Repairing Guides

how to repair a malfunctioning usb flash drive

by Robert Rutherford Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Tip 2: Scan & Fix Errors in USB Flash Drives on Windows

  • In the first place, plug in the USB flash drive to your PC
  • Then access the disk list.
  • And later right click on the USB flash drive and choose “Properties” from the context menu.
  • Next, in the new popup dialog box, switch to “Tools” tab.
  • Subsequently, click on the “Check Now” button.
  • In the following small dialog box, enable the two options – “Automatically fix file system errors” and “Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors”.

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Follow the steps below:
  1. To start with, insert your USB flash dive.
  2. Then search “cmd” in the Windows “Start Menu”.
  3. Next press “Enter” key button to access the Command Prompt.
  4. Subsequently, in the popup window, type “chkdsk flash drive letter: /f “, such as “chkdsk E: /f”.
  5. After that, press “Enter” button again.
Mar 6, 2017

Full Answer

How to fix an undetectable USB flash drive?

How to repair the USB flash drive on Windows 10

  1. Click on the “My Computer- Removable Disk” icon. Then right-click the “Properties” tab to the Removable Disk icon.
  2. Scan; let the computer do the task of scanning and restoring previously corrupt files.
  3. Finally, right-click the USB pen drive and click on eject to safely disconnect the drive from the computer system.

How to repair a broken USB stick or flash drive?

If the PCB is fine, you could do this:

  • Take an old USB cable, cut the B end off, and strip the newly exposed wires.
  • Take a soldering iron and carefully solder the wires on. ...
  • Make sure all the connections are not dry joints and that they do not bridge.
  • After all the wires are soldered, add a ton of hot glue over it. ...
  • Plug it into your friend’s computer and cross your fingers.

How do I safely remove my USB flash drive?

Way 3: Enable the Feature of Quick Removal

  1. Make sure that your flash drive is plugged in properly. ...
  2. Right click the Start button (the Windows logo) and choose Device Manager.
  3. Double click Disk drives in order to expand it, from which you can see list of your computer's disk drives including your currently attached flash drive.
  4. Right click your flash drive and select Properties.

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How to reformat an USB flash drive?

To use it:

  • Connect the flash drive that you want to format.
  • Go to Applications and Utilities and launch Disk Utility. ...
  • Select your storage device from the list on the left and click on the Erase tab. ...
  • With everything set, you may click on the Erase button to start the formatting process. ...

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How do I fix malfunctioning flash drive?

If your flash drive is malfunctioning, the only sure way to fix the issue is to format the drive back to its original factory settings. Unfortunately, the solution to the malfunction will wipe out all of the data on the drive—but all of that data can then be restored with a recovery tool.

Can a damaged flash drive be repaired?

Finally, if the flash drive won't work because of physical damage, you should take it into a tech department or data recovery professional; if that's not possible, you may be able to fix it yourself by soldering the broken USB drive's circuitry to a working USB cable.

How do I fix a corrupted flash drive without formatting?

how to fix a corrupted flash drive without formattingStop using the USB drive.Do not add new items to USB stick.Do not reformat the USB flash drive.Open CMD. ... Check if your drive has bad sectors. ... chkdsk H: /f (H is the drive letter of USB drive. ... Type Y if the drive is in use and hit Enter key to proceed.More items...•

How much does it cost to repair a flash drive?

If there is physical damage to the USB flash drive and the flash drive must be repaired, the cost for recovery starts at $200 (e.g. reattach broken pads from a broken connector).

How much does it cost to fix a USB flash drive?

What Is the Average Cost of USB Repairs?Type of repair needed:Cost:Physical damage:$150 - $200Corrupted USB drive:$300Data recovery labor costs:$100 per every 3GB of data recovered plus $100 encryption fee if you had encrypted your flash drive with BitLocker, File Vault, or anything similar to that.

What to do if flash drive is not working?

If your flash drive is malfunctioning, the only sure way to fix the issue is to format the drive back to its original factory settings. Unfortunately, the solution to the malfunction will wipe out all of the data on the drive—but all of that data can then be restored with a recovery tool. Advertisement.

How to recover files from a flash drive?

Select the specific type of file you want to recover, such as images or sound files, and click "Next.". Click "Start" to recover the files back to the USB drive. Some USB flash drives have a physical locking mechanism that prevents you from changing any of the data on the drive. Before formatting the drive, check the bottom ...

What is USB flash drive?

A Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash memory drive is essentially a small hard drive that allows you to store data in a compact location. USB flash memory drives work slightly differently than other types of memory storage devices, and they are more likely to become corrupted over time.

How to fix USB root hub?

You can fix USB root hub with the help of these below steps: Firstly, open the Device Manager and then find the USB controller options and the make a single click to expand. After this, you have to find the USB root hub in this category and then right click on it and then select Properties.

How to uninstall USB controllers?

First of all, you have to select the option Start and after that , type device manager in the Search Next, you have to select the option ‘ Device Manager ’. After this, you have to expand USB controllers and then press and hold the device and next, select Uninstall You have to repeat for each device.

How to check for updates on Windows 10?

Firstly, you have to select the Start button and then go to Windows Update in the Search box. Next, you have to select Windows Update in the results panel. After this, simply select the option ‘ Check for Updates ’ and after the scan ning process is done, you have to select ‘ Review optional updates ’.

Why is my USB drive unreadable?

If it is a relatively new USB drive, it can be caused by low-quality NAND chips usually a feature in cheap drives. Not being able the access the controller software has caused the drive to be unreadable by the operating system.

How to check if a USB drive is working?

The first step is to insert your USB thumb drive into the computer's USB drive. Click on ' My Computer ' and choose the USB drive that appears. Right-click on the drive and go to ' Properties '. Then choose the ' Tools ' tab. Click on the ' Check Now ' button.

How to change the letter of a USB drive?

Click on 'Start' then ' control panel ' and then go to ' Security ' and choose ' Administrative Tools ' and click on ' Computer Management '. Right-click on your USB drive. You then choose the ' Change Drive Letter and Paths '. You can now assign any one of the available drive letters to the USB drive by simply clicking on it.

How to open USB drive in Windows 7?

For Windows 7 Users as Following Steps: Start by inserting the USB drive into the port of your computer. Right-click on the USB drive in ' My Computer ' and then go to ' Properties '. Click the ' Tools ' tab.

How to fix a flash drive that won't open?

1. Plug your flash drive into your computer. The flash drive should fit into one of the rectangular ports on your PC's housing. If you're encountering errors on your flash drive or it won't display its contents, you may need to update its drivers or software using your computer's repair feature.

Why won't my flash drive work?

Finally, if the flash drive won't work because of physical damage, you should take it into a tech department or data recovery professional; if that's not possible, you may be able to fix it yourself by soldering the broken USB drive's circuitry to a working USB cable.

How to eject a flash drive on Mac?

To eject it, click the eject icon next to the drive in the Finder, or click and drag it to the Eject icon in the Dock when on your desktop .

How to get files off a flash drive?

Windows - Open Start, click the File Explorer icon, and click your flash drive's icon. Mac - Open Finder and click your flash drive's icon. If the flash drive doesn't connect to your computer, you can try taking it to a tech department to see if they can still pull the files off of it.

What to do if you choose to seek the services of a professional data recovery company?

If you choose to seek the services of a professional data recovery company, be sure to describe your problems to the best of your abilities to ensure they have the tools and experience for the job.

Where should a flash drive fit on a Mac?

The flash drive should fit into one of the rectangular ports on your Mac's housing. If you're encountering errors on your flash drive or it won't display its contents, you may need to update its drivers or software using your computer's repair feature.

Can a flash drive be 100% free?

A flash drive can never be 100% free, although seeing it as 2.5 from 8 is a bit odd. It's possible there is a driver error, depending on the device. Otherwise try plugging it in again, into another port or computer.

How to fix a broken USB drive?

Step 1: Remove the flash drive's casing. Do this with your flathead screwdriver. Step 2: Use the magnifying glass to inspect the circuit board (PCB) and solder pads.

How to find files on USB flash drive?

Step 1. Connect USB flash drive to your computer. Open EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard and hover on USB device. Click "Scan" button to start looking for lost files on PC. Step 2. When the scan completes, you can apply the "Filter" feature or the click the search box to quickly find the lost files from USB. Step 3.

How to fix a corrupted file system?

Step 1.  DOWNLOAD EaseUS CleanGenius on your computer and complete the installation. Step 2. Run the software. Click "Optimization", and then choose "File Showing" . Step 3. Select the drive with a corrupted file system. Tick the "Check and fix file system error" option and click "Execute".

How to fix chkdsk?

So, perform data recovery in advance, and then continue with the CMD method. Step 1: Plug in your USB flash drive or pen drive to your computer. Step 2: Go to the Start menu and type cmd in the search box.

What to do if you have a logical error on a pen drive?

After you have checked and fixed the logical error on the pen drive, you can scan your device to see if any data was lost in the process. EaseUS file recovery software can search for any lost files on the device and, if there are any, recover them.

What is a USB flash drive?

A USB flash drive, pen drive, or hard drive is basically a portable storage device. This device is convenient for people to carry their data anywhere they go and use it with various devices. Sometimes, this frequent use of the USB can cause issues, like lead the USB drive to go corrupt.

Why does Windows ask to format a removable disk?

Windows asks you to format the removable disk before you can use it when double-clicking on the drive. Other unfamiliar errors like RAW, no media, etc. Basically, there are two scenarios when there's an issue with your USB drive: either Windows detects your USB drive or it doesn't detect it.

How do USB sticks get damaged?

One of the most common paths to an unreadable card is when it’s been removed from a computer or laptop, without first safely ejecting the device. Do this once or twice, and you might be lucky.

What to do if USB is bent?

If your USB stick is bent, you can try to carefully bend it back into shape. Use caution with this method.

Why is my USB drive unreadable?

Your USB drive might be unreadable, because of the assigned letter drive. To remedy this, insert the SD/USB device and change the drive letter by following these steps: Press the Windows key + X key combination. Click Disk Management.

What does it mean when a flash card is RAW?

When a flash device is found as RAW, it means, for whatever reason, the file system is damaged.

What to do if USB doesn't work?

If the USB port on your computer does not work, you will either need to take the entire PC to a computer repair shop or manually replace the entire motherboard on your own. Any data that was on the USB flash drive will be completely wiped out once the formatting process is finished.

How to fix a flash drive that won't work on a second computer?

Step 1. Unplug the USB flash drive from your computer and connect it into an open USB port on a different computer. Check to see if the flash drive works correctly on the second computer, which will indicate the problem is with the USB port on the first computer and not the flash drive itself.

How to change the computer management?

Choose the "Control Panel" option and then scroll through the list of options and click "Administrative Tools." Double-click the first option that appears in the new menu screen labeled "Computer Management."

What is a USB flash drive?

USB flash drives are used to carry and transfer large amounts of data in a small and easy-to-carry device. If your computer displays an error that the flash drive is unrecognizable when you attempt to transfer data to or from the device, it means your drive needs to be re-formatted.

How to continue formatting?

Navigate back to the Control Panel once the formatting process has completely finished. Click "Device Manager." Click "Continue" if your operating system opens a new window asking what action you want to take.

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