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The Problem: Corrupted USB Flash Drive Repair
USB flash drives, pen drives, and thumb drives can easily get corrupted or result in device failure due to a virus attack, file system corruption, hardware malfunction, improper shutdown, and more.
When that happens, you need to repair the corrupted USB flash drive or pen drive to make the device work normally again. However, the method to repair a corrupted USB flash drive or pen drive is often a headache for users who don't want to lose data on their devices. If the data is not of any importance, formatting the device will usually be a sufficient fix.
Fortunately, with the combination of a built-in Windows disk/USB repair tool and a third-party USB flash/pen drive data recovery software, you can repair a failed pen drive for free and recover all lost data.
🧰USB repair & recovery software | You can use it to fix damaged or corrupted USB drives. The software scans the drive for errors and attempts to repair them. This method depends on the severity of the damage to the USB drive. |
💻Manual data recovery service | This method is suitable when the drive is severely damaged and there is a risk of losing critical data. The effectiveness of this method depends on the expertise of the data recovery professional. |
🎚️Run CHKDSK USB repair tool | This built-in Windows tool checks for errors and repairs file systems on a USB drive. The tool checks the file system and tries to repair any errors found. It depends on the severity of the errors on the drive. |
📡Use Windows Error-Checking | This utility tool scans the file system and corrects any errors found on a USB drive. It is less powerful than CHKDSK and is suitable for less severe errors. |
🗃️Repair USB with failed file system | This method involves repairing the file system of a USB drive that has become corrupted. It may involve formatting the drive and copying the data back onto it. It also depends on the severity of the file system damage. |
🔮Recover data after repairing | This method involves retrieving data from a USB drive after it has been repaired. It is suitable when there is a risk of losing data during repair. It depends on the success of the repair. |
The Tools: Download Free USB Repair Tool & Data Recovery Software
When you search for "USB flash repair software" or "pen drive repair software" on Google, a massive number of hard drive repair tools appear claiming to repair pen drives and recover data. But, only a few of them work as well as they advertise.
Most software can only scan or find some existing data on the corrupted device. To fully resolve the USB corrupt error, you'll need more than just third-party repair software.
Corrupted USB Repair Tools: No matter how your USB flash drive or pen drive becomes corrupted or failed, USB repair software combined with data recovery software can help.
# First: Use the Windows disk check tool to repair the device.
- CHKDSK command line and Windows disk error checking can repair a corrupted storage device.
# Next: Download the powerful EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to regain your data.
- EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can restore all lost files from a corrupted USB or pen drive in 3 steps. Also, you can turn to manual data recovery services if you cannot repair a USB with software.
Consult with EaseUS data recovery experts for one-on-one manual recovery service. We could offer the following services after a FREE diagnosis.
- Fix HDD, SSD, external hard drive, and USB flash drive errors, and restore data from all RAID levels
- Recover lost partitions that cannot be restored by data recovery software
- Fix disks that cannot be read or accessed because of bad sectors
- Fix disks that become GPT-protected partitions
- Wipe data, unformat hard drive, install/uninstall software or driver, etc.
The Procedure: Repair Corrupted USB Using USB Repair Tool Without Data Loss
Before you start, check if your corrupted USB or pen drive can be detected by Windows PC:
- If yes, go ahead and repair it immediately.
- If not, refer to USB not showing up or USB not recognized to find solutions.
The first step is to check the disk and repair its errors. Afterward, use data recovery software to recover any missing or inaccessible data.
1. Run CHKDSK USB Repair Tool to Fix a Corrupted USB or Pen Drive
To repair the USB drive, we will use the CHKDSK utility within the Command Prompt. There is also an alternative that does not use the command line that is shown below.
Step 1. Insert the corrupted USB or pen drive into the USB port on your PC.
Step 2. Go to the search bar and type cmd, and hit Enter.
Step 3. Click cmd.exe and open Command Prompt as Administrator. (Sign in as Administrator with your account if the program asks for permission).
Step 4. Enter: chkdsk j: /f /x in the Command Prompt window and hit Enter.
- Replace j: with the drive letter of your USB drive.
- Syntax note
- j: -- The drive letter. Replace with the letter of your USB drive
- /f -- Will attempt to fix any errors on the disk
- /x -- Will force the USB drive to be dismounted before initiating the scan
- /r -- Will scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. It will take a longer time to scan the sectors and is optional, but it might be worth checking for bad sectors if your device is having issues
If you decide to use it, enter: chkdsk j: /f /r /x
Repair USB Flash Drive with Corrupted File System with EaseUS USB Repair Tool
EaseUS CleanGenius is a user-friendly computer fixing tool that is both safe and lightweight. It's a perfect alternative to CHKDSK command. Use this one-click tool to fix the damaged file system easily.
Step 1. DOWNLOAD EaseUS CleanGenius on your computer and complete the installation.
Step 2. Run the software. Click "Optimization", and then choose "File Showing" .
![select the file showing option](/images/en/easeus-toolm/file-fixing-1.png)
Step 3. Select the drive with a corrupted file system. Tick the "Check and fix file system error" option and click "Execute".
![fix file system](/images/en/easeus-toolm/fix-file-system-error-1.png)
Step 4. Wait the tool performs the repairing task. After that, click the "here" button to check the drive.
![fix file system](/images/en/easeus-toolm/fix-file-system-error-2.png)
Run USB Repair or Pen Drive Repair with Windows Error-Checking
You can do this same task using the Error Checking option in the device Properties menu. It can be more intuitive if you are not very comfortable with the command-line method.
On Windows 10:
Step 1. Insert the corrupted USB into your PC via the USB port.
- Go to "File Explorer > This PC".
Step 2. Right-click on the USB device and select "Properties".
Step 3. Go to Tools and click the "Check" button under Error checking.
Step 4. Select "Scan and repair drive".
Step 5. Continue to follow the wizard interface. It will prompt you to automatically fix disk errors if any error is detected.
2. Recover Data After Repairing Corrupted USB Flash Drive/Pen Drive
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, a world-famous data recovery professional, is 100% secure. With this best data recovery software, you can get everything back with no limitations.
It supports USB pen drives, flash drives, and other removable storage devices from all major brands including Sony, Transcend, SanDisk, Kingston, Apacer, Panasonic, PQI, Toshiba, Super Flash, and Ridata.
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is incredibly easy to use. The steps to recover data from a USB drive are as follows:
Step 1. Choose the USB drive to scan
Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard and choose your USB drive where you lost important files. Click "Scan" to start.
![select the USB drive](/images/en/data-recovery/drw-pro/screenshots/recover-memory-card-step1.png)
Step 2. Check and preview USB drive data
When the scanning is finished, you can quickly locate a specific type of file by using the Filter feature as well as the Search option.
![Scan and find lost flash drive files](/images/en/data-recovery/drw-pro/screenshots/recover-memory-card-step2.png)
Step 3. Restore flash drive data
After checking and finding lost USB drive files, click "Recover" to restore them. You shall save the found files to a safe location on your PC rather than to your USB drive.
![Restore lost files from USB drive](/images/en/data-recovery/drw-pro/screenshots/recover-memory-card-step3.png)
- Notice:
- When restoring data from the USB or pen drive, save the files to a different location than where you originally lost them.
To thoroughly repair your USB and be sure that it is in perfect working condition after fixing it, you can back up the data to your computer, reform the device, and restore it.
Conclusion
You can scan and repair a flash drive for software or driver issues using your computer's built-in repair utility. If you lost data after USB corruption, you can use EaseUS data recovery software. This data recovery software can easily retrieve lost files from corrupted flash drives, SD cards, hard drives, and external hard drives. Download EaseUS USB data recovery software and get back data with ease.
USB Flash Drive Repair Frequently Asked Questions
You have learned about the best USB repair tool to fix a corrupted or damaged USB drive. Make sure you always keep your data safe before repairing the USB drive. Not all USB repair tools and solutions are reliable. If you still have problems, check out the following questions and answers.
Can you fix the corrupted USB drive?
Yes. You can fix a corrupted USB using CHKDSK. Here are the steps to do so:
Step 1. Plug in your USB flash drive or pen drive to your computer.
Step 2. Go to the Start menu, type "cmd" in the search bar, and hit Enter. You’ll see something named "cmd. exe" in the list of programs.
Step 3. Right-click "cmd. exe", select Run as administrator, type "chkdsk /X /f G:" or "chkdsk G: /f" (replace G: with the drive letter corresponding to your USB drive), and press Enter. The chkdsk command will then start repairing the damaged USB drive.
How do you fix an unrecognized USB flash drive?
There are several ways to fix an unrecognized USB drive. Here are a few of those methods:
- 1. Recover files and format RAW USB
- 2. Update unallocated USB drives and create a new volume
- 3. Change the USB drive letter
- 4. Check the USB port, change the USB connection
- 5. If none of the above fixes work, bring the USB to a local device repair center for manual repair
Why is the USB drive corrupted?
The USB storage media is prone to corruption/damage. Here's what causes a USB drive to go corrupt:
- Virus attack
- Abrupt removal
- Sudden power outages and more
Why can't I see my USB drive in Windows 10?
If something is wrong with your USB drive, the USB flash drive will not appear in Windows 10 File Explorer and may appear as unallocated space in Disk Management.
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Brithny is a technology enthusiast, aiming to make readers' tech lives easy and enjoyable. She loves exploring new technologies and writing technical how-to tips. In her spare time, she loves sharing things about her game experience on Facebook or Twitter.
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Approved by Mahesh Makvana
Mahesh is an experienced computer tech writer. He's been writing tech how-to guides for about 8 years now and has covered many topics. He loves to teach people how they can get the most out of their devices.
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