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Recover Data From Pen Drive Free Software [Damaged, Corrupted or Formatted Pen Drive Recovery]
If your files in pen drives are lost, check out this article. It not only explains why pen drive files disappear, but also provides proven methods to recover deleted, corrupted or formatted data from pen drive. Get back your photos, documents and videos with free recovery tools in just a few clicks-no technical skills required!
By Emma / Updated on May 13, 2025
User Case
As I plugged my trusty pen drive into the library computer, instead of seeing my 3 months of research, I was greeted with: 'You need to format the disk in drive X: before you can use it?' My stomach dropped. All my work- interviews, datasets, draft chapters -will be lost if i format the drive as required. But now, without formatting, I cannot access inside data, either? Someone who could tell me if my work was truly gone forever and i can recover data from pen drive?
Why Do Files Disappear from Your Pen Drive? 7 Most Common Causes
One of the most frustrating experiences is discovering your pen drive files have mysteriously vanished. The truth is, your data doesn’t actually disappear—it becomes inaccessible due to specific technical failures. Understanding these causes is the first step to recover data from pen drive successfully.
- Improper ejection (accounts for 35% of data loss cases)
When you unplug a USB drive without using the "Safely Remove Hardware" option or during an active file transfer, it can corrupt the file system structure. This makes files appear deleted when they’re actually still physically present on the storage chips.
- Virus and malware attacks (responsible for 25% of missing file incidents)
Some malware is designed specifically to hide files or encrypt them with ransomware. You might notice your drive shows the correct used space in properties, but no visible files when you open it—a classic symptom of such infections.
- Physical damage (causes about 20% of failures)
Broken USB connectors are the most common hardware issue. Water damage and circuit board failures can also prevent proper drive detection. If you hear clicking or grinding noises from your pen drive, this indicates mechanical failure and you should power it down immediately to avoid further damage.
- Accidental human actions (account for 15% of data loss scenarios)
Many users mistakenly format the drive or delete files without proper backups. Interestingly, Windows temporarily stores deleted files in a hidden system folder called $Recycle.Bin, which can sometimes be recovered.
- File system corruption (about 10% of cases)
The FAT32 or NTFS structures can develop errors that lead to "cross-linked files" or "orphaned clusters"—technical terms that mean your data still exists but the roadmap to access it is damaged.
- Manufacturer defects (about 5% of cases)
Some low-quality drives experience premature controller chip failure, often within weeks of purchase. These failures can make your drive undetectable or cause it to report incorrect storage information.
How to Recover Data from Pen Drive (Step-by-Step Methods)
No matter what cause your pen drive data loss, the single most important action you can take immediately is to stop using the drive. Every additional minute of operation risks overwriting your lost data. In this section, we’ll walk through the exact recovery methods for these scenarios.
if your pen drive suffers from visible hardware issues (physical damage), such as a broken connector, physical impact, exposure to water, or internal component failure. These situations require caution and often professional help, as improper handling may worsen the damage or result in permanent data loss.
Method 1. Repair File System Errors (File System Corruption)
If you lose access to pen drive data because of logical file system errorscaused by improper ejection or sudden power loss (which prevent the operating system from properly reading or mounting the drive), you can run the Windows built-in CHKDSK tool to check the file system for logical errors and fix them if possible.
Step 1: Insert the affected pen driveinto your computer and make a note of its drive letter (e.g., E: or F:) as shown in File Explorer.
Step 2: Press Windows + X, choose Command Prompt(Admin).
Step 3: In the Command Prompt window, type the command and press Enter: chkdsk g: /f /r
Replace g: with the actual drive letter of pen drive.
Step 4: Let the tool scan and fix errors. This may take a few minutes depending on the drive size and level of corruption.
Once complete, safely eject the USB drive and reconnect it. Check if your files and folder structure are restored.
Method 2: Reveal Hidden Files(Virus Attacks)
If your pen drive files suddenly disappear or appear missing, especially after a virus or malware attack, the data probably hasn’t been deleted but has been set to “hidden” by the malware using file attributes. In this case, revealing hidden files can restore access without needing deep recovery tools.
Step 1: Connect the pen drive to your computer and open Command Prompt as Administrator.
Step 2:In the Command Prompt window, type the command and press "Enter": attrib -h -r -s /s /d E:\*.*
Replace "E:"with your actual pendrive letter.
- -h: Removes hidden attribute
- -r: Removes read-only attribute
- -s: Removes system attribute
- /s /d: Applies the command to all files and directories recursively
Open the USB drive in File Explorer. Previously hidden files and folders should now be visible.
Method 3: Recover from File History Backup
If your pen drive is physically healthy, free of file system errors, and not affected by viruses or malware, and you’ve lost data due to accidental deletion or formatting, you can easily recover data from pen drive using File History-as long as it was previously enabled in Windows-without needing any third-party software.
Step 1: Press "Windows + S", type "Restore your files with File History" and click "open" under the result.
Step 2: Navigate through the available backups and browse for the missing file or folder on the pen drive.You can also use the "search bar"to locate a specific file by name.
Step 3: Once you find the desired pen drive data, click the "green restore button"(circular arrow icon) to recover it to its original location.
To restore it to a different location, right-click the file and choose "Restore to", then select the destination folder.
Method 4: Recover Pen Drive Data using Windows File Recovery [Not Require Backup]
When you’ve accidentally deleted files or formatted your pen drive, and no backup (like File History) is available, Windows File Recovery can help you. It is a free command-line tool provided by Microsoft that can recover lost files directly from storage devices, including USB drives—even after deletion or formatting—as long as the data hasn’t been overwritten(only available in Windows 10 and Windows 11).
Step 1: Open "Microsoft Store", search for "Windows File Recovery" and click "Download". Once download completes, double click the installer and install it on your computer.
Step 2: Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
Step 3: Run a recovery command: F: E: /regular
This recovers all files from "F:"(USB) and saves them to "E:", and you can add "n" parameter to recover specific types of files like "winfr F: E: /Regular /n *.mp3" to recover deleted music files.
Once the scanning process is completed (reaches 100%), you can locate the recovered files in the designated destination folder.
Method 5: Recover Data from Pen Drive Free Software without Backup [MyRecover]
If the above methods fail to recover data from a formatted or damaged pen drive, or if you prefer a user-friendly, GUI-based solution instead of command-line tools, MyRecover is a great alternative.
This free data recovery program supports NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and ReFS file systems, and is capable of restoring lost data from pen drive (and other storage devices like SSD, HDD, SD card, etc) caused by accidental deletion, formatting, file system corruption, system crash, power failures, malware, and other complex data loss scenarios.
- High Recovery Success Rate: up to 99% recovery success rate.
- Support for Multiple File Systems: NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and ReFSin Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 and Server.
- Broad Device Compatibility: internal/external HDD or SSD drives, USB flash drives, SD cards, digital cameras. etc.
- Support for 1000+ File Types: photos, videos, documents, audio files, compressed archives, emails and more.
- Quick Scan and Deep Recovery: fast scanning to locate deleted files in seconds, and deep scan for more thorough recovery results.
- Simple Recovery Process: select the location ->scan->recover files. Ideal for non-technical users.
- Free Data Recovery Quota: The free version allows users to recover up to 500MB of datas.
- Safe and Secure: Protected by 256-bit SSL encryption during download and usage
100% SecureStep 1: Download and install MyRecover on your computer (not on the drive you want to recover from).
Step 2: Insert the USB drive into your PC. Open MyRecover and select your pen drive from the list of available devices. Click "Scan" to begin searching for lost files.
Step 3: MyRecover will automatically perform a "Quick Scan" (you are allowed to choose "Deep Scan" mode manuallyto locate as many recoverable files as possible).
Step 4: After scanning, browse or search through the recoverable files. Select the files you want to recoverand click on "Recover" button.
Step 5: Choose a different location (not the pen drive) to save the recovered data.
Further Reading: How to Prevent Future Data Loss
Preventing data loss is just as important as recovering from it. Here are some best practices to protect your files and avoid similar issues in the future:
1. Enable File History or Regular Backups
Set up File History on Windows or use third-party backup software to automatically back up important files to an external drive or cloud storage. Regular backups are your first line of defense.
2. Use Reliable Antivirus and Keep It Updated
Viruses and ransomware are common causes of data loss. Install a "trusted antivirus program" and keep both it and your operating system "up to date".
3. Avoid Unsafe Eject or Force Removal
Always use the "Safely Remove or Eject ..." option when unplugging USB drives or external disks to prevent file system corruption.
4. Protect Against Power Surges
Use a "UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)" or surge protector to guard against sudden power outages that can corrupt files or damage storage devices.
5. Be Cautious with Formatting and Deletion
Double-check before deleting files or formatting drives. Use labels or drive names to avoid accidental formatting of important devices.
6. Monitor Drive Health
Use tools like "Windows SMART monitoring" to check for early signs of drive failure and replace aging devices proactively.
Final Thoughts
When you lose access to your pen drive data, check out this guide. Whether it's logical errors, malware, accidental deletion, or even physical damage, there are proven recovery methods available to help restore your files. From built-in Windows tools to user-friendly software like MyRecover, you have multiple options depending on your situation.
To quickly recover data from pen drive regardless of the possible cause, you can directly use MyRecover since it can handle most data loss cases. It offers Free, Professional, and Technician editions to meet different user needs. For larger recovery needs or advanced features (like unlimited data recovery quota, crash OS recovery, preview before recovery), upgrading to a paid version is recommended.
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