How to recover defective sectors on a flash drive. Recovering SD cards and USB flash drives in Windows

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 data recovery methods 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:

1. If the device appears, but the files are not visible or inaccessible, then there is a malfunction that is often resolved using special programs and you can proceed to selection;
2. The light has gone out and will not start (or the device not displayed) — there is a physical breakdown;
3. 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 - it’s described at the end of the article fast decision this problem.

Selection of a special program

There are a number free programs, through which you can bring the flash drive back to life. To select the right program, you must 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. For 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 search bar browser and download through the developer’s website.

In some cases, searching by VID and PID does not bring results. The website does not display software compatible with the controller. 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:

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

This will start the program CHKDSK checks for file system errors, the /f key will command it 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 HDD 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 different 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 use additional programs- formatting.

For 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 all available ways to solve the problem.

It should be said right away that all procedures are performed quite simply. 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.

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



3. 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.



4. 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 completion 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 systems, 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). Just insert removable media to the port, then a notification will appear that the operating system has noticed the device and for some reason does not like 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:

On a 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. For this:

1. Go to the official website of the utility developers, select the file download option and click “Download file”.

   

2. 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.

   

3. Run the program installation file from the "Downloads" folder or from the bottom bar of the download browser by double-left clicking the mouse.

   

   

4. The usual “Setup Wizard” will open, read the information and click “Next”.

   

5. Click the “I Accept” button and read the terms of the license agreement if you wish.

   

6. Click Next.

   

7. Check the required boxes and click “Install”. Wait for the installation process to complete and the program to start automatically.

   

8. After starting the program, the “File Recovery Wizard” window will appear, read the text, click “Next”.

   

9. Select with the left mouse click. The utility will provide two scanning options, we recommend selecting “Full analysis”, checking the appropriate box, click “Next”.

   

10. After completing the scanning process, click on the “Finish” button.

    

11. Drag the necessary files into the recovery field, click on the “Recover” option.

    

12. Check the box to save files and click Next.

    

13. 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 drive 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 is 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?

Cure for Flash Drive! (soft repair BAD blocks)

Good day!
The reason for writing this article was my two Kingston flash drives.
One of them was not used for quite a long time and when I decided to use it, it turned out that it was impossible to write data to it! Using the HD Tune 3.5 utility, it was found that a decent portion of the surface was marked as unreadable! Attempts at formatting using Windows did not lead to anything, due to the fact that when formatting a flash drive, only service information is created. Low-level formatting was required, a utility for this was found without problems using Google. The format was produced and it started working.
A few days ago, when trying to copy sources from a second flash drive, a message was given that it was impossible to copy such and such files. Moreover, it was possible to delete these files! My first thought is that BAD blocks have appeared.
Checking the flash drive using HD Tune 3.5 did not reveal any BADs!

The reason for the unreadability of the files remained unidentified for several days, until I came across the HDD Scan 3.2 utility.

A surface test carried out with its help immediately revealed the presence of BADs, which actually explained the unreadability of the files! In addition, the reason for the dips in the speed of writing and reading files immediately became clear: these are sectors with an access time of more than 150 ms.

To eliminate them, a previously found utility was used low level formatting HDD Low Level Format Tool.

After formatting was completed, a surface test was carried out using the same HDD Scan 3.2.

BAD blocks were eliminated, and we also managed to get rid of slow sectors, which eliminated dips in writing and reading speeds.

Conclusion.
Using the HD Tune utility to test the surface is not recommended; it produces incorrect results, so it is better to use other utilities, such as HDD Scan or similar.
To treat BAD blocks, you need to use low-level formatting utilities. In addition to eliminating defective sectors, it allows you to eliminate clusters with long access times, which ultimately eliminates dips in read and write speeds.
Using a similar method, you can return seemingly non-working flash drives to work, but it is worth remembering that you should no longer trust such media, the wear and tear process that has begun cannot be stopped and over time the number of bad sectors will grow and eventually the time will come when the media can no longer be used ! The time for complete failure depends on the intensity of use of the flash drive!
This technique and set of software can be used not only for flash drives but also for hard drives, both portable connected via USB and stationary with an IDE and SATA interface.

Best regards – StrateG-1.

We express our opinion

Do you have an inoperative USB flash drive or other storage device and are you wondering what program to choose for recovery?

We reviewed the most popular utilities. Which of the above programs is suitable for you and will restore a flash drive with a 100% guarantee?

A one-of-a-kind program will help you extract all the data. Hetman Partition Recovery. It is loved by both beginners and professionals for its convenience, speed and advanced information recovery algorithm. Your files will be found and copied even when the media’s FS is no longer accessible or is damaged.

JetFlash Recovery Tool - then proprietary utility, which has the maximum simple interface and support for working with Transcend, JetFlash and A-DATA drives. Controlled by just two buttons, you will definitely like it. Do not forget that cleared data cannot be restored, so pre-saving information from a flash drive will not be superfluous.

If you have a need to constantly have a universal program with you that is convenient to use both on your home computer and outside it, we recommend D-Soft Flash Doctor, its platform does not provide pre-installation, launches instantly on any PC. Software Suitable for repair, unlocking,
restoring the volume of the flash drive and its performance.

If you need to recover SD cards, we recommend downloading F-Recovery SD, which has an effective set of simple options for working with damaged flash drives from digital cameras and other portable devices. From the point of view of a professional approach to Flash drives, it will be interesting to use the Flash Memory Toolkit, the application contains a whole complex additional functionality, capable of testing flash drives, in addition, the program works with any version of the Microsoft OS.

The formatting utility and USB recovery Disk Storage Format Tool, which has a very clear and user-friendly interface. Repair program USB flash drives Disk Storage can quickly recover data from damaged partitions hard drive even if problems with the flash drive firmware are detected.

If no flash drive recovery program has helped, we recommend checking the status of the memory controller using the ChipGenius utility. The program works with USB, micro SD, SD, SDHC and USB-MP players from Kingston, Silicon Power, Transcend, Adata, PQI. Further actions to correct errors and recover lost data are only advisable if
The flash drive is detected in Chip Genius.