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25 April 2024  John Weaver  Senior Program Developer
 

Summary
This analysis explores data loss prevention, find files missing on flash drive and recovery strategies for widely-used and portable USB disks.



Table of contents

table iconI. Why the files copied to the USB flash drive disappeared?
table iconII. Use Renee Undeleter to recover lost data in the USB flash drive
table iconIII. The file copied to the USB flash drive is missing, how to deal with it?
files missing on flash drive

I. Why the files copied to the USB flash drive disappeared?

The disappearance of files in the USB flash drive happens from time to time. There are many reasons for this problem, but generally they are as follows:

1. The file was accidentally deleted

Accidental deletion, such as hitting the Delete key or mis-clicking delete instead of rename, often leads to file loss. To recover files, cease using the USB flash drive immediately and utilize data recovery software promptly.

2. The file is hidden

If your USB flash drive’s files are hidden, they won’t be visible for viewing or editing. However, you can unhide these files by following the steps outlined in the third section of the article.

3. Virus infection

When your computer or USB flash drive is attacked by a malicious virus, the virus will prevent the normal display of files in the device. A full scan can be performed with antivirus software.

4. USB disk failure

USB stick failures, such as physical damage from drops or impacts, file system errors, and bad sectors, commonly impede access to files. To address these issues, one should try device repair. It is also crucial to be vigilant about expanded USB sticks, where some merchants deceitfully boost the reported capacity, which can result in data loss when the actual stored data surpasses the stick’s real capacity.
Should you experience file loss from a USB flash drive containing crucial data, immediately cease using the drive to prevent further data loss. Proceed by employing a reputable data recovery tool for file retrieval. Note that if the drive has sustained physical damage or a virus infection, the files may be irreparably corrupted, rendering recovery efforts ineffective. For recovery attempts, consider using Renee Undeleter, which offers file preview capabilities to assess file
integrity before recovery. Explore the features and usage of Renee Undeleter to enhance your data restoration process.

II. Use Renee Undeleter to recover lost data in the USB flash drive

1. What is Renee Undeleter?

Renee Undeleter is a comprehensive data recovery software designed to recover various data files. Whether you’ve accidentally deleted files, emptied the recycle bin, or formatted a disk/storage device, this tool can help retrieve your lost data. With four key features—file recovery, format recovery, partition recovery, and image creation—it provides an all-in-one solution for various data loss scenarios that you might encounter.
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Supported devices SD card, SDHC, SDXC, USB flash drive, hard disk and computer.

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2. How to restore the lost data in the USB flash drive with Renee Undeleter?

Step 1: Connect the USB flash drive with lost data to the computer, download, install and run Renee Undeleter, and select the (Whole Disk Scan) option in the main interface.
Note: Do not install on the disk that needs to restore data, so as not to cause data overwriting.
elect whole disk scan in renee undeleter
Data recovery function:

  • Fast Partition Scan – Quickly retrieve files lost due to accidental deletion or emptying the recycle bin.
  • Whole Partition Scan – Quickly recover files lost due to inaccessible or formatted partitions.
  • Whole Disk Scan – Analyze and get partition information and perform a full scan of the entire partition.
  • Image Creation – You can create a mirror image for a partition to back up the current partition state.
Step 2: Next, select the USB stick to scan, and click (Next). Select (default setting) on the advanced setting interface.
select a disk to recover in renee undeleter
Step 3: The software will commence analysis of the USB stick. Should a prompt appear, select the relevant partition to scan; absent a prompt, it will default to scanning all partitions, potentially extending the duration of the process. Upon completion of the scan, preview the files by double-clicking within the right-side preview window. Handpick the files you wish to recover and click the Recover button situated in the lower right corner to initiate the restoration process.
select taget files to recover with renee undeleter
Step 4: Next, select the target folder, click (Browse) to select another disk to save the recovered files, and then click the (Recover) button to start the file recovery command, you just need to wait patiently.
recover files from whole disk scan with renee undeleter
The above is the method of recovering lost data in the USB stick with the help of Renee Undeleter. Now we can rest assured to solve the problem of missing files in the USB stick.

III. The file copied to the USB flash drive is missing, how to deal with it?

1. Show hidden files and folders

After your files are hidden, you cannot view them normally, so you can try to show hidden files and see if the problem is resolved. The specific operation steps are as follows:
Step 1: Run the computer, search for (Control Panel) in the search box in the lower left corner, and open the program.
search windows Control Panel
Step 2: Select the view method (Category), and click to enter the (Appearance and Personalization) option.
control Panel Category
Step 3: Next, in File Explorer Options, click on the (Show hidden files and folders) option.
File Explorer Options
Step 4: Next, navigate to View > Advanced Settings, locate Files and Folders > Hidden files and folders, and select the Show hidden files, folders, and drives option. Click OK to apply changes. Restart the computer to check if the issue is resolved.
check hidden files in file explorer options

2. Check disk errors and fix them

When the USB disk fails due to file system errors, files may also disappear. At this time, you can try to check the disk errors and repair them. The specific steps are as follows:
Step 1: Open “My Computer/This Computer”, right-click the USB flash drive to be repaired, and select (Properties). Switch to the (Tools) option in the Properties window and click the (Check) button.
check disk
Step 2: Next, select the (Scan and repair drive) option in the error-checking interface, then wait for the scan and repair according to the prompts.
scan drive
TipsIn addition to this method, you can also use the Chkdsk command to repair the USB stick.