The moment you connect your USB to the system and are unable to access it, then what is the first thing you do? Probably, reinsert the USB or try connecting it to the different ports and if not, then format the USB, right?
Due to some inevitable reasons, the files stored on the USB gets corrupt and you end up losing all data. There are also instances when you connect your USB to the system and a dialog box appears suggesting you format the device. To make the matter worse, when you check the size of the USB, it shows as a RAW file system.
You have stored important data on the USB and it can’t be possible that there’s nothing stored on it. Situations like these are really annoying as the files stored on USB becomes inaccessible. With that being said, is there any reliable way to recover RAW data from the USB?
Well, there are some ways to do so, but you need not format the USB. While the majority of us may do so, but that’s the worst case scenario. The first and foremost thing is to avoid formatting the drive as in doing so, you may lose all your data.
Symptoms of RAW USB:
To check whether the USB has turned RAW, right-click on the USB and then select “Properties”, and from the given options, select “General” and check the used memory space. If space shows as 0 byte, then the file system has become RAW. Also, if there is a change in the orientation of the file system, then also it has become RAW.
Once the USB turns RAW, you cannot perform a CHKDSK command to recover data from it; instead, you need a RAW data recovery software to recover your data. CHKDSK repairs a corrupt partition table and if that’s not the case, then you may lose your data.
Reasons for RAW USB:
Some of the reasons are listed below:
- Elector-static discharge.
- Abrupt power outage.
- USB drive is corrupt due to virus intrusion.
- Unplugging the device when it is still in use can damage the file system.
- Accidentally formatting the file drive to other formats.
The Recovery Process: Using The Manual Approach
Follow these steps to fix file system errors:
- Connect the USB drive to your PC.
- Go to This PC and select Removable Disk Icon.
- Right-click the Removable Disk Icon and select its Properties.
- Select Tools < Check Now
- There are two options “Automatically fix file system errors” and “Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors”.
- Select both the options and click Start to start the scanning process.
The probability that Windows utility can fix the file system is considerably low. Moreover, you’ll be able to perform the steps only if your system recognizes the USB. Windows will repair bad sectors and not the RAW file system; therefore, you need a RAW data recovery software to recover all your data.
The Automated Approach: Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Windows Software
Stellar Data Recovery Professional is a reliable RAW data recovery software through which you can efficiently recover your data. Apart from its robust scanning algorithm, it provides users with the ‘Raw Recovery’ feature to recover severely corrupt data. It searches data on the USB based on the file signature and you can edit the header or add new file headers to enhance the recovery process.
To use RAW Recovery feature of Stellar Data Recovery Professional, follow the below steps:
1. Connect your USB to the system and run Stellar Data Recovery Professional.
2. On the main screen, click the Burger Menu icon & then click ‘Settings’ option.
3. Now, select ‘Add File Types’ option.
4. If you know, how to add file types, click ‘I know how to add file type’ else, click ‘I don’t know how to add file types’ option.
Important: You can add up to 10 File Signature and resume the recovery process.
The Bottom Line
The key to successful recovery is to abstain from formatting the drive. Besides, you should also refrain from implementing the manual steps in order to recover your data as this may overwrite the data. Windows utility is beneficial but to some extent; however, you can leverage RAW Recovery features of Stellar Data Recovery Professional and get your data restored!
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