Can you Recover Deleted Files USB? 4 Ways for USB Thumb Drive Recovery!

Can we retrieve deleted files from USB drive?

Many people use portable storage devices like USB flash drives to store sensitive information. These devices are popular for transferring data between computers and mobile devices, holding various types of files such as music, photos, and videos from smartphones, cameras, and other gadgets. However, sometimes data on a USB drive can be lost due to USB drive errors or accidental deletion.

The Recycle Bin acts as a safety net by temporarily storing deleted files, giving you a chance to recover them by clicking the "Restore" button if deleted by mistake. You can find the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop, and it holds files that you’ve deleted until you empty it. When you delete files from a USB drive, the data isn’t really gone; the space the files took up is just marked as free for new data.

If you can’t find a deleted file in the Recycle Bin, there are a few possible reasons:

Typically, when you delete a file from a USB drive, the system just marks it as deleted, but the data stays on the drive until it’s overwritten. Recovery software can often recover these files, as long as the space hasn't been replaced with new data.

There are three common situations to be aware of:

If you've simply deleted a file without further operations, like formatting the USB, and it's still in the Recycle Bin (Windows), you can easily restore it from there. If you've emptied the Recycle Bin, recovery becomes more challenging.

Adding new data to the USB drive increases the risk of overwriting deleted files, which makes recovery less likely.

If the USB drive is physically damaged or corrupted, recovery might be very difficult or even impossible.

In short, can we retrieve deleted files from USB drive? Yes, you can. If you lose data on a USB drive, it’s best not to add new files to it right away. The more you use the drive, the greater the chance that new files will overwrite the deleted ones. Acting quickly to recover lost data improves your chances of success.

How to recover deleted files from thumb drive?

This part will introduce how to recover deleted files from thumb drive. You can choose to use a reliable data recovery utility, run CMD, use backups or other options. We will share the specific steps for you.

Fix 1. Use a professional data recovery tool

The best way to recover deleted files from a USB drive, even if they seem lost forever, is by using professional data recovery software. AOMEI FastRecovery is a top-rated tool that can help you fully recover files lost from USB drives due to accidental deletion, formatting, corruption, or virus attacks. It provides a complete solution for getting back files that might otherwise seem impossible to restore.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI FastRecovery first, and then choose the exact partition or drive where the deleted files were originally located.

Step 2. Scan the selected drive. It will execute a Quick Scan first to find your data fast, followed by a Deep Scan to search for additional lost data comprehensively.

Step 3. Once the scan is complete, all recoverable files will be displayed. Kindly choose the specific files and then click Recover.

Step 4. Choose a destination folder to save the recovered files, and wait for the recovery process to finish.

Fix 2. Recover deleted files from USB drive with CMD

Command Prompt (CMD) is a built-in tool in Windows that allows users to run commands directly. You can use it to recover deleted files from a USB drive by following these steps:

Step 1. Connect the USB device to the computer and confirm that the system recognizes it.

Step 2. Press the Windows + R keys simultaneously to open the Run window. Type cmd and press Enter to grant access to the Command Prompt window.

Step 3. Enter the command chkdsk g: /r/f/x and press Enter (replace "g" with the exact letter assigned to the USB.)

Step 4. Type attrib -h -r -s /s /d F:\*.* and press Enter (replace "F" with the exact letter assigned to the USB.)

After successful operation, the deleted files should be found on the USB drive.

Fix 3.  Undo deleted files in USB with a backup

The Backup and Restore feature is a built-in Windows tool that allows you to back up and restore your data. It was first introduced in Windows 7 and has remained available under the same name in Windows 8, 10, and 11. By creating backups in advance, you can make it easier to recover lost files.

Step 1. Access Control Panel > System and Security and select Backup and Restore (Windows 7). Click Restore my files.

Step 2. In the Restore Files box, use the following options:

☞ Search: Enter a file name fragment to select deleted files for recovery.

☞ Browse for files: Navigate to the folder containing the deleted files, select it, and click Add Files.

☞ Browse folders: Select the entire folder containing deleted files.

Step 3. Select the location to recover deleted files from the flash drive. You can select the original location or specify a new location. Then, click on Start Restore.

Wait for the process to finish. After it's done, check the chosen location to find your recovered files. All the files that were permanently deleted will be restored there.

Fix 4. with Windows File Recovery

If you don’t have a backup, you can use Windows File Recovery to restore permanently deleted files or folders from a USB drive or hard drive that are no longer in the Recycle Bin. Since it’s a command-line tool, you’ll need to enter commands in either CMD or PowerShell. One of the most commonly used commands is: winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [mode] [switches]. This command helps you recover lost data using the built-in features of Windows File Recovery.

Step 1. Download and install Windows File Recovery on your computer from Microsoft Store.

Step 2. Open the USB hard drive’s Properties, check its File System, and choose the mode you should use to recover data.

Step 3. Open Windows File restore and type in the restore command line you created.

For instance, winfr F: D: /extensive /n *.jpg is the correct command line to bring back JPG files that were deleted for a while from the source USB drive (F drive) to the target drive (D drive).

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is possible to recover deleted files from a USB drive, even if they seem permanently lost. Various methods can help you retrieve your data, such as using the Recycle Bin, professional data recovery software like AOMEI FastRecovery, Command Prompt, or Windows File Recovery. It’s important to act quickly and avoid adding new files to the USB drive, as this can overwrite the deleted data.

Besides, creating regular backups can simplify the recovery process if data loss occurs. Whether you're using a recovery tool or a backup, the sooner you attempt recovery, the higher your chances of success.