDD flash drive Low Level Format Tool

Many people know that the HDD Regenerator program is used to help revive hard drives (HDDs), but not many know that it is also suitable for devices such as flash drives. The essence of the program is the detection of bad bad sectors on the device with subsequent processing of the received information, depending on the controller and memory model, at a low access level via USB. As a result, you get a working device that can copy files without read and write errors. This greatly facilitates the recovery of flash drives if the computer does not see them. The HDD Regenerator program is equipped with recovery instructions; in addition, on the recovery website you can find instructions on using the utility and correct formatting (see via search). You can download the flash drive recovery program directly from the link located on the HDD Regenerator review page.


Open and diagnose the problematic flash drive in the HDD Low Level Format program

By the way, in other sections on the Softdroid website you will find other programs for recovering flash drives (for example, Flash Recovery or JetFlash Recovery Tool), but we advise you to first study all the information collected in this section. We hope that after the measures taken, the computer will see your flash drive.

Why don't you indicate the cost of the product before downloading the flash drive recovery program and installing it?

Answer. You can download all the mentioned flash drive recovery programs on the official website. Only reviews are published on Softdroid - we do not have the physical ability to update information about the cost of the products presented. When you download the trial version of the program, it is free. Next, see information about the cost from the developer, or at the end of the trial period you will receive a notification.

Ask us a question about flash drive recovery

The site's specialists will help you recover your data. You ask a question - we answer it for free (you will receive the answer by mail).

The issue may not be related to file recovery. The main requirement is to describe the problem in detail, formulate it in such a way that you don’t have to decipher your message.

Flash Drive Information Extractor – a program for obtaining information and diagnosing a USB flash drive

Information about the flash drive (model, manufacturer, firmware version) helps to better understand the device and its operating features. In turn, this allows you to diagnose, restore files or correct the operation of the device.

How to recover deleted files from a USB flash drive: step-by-step guide

One of the most pressing problems associated with deleting files relates to the flash drive. Let's talk about how to recover deleted files from a flash drive using the Unformat program. What free software to install on your computer, what program, besides Unformat, is effective when working with a flash drive. The methods described below will be relevant for usb drives, memory cards, SD cards of digital cameras in the Windows OS environment. We will try to help you, even if the situation is difficult.

What to do if the computer does not see the USB flash drive? We solve problems and fix errors

If the file system of the memory card / USB flash drive is incompatible with the computer OS, the contents of this memory card will not be displayed when connected to a PC. Accordingly, you will not be able to work with the device until you correct the format. In addition, there are a number of other reasons why the computer does not display a USB flash drive (SD card) as a separate drive in Explorer.

How to restore a flash drive with your own hands: instructions for owners of flash drives

In this article I want to tell you how to restore a flash drive: about all the available methods for restoring damaged, non-working, faulty, faulty USB drives. I offer the most full instructions, which includes all available methods, as well as programs that optimize flash drive recovery.

Do-it-yourself USB flash drive repair: troubleshooting hardware and software problems

What to do if the computer does not see the flash drive? We agree: this is a painful and frequently asked question. Another popular issue that flash drive owners face is repairs resulting from a breakdown. A USB drive has its own characteristics for repairing a controller, memory, or failed memory: in some cases, the storage device is not detected by the PC. What to do if the flash drive is not detected on any computer? This guide describes an operation to resuscitate an “invisible” flash drive for correct recognition on a computer.

Review of programs for restoring the functionality of a USB flash drive

Errors at work USB flash drives do not occur often. Almost all of them boil down to the inability to read or write the necessary information into the device’s memory due to software damage.

Specialized programs provided by device manufacturers will help you fix the problem and restore the memory card.

To restore the operation of noname flash drives and those that do not have their own recovery software, the Chkdsk built into Windows and the formatting system are suitable.

Choosing the best program to recover deleted files from a USB flash drive

Damaged your portable USB flash drive or memory card? These best-in-class programs will help you save and recover information, and here you will learn what is involved in recovering data from a flash drive. Applications include Undelete 360, CardRecovery, PhotoRec, Recuva Professional and other candidates. You will also learn how to revive a flash drive for each program.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free 11 – free data recovery program

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard supports many SSD data deletion scenarios. We will launch the Recovery Wizard and explain in a step-by-step manner how the recovery is performed. IN free version Easeus Data Recovery Wizard Free has limitations, we will tell you more about them. Using the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard program, you can recover files, deleted information from a formatted disk, laptop or removable devices like a flash drive or SD card.

Where to download PhotoRec for free (for Windows OS)

Free program PhotoRec is designed to recover multimedia data on HDDs, USB flash drives, SD cards and other storage devices. Overview of PhotoRec recovery functions, scanning options. Where to download PhotoRec for Windows and other OS.

Do you have an inoperative USB flash drive or other storage device and are you wondering what program to choose for recovery?

We reviewed the most popular utilities. Which of the above programs is suitable for you and will restore a flash drive with a 100% guarantee?

A one-of-a-kind program will help you extract all the data. Hetman Partition Recovery. It is loved by both beginners and professionals for its convenience, speed and advanced information recovery algorithm. Your files will be found and copied even when the media’s FS is no longer accessible or is damaged.

JetFlash Recovery Tool - then proprietary utility, which has the maximum simple interface and support for working with Transcend, JetFlash and A-DATA drives. Controlled by just two buttons, you will definitely like it. Do not forget that cleared data cannot be restored, so pre-saving information from a flash drive will not be superfluous.

If you have a need to constantly have a universal program with you, which is convenient to use both on home computer, and beyond, we recommend D-Soft Flash Doctor, its platform does not require pre-installation, it launches instantly on any PC. Software Suitable for repair, unlocking,
restoring the volume of the flash drive and its performance.

If you need to recover SD cards, we recommend downloading F-Recovery SD, which has an effective set of simple options for working with damaged flash drives from digital cameras and other portable devices. From the point of view of a professional approach to Flash drives, it will be interesting to use the Flash Memory Toolkit; the application contains a whole range of additional functionality that can test flash drives; in addition, the program works with any version of the Microsoft OS.

Recognize maximum quantity various types Flash Drive flash drives, among the above utilities, and the USB Disk formatting and recovery utility can also quickly restore the drives’ functionality Storage Format Tool, which has a very clear and convenient interface. The USB Disk Storage flash drive repair program can quickly recover data from damaged partitions hard drive even if problems with the flash drive firmware are detected.

If no flash drive recovery program has helped, we recommend checking the status of the memory controller using the ChipGenius utility. The program works with USB, micro SD, SD, SDHC and USB-MP players from Kingston, Silicon Power, Transcend, Adata, PQI. Further actions to correct errors and restore lost data are only appropriate if
The flash drive is detected in Chip Genius.