Working with a flash drive in windows 7. The best free programs for repairing flash drives
One of the most handy tools to transfer information from one computer to another is a flash memory or, in computer jargon, a flash drive.
A flash drive is a small but capacious storage device that you can always carry with you and connect to any computer for file sharing.
It connects to a computer using a USB connector. Such a connector is in any modern computer (or laptop), and it is not difficult to find it. In desktop computers, this connector is located either on the front or on the back. system block, and on a laptop, USB connectors are usually located somewhere on the side:
To write information to a USB flash drive, you just need to insert it (USB flash drive) into the USB connector, after removing the cap (if any). The USB connector allows you to make a "hot" connection, so you do not need to turn off the computer when you connect or remove a USB flash drive.
The flash drive must fit into the slot without special efforts, so if it is not included, then you just need to turn it on the other side (180 degrees):
After connecting the flash drive, an autorun dialog box will most likely appear on the monitor screen, in which we will be asked to choose a method for opening files stored on the flash drive (this window may differ from mine):
Autostart of external devices is sometimes convenient, but I would still recommend disabling it for security reasons.
The fact is that when autorun of external devices is enabled, there is a high probability of infecting the computer, because. if a malicious program or a virus suddenly appears on the flash drive, then the infection will occur immediately when the flash drive is connected (the virus will start automatically).
In addition, you should not think that the virus gets on the flash drive only when copying. Keep in mind that if you simply insert a USB flash drive into an infected computer (this is especially true if this computer is in public place) and immediately extract it (without copying anything), then even in this case there is a high probability that the virus has already got on the USB flash drive. By inserting such a flash drive into your computer with the autorun of external devices turned on, you will most likely infect your computer as well.
You can disable autorun of external media in Windows 7 through Control Panel - Autorun(or Control Panel - All Control Panel Items - AutoPlay). In the window that opens, take off just one tick:
In Windows XP, autorun is disabled as follows: click Start - Run. Next in the window Run type manually gpedit.msc
In the window that appears, go to the section Computer Configuration - Administrative Templates - System - Disable AutoPlay:
Right click on the item Disable autoplay and choose the item properties, and then just turn off autorun and press Ok.
When autorun is disabled, you can find the contents of the flash drive from the window A computer:
In this window, by default, the flash drive will be displayed as Removable drive. The bar to the right of the icon shows how much space on the flash drive is occupied by files and how much free space is left on it.
By clicking on the icon of this device, we will open a window that will display everything that is on the flash drive.
Copying, moving, deleting and other actions with files are performed in the same way as with any other files on the hard drive. You can read more about this.
And after the work with the files is finished, the flash drive can be removed, but DO IT RIGHT!
Incorrect removal of the flash drive can lead to its inoperability!
Remember that before removing the flash drive, its work must be stopped. To do this, click on the icon of the connected device, which is located in the tray (lower right corner):
When you hover over this icon, we will see the inscription Safely Remove Devices and Drives.
If you don't see this icon, it means it's hidden. You can find it by clicking on the white triangle in the tray, which opens a menu with hidden icons:
In this menu we find the icon we need:
After clicking on this icon, a menu will appear on the screen with a list of connected devices (if there are several connected). We need to find our device and just click on its name:
A message will appear on the screen stating that the device can be removed:
note that only after the appearance of such a message can the flash drive be removed from the USB socket. Otherwise maybe damage to the flash drive (although it can carry it! :))
Keep in mind that if a write operation was performed at the time the flash drive was disconnected from the computer, errors will appear in the file system of the flash drive. In this case, it is recommended to perform full format flash drive.
Formatting a flash drive is not difficult, but the main thing before that is to copy important files from a flash drive to HDD(if possible), because formatting will destroy all the files that are on the flash drive.
To start formatting the flash drive, in the window A computer right-click on the flash drive icon and select the item from the menu that appears Format:
Read the warning carefully and click Ok to start formatting:
After a few seconds, the formatting will be completed:
Now the file system is in perfect order and the flash drive is ready to work again!
Well, at the end of the lesson I will give a few more tips!
1. To make it easier to find your flash drive on another computer (among other drives in the window A computer), you can rename it. To do this, click on the icon Removable drive right mouse button, select item Rename and give the flash drive any name, for example "My flash drive".
Now, on any computer, the flash drive will be displayed the same way, and exactly the way we want it:
2. From time to time it is advisable to check the flash drive for errors.
To check the flash drive, right-click on its icon and select the item Properties. In the window that opens, on the tab Service press the button Perform a check pre-closing everything open documents with which we worked (on a flash drive):
In the next window, put all the checkboxes and click launch.
3. If you often use a flash drive, but the USB connector on your computer is in an inconvenient place (for example, on back wall system unit), then I recommend buying a special USB extension cable (two meters long):
Plug one end of the extension cord into the computer's USB connector (where you inserted the USB flash drive), and put the other end directly on your computer desk.
Thanks to this USB extension, you no longer need to climb under the table (where the system unit is usually located) to find the right connector somewhere behind the system unit. Now a flash drive or other external USB device (for example, digital camera) can be connected to the computer without getting up from the table, just by stretching out your hand.
USB flash drive is not recognized as a disk when connected to a computer or laptop? Can't you write anything on it? And even formatting the flash drive does not work? Basically, all is not lost. Most likely, the problem lies in the controller. But we'll fix it. And everything will take a maximum of 5-10 minutes.
The only caveat is that restoring the performance of a flash drive is possible only if it does not have any mechanical damage(+ she displayed in device manager). That is, if you disabled it not through "Safely Remove" (or something like that), then this can be fixed. At the very least, it's worth at least trying to restore a non-working flash drive.
How to restore the performance of a flash drive
Even if it seems that the USB flash drive has come to an end, you should not take it in for repair. And even more so throw it away. First, you can try to recover a damaged flash drive.
The instruction works for all USB flash drives: Silicon Power, Kingston, Transcend, Data Traveler, A-Data, etc. It can be used to restore the file system and fix any problems (except for mechanical damage).
So, the first thing you need to do is determine the parameters of the USB flash drive. Or rather, its VID and PID. Based on this information, you can determine the brand of the controller, and then choose a utility that will help restore a damaged flash drive.
To find out these parameters, do the following:
After that, it remains to find this utility by name or follow the link (if any) and download it.
Restoring Kingstone, Silicon Power, Transcend and other models is easy: just run the program and follow the instructions.
What to do if you have not found a suitable utility for your model? To do this, go to Google or Yandex and write something like this: “Silicon Power 4 GB VID 090C PID 1000” (of course, you should specify the parameters of your flash drive here). And then look what the search engine found.
Never use programs that are not suitable for the VID and PID parameters of your controller! Otherwise, you will “kill” the flash drive completely, and it will no longer be possible to restore it.
In most cases, recovering a damaged flash drive is successful. And after that it will be determined when connected to a PC or laptop.
This is how you repair a flash drive with your own hands using a free utility.
And most importantly: in this way it is possible to restore a damaged flash drive in 80% of cases. While most specialized programs may not be able to cope with this task.
After a virus attack, a power outage or formatting, the operating system stopped detecting the flash drive... Sound familiar? What to do? Throw the device in the trash and run to the store for a new one?
No need to rush. There are software solutions for recovering non-working flash drives. Most of these programs do a good job of this task.
This list contains several utilities that are most effective in helping you solve the problem.
A small utility with a set of functions for restoring inoperable flash drives. The program has a simple and intuitive interface, which, even without the support of the Russian language, makes it one of best tools to work with flash drives.
HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool scans flash drives, fixes errors, and formats them in different file systems.
HDD Low Level Format Tool
Another small but powerful flash drive repair program. The utility, using low-level formatting, is able to restore inoperable drives to life.
Unlike the previous representative, it can work not only with flash drives, but also with hard drives.
The program provides full information drive information and S.M.A.R.T data for HDD. It formats both quickly, with overwriting only the MBR, and deep, with the deletion of all data.
SD Formatter
Sd Formatter is a program for recovering a micro sd flash drive. Works exclusively with SD cards. Capable of recovering SDHC, microSD and SDXC cards.
In addition, it can treat drives after unsuccessful formatting, as well as completely overwrite information on the card by repeatedly overwriting random data.
flash doctor
Another representative software to work with "dead" flash drives.
Flash Doctor is a program for recovering a transcend flash drive. Scans disks for errors and recovers using low-level formatting.
Works not only with flash drives, but also with hard drives.
A distinctive feature of Flash Doctor is the function of creating disk images. The created images, in turn, can be written to flash drives.
EzRecover
The most simple program kingston flash drive recovery software is on our list. But its simplicity is only external. In fact, EzRecover is able to consider flash drives that are not detected in the system and recover them.
EzRecover brings back to life flash drives labeled "Security Device" and/or zero volume. For all its inconspicuousness, the utility copes with its tasks perfectly.
Here is a list of utilities for recovering flash drives. Each has its own characteristics, but they all do their job perfectly.
Probably not left in our modern society those who would not use USB drives, MP3 players and other devices that use flash memory. And for sure everyone has encountered various problems regarding these media: “Device not recognized”, “No access”, “The system cannot finish formatting”, and so on, etc.
In this article, we will try to answer the main questions that owners of damaged USB drives face - flash drive repair and resuscitation. Let's describe the most common mistakes users, along with real advice and sequence of actions in certain cases.
But first, it is worth clarifying some of the nuances. Restoring and repairing media are two different things, which means that the approach and result will be different from each other. Do-it-yourself flash drive repair is fraught with data loss, but in the end you can get a fully functional device that will serve you for another long time(at correct use), and the recovery process includes only the return of information without "surgical" intervention.
Symptoms of a Damaged USB Drive
- Not determined by the operating system.
- A message like: "The drive is copy protected."
- The flash drive is "not visible" on more than 3 computers.
- The LED is off or blinking.
- Windows Explorer cannot display content.
- The file system recognizes the device as a virtual drive or does not see it at all.
- The structure of directories and files is damaged (noted when trying to format).
- Every second or third attempt to install the drive ends with the message: "unrecognized USB device."
The list of problems when repairing a flash drive is required is very impressive, but the basic approach is quite universal and can generally be reduced to just two main actions.
If you manage to read similar drives on the same computer on which you are trying to work with a problematic flash drive, then the problem rests only on the media. There may be problems with the USB connector, a damaged port (this is the reason Kingston flash drives are always repaired for this reason), or a faulty memory chip.
First of all, it is worth trying to read your drive on another computer. Some types of flash drives are sensitive to usb connectors; they need a special receiver to work correctly. If the media is readable on other computers, then some "upgrade" of your USB port may be required.
If none of the options gave results, then you can try to read the device on the most “clean” operating system without installed drivers, software and other programs that may conflict with the flash drive. To do this, it is enough to start the system in safe mode, where all devices are running in the base state. If in this case the flash drive is visible and the information is readable, then the problem should be looked for in third-party software, and not in the drive.
Even if this method could not bring any results, then the problem is in the software part of the drive. Also, before repairing a USB flash drive, you need to understand that there are often cases of factory defects and the end of the service life, i.e. rewrite cycles are exhausted (for a standard drive, this cycle is limited to approximately 100 thousand writes). In these cases, you need to contact the manufacturer or simply change the flash drive.
Do-it-yourself flash drive repair
In principle, all drives are created in the same way and are similar to each other. When resuscitating a flash drive, a complete flashing of the device and subsequent formatting may be required.
Determine VID&PID
The key to unraveling the USB drive is the controller, a rather tricky and complicated thing, but without this part, the repair will become much more difficult. The main catch is that all flash drive manufacturers use different models and types of controllers, and there can be intertwined not only their own, but also other people's developments, along with some kind of know-how. Therefore, it is not always possible to accurately and the first time determine which controller is in front of you.
You can go the barbaric way and gut the keychain, then you will know exactly what and “how” is in front of you, but this method is probably not to everyone's liking. Therefore, it is better to resort to third-party software, since the program for repairing flash drives is not so rare. Let's consider several useful utilities that determine the flash drive controller (VID & PID).
ChipEasy
A simple, useful and intuitive program for resuscitation of flash drives. The interface is extremely user-friendly and translated into Russian.
The utility is able to recognize the manufacturer along with the model of the USB drive. Great for Transcend and Kingston brands. If you need to repair a flash drive with your own hands, then the first step is to master this product.
FDIE (Flash Drive Information Extractor)
The utility is “sharpened” mainly for Silicon Power media. It will give all the necessary information about VID & PID, controller, model and type of USB drive. One of the main advantages of the program is the detail of the information: the utility for repairing a flash drive will put together all the data, if desired, summarize and give the result in a convenient list.
There is also a non-professional version of the translation into Russian in the public domain, although you can do without it - the program has a poor and understandable interface.
CheckUDisk
The program is characterized by a high speed of scanning information from the media for the subsequent determination of VID & PID. Data detailing to determine the controller and media type is performed at the level of a similar FDIE.
The program for repairing flash drives is simple, understandable and has a friendly interface similar to ChipEasy. If you wish, you can download an amateur version of the Russified product if there are any problems with the translation.
flashing
After one of the above utilities can point you to the VID & PID, you need to find desired program for flashing and subsequent formatting on the official websites of manufacturers. But even here it is not so simple. Flash drive repair consists of two parts: firmware and format, but some types of devices are simply not designed for flashing, in which case you can simply hang the keychain with a flash drive on the wall and go to the store for a new one.
Rare types of flash drives
Little-known or high-capacity USB drives are more difficult to recover than their standard counterparts. Repairing a flash drive of this type is very often accompanied by hardware problems like bad sectors. In such cases, the media is connected as a second HDD through a special recovery adapter, then the data recovery procedure is carried out using the methods described above.
Summarizing
High-quality and at the same time free repair of a flash drive is a very transparent procedure, which may not help you in all cases. If your device has valuable information or is expensive in itself, it makes sense to contact a specialized service center where smart specialists will help you not only save information, but also give a second life to your flash drive. Otherwise, no one can guarantee you positive results, and you will act only at your own peril and risk.
Always remember about simple rules storage of information: copies and more copies. Buy two flash drives, reserve space on the hard drive for copies. The time spent on the backup procedure is incommensurable with the time spent on restoring and repairing any media.
Summarizing the above, let's briefly characterize the solutions, define the circle of users for whom they are intended and talk a little about the sequence of actions.
Before starting the procedure for restoring the health of the media with a permanent erasure, do not forget to extract important data using Hetman Partition Recovery. The program is better than narrow-profile analogues in managing information recovery. It is compatible with any drives, not just removable ones, so it comes in handy in many situations.
JetFlash Recovery Tool And Transcend RecoveRx- high-quality software from major manufacturers of USB, Secure Digital and other media:
The first utility is able to quickly restore flash drives to life after system errors (if you want to save data before resetting, it's better to use jetflash online recovery - this advanced tool works online).
The second, in addition to formatting, can recover files different types(video, audio, documents), which will be appreciated by the owners of digital cameras and smartphones that have suffered a software failure!
And do not think that for formatting a flash drive Kingston, Silicon Power, Adata, etc. there are no branded products - just universal ones work better.
The following group of utilities is an easy-to-use program for those who do not want to delve into the intricacies of work and the principles of recovering a card, flash drive:
EzRecover with its "one-button" interface - the "lightest" of its counterparts. If the utility detects the drive, all data on the memory card will be destroyed and crashes fixed. You can rejoice at USB recovery!
Works almost the same SD Formatter. But here you can configure the formatting method, block size, output file system.
F-Recovery SD will please with a powerful search algorithm for deleted photos or other files. Write the mask and start scanning. Like SD Formatter, the application is “sharpened” for working with memory cards. In terms of the quality of work, the utility loses only Hetman Partition Recovery.
D-Soft Flash Doctor, Flash Memory Toolkit and HDD Low Level Format Tool- Diverse programs for administrators and advanced users. Each of them has its own "chip".
D-Soft Flash Doctor implements saving data to an image before scanning and cleaning.
Trump HDD Low Level Format Tool- work with hard drives, low-level formatting and deep analysis of the state of the drive. The program is good except for one thing - it does not create a partition with the file system after cleaning the disk, leaving an unallocated area.
Flash Memory Toolkit- this is a "combine", among the advantages of which are the ability to create a copy of a partition, erase it or overwrite it completely, scan for errors and bad sectors, measure read / write speed in different modes. It's hard to think of a better one.
Also rave reviews from users causes HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool. We agree that the program works well, supports any media up to the system HDD, but in "running" cases it rarely gives a positive result. We recommend using it to completely clean devices before selling or transferring them to third parties.
Our review did not include the USB Flash Drive Recovery program, despite the euphony of the name, it does not please with functionality. The application works worse than analogues, but costs as much as 45 dollars. There is also no normal demo license.
