Tech: Freeware for repair corrupt USB stick ?

Subject: Tech: Freeware for repair corrupt USB stick ?
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 28 Sep 17 - 09:26 AM

Any recommendations for best current freeware to try to salvage data from a malfunctioning USB memory stick...???
Simple to use would be a bonus as I'm not an expert user.

Ideally for a Win 8.1 PC..

[ But I do have AV linux installed on a computer that's collecting dust in the spare room..
though not really enough spare time to get it connected up and working again..... ]

cheers mudcat mates...

Subject: RE: Tech: Freeware for repair corrupt USB stick ?
From: Stanron
Date: 28 Sep 17 - 11:22 AM

Have you got, or can you get a linux boot up DVD? You can certainly download the file to make a bootable disk. I would expect a good version to have a a program like 'Disks' that let you access drives.

Subject: RE: Tech: Freeware for repair corrupt USB stick ?
From: DaveRo
Date: 28 Sep 17 - 12:33 PM

I have a memory stick that won't read in Win 10 (it used to work in Win 7) but works fine on Linux, so it might be worth firing up a Linux machine (or a Live CD such as Knoppix) to see if it works.

The only USB recovery program I've actually used was for photos. I tried a couple and PhotoRec worked well.

Subject: RE: Tech: Freeware for repair corrupt USB stick ?
From: GUEST,lou Judson
Date: 28 Sep 17 - 08:47 PM

Oh boy. USB sticks are not permanent. When I have to use them, I make two and send both to the client. Only good for transferring material and then re-using.

Sorry, I only use Macs, and have only lost one flash drive, and that was oneI spilled beer on - AFTER I copied off the material!

Best luck.

Subject: RE: Tech: Freeware for repair corrupt USBT stick ?
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 28 Sep 17 - 09:01 PM

Cheers mates, I knew I had another backup, but the question was where 5 years later...

I spent last night, and the entire today searching every USB stick, USB hard drive,
and computer in the house that I would have used between 2012 and 2014...
Then double checked them all again...

I finally found the folder I needed on the laptop I already searched at about 4.00am last night...

Note to self - backing up to multiple drives and formats is all well and good,
but not much use if you can't remember where, or what you named the folder several years ago...

But please continue suggesting freeware options, never know when any of us might need it...

Subject: RE: Tech: Freeware for repair corrupt USB stick ?
From: BobL
Date: 29 Sep 17 - 03:39 AM

Backing up to multiple drives and formats is all well and good, but deleting stuff becomes near impossible as it keeps getting accidentally restored from the other copies.

Subject: RE: Tech: Freeware for repair corrupt USB stick ?
From: Mr Red
Date: 29 Sep 17 - 04:14 AM

Have you tried Virtual Volumes View Portable > - it is just a method of archiving filenames and where they are.
I have a load of old (really old) HDD drives that came out of PCs and they are harder to search willy nilly, so I set Virtual Volumes View Portable off some years ago. They would work on any HDD.

Being portable I can at least search on other machines but as I just found out. Which stick did I put it on? Thinks..............

A lot of my apps are from Portable Apps.com and usually they are all on a master 32Gb stick. Opera, Chrome, IE clones, Firefox, - (and multiple versions thereof) it comes in handy when testing my websites anywhere. I even debug the JavaScript with them ! Indeed FF34 does things the the current iteration can't in debug mode!