USB flash drive recovery. Scanning and eliminating bad sectors on a removable drive A program for removing bad sectors on a flash drive

Bad sectors are an integral part of our digital life. Many of us are already accustomed to such failures that occur from time to time, but for a new user who sees an error message when connecting a removable drive to the computer, this can lead to panic. Removable drives store a small amount of data on each of their sectors and sometimes it happens that one of them gets damaged. Such sectors are called broken.

In this article, we will walk you through the steps required to resolve bad sectors on a flash drive or any larger storage medium connected to your computer. This method will require the use of a device with the Windows operating system installed on it.

Logical- storage space that is not working properly. The operating system, when trying to read sector data, receives an adjustment error code that does not match the contents. Then the system marks it as broken and stops using it for storing information. Such drives can be restored by rewriting the disk (low-level formatting).
Physical— media space that is physically damaged. Such damage cannot be repaired.

So, how to fix bad sectors in removable storage? Fortunately, there are several ways to help you cope with this crisis situation.

Removing bad sectors using Windows Explorer

The first and most important way to troubleshoot the problem is Windows Explorer . An easy-to-use interface allows you to check media connected to your computer for bad sectors and eliminate them.

Note: We used Windows 10 to run the disk analysis utility. Custom Windows interface 8.1 is similar, however it may be different from Windows 7.

Troubleshooting steps:

Recovering bad sectors using CMD in Windows

If the utility is based user interface did not help resolve the issue, try using the command line Windows string. Check Disk is used to perform an operation to check the connected media for errors. To open CMD in Administrator mode, right-click the Start button and select Command Prompt (Admin).

Use the following command to check the drive:

chkdsk C:

Here C is the path/drive letter assigned to your media. You will need to write the symbol corresponding to your drive (in our case it is E). Open My Computer to see the correct drive letter.

To correct errors on the media, enter the following:

chkdsk /f E:

The command will help you find and fix bad sectors:

chkdsk /f /R E:

The Check Disk utility will restore for you any “logical” bad sector present on the removable drive. Restart your computer when the recovery process is complete.

The above methods will work for SD cards, MicroSD (connected with an adapter) and external/internal hard drives.

If you need to first recover and save information, recovery tools will help you Starus Recovery. You can download and try programs for recovering deleted data on a removable storage device completely free of charge! The functionality of each program has a preview window. This function will help make sure that specific file is not damaged or overwritten, which means it will be successfully restored.

Flash drive recovery is possible in almost all cases. The recovery methods listed below are intended to eliminate software failures; if the flash drive is sunk, broken, or melted, then software methods Data recovery will not help. Therefore, at the very beginning it is necessary to determine the type of failure. To do this, insert the drive into the USB connector and look at the indicator or at the list of connected devices in the “My Computer” section:

If the device appears, but the files are not visible or inaccessible, then there is a malfunction that can often be resolved using special programs and you can proceed to selection;
The light has gone out and will not start (or the device not displayed) — there is a physical breakdown;
Flash drive appears as a 0 MB disk. Not the most popular type of malfunction, but if this is what you have, then feel free to skip the main part - a quick solution to this problem is described at the end of the article.

Selection of a special program

There are a number free programs, through which you can bring the flash drive back to life. For selection the right program you need to first determine the VIP and PID.

Determining VID and PID

VID and PID are identifiers that determine the type of controller installed in the flash drive. Using these identifiers, software for working with the device is selected. Programs are developed under different types controllers.

To determine VID and PID you need to:

Program selection

You should use the obtained information about controller identifiers to find the best compatible program. To do this:

The service will automatically find compatible software for working with the flash drive. You need to select an entry with the same manufacturer as your flash drive and click on the link. If the link does not work, you can enter the name of the program in the search bar of your browser and download it through the developer’s website.

In some cases, searching by VID and PID does not bring results. The site does not display a compatible controller software. Then you need to select a program to work with the flash drive manually. Some of them are universal, suitable for restoring most cards. Such programs will be discussed below.

Recovery using built-in Windows utilities

CHKDSK utility

The utility is suitable for the simplest cases when file system data fails without disrupting the cluster layout. When trying to display existing files when there are bad sectors, the computer will often simply hang, so there is no need to try to open the device. Instead, let's use the command line by doing the following:

Look at what letter the system identifies the drive under (in our case, G).
Run command line. To do this, press the Win and R keys or use the “Start” button to open the “Run” window, write the line cmd in the input field, and click Ok.
In the command prompt window, enter G: /f (under the letter G, in our case, the system identifies the flash drive).

This will launch the CHKDSK program to check for file system errors, the /f key will give it the command to automatically correct the problems found. Upon completion of the utility, you will most likely successfully restore the flash drive without losing data.

Windows DiskPart utility

The Diskpart utility is launched via the command line. You can launch the command line by searching in the Start menu. To restore the flash drive you will need the following commands:

To work with the utility, you will need administrator rights on your computer. It should also be run as an administrator. Otherwise, some commands may not work.

Other recovery programs

Fortunately for owners, restoring data and performance of flash drives is much easier than for hard drives or microSD drives. Below are several effective programs that will make a “dead” flash drive work.

SDformatter

What it can do:

Format devices if the system fails;
Restoring functionality due to software, virus damage or improper cleaning in the past;
Flexible settings for working with a flash drive.

Suitable for Windows and MacOS. Disadvantage: there is only an English interface. Not compatible with all types of removable storage devices.

PC Inspector Smart Recovery

The program is suitable for working with any storage media, including hard drive and removable cards. PC Inspector Smart Recovery is distributed free of charge, you can download it. There is a Russian interface.

PC Inspector Smart Recovery can recover files of most existing extensions, including rare ones. The program itself has a convenient hint system, which is aimed at helping users during recovery. The software even recovers data for which header lines have been deleted. The program can clean and format data on storage media in various ways. The user is offered flexible parameter settings and extensive functionality.

RecoverRx

The program was developed by the removable storage manufacturer Transcend. It is free, there is a Russian language. You can download it. Designed specifically for working with removable devices, including players, phones, microcards, SD and flash drives.

RecoverRx can:

Recovers data. Helps to return deleted files most formats: text, audio, video, applications.
Formats. Safely clears the disk of all data without affecting its performance.
Protects. With RecoveRx you can set a password for the device memory. Deleting data will only work if you enter this combination. The function is only compatible with Windows OS.

The program is simple and easy to use. The main window offers a list of all connected devices. The user needs to select a flash drive and the function he wants to use.

The system detects a USB drive as a disk size of 0 bytes

If the system detects a flash drive with a size of 0 bytes, the file system fails with a violation of the cluster layout. If you want to restore data, then it is better to use the instructions above, but if you need to return the flash drive to working capacity, then it is much simpler and quick way without using additional programs - formatting.

To do this:

Why do crashes occur?

Problems with flash cards arise for various reasons:

The wrong file system was selected when formatting;
The flash drive was cleaned incorrectly, the operation was interrupted before formatting was completed;
The device was repeatedly forcibly disconnected from the computer while it was working, without software removal;
The device memory is infected with a virus;
The memory has been overwritten many times without formatting, and the sectors are damaged.

Serious memory problems with flash drives are rare. Common problems include incorrect formatting and virus infections. If you overwrite information in the card's memory, it is recommended to format it.

Careless, careless handling can lead to damage to even the most durable device. Cards do not have moving elements, as in HDD drives, but they are also prone to malfunctions. You can avoid many problems with flash drives if you store them in dark, dry places, carefully remove them from the computer, and continue formatting and processing files so as not to cause a critical error.

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Perhaps every user sooner or later faces a problem with the performance of a flash drive. If your removable drive stops working normally, do not rush to throw it away. In case of some failures, functionality can be restored. Let's consider everything available methods solving the problem.

It’s worth saying right away that all procedures are quite simple. Moreover, the problem can be solved without even resorting to any unusual means, but with only the capabilities of the operating room Windows systems. So let's get started!

Method 1: Check Flash Program

This software effectively checks the functionality of a flash device.

Install the program. To do this, download it from the link above.
In the main program window, perform a few simple steps:
- in section "Access type" select item "Like a physical device...";
- to display your device, in the field "Device" click on the button "Update";
- in section "Actions" check the box "Reading stability";
- in section "Duration" please indicate "Endlessly";
- click the button "Start".

The test will begin, the progress of which will be displayed on the right side of the window. When testing sectors, each of them will be highlighted with the color specified in the Legend. If everything is in order, the cell glows blue. If there are errors, the block will be marked in yellow or red. In the tab "Legend" there is a detailed description.

Upon completion of work, all errors will be indicated on the tab "Magazine".

Unlike the built-in CHKDSK command, which we will look at below, this program, when checking a flash device, erases all data. Therefore, before checking everything important information you need to copy it to a safe place.

If even after checking the flash drive continues to work with errors, this indicates that the device is losing its functionality. Then you need to try to format it. Formatting can be normal or, if this does not help, low-level.

Our lessons will help you complete this task.

You can also use standard Windows OS formatting. The corresponding instructions can be found in our article on how to record music on a flash drive for a car radio (method 1).

Method 2: CHKDSK utility

This utility comes with Windows and is used to check the disk for faults. file system. To use it to check the functionality of the media, do this:

No computer owner can imagine life without removable storage media. There is a lot of information, why overload your computer with all sorts of data if you can save everything on a flash drive? All the more unpleasant is the moment when very necessary information suddenly appears on the media.

Bad sectors are sectors of the storage medium that, due to damage or system failures, the computer cannot read.

There are two types of bad sectors:

logical. Data replay error occurs as a result of system failures. Such incidents can be corrected and after correction the computer will read everything;
physical. The readable area of the card is so damaged that it is impossible to read information from it.

It is important to understand what led or could lead to such an incident.

Where do they come from?

The reasons that the computer does not like certain areas on the flash card lie in:

system failures;
viral infection;
physical damage (crack, scratches);
incorrect termination of work with the media (roughly pulling it out of the port as soon as the card is no longer needed);
the initial presence of defects on the machine heads.

All these incidents lead to the fact that operating system instead of the sector contents, it receives an adjustment error code. From this moment on, the volume is closed to her; she ceases to perceive it as a potential repository of information.

Is it always possible to restore them?

Logical broken areas can be corrected. If the failure is caused by physical wear and tear or serious damage to the media, then even repairing the flash card is often useless.

In any case, you should still try to restore the bad sector. For this there are internal and external applications of the system, for example:

conductor;
Check Disk;
Hetman Partition Recovery;
Jet Flash Recovery Tool;
Storage Format Tool;
PartitionGuru.

All external utilities can be downloaded from the Internet for free. They are easy to use, which is facilitated by the Russian interface. Hetman Partition Recovery is the most popular - according to user reviews, this utility revives data on an almost completely “dead” drive. Each program is accompanied by instructions. After launching, the utility scans and evaluates the condition of the media, then eliminates damage - of course, only those that are possible.

After this, all that remains is to restart the computer. The drive operates in satisfactory mode.

Remedies

Windows Explorer

Usually, the system, having noticed a “guest”, offers to check and restore it. This also happens in Windows (starting with Windows 7). It is enough to insert the removable drive into the port, then a notification will appear that the operating system has noticed the device and for some reason it no longer likes it.

However, the PC does not always offer such a service right away. For many reasons (outdated version, data overload), it may not respond immediately. In this case you can:

If after this the work of the removable media becomes satisfactory, you can simply return to it. As a last resort, you should restart the computer. However, this service is only good for minor damage.

Check Disk

The built-in Check Disk application will detect damage on the flash card and, if possible, fix it. Of course, not everything either, but in many cases it turns out to be a good help.

It's also very easy to use:

Note!“E:” - indicates the identifier of the flash drive; you can insert another identifier instead of it.

Next, the system itself will assess the condition of the removable drive and revive the damaged areas. True, only logical ones. And that's not all. After completion of the work, the system will provide a report on what broken areas were detected and whether they were able to be revived.

After rebooting the machine, the removable media should start working in the same mode as before the damage. In other cases, it is better to use other utilities, such as Hetman Partition or Partition Guru.

Hetman Partition Recovery

Hetman Partition Recovery utility can find and recover damaged or deleted files regardless of the method. To do this:

Go to the official website of the utility developers, select the file download option and click “Download file”.
The Google Chrome browser will prompt you to select a folder to download the file on your computer, we recommend selecting the “Downloads” or “Desktop” folder, click “Save”. Sometimes the file is downloaded automatically.
Run the program installation file from the "Downloads" folder or from the bottom bar of the download browser by double-left clicking the mouse.
The usual “Setup Wizard” will open, read the information and click “Next”.
Click the “I Accept” button and read the terms of the license agreement if you wish.
Click Next.
Check the required boxes and click “Install”. Wait for the installation process to complete and the program to start automatically.
After starting the program, the “File Recovery Wizard” window will appear, read the text, click “Next”.
Select with the left mouse click. The utility will provide two scanning options, we recommend selecting “Full analysis”, checking the appropriate box, click “Next”.
After completing the scanning process, click on the “Finish” button.
Drag necessary files in the recovery field, click on the “Restore” option.
Check the box to save files and click Next.
Wait for the process to complete and go to the selected drive to view the recovered data.

The host is infected with a virus

Sometimes the reason is that removable disk suffered from “saboteurs” who arrived from the Internet. Such a threat lurks, for example, on photo hosting sites.

An inexperienced user can also cope with this. Free antivirus cleaners will come to the rescue, for example:

Dr. Web Cureit;
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.

It’s easier to use Doctor Web, which can also be downloaded from the Internet. This service is good because the virus database is constantly updated and the defender program keeps up with viruses in its development faster than many other analogues.

If the reason for the appearance of broken areas was related to viruses, this will become clear from the report.

Thus, it turns out that bad sectors on a removable drive are not a fatal problem; in most cases it is possible to fix it. In some cases, you will have to contact a service center to restore the flash card.

Video - How to check a flash drive for errors and fix them?

Micro SD memory cards are quite popular due to their portability: you can use it in your phone, and if you insert it into an adapter, you can easily put it in your computer, digital camera and any other devices. Such memory cards are inexpensive, but they often break down. Micro SD suddenly stops responding and shows no data. In this case, do not rush to throw away the flash drive and buy another one, as you can restore it with the basic using Windows or third party programs. Bring your Micro SD flash drive back to life with the help of this article.

How to recover a Micro SD flash drive without third-party programs

The surest way and the first one that you should immediately take is to format the flash drive in Windows via external USB adapter. The thing is that built-in adapters for Micro SD do not always cope with their task; it is best to buy a USB adapter for memory cards and use it or ask friends for a while.

Insert the USB flash drive into the adapter and then connect it to the computer. Wait until the device is detected by the system. It's okay if the type of flash drive is displayed incorrectly, because it is broken.

Right-click on it and select “Format”.

Select formatting options:

The file system must be Fat32.
The cluster size is 32 KB.
Check the box next to “Quick Format”.

Click “Ok” and wait until the procedure is completed. Remove the device when finished and insert again.
Of course, after formatting, all files from the flash drive will be deleted, but, nevertheless, its performance may return to normal.

How to recover a Micro SD flash drive using the program

This option is suitable not only for restoring the functionality of a flash drive, but also for recovering files from it. Try this procedure after formatting to recover all photos and files.

Download the Card Recovery program on the official website at https://www.cardrecovery.com. There are several options for one program available here to recover different files and memory cards.

Please note that the program is distributed only in a trial version. You will have to pay for the full one.
Installation is quite simple and straightforward: agree with license agreement and select the program installation directory.

Immediately open the program via Start or a desktop shortcut. First of all, insert your memory card into your computer.

Click “Next” and you will see the next step. Here you need to select the drive letter on which the flash drive is currently located. Expand the first list and select it.

Once you set the device letter, in the bottom line set the path to save the recovered files. It is in this folder that all photographs and other documents will appear.

Click “Next” again to begin. If the program itself was unable to indicate the amount of memory on the device, write it down manually.

Confirm the restoration and click “Yes”.

Wait while the scan completes. During the process, all lost files will be found, as well as problems with the flash drive. As soon as the line is completely filled with green, the scanning was successful. In the lower window you will see everything that was recovered.

The program will tell you how many files were found.

Click “Next” to view them.

Check the boxes next to those that need to be restored. Click “Next” again. The recovery will take several minutes, depending on the capabilities of your computer.
Now you can again use the Micro SD flash drive and files recovered from it.