A USB drive has been the go-to portable storage device for many of us. We use it at work, school, and our personal life. Unlike before, flash drives now have become more reliable and durable. Not to mention, they have more storage now up to 2 TB. That allows most of us to store many important files and data in them.
But despite the beneficial upgrades, USB drives are still not immune to getting corrupted, which leads to inaccessibility or worse– data loss. So, if you receive the “Drive is not accessible” prompt. That’s your PC telling you the flash drive is corrupted and needs repairing. The good news is we have the right methods to repair USB drive for you. Check them out below!
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FYI: Causes of Corrupted USB Flash Drive
Before we go straight for the solutions, it’s also necessary that you know what causes a USB drive to be corrupted. That way, you can avoid the hassle in the future. Here are the possible reasons why your flash drive is suddenly unreadable:
- Improper and abrupt disconnection while transferring files
- Physical damage due to water, dust, and other factors.
- Computer virus
- Bad sectors in the drive
- Factory defect
If your flash drive has become corrupted, one of these causes is the suspect. And that’s where you need to start to find the right method for your situation.
Method 1: Check Errors to Repair USB Drive
Windows PCs have troubleshooting features like Error Checking for external storage devices like SSDs, HDDs, USB drives, and more. You can make use of it if the cause of the problem is bad sectors or improper disconnection.
Step 1
Plug in your USB flash drive to your PC. Then, open Windows File Explorer and locate the USB drive under This PC. Right-click on it and click Properties.
Step 2
There, proceed to the Tools tab and look for Error Checking. Hit the Check button and the computer will start scanning for issues in the USB drive. If there’s a problem, it will automatically be fixed.
Method 2: Fix Corrupted Flash via Windows PowerShell
If the previous method doesn’t solve the issue, you can try using Windows PowerShell. It’s one of the command tools in Windows PCs that lets you send solutions and commands to drives and other computer components. You can use it on your USB flash drive as well. This method is effective in dealing with bad sectors.
Step 1
Press the Window key from your Desktop and look for the search bar. There, paste “Powershell” and hit the option: Run as administrator. The PowerShell window will appear shortly after.
Step 2
In there, type in this command “Repair-Volume E –OfflineScanAndFix” The assigned letter for USB drives is usually E. If yours has a different letter, change it.
Step 3
After executing the previous command, type in another one “Repair-Volume E–Scan” and press the Enter key. Finally, restart your PC and check the USB drive it has been fixed.
Method 3: Repair USB Drive by Formatting
In case the USB drive is still inaccessible after doing the methods above, your last resort is to format it. This is especially recommended if the USB has been infected by a computer virus, which caused the corruption. Typically, your PC will suggest formatting the USB drive. However, this will delete all files in it.
Step 1
Connect the USB drive to your PC. Then, open the File Explorer and proceed to This PC. There, right-click on your flash drive.
Step 2
Select the Format option and a small box should appear. There, set the File System format to FAT32 or exFAT. Then, hit the Quick Format button. Wait for it and the click OK to finalize the action.
Method 4: Have A Professional Repair Your USB Drive
When the problem is physical damage like water damage, factory defect, or whatnot, the best course of action is to have a professional repair it. Computer shops usually offer USB drive repair services. The cost usually ranges from 100 USD to 700 USD, depending on the extent of the damage.
But if it’s purely a factory defect and you did not cause the damage, you can take your flash drive to its respective brand’s service center. There’s a good chance you can have it fixed there for free.
Bonus: Recover Data from A Corrupted Flash Drive with 4DDiG
Well, if the repairs have been unsuccessful, your best option is to get a new USB drive. However, that doesn’t mean you have to leave your important files from the old one. There’s an app called Tenorshare 4DDiG that can restore 2000+ types of data and files from external storage devices. Even if your USB is corrupted the program can still recover your files with 99% confidence.
This recovery software works by scanning and searching the deleted/corrupted/lost data in the USB drive. And after it finds them, you can select them one by one or in bulk. Then, recover all of the files in just one click. That’s how simple 4DDiG works. You don’t need to be a computer expert to recover your files, which means you can also save money.
Apart from that, all recovered files will not suffer quality loss. The images, documents, videos, music, etc., will have their original details and size back. Not to mention, all corruption, viruses, and other damages are wiped as well, making sure your files are clean. If you want to try 4DDiG, just click on the buttons below to get started.
Conclusion
It’s really frustrating to find out your flash drive has been corrupted. However, you shouldn’t get stressed until you’ve exhausted all the methods above. As you may know, there are effective ways to repair USD drives now. Just try them out and see for yourself.