Missing Files on my USB disk

Missing Files on my USB disk

Hello Rodrick,

A USB flash drive can be a very useful device to store files, but when it fails for one reason or another, then it can be disappointing for the user. Files that have been written can be retrieved though, although there really is no sure method of doing so, and depends on a variety of conditions.

First off, it is very important to determine whether the flash drive has been corrupted prior to inserting it into the USB port. You see, some users have this bad habit of simply sticking in and unplugging USB devices without using the “Safely remove” option for the external drives. The practice damages the removable device including the files contained within. This could be evidenced by the “Repair” dialog that comes up every time you insert the USB device into your USB port without “safely removing”. Files that are repaired may be restored, and others that can’t be are placed in a hidden folder appropriately named “FOUND”.

There is a likelihood that the video file that you copied may be missing if the USB flash drive has been corrupted. Try unhiding “hidden” files and folders, and look for your missing file on the “FOUND” folder having the same attributes such as file size and type. If it is nowhere on the drive, all you have to do is simply recopy the file from where you got it. An effective way of dealing with the “FOUND” folder involves booting a Linux Live CD to navigate to the files which could easily be viewed and recovered.

Another method of recovery involves running some commands off the MS-DOS prompt by typing “cmd” without the quotes, going over to the directory of your flash drive then typing “ATTRIB -S -H *.* /S /D” without the quotes. Wait for a minute for the directories to appear. Type “exit” and open your flash drive.

If you no longer have the master file, then put all your efforts into recovering the file from your flash drive. There are lots of utilities on the web that allow recovery of files from USB devices such as flash drives that you thought had gone forever. Such utilities deep scan the USB drive for raw files and may take some time to process, although some report a high percentage of recovery. An example is Piriform’s “Recuva” http://www.piriform.com/recuva a free app that specializes in file recovery from removable devices.

If you happen to be using a Unix based Mac OS, chances are you’ll also be needing data recovery software like AppleXSoft Photo Recovery http://www.applexsoft.com/mac-photo-recovery-for-digital-media.html that works for flash based storage devices. Just install the application, plug-in the USB flash drive, choose the file type you want recovered and the destination directory before starting the scan.

All the software mentioned only works on the premise that the USB flash drive can still be mounted or viewed on your file explorer. If it does not, or is undetected, the chances of failure will be greater.