What can I do to save my lost files off from the SanDisk USB drive?

USB Flash Drives All other USB Flash Drives
1

Please let me know how to get back the lost files back from an accidentally formatted SanDisk USB drive.

In fact, a couple days ago, my brother had mistakenly formatted my SanDisk USB drive and all the contained files were lost. But, many of them were really valuable for me. So, I post here and hope to find a way to get them back completely. Do you have any idea? What can I do to save them back?

2

Do a Google search for data recovery application. There are literally hundreds or free and paid version. Find one that works for you.

3

As drlucky noted there are literally hundreds of free recovery apps, unfortunately many of the “free” ones are only free to download, or only free to scan for lost files (and quaranteed to find some), then to actually use them to recover files costs $$$.

I have used the ones posted here http://forums.sandisk.com/t5/All-SanDisk-USB-Flash-Drives/repair-files-after-removing-cruzer-edge-USB-from-computer-during/m-p/232150#M978 with good results.  All are free.  I have also heard that PC Inspector Smart Recovery is a good app but I have not used it myself.

4

OK! Don’t worry! Have you saved anything new on this formatted drive since then?

In fact, nowadays, the formatting process will not actually erase all the contained data on formatted drive as we think. These deleted files are still there and become invisible. So, act carefully to get these deleted files back:

  1. Stop using this drive right now in case that any new file on it may overwrite your deleted files.

  2. Plunge this drive to your computer.

  3. Download a formatted drive data recovery program to retrieve all your lost files back. In these days, there are many data recovery programs designed to help the user restore his wanted data back easily. However, not all of them can work as efficiently as we hope. So, you are supposed to pay much more attention to it and select a most proper one for your drive.

But, if you still doubt, some data recovery freeware, which always works much more efficiently than some paid ones, can be your good choices, such as Recuva, TestDisk and iCare Data Recovery Free, etc.

  1. Do not save or back up all the restored data on the same drive in case of any data loss.

 

Note : In the future, you should learn a lesson to back up everything important at least on two different drives in case of similar data recovery problems.

5

iCare Data Recovery is only free for 10 files.  After that it’s $69.95!!  Sounds like SPAM to me, though the other comments are positive.

Recuva : http://download.cnet.com/Recuva/3000-2242_4-10753287.html

TestDisk / PhotoRec : http://download.cnet.com/TestDisk-and-PhotoRec/3000-2248_4-10511775.html