If this doesn’t work your files could indeed have been lost or damaged, in which case you should read our very useful post on ‘How to recover lost data from a USB Flash Drive’ which contains a selection of useful tips to help you to recover your files.
Author: Sam Sanchez
Hi Pete, Thanks for your question. There could be many potential reasons that you cannot find your data including issues such as a damaged file system, a faulty flash drive, a virus on your flash drive or computer or the data being on stored on a hidden, encrypted or damaged partition. The best thing to do would be to search online for data recovery software. The first thing to try would be to attempt to restore the file allocation table - if this is missing or damaged then any data on the flash drive may still be stored but would not be visible / accessible. The most important thing is not to write any new data onto the flash drive before you try to recover any existing data otherwise the existing data might be overwritten and lost. Unfortunately, we cannot recommend any specific software for this purpose as we've not tested their effectiveness but there are many options available if you search online. Many thanks, Chris at Flashbay
I have a flash drive which I use at work and home computer. It is being recognised but no files appear on screen. On properties it still shows data on the drive, I just can’t find it. Any ideas as there is some Important data on there. Thanks
Hi William, Thanks for your question. The potential solution depends on what version of Windows you're running. Generally you can try a few options which are listed below. These instructions are for Windows 7 users, but the same approach can likely be made for your situation too (if you're not running Windows 7). https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-hardware/my-flash-drive-appears-as-a-hidden-drive-in-my/d67572da-6d2d-4836-82ae-ebe1d90d5344 I hope this helps. Many thanks, Chris at Flashbay
Dear Sir, I have got a 125gb flash drive and it is not showing up in windows explorer i have tried computer management and googled about it and cant get it to show at all, i have gone into control panel to show files and folders and it shows up as a hidden flash drive and cannot get it to show as a normal flash drive i was wondering if u could advise me off anything i could do to fix this please. Kind Regards William
Hi Tinu, Thanks for getting in touch. Without knowing all the details, it's difficult to offer advice on how to fix your Flash Drive. However, we can offer some advice to help recover your files. You can recover your files via a 'Raw Data Recovery' programme, an example of which can be found at: http://www.easeus.com/resource/the-volume-does-not-contain-a-recognized-file-system.html (please note we have not tested and do not specifically endorse this product). This programme will scan your Flash Drive for recoverable files and list each file that it has found. From there, you can select which files you would like to recover. I hope this helps answer your question. Many thanks, Chris at Flashbay
Dear Sir, I cannot access my usb flash drive as it shows the volume does not contain a recognized file system. And it also shows your drive is not accessible. Please help I have some important data. Regards, Tinu
