How to Recover Files from SanDisk Cruzer Flash Drive | Top 5 Methods

Wondering how to recover files from SanDisk Cruzer? This article will provide several methods to retrieve your important data both professional tools and command tools. Take action now and use these methods to recover your data today!

By @Aria
Last Updated July 31, 2025

Is It Possible to Recover Files from SanDisk Cruzer Flash Drive?

SanDisk USB flash drive, especially the popular SanDisk Cruzer series, are widely used for storing and transferring personal or business data. But like any storage device, they are prone to file deletion, corruption, or even formatting. If you've lost important data, you might be wondering: is it possible to recover files from SanDisk USB flash drive?

The good news is yes, there are both software-based and manual solutions available to help you recover files from SanDisk Cruzer, whether they were accidentally deleted or seemingly lost forever. Let’s walk through both approaches in detail.

How to Recover Files from SanDisk Cruzer with Software

If your files were deleted, formatted, or the USB became inaccessible, and you have backed up the data in the USB drive, restoring directly from the backup is the fastest and simplest method.

However, when no backup is available, professional data recovery tools will be the fastest and most effective way to retrieve data. This section will present three SanDisk file recovery tools, and you can choose the right one according to your actual situation.

SanDisk RescuPRO

SanDisk RescuePRO is an official recovery software designed by SanDisk for all SanDisk storage device. It can restore images, videos, music and other files from USB drive, SD card, microSD card and more devices. However, RescuePro isn't a fully free software. It can only scan for lost files in storage devices and you will need to pay for file recovery.

Step 1. Download and install SanDisk RescuePRO on your computer from SanDisk official website. Connect the SanDisk Cruzer USB to the computer.

Step 2. Launch the tool and select an option what you want to recover, photos, audios/videos or files.

Step 3. Choose the USB flash drive and click "Start" to begin the scanning process.

Step 4. When the scanning process is completed, you can preview the files and click "Output folder" to check the recovered files.

Windows File Recovery (Command-line Tool)

Microsoft provides a free command-line tool, Windows File Recovery, to retrieve deleted files from local storage device like USB drives, hard drives, and SSDs. But it only works on Windows 10 and 11. Follow the steps below to recover files from SanDisk Cruzer using Windows File Recovery command.

Step 1. Download and install Windows File Recovery on your computer from the Microsoft official channel. Connect the USB to the computer.

Step 2. Type the following command "Winfr F: E: /regular" and hit "Enter" key. Replace the drive letters "F" and "E" with your actual drive letters.

F: the source drive letter.

E: the destination drive letter.

Regular: perform a quick scan. If you want to perform a deep scan to recover more files, you can switch to "Extensive" mode, though this will take more time.

Additionally, Windows File Recovery also supports recovering specific files, folders, or file types. You just need to add a filter command after the basic command. For example, if you want to recover all photos and image files from a USB drive, you can enter the following command "Winfr H: D: /regular /n *. jpg /n *. png".

When the process is finished, you can press "y" to check the recovered files in the destination folder.

Third-Party File Recovery Tool—MyRecover (GUI Software)

While Windows File Recovery is a highly effective data recovery tool, mastering its complex command lines is quite challenging for most non-professionals in a short time. That’s where the professional data recovery software MyRecover comes in—it’s specifically designed to address this issue. With a GUI (Graphical User Interface), MyRecover simplifies the data recovery process, allowing users to recover data with just a few clicks on icons.

MyRecover's most impressive strengths include:

👍Handle 500+ Data Loss Scenarios – Recover from deleted partition, formatted USB hard drive, emptied Recycle Bin, system crash, virus attack, etc.

👍Wide SanDisk devices SupportRecover files from SanDisk memory card, SD card, USB flash drive, SSDs.

👍Supports over 1,000 File Types – Including documents, photos, videos, audio, archives, and Outlook data files.

👍Read-only Mode – Only reads data without writing during recovery.

👍OS Compatibility – Work not only on Windows 11 /10, but also on Windows 8.1/ 8/ 7 and all Servers.

👍Dual Scan Modes – Quick Scan for speed, Deep Scan for thorough recovery.

Step 1. Download and install MyRecover on your computer from secure channel, and connect the USB drive to the computer with correct port.

Download FreewareWin 11/10/8.1/8/7/Server
Secure Download

Step 2. Launch it and select the SanDisk USB drive to scan for lost files, then click "Scan".

Step 3. Choose files you want to recover from the recoverable lists and click "Recover". The free version of MyRecover supports data recovery up to 500MB. If you’d like to unlock unlimited data recovery capacity, you can upgrade to the Professional Edition.

Step 4. Select a location (different from the SanDisk USB) to save the recovered files.

Once the process is completed, the message indicating successful recovery will pop up. You can access and check the recovered files by clicking "Browse" or the destination folder path.

How to Rcover Files from SanDisk Cruzer Without Software

If you prefer not to use software, Windows offers several built-in utilities that might help you recover data from a SanDisk Cruzer USB drive, especially when the issue is due to minor corruption or logical errors.

Run CHKDSK Command

The Windows CHKDSK tool is mainly intended to repair file system errors and fix bad sectors on storage devices. In fact, it can’t directly recover data like the data recovery software mentioned earlier. However, it can help regain access to files when the USB drive becomes inaccessible.

Step 1. Open "Command Prompt" and run it as administrator.

Step 2. Type the command "chkdsk G: /f /r" and hit "Enter". Replace the drive letter "G" with the SanDisk Cruzer drive letter. The command will scan the USB drive and automatically fix the detected errors, recover readable files.

Run Attrib Command

The attrib command in Windows allows users to view, set, or clear file and directory attributes. It's used to manage characteristics like read-only, archive, system, and hidden status of files and folders. When files on a USB drive are hidden or marked as system files by a virus, this command can reveal them.

Step 1. Open "Command Prompt" and run it as administrator.

Step 2. Enter the command "attrib -h -r -s /s /d E:\*.*" and press "Enter".

Final Words

Recovering files from a SanDisk Cruzer USB flash drive is definitely possible, whether you choose manual system tools or professional recovery software. For quick, safe, and beginner-friendly recovery, MyRecover stands out with its intuitive interface, fast scan speed, and read-only protection.

Simple commands can fix data loss caused by logical errors or hidden files. But for complex data loss scenarios, especially after formatting or accidental deletion, file recovery tools like MyRecover are your best allies. The Professional edition also allows users recover data from crashed systems and preview files before recovery.