Can I Recover Lost Files on USB Flash Drive?

USB flash drives are widely used as portable storage devices for computers and mobile devices. They act as small storage units for many types of data, such as music, images, and movies from smartphones, cameras, and other mobile devices.

Many consumers entrust their sensitive information to these portable storage devices. Despite their convenience, USB flash drives are susceptible to data loss and share weaknesses with other types of storage media.

4 ways to recover lost files on USB flash drive

To quickly retrieve lost data from USB drive, we’ll show you some solutions before we discuss other information.

Way 1. Recover lost files from USB flash drive using professional data recovery tool

Professional data recovery software is the most effective and reliable solution to recover deleted files from USB or even retrieve irreversibly destroyed contents from a USB flash drive. AOMEI FastRecovery, a top-rated data recovery application, can fully recover deleted or lost files from UBS flash drives due to accidental deletion, device formatting, USB corruption, or virus infections.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI FastRecovery. Choose the exact partition or disk where your data 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 ends.

Way 2. Recover lost/deleted data from Previous Versions Feature

How can I restore erased files from a USB drive without software? One useful method is to recover files from previous versions of Windows 10/8.1/8/7. Windows has a valuable function named "Restore Previous Versions". However, for this method to function, you must have File History enabled to automatically back up your files.

Step 1. Connect the USB flash drive to your computer.

Step 2. Access the Start menu, type This PC, and press Enter.

Step 3. Right-click on your USB flash drive and select Properties from the menu that appears.

Step 4. Navigate to the Previous Versions tab in the Properties window. Here you will find a list showing the available recovery options.

Step 5. Select the desired earlier version from the list and click Restore to begin the recovery procedure.

Way 3. Recover lost files from USB drive using CMD

The Command Prompt (CMD) is the command line processor for Windows, allowing users to execute commands directly. To restore deleted files from USB via the command line, follow 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.)

Way 4. Recover lost files on USB memory stick

Backup and Restore, like File History, is a built-in Windows backup mechanism that allows you to backup and restore your data. It debuted in Windows 7 and continued to be known as "Backup and Restore" in Windows 8, 10, and 11. Making backups ahead of time can make this process easier.

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. Choose a location to recover deleted files from the flash drive. You can choose the original location or specify a new one. Then select Start Restore.

Allow the process to complete. To find recovered data, look in the selected place. All previously permanently deleted files will be restored to the selected location.

Further reading: Where are lost deleted USB files?

Have you ever wondered what happens if you lost a file from a USB flash drive? Because the USB flash drive or pen drive is an external device, files erased on it are permanently deleted rather than being saved to the Recycle Bin, so you cannot use Recycle Bin recovery to recover files from USB. However, using certain practical ways, you can still recover erased files from USB.

To boost your USB erased file recovery rate, consider the following points:

❌ Don't copy files: Don't copy or paste new files onto the USB flash device.  Any read/write action increases the difficulty of data recovery.
❌ Do not write new data: Stop using the USB device and do not write any new data to it. Otherwise, lost data cannot be restored once it has been erased.
❌ Disconnect the USB drive: Remove the pen drive or USB flash drive from your computer before beginning the USB data recovery.

To sum up

When you have lost essential files, don’t worry, it may not mean there is no method to recover them. In this post, we've outlined four methods for recovering lost files on USB flash drives; now it's up to you to follow our instructions and save the day.