Recovering Files from Corrupted Flash Drive - Lost Cause?

Recuva
1

I apologize in advanced, this is a bit of a long story but there isn't a short version.

Since around 2005 when I had an HP desktop that crashed and I came dangerously close to losing all my stuff on it, I'd maintain all my computer data on a flash drive because portable storage seemed like the safest thing at the time.

It was sufficient up until a few years ago when the last flash drive I was using suddenly corrupted and most of the files couldn't be opened, copied, moved or even deleted and I was only able to recover a small fraction after my stepdad fiddled with it.

Well, being something of a romanticizer, I could never bring myself to throw the thing out. I still long for some of the files I could not recover.

Over time, however, it's gotten worse. My Acer now barely reads it, my Macbook doesn't at all.

On the Acer, the drive is recognized but is shown as empty and requests to format which I never allow because it informed me that it would have to erase the entire drive to do so.

The other day is when I decided to once again attempt to fiddle with it and discovered file recovery software.

I tried one called Data Recovery Wizard which I'd seen used in a Youtube video and it confirmed for me that at least a fraction of the data is still there.

It found up to 140+ files after three or so scans. What I care most about recovering are my word documents/fanfics of which it found just three.

They, however, are mince meat, nothing but pages of blocks of symbols.

I also tried to open a PSD it found but Adobe Photoshop called it "not a valid photoshop file".

Now, of course, I wouldn't be here if Recuva weren't involved and here is where it comes in.

I decided to try a different software to see if it would get me different results but Recuva wouldn't even read it at first and then said it couldn't perform the scan because it's: "Unable to determine file system type".

I'm not sure what that means but is this confirmation of what I've always known in the back of my mind, that I'm trying to milk a dead -- hell decomposed cow? Is it hopeless?

2

Hi Shadow of Life, and welcome to the forum.

If Recuva is popping up the "Unable to determine file system type" message, it means your drive must have a problem with the data in the bootsectors which contain all the important data informing Windows as to what is actually on the drive, including the type of file system. Without that info, your drive is being read as "RAW" or "Unallocated Space".

A couple of options for you to look at.

Firstly, for Recuva to be able to scan that drive you would have to carry out a format. But a "Quick Format" and not a full one.

A quick format would simply re-initialize the file system by rewriting the bootsectors without overwriting any of the data on the drive. It wouldn't touch your files.

You could then scan the drive with Recuva, making sure to go into "Options/Actions" and select "Scan for non deleted files" as you haven't actually deleted the files on that drive.

That's one option, but I would keep that as a final one.

Before that, try out some other free software which will scan a RAW drive and may work for you.

Firstly have a go with "Lazesoft Windows Data Recovery":

Lazesoft Windows Data Recovery:

Also have a look at "PhotoRec 7.0". It's just recently, in this version, been made available with a very simple GUI, but it is in fact a very powerful and reputable program, with lots of guides on the site.

PhotoRec 7.0:

In the download, the GUI version of PhotoRec is the "qphotorec_win.exe" file. Just double click it.

On the Acer, the drive is recognized but is shown as empty and requests to format which I never allow because it informed me that it would have to erase the entire drive to do so.

You should have the option to carry out a "Quick Format". Is that option not available?

Which Operating System are you using by the way?

Have a go using the recovery programs first before anything else, and let us know how you get on.

Hope that helps.

:)

3

My phone versions is 4.0, how to recover deleted data without root ?

I've done a lot of research that need me to root phone device,