Files Copied to USB Drive Disappear, Where Can I Find Them?

In this guide, we will introduce how to fix files copied to a USB drive missing with AOMEI FastRecovery. And provide effective methods to fix the files copied to the USB drive disappear error.

Posted by @Lucas September 25, 2024 Updated By @Lucas September 25, 2024

Mostly used for file storage, data backup, and file transfer across devices, USB flash drives are among the most regularly used portable data storage media. It does not rely on a network connection; it transfers data across devices including computers over a USB port.

Although a USB flash drive has many benefits, occasionally you could run across different issues while utilizing it. Windows cannot identify the USB device, for example; it cannot open; the USB file transferring is frozen at 0, and so on.

This article will cover another USB drive problem: files copied to a USB drive disappear.

Why files copied to USB drive disappear?

If you are sure that your copied files missing without intentional deletion, then, here are some possible reasons that may cause this issue:

πŸ˜” Improper Ejection: If the USB drive is not properly ejected, data may not be fully written to the drive, causing files to disappear or become corrupted. 😈 Virus or Malware: A virus or malware infection can hide, delete, or move files on the USB drive without the user's knowledge. πŸ‘» Hidden Files: Files might be present but hidden. Some malicious software or system settings may set files as "hidden," making them invisible in normal file explorer views. πŸ”Œ Compatibility Issues: Files transferred from a computer with one operating system (e.g., macOS) to a USB drive might not be visible on a different OS (e.g., Windows) due to format or file system incompatibility. πŸ“‚ Storage Overwriting: Some users may accidentally format the drive or overwrite, not realizing they’ve deleted the files. πŸ€• Faulty USB Drive: The USB drive itself might be malfunctioning or damaged, which can cause files to disappear or become unreadable.

How to fix files copied to USB drive disappear

In this part, we'll show you some ways to fix copied USB drive files disappeared.

Way 1. Plug and connect the USB Drive to PC

As was already noted, you could discover that your USB transferred files vanished if the USB drive is not correctly attached to your computer. Safely eject the USB device and reinsert it to another USB port to rule this out. Alternatively, insert the USB drive into another device to observe if the files truly vanish.

Way 2. Check hidden files settings

Hidden files rarely display on USB drives, so you may incorrectly believe the files have vanished. The Show hidden files feature allows you to display hidden files. To complete the essential tasks, follow the procedures outlined below.

Step 1. Open File Explorer by pressing the Windows + E key combination.

Step 2. In File Explorer, navigate to the View tab and click the Options option.

Step 3. In the pop-up box, navigate to the View area and enable the Show hidden files, folders, and drives option.

Step 4. To have this change take effect, click Apply followed by OK.                 

Way 3. Recover USB missing files via data recovery tool

Although the above solutions are helpful, these files are likely to be automatically deleted by Windows or deleted as a result of an incorrect operation if the aforementioned two methods are unsuccessful in retrieving the files you transferred to the USB.

In this scenario, it is possible to retrieve deleted files by employing a complimentary data recovery software. This is an area in which AOMEI FastRecovery is highly recommended. It is capable of recovering a wide range of file formats, such as Word documents, Excel, PDFs, pictures, videos, and audio.

In addition to USB flash drive data recovery, AOMEI FastRecovery is also effective in the recovery of SSD, HDD, SD card, and external hard drive data. It is compatible with over 1000 storage devices.

Additionally, AOMEI FastRecovery is a secure data recovery service that can restore deleted or lost files without compromising the original files or storage media.

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Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI FastRecovery. Choose the exact partition or disk where your data is lost and click Scan.

Step 2. Then, the recovery tool start to scan and search. lt will execute the “Quickly Scan" first for finding your deleted data fast, and then execute the “Deep Scan" for searching other lost data.

Step 3. Once the scan is completed, all deleted files, recycle bins and other missing files will be displayed. Please select the file you would like to recover and then click "Recover".

Step 4. Then, select a folder path to save your recovered files.

Step 5. Wait patiently for this process of recovering end.

Way 4. Check USB drive

The issue of "files copied to a USB drive disappearing" may also arise if the USB drive has file system errors. To prevent the reoccurrence of USB file loss, it is necessary to rectify file system errors. This can be accomplished by utilizing the error-checking utility that is integrated into Windows for USB drives.

Step 1. Insert the USB drive into your computer.

Step 2. In File Explorer, move on to the This PC section and right-click the USB drive to select Properties.

Step 3. In the new window, click on the Tools tab, and click the Check button under Error checking.

Step 4. In the error checking window, click Scan and Repair Drive. Then this tool will start to detect and repair the errors automatically.

Step 5. Wait for the repair process to complete.

Conclusion

this post shows the issue of "files copied to a USB drive disappear" and offers you some workable methods to see and retrieve erased or lost USB files as well as some fixes for the troublesome USB drive. Hope you can successfully recover your disappeared files.