Complete Guide: How to Fix a Corrupted Flash Drive on Windows/Mac

A flash drive is one of the most useful tools that people use to store documents and other important media. Many times, it may suddenly stop working and ask to be formatted. When this happens, most people think the data is lost forever, while others look for ways to fix a corrupted flash drive. Since not everyone has the same technical expertise when they face such an issue, this article brings simple solutions.

We will explain why a flash drive gets damaged and share quick fixes. Readers will learn about tools already available on their computers. In addition, a tool will be discussed to fix videos that have become corrupted due to a damaged drive. With easy steps and simple words, this guide can help almost anyone repair their flash drive on their own.

Part 1. How a Flash Drive Gets Damaged or Corrupted?

Before learning how to repair a flash drive that is corrupted, let’s discuss the reasons that are mostly responsible for the issue at first hand:

1. Malware Attacks: When a flash drive is used on public or unknown computers, it can catch a virus that may delete the files. Even some can damage the drive’s system and make it unreadable.
2. Power Failure: While moving files, if the power goes off, your computer will shut down. In this case, the transfer process couldn’t be completed and may break the files, which can lead to corruption and data loss.
3. Physical Damage: Dropping the flash drive or using it in harsh environments can break its internal parts. Even if there’s no visible crack, the inside might be affected, and the drive often stops working completely.
4. Drive Letter: Sometimes, your computer won’t detect a flash drive because it hasn’t been given a proper drive letter. This can make it seem corrupted even though the data is still there.
5. Drivers: When the USB drivers on a computer are too old, they may not recognize a flash drive correctly. It can cause the drive to behave oddly, and it may not open at all.

Part 2. The Ultimate Guide on How to Fix a Corrupted Flash Drive

After learning about the possible reasons, it is time to learn how do I fix a corrupted flash drive. Multiple methods can be tried to effectively solve this issue, and a few are discussed here:

Fix 1. Repair Your Flash Drive Using Built-in Tools [CHKDSK & First Aid]

Many computers come with tools that can check and repair drive errors with ease. In Windows, there is a tool by the name of CHKDSK that is used to scan the flash drive. On Mac, the tool is called First Aid in Disk Utility, which tries to repair a corrupted flash drive. They can solve most small issues without deleting files; thus, here are the stepwise guides for using them:

1. For Windows

Step 1. Begin by typing “cmd" in the Windows Search bar, and the Command Prompt will appear. Select the ""Run as Administrator" " option for the Command Prompt to proceed further.

Step 2. As the pop-up window appears, enter the command “chkdsk /F: /f” and press the “Enter” button on your keyboard to execute the procedure.

1. For Mac

Step 1. Launch the fix by selecting the “Finder” option on the top left of your macOS screen. Next, press the “Go” tab in the top menu bar and pick the “Utilities” option from the drop-down.

Step 2. Scroll down and click the “Disk Utility” option to access your storage drives. Next, pick the flash drive to check and press the “First Aid” button at the top. Now, grant confirmation using the “Run” button in the next pop-up and initiate the repair process.

Fix 2. Use Check Utility to Fix a Corrupted USB

Another simple option in Windows is the Check Utility found under the drive’s Properties. It is easier to use and does not need any typing. This tool checks the flash drive for file system problems and fixes them on its own. The Check Utility feature is a quick and built-in feature for Windows. Here are the easy steps on how to fix a damaged flash drive:

Step 1. To carry out this fix, launch “This PC,” right-click the connected flash drive, and pick “Properties” from the options.

Step 2. Once the pop-up window appears, reach the “Tools” tab and hit the “Check” button to continue with the process.

Step 3. In the end, a confirmation screen will appear where you need to tap the "Scan and Repair Drive” option to execute the repair process.

Fix 3. Update USB Flash Drive Drivers

Drivers are crucial programs that help the computer understand the flash drive, and when they become old, the system may not read the flash drive. As a result, you will see errors or the drive not showing up at all. Luckily, updating the drivers can fix the issue without erasing any data. Thus, let’s learn how to repair a broken flash drive through the guide ahead:

Step 1. Open the “Device Manager” window by pressing the “Windows + X” keys and expanding the “Disk Drives.” Then, right-click the USB drive and hit the “Update Driver" option from the drop-down.

Step 2. To execute the fix, select the “Search Automatically for Drivers” option from the pop-up window and let it update.

Fix 4. Change the USB Drive Letter

Many times, the system gets confused if the two drives that are present have the same letter. This can make your flash drive invisible or unreadable. You can solve this issue by giving it a new letter to solve the problem quickly. Therefore, follow these few easy and effective steps to repair a corrupted flash drive and restore access to your important files:

Step 1. Start by opening “Disk Management” and right-clicking on your flash drive. Now, you need to choose the “Change Drive Letter and Paths” option from the drop-down menu.

Step 2. In the next step, click the “Change” button on the pop-up window to carry on with the procedure.

Step 3. Here, tap the drop-down arrow, change the letter to "H” or any other letter you want, and press the “OK” button to execute the procedure.

Fix 5. Send Your Flash Drive to a Data Recovery Service

If none of the above basic fixes work, the issue with the flash drive might be more serious than it appears. It could be physically damaged or have deep file system errors that regular tools cannot repair. To repair a corrupted flash drive, you should send it to a service that offers professional data recovery. These companies have special equipment and skilled experts who can recover data.

These recovery services can restore different types of files, and even if the flash drive doesn't turn on, the data can be saved. Although this kind of service can cost a lot, many providers offer a free check-up first to see if recovery is possible. If you have important work files, the cost to save them would be worth it.

Pro Tip. How to Fix Your Corrupt Videos from Your Flash Drive [2 Minutes]

Sometimes, only videos on the flash drive get damaged, especially when the drive is removed suddenly during a transfer. In such cases, the drive may be fine, and you may not need to fix the corrupted flash drive. Here, the videos need repair, and Repairit Video Repair is the perfect tool that can help. This tool recovers your video with its original encoding, so the optimal quality is maintained after they are repaired.

Additionally, Repairit can fix videos with high resolutions, such as 4K or 8K. It is a pioneer in the industry in terms of gyroscope data repair for GoPro sports camera videos. Moreover, you are allowed to repair over 20 video formats, such as MOV and MP4, with the help of this tool. To ensure they play in harmony, the tool synchronizes the audio and video tracks while repairing.

Key Features

1. AI Enhancement: With the help of artificial intelligence, it not only shapes the details but also reduces the noise in a video.
2. Professional Mode: In its Pro mode, you can repair extra file formats such as RSV, DAT, and MDT.
3. Software Integration: The tool works perfectly with top video editing software such as Premiere Pro and DaVinci.

After learning how to repair a broken flash drive and the key features of Repairit, it is time to know how to use it through the given stepwise guide:

Step 1. To inaugurate the process, launch the desktop solution on your computer and tap the “Start” button to reach the next screen.

Step 2. Next, you need to import the video files that you have to repair and hit the “Repair” button to start the process of restoration.

Step 3. As the videos are repaired, you can check them by tapping the “Preview” button and then the “Save" option to store them on your device.

Conclusion

To wrap up, a damaged flash drive can feel like a disaster when it holds important files. As this guide showed, you can use simple methods to answer how to fix a corrupted flash drive. Even if the drive can't be fixed, recovery services and tools like Repairit can help save your files. Try this efficient video repair tool to restore your damaged files in multiple formats.