2022 USB Data Recovery | How to Recover Files from USB [5 Ways]

Applies to: USB flash drive, USB portable drive, and external USB drive with USB 4.0/3.0/2.0 port for USB data recovery.

Is there any way to recover files from USB drive? This page covers everything you need to know about USB data recovery. Follow our guide to safely restore your USB data.

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USB Data Recovery Preparation – What to Do When You Lose Files from USB

USB drives are popular for transferring and storing files because of their portability and fast read-write speeds. But what if you lose data on your USB drive due to user error or an unexpected glitch?

1. Stop using the USB drive that contained the lost file immediately

1. Avoid using the USB drive that contained the lost files, as they may still be stored on it even if you can't see them. However, if you continue using the drive, there's a high chance the files will get overwritten. 2. Instead, use one of the five USB data recovery solutions listed below.

Method 2: 5 Ways to Recover Lost Files from USB Drive

• #Method 1. Use a USB Data Recovery Software - 97% Success Rate
• #Method 2. Use CMD Attribute Command - 80% Success Rate
• #Method 3. Alternate USB CMD Tool - 80% Success Rate
• #Method 4. Use USB File Backup - 50% Success Rate
• #Method 5. Use Previous Versions - 20% or Lower Success Rate

For beginners, we recommend the USB flash drive recovery software option from Method 1, as it is the simplest and most straightforward way to recover files.

Method 1: How to Use USB Data Recovery Software to Find Lost Files on a USB Drive

Intended for: Windows and USB drive users of all levels.

The simplest and most reliable method is to use professional data recovery software to retrieve your files. Data Recovery Wizard is an excellent choice, as it offers powerful features and an easy-to-understand interface.

See what USB Data Recovery Software can do for you

Download this safe software suite, and follow the instructions below to start using its USB file recovery feature. It's easy!

Step-by-Step Guide: 3 Steps to Recover Data from USB

Step 1. Select the USB drive to scan

Run the Data Recovery Wizard, select the USB drive where you lost your files, and click “Scan” to begin.

Select the USB drive

Step 2: Check and Preview USB Drive Data

Once the scan is complete, you can use the “Filter” feature and the “Search” option to locate specific file types quickly.

Step 3. Recover Data from the Flash Drive

Once the scan is complete and lost USB drive files are found, click on “Recover” to restore them. You should save the recovered files to a secure location on your computer and not back to the USB drive.

Note: After the recovery, remember to save the recovered files elsewhere and format USB to make sure it's safe to use.

Video Tutorial: How to Recover Data from USB Flash Drive with Data Recovery Wizard Tool

You can also follow this video to perform data recovery with the tool for SD card data recovery, recover files from external hard drive, hardware RAID, SD cards, memory cards, and so on.

Method 2: Recover Data from USB with Command Prompt

Applies to: Experienced Windows users familiar with CMD commands.

Another approach you could try is using the Command Prompt. This can recover data from a USB drive, but it does require a more manual approach. A limitation is that it only works with hidden files.

Step 1: Connect the USB flash drive to your computer.

Step 2. Run the Command Prompt as an administrator.

Step 3: Type attrib -h -r -s /s /d e:\*.* and press Enter.

Note: Replace e: with the drive letter of your USB flash drive or external hard drive.

After doing this, the hidden files on the USB should become visible again.

Method 3: Recover Hidden USB Files with CMD Alternative

Applies to: Recover hidden files from USB flash drive, USB pen drive, SD card, etc. using CMD alternative tool.

For those not comfortable with the command prompt, it's much safer and easier to use an automated command prompt tool like CleanGenius. This handy utility checks for and fixes file system errors, turns write protection on or off, and updates your system with a click, sparing you from having to remember complex commands.

With this one-click repair tool, you can unhide files with these simple steps.

Step 1: Download the CleanGenius tool for free.

Step 2: Launch CleanGenius, and then select “Optimize” from the left pane. Next, click on “File Visibility” from the right.

Step 3: Select the hard drive and click “Execute”.

Step 4: Once that's done, click this link to view your hidden files.

Method 4: Restore Lost Files from USB with Backup

Applies to: Restores lost or deleted files from USB drive using previously created backup.

If you have a backup of the lost data, you can use it to restore your files, typically with a 100% success rate. Here's how:

Step 1 Find your USB data backup on your computer or external hard drive.

Step 2: Find and select the lost data from your backup.

Step 3: Copy the data back to your USB drive and save it.

If you don't have a backup, then your best bet is to go back to Method 1 and use a data recovery software tool.

Method 5: Recover Data from a Previous Version of USB

Applies to: Recovering data from a USB on an earlier version of Windows.

Windows has a useful feature called “Previous Versions” that can act as a backup of your files. It does not always work, but it is worth a try.

Here are the steps:

Step 1 Connect the USB drive to your computer.

Step 2: Open File Explorer, right-click your USB drive, and select Properties.

Step 3: Click the “Previous Versions” tab, select an available previous version, and click “Restore.”

Note: This feature may not show up for some files in the latest version of Windows 10. It also requires that you had File History enabled before the data was lost. If that's the case, you can use the Data Recovery Wizard tool to help restore your files.

Reasons for USB Data Loss

If you've managed to recover lost data from a USB flash drive or external hard drive, congratulations – you're not alone. Almost everyone has experienced data loss at some point.

To prevent any future problems, it's a good idea to understand the most common causes of data loss. Here are a few:

• Accidental deletion
• Careless formatting
• Invalid file system errors
• Virus or malware infection
• Hardware failure
• Connection issues

So, if you want to safely store your data on a USB drive, follow the tips from the next section.

Additional Tip: How to Backup Data on a USB

It's not just USBs – hard drives, SD cards, and other storage devices are also common places for data loss.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as they say, so here are some tips on how to avoid disasters with your USB drive, SD card, memory card, external hard drive, or other storage media.

< strong > 1. Back up USB data regularly

There are three options for backing up your USB files:

1. Seek assistance from a free file backup software; 2. Manually copy and paste the files to another location; 3. Upload USB data and save it to a cloud drive.

We recommend trying the reliable Todo Backup software. With this tool, you can easily back up all files from your USB drive to an internal or external storage device in just a few steps:

Step 1: Tap the Select Backup Content button to begin the backup process.

Step 2: There are four backup types to choose from: Files, Disk, System, and Mail. Click on Files.

Step 3: Your computer's and the network's files should now be listed on the left. Expand the folders to find the files you want to back up.

Step 4. Follow the on-screen wizard and choose where you want to save your backup.

Click on "Options" to set a password for an encrypted backup under "Backup Options", and schedule backups with "Backup Plan" to start at specific events. You can also explore many other options to customize your backup job as needed.

Step 5: You can save the backup to a local drive, the tool's cloud service, or a NAS.

Step 6. Todo Backup lets you save your data to third-party cloud drives and your own cloud drive.

If you want to back up to a third-party cloud drive, select “Local Disk,” then scroll down and add your cloud device. Sign in to your account.

You can also choose to use the cloud storage space provided by the tool itself. Click "Tool Cloud" and register and log in with your tool account.

7. Click "Backup Now" to start the backup. When it's done, the backup task will appear as a card on the left pane. Right-click the backup task for further management.

You may also be interested in automatically backing up files to an external hard drive.Learn how.

2. Handle USB drives with care

It's also a good idea to take some time to maintain your USB drives so they stay in top shape. Here are a few simple things you can try:

1. Format the USB or USB flash drive with a valid file system (supports FAT32, NTFS, or exFAT).
2. Run an antivirus to clean viruses or malware from the drive.
3. Eject the USB drive properly.
4. Be extra careful when deleting files or formatting the drive.

Bottom line

In this article, we've outlined five reliable USB data recovery methods that should help you get back those files you thought were lost forever.

If you're looking for a fast and user-friendly solution that is also highly reliable, then Data Recovery Wizard is not to be missed. Outperforming its competitors with its outstanding performance, it enables you to recover data from various storage devices in different data loss scenarios.

If your data is precious, protect it in the best way by adding a data-recovery tool to your device.

There are ways to minimize the risk of data loss, but it can never be entirely eliminated. Hence, backup and data-recovery software are essential for data security.