Format USB Drive....

Liam23 · 23-12-2007, 10:51 PM

I've had this USB Pen Drive for a while. I've got all sorts of work on it and have never really had any problems with it. But all of a sudden it says that it needs formatting which would delete all my work on it. I cannot really afford to delete the work that is on it.

I was wondering if there was any way I could get round this and to get to my files, so i could save them to elsewhere. Or is there any other thing I could do, other than format the drive?

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

Impotence · 23-12-2007, 11:29 PM

This is a lot easer to do from Linux but you should be able to do this in windows too...

use photorec to see what files you can recover off your usb drive (it can recover certain types of files, but cannot recover file names so you have to rename EVERYTHING) and then testdisk to see if you can repair the file system on your usb drive (if you can repair the file system then it will work as it did before with all your files on it, but it could make it worse so make sure you use photorec first).

You can download both from here

Liam23 · 23-12-2007, 11:50 PM

I have downloaded them both and then used photorec. It appears to have recovered the files, but i can't open them or see what is in them. They appear in the temp files bit, but i can't do anything with them.

I'm not quite sure what to do with testdisk though.

Any advice?

Thanks for your help.

Liam23 · 27-12-2007, 10:27 PM

I don't mean to hassle anyone but I'm anxious to get this problem sorted if possible. Are there any other ideas for what I can do or can anyone expand on what has already been suggested?

If not, thanks for replying anyway.

Impotence · 28-12-2007, 06:05 PM

this might help: Beginners Guides: Flash Memory Data Recovery and Protection - PCSTATS.com

Liam23 · 30-12-2007, 11:44 PM

Finally resolved this problem, and retrieved all the work. Thanks very much for your help.

Impotence · 31-12-2007, 01:12 AM

good to hear, well done

Liam23 · 31-12-2007, 01:27 PM

Just in case anybody cared or if someone else has the same problem.

Once the files were available but unable to be opened (using photorec), I opened wordpad and then opened the files through that. In amongst the rubbish was all the text from the files which I just copied to new files, which saved my bacon.

smitha · 06-01-2008, 05:14 PM

Yes, you should save your files in your pc and then format it...

Impotence · 08-01-2008, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smitha

Yes, you should save your files in your pc and then format it...

The problem was that he couldn't read the files as windows believed the disk needed to be formatted (the file system was most likely corrunpted).

23-12-2007, 10:51 PM	#1 (permalink) Top
Liam23 Geek Trainee Join Date: Jul 2007 Age: 17 Male Posts: 29 My Mood: Angry Status: Offline	Format USB Drive.... I've had this USB Pen Drive for a while. I've got all sorts of work on it and have never really had any problems with it. But all of a sudden it says that it needs formatting which would delete all my work on it. I cannot really afford to delete the work that is on it. I was wondering if there was any way I could get round this and to get to my files, so i could save them to elsewhere. Or is there any other thing I could do, other than format the drive? Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

23-12-2007, 11:29 PM	#2 (permalink) Top
Impotence May the source be with u! Join Date: Dec 2004 Age: 19 Male Posts: 1,877 Times Helpful: 126 My Mood: Stressed Status: Offline My Computer	This is a lot easer to do from Linux but you should be able to do this in windows too... use photorec to see what files you can recover off your usb drive (it can recover certain types of files, but cannot recover file names so you have to rename EVERYTHING) and then testdisk to see if you can repair the file system on your usb drive (if you can repair the file system then it will work as it did before with all your files on it, but it could make it worse so make sure you use photorec first). You can download both from here __________________ Dear intel,Already Made My Decision Never trust a computer you can't repair yourself. Windows Vista - Viruses Intruders Spyware Trojans Adware Why Linux is Better!\|Pastafairianism\|Say no to National ID\|Firefox Extensions Guide scientology has been getting alot of attention recently When the rich wage war, it is the poor who die. Where are the WMD's that our governments used to justify the war?

28-12-2007, 06:05 PM	#5 (permalink) Top
Impotence May the source be with u! Join Date: Dec 2004 Age: 19 Male Posts: 1,877 Times Helpful: 126 My Mood: Stressed Status: Offline My Computer	this might help: Beginners Guides: Flash Memory Data Recovery and Protection - PCSTATS.com __________________ Dear intel,Already Made My Decision Never trust a computer you can't repair yourself. Windows Vista - Viruses Intruders Spyware Trojans Adware Why Linux is Better!\|Pastafairianism\|Say no to National ID\|Firefox Extensions Guide scientology has been getting alot of attention recently When the rich wage war, it is the poor who die. Where are the WMD's that our governments used to justify the war?

31-12-2007, 01:12 AM	#7 (permalink) Top
Impotence May the source be with u! Join Date: Dec 2004 Age: 19 Male Posts: 1,877 Times Helpful: 126 My Mood: Stressed Status: Offline My Computer	good to hear, well done __________________ Dear intel,Already Made My Decision Never trust a computer you can't repair yourself. Windows Vista - Viruses Intruders Spyware Trojans Adware Why Linux is Better!\|Pastafairianism\|Say no to National ID\|Firefox Extensions Guide scientology has been getting alot of attention recently When the rich wage war, it is the poor who die. Where are the WMD's that our governments used to justify the war?

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23-12-2007, 11:50 PM	#3 (permalink) Top
Liam23 Geek Trainee Join Date: Jul 2007 Age: 17 Male Posts: 29 My Mood: Angry Status: Offline	I have downloaded them both and then used photorec. It appears to have recovered the files, but i can't open them or see what is in them. They appear in the temp files bit, but i can't do anything with them. I'm not quite sure what to do with testdisk though. Any advice? Thanks for your help.

27-12-2007, 10:27 PM	#4 (permalink) Top
Liam23 Geek Trainee Join Date: Jul 2007 Age: 17 Male Posts: 29 My Mood: Angry Status: Offline	I don't mean to hassle anyone but I'm anxious to get this problem sorted if possible. Are there any other ideas for what I can do or can anyone expand on what has already been suggested? If not, thanks for replying anyway.

30-12-2007, 11:44 PM	#6 (permalink) Top
Liam23 Geek Trainee Join Date: Jul 2007 Age: 17 Male Posts: 29 My Mood: Angry Status: Offline	Finally resolved this problem, and retrieved all the work. Thanks very much for your help.

31-12-2007, 01:27 PM	#8 (permalink) Top
Liam23 Geek Trainee Join Date: Jul 2007 Age: 17 Male Posts: 29 My Mood: Angry Status: Offline	Just in case anybody cared or if someone else has the same problem. Once the files were available but unable to be opened (using photorec), I opened wordpad and then opened the files through that. In amongst the rubbish was all the text from the files which I just copied to new files, which saved my bacon.

06-01-2008, 05:14 PM	#9 (permalink) Top
smitha Geek Trainee Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 15 Status: Offline	Yes, you should save your files in your pc and then format it...

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