How to Fix a Corrupted USB Drive

A corrupted USB drive can be a frustrating problem, especially if it contains important data. Corruption can happen for various reasons, such as improper ejection, virus attacks, or file system errors. Fortunately, there are several methods to repair and fix a corrupted USB drive, and in this post, we will walk you through some effective techniques to restore its functionality.

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What You’ll Need:

• A corrupted USB drive

• A computer running Windows or macOS

• Disk repair tools (CHKDSK, Disk Management, or third-party apps)

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Method 1: Use CHKDSK Command (Windows Only)

Steps:

1. Insert the corrupted USB drive into your computer.

2. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog and type cmd, then press Enter.

3. In the Command Prompt, type the following:

   chkdsk E: /f
   

   Replace E: with the drive letter of your USB.

4. Press Enter. The system will check the USB drive for errors and automatically attempt to fix them.

Tips:

• If the drive is severely corrupted, CHKDSK may take a long time to finish the repair.

• You can also use chkdsk E: /r to scan for bad sectors.

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Method 2: Use Disk Management to Format the USB (Windows)

Steps:

1. Right-click on the Start menu and select Disk Management.

2. Locate your USB drive, right-click it, and select Format.

3. Choose a file system (typically NTFS for large drives or FAT32 for smaller ones).

4. Ensure the Quick Format option is selected and click OK.

Warning: Formatting will erase all data on the USB drive. If the data is valuable, use a data recovery tool first.

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Method 3: Try Data Recovery Software (Windows/Mac)

If your USB drive is not accessible but you want to recover files first, use data recovery software. Some popular tools are:

• Recuva (Windows)

• Disk Drill (Windows/Mac)

• EaseUS Data Recovery (Windows/Mac)

Steps:

1. Download and install the recovery software of your choice.

2. Launch the program and select the corrupted USB drive for scanning.

3. Once the scan is complete, the software will list the recoverable files. Choose the files you want to restore.

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Method 4: Use Disk Utility on macOS

Steps:

1. Insert the USB drive into your Mac.

2. Open Disk Utility (Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility).

3. Select the USB drive and click First Aid.

4. Click Run to let macOS attempt to repair the disk.

If the drive is repaired successfully, it will be accessible again. If not, you may need to format it.

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Method 5: Format the USB Using Third-Party Tools

If the built-in tools don’t work, you can use third-party applications to format the USB drive. Tools like SD Formatter, MiniTool Partition Wizard, or GParted (for Linux) can help fix issues.

Steps:

1. Download and install a third-party tool like SD Formatter.

2. Open the program, select your USB drive, and choose Format.

3. Choose the file system and perform a quick format.

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Conclusion:

A corrupted USB drive doesn’t always mean that the data is lost. With the right tools and methods, you can often repair or recover the drive. Whether you use the built-in CHKDSK command, Disk Management, or third-party data recovery tools, you can fix your USB and get it working again.

If you want to avoid future corruption, make sure to eject your USB drive properly and keep it protected from viruses.