Top 4 Ways to Recover Deleted Files from Thumb Drive

USB flash drives offer a convenient way to store and transfer files across devices. However, accidental deletions, malware attacks, formatting mistakes, or system failures can lead to the unexpected loss of important data.

If this happens, there’s no need to panic. Data recovery from USB or pen drives isn’t just for experts—anyone can use simple techniques to retrieve lost files.

Keep reading to explore practical methods and tools for recovering your data effectively.

Is it possible to recover deleted files from thumb drive?

Before diving into the USB data recovery process, it’s essential to understand how file deletion on USB drives works. When a file is deleted, the system doesn’t immediately erase it. Instead, it removes the file’s reference from the USB’s file system and marks the space as available for new data. The actual file remains intact until overwritten by new information.

This principle underpins all data recovery methods. To maximize your chances of retrieving lost files, stop using the USB drive as soon as you notice the data loss. Then, use trusted recovery tools like AOMEI FastRecovery to scan the device, increasing the likelihood of a successful recovery.

Here are three common methods for recovering deleted files, primarily for local Windows systems. While these can work for USB drives, the success rate may vary:

1. Recycle Bin

Deleted files often move to the Recycle Bin. Open the Recycle Bin, locate the desired file, right-click on it, and select “Restore” to return it to its original location.

2. File History

If the File History backup feature is active, you can recover files from previous backups. Connect the USB drive, go to the folder where the data was lost, click “History”, select the file you want to restore and click “Restore”.

3. Previous Versions

Windows allows users to recover earlier versions of files. Right-click the file or folder, choose “Restore Previous Versions”, select the desired version, and click “Restore”.

Following these steps can help you recover lost data and avoid permanent loss.

4 ways to recover deleted files from thumb drive

Recovering files deleted from a USB drive can be approached in two main ways: with or without using specialized software. Both methods are straightforward and accessible. Below are the potential solutions:

Method 1. Apply USB data recovery software

When it comes to recovering missing files from a USB drive, a dedicated data recovery tool often delivers the best results. AOMEI FastRecovery stands out as a powerful yet user-friendly solution, designed even for those who typically avoid technical software. Its intuitive interface ensures that file recovery is straightforward and accessible to everyone, regardless of technical expertise.

This tool excels at recovering files from damaged, formatted, or corrupted flash drives. The "Recover Data" feature supports a wide range of file types, including documents, images, emails, and more, across various storage media. It’s compatible with multiple Windows versions, including 11, 10, 8/8.1, 7, and Windows Server, making it versatile and reliable for diverse recovery needs.

Whether your data loss occurred on a USB drive, HDD, SD card, SSD, or other storage devices, AOMEI FastRecovery provides an efficient and dependable solution to retrieve your valuable files.

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 starts to scan and search. lt will execute the “Quickly Scan" first to find 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 recovery to end.

Method 2. Recover deleted files from USB with CMD

The Command Prompt (CMD) is a built-in Windows tool that allows users to execute commands via the command line interface. It can also assist in retrieving files accidentally deleted from a USB drive. Follow these steps to recover your data:

Step 1. Connect the USB drive to your computer and ensure it is properly recognized.

Step 2. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box, type cmd, and hit Enter to launch the Command Prompt.

Step 3. In the Command Prompt, type the command: chkdsk C: /f /r (replace "C" with the USB drive’s actual letter) and press Enter.

Step 4. When prompted, type Y and hit Enter to proceed.

Step 5. Enter the USB drive’s letter (e.g., H:) and press Enter.

Step 6. Use the command: attrib -h -r -s /s /d *.* (replace "D" with the USB drive’s actual letter) and press Enter.

Step 7. Allow the process to complete, and your deleted files should be recovered successfully.

Method 3. Recover USB drives from a backup

If you’ve synced your files to cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Microsoft OneDrive, or if you have Windows backup enabled, you can use these to restore deleted data from a USB drive. Here’s how to recover your files:

Step 1. Open Control Panel and navigate to System and Maintenance. Click on Backup and Restore (Windows 7) and then select Restore my files.

Step 2. To locate a backup, click Browse for files or Browse for folders.

Step 3. Choose where you want the backup restored: either In the original location or In the following location. If there is a conflict, select an option: Copy and Replace, Don’t copy, or Copy, but keep both files.

Step 4. Wait for the restoration process to finish. Once completed, your files and folders will be recovered, with both the original and new locations displayed.

Method 4. Recover USB data from Windows File Recovery

The Windows File Recovery feature, available on Windows 10 version 2004 and newer, offers a built-in solution to recover deleted files from a USB drive.

Steps to recover files from a USB drive using Windows File Recovery:

☛ The Extensive mode includes Signature and Segment. The Signature mode supports you in recovering all lost files with the file headers. The Segment mode helps you to recover the lost files using file records in the NTFS file system.

Step 1. Download the Windows File Recovery on Microsoft Store, install and run it as administrator.

Step 2. Choose the default mode, and input winfr source-drive:destination-drive:[/mode][/switches] and then press “Enter”.

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve covered three reliable methods for recovering lost USB data, allowing you to retrieve files you thought were gone for good.

Depending on your system, you can choose from various recovery options. You can use the Command Prompt (CMD), restore from backups, or leverage AOMEI FastRecovery to recover your USB files on Windows 11/10/8/7.