Sometimes you may accidentally format your USB drive due to a malfunction. Also, in some cases, you may want to format the flash drive, as a USB drive cannot be used properly without formatting it. But keep in mind that formatting a flash drive will delete all the data stored on it. However, there is no need to worry; in this article, you will get the best formatted flash drive data recovery tool that will help you know how to use user queries like: Can you get files back after formatting a USB flash drive?
Also, you can try other solutions, like recovering data from a formatted flash drive using a backup command or attribute. Keep reading to find out more
USB drives come in different styles and sizes. Many people use small USB flash drives or USB memory sticks to transfer files that they want to share with colleagues or friends. Larger USB drives are used as additional external storage for desktop and laptop systems.
What Does formatting mean?
Formatting is the process of preparing a storage device, such as a USB flash drive, to store data. This happens at two different levels (low-level formatting and high-level formatting), but users only perform high-level formatting.
During the formatting process, a file system is generated and saved to the media. Its purpose is to control data is stored and retrieved. Ensure that data recorded by one application or device is visible to other applications or devices and cannot be accidentally overwritten.
What Causes Data Loss from a Flash Drive?
Now let’s understand some other reasons that cause the flash data loss problem.
- Damaged system files.
- RAW file system corruption
- Flash Disk, USB Flash Drive, or Hard Disk Format Error
- Virus attack on a flash drive
As mentioned above, formatting will delete all the data, such as your valuable photos, important video clips, movies and other audio and music files, etc. This means you will lose all the data stored on your flash drive, USB drive, or hard drive.
Method 1: Can You Get Files Back After Formatting a USB Flash Drive? Using CMD
Some tips will tell you that you can use CMD to recover a formatted USB drive. In fact, Command Prompt can only help you show hidden files. If your USB drive’s data is permanently deleted, you can only recover it using the Data Recovery Wizard.
If some users want to know how to use CMD to show hidden files, we will provide detailed instructions here.
- Connect the USB drive to your system.
- Check your drive letter of USB via this PC.
- Click the search icon on the taskbar, type “cmd,” then right-click “Command Prompt” and select “Run as administrator.”
- Type chkdsk F: /f at the command prompt. (Replace F: with the drive letter of the formatted USB drive.)
- Type Y and then enter the drive letter of your flash drive.
- Type F: \ >attrib –h –r –s /s /d *.*, and CMD will show you all the hidden files from your flash drive. (F stands for drive letter or your USB.)
Is it Possible to Restore a Data File from a Formatted Pen Drive?
Yes, data from a formatted flash drive can be recovered unless you add new data to it. Because adding new data will overwrite existing data, and you may lose the ability to recover your device after formatting.
However, you can apply flash drive data recovery software, which is specially designed to recover lost, deleted, and formatted data (photos, videos, and audio files) from flash drives.
Note: The software is not required if you have a correct and valid backup of your flash drive data in another location, like a PC or any other storage device. But if you don’t have a suitable backup, you should use an expert solution like a USB data recovery tool.
Can You Get Files Back After Formatting a USB Flash Drive? Alternative Software
To recover data from a formatted flash drive, you need to use the recommended USB Recovery Tool by SysTools. So, with the help of the right flash drive data recovery tool, you can easily recover your lost data after formatting the flash drive.
It is a very powerful photo recovery software that can recover photos, videos, and other content without losing the original files. This photo recovery has an efficient scanning algorithm that can retrieve every media file in all situations of card corruption or removal.
Just few Easy Steps Recover after formatting a USB Flash Drive
- Download and run the utility on your computer.
- Next, click the Scan or Scan Format Partition button according to your needs.
- Preview the restored data file after recovery.
- Next, save all the recovered USB flash drive data on the system.
Why Should You Choose This Automatic Software?
The software is an environmentally friendly and professional data recovery software with the following benefits:
- High Security: The security of the chosen data recovery software is a major concern for most users. This is the most ideal option since it is a read-only utility. Thus, it scans your drive completely without causing any damage to the original data.
- Easy to Operate: This software has a wizard-like interface that makes it very easy to start the file recovery process. Using the most effective tools to recover permanently deleted data from USB flash drive, no technical knowledge is required.
- Wide Compatibility: This utility can run on almost all Windows operating systems, including Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server operating systems.
Conclusion
While all two of the methods we explain in this guide can recover lost data after reformatting a drive, by far the easiest method is the Data Recovery Wizard. Since it’s a USB flash drive, can you get the files back after formatting it? It allows you to quickly and easily find and recover files and also provides additional features that cover other data loss scenarios.
Also read: How do I Enable or Disable USB Ports on a Windows?
