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- Use the software Ufix. If the problem persists, please contact our team at tech-sup@pny.eu.
- Here is a list of best free USB flash drive format tool for Windows. Using these software, you can easily wipe out data of any USB flash drive on PC. Although, there is an inbuilt USB formatting tool available in Windows, there are many benefits of using these freeware.
USB flash drives can become corrupt or damaged for a variety of reasons. Luckily you can fix your USB for free. Windows chkdsk and Windows disk error checking are able to repair errors on your disk from the command line. Afterward, with EaseUS data recovery software, you can get your data back from a failed pen drive without losing files.
- Corrupted USB Flash Drive Repair Overview
- Download Free USB Repair Tool
- How to Repair a USB Flash Drive
The Problem: Corrupted USB Flash Drive Repair Overview
USB flash drives, pen drives, thumb drives can easily get corrupted or result in device failure due to a virus attack, file system corruption, hardware malfunction, improper shutdown, and more.
When it happens, you have to repair the corrupted USB flash drive or pen drive to make the device work normally again. However, the method to repair a corrupted USB flash drive or pen drive is often a headache for users who don't want to lose data on their device. If the data is not of consequence, formatting the device will usually be a sufficient fix.
Fortunately, via the combination of a built-in Windows disk/USB repair tool and a third-party USB flash/pen drive data recovery software, you can repair a failed pen drive for free and recover all lost data.
The Tools: Download Free USB Repair Tool & Data Recovery Software
When you search 'USB flash repair software' or 'pen drive repair software' on Google, a massive number of hard drive repair tools advertise to repair pen drives and recover data. But few of them work as well as they advertise.
Most software can only scan or find some existing data on the corrupted device. To fully resolve the USB corrupt error, you'll need more than just third-party repair software.
Corrupted USB Repair Tools: No matter how your USB flash drive or pen drive became corrupted or failed, USB repair software combining with data recovery software will help.
# First: Use the Windows disk check tool to repair the device.
- CHKDSK command line and Windows disk error checking can work for repairing a corrupted storage device.
# Next: Download powerful data recovery software to get all of your data back.
- EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can restore all lost files from corrupted USB or pen drive in 3 steps.
- Damaged USB Repair Solution:
- If your USB flash drive or pen drive gets physically damaged or broken, take your USB to a local external device repair center or a manual data recovery service shop.
The Procedure: Repair a Corrupted/Failed USB without Data Loss
Before you start, check if your corrupted USB or pen drive can be detected by Windows PC:
- If yes, move on and repair it immediately.
- If not, you can refer to USB not showing up or USB not recognized to find more solutions.
The first step is to check the disk and repair its errors. Afterward, use data recovery software to recover any missing or inaccessible data.
1. Run USB Repair Tool - CHKDSK Utility to Fix Corrupted USB or Pen Drive
To repair the USB drive, we will use the CHKDSK utility within the Command Prompt. There is also an alternative that does not use the command line that is shown below.
Step 1. Insert the corrupted USB or pen drive to the USB port on your PC.
Step 2. Go to the search bar and type: cmd, hit Enter.
Step 3. Click cmd.exe and open Command Prompt as Administrator. (Sign in as Administrator with your account if the program asks for permission).
Step 4. Enter: chkdsk j: /f /x< /p>
- Replace j: with the drive letter of your USB drive.
- Syntax note
- j: -- The drive letter. Replace with the letter of your USB drive
- /f -- Will attempt to fix any errors on the disk
- /x -- Will force the USB drive to be dismounted before initiating the scan
- /r -- Will scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. It will take a longer time to scan the sectors and is optional, but it might be worth checking for bad sectors if your device is having issues
If you decide to use it, enter: chkdsk j: /f /r /x
CHKDSK Alternative - Repair Corrupted File System on USB Flash Drive
If you don't have any technical know-how and want to minimize data risks, using third-party software could be a better choice. The Command line is suitable for computer professionals since wrong commands can cause severe problems. Therefore, we strongly recommend you try an automatic command line alternative.
EaseUS Tools M is a practical computer fixing tool that is safe and light-weighted. It's a perfect alternative to CHKDSK command. Use this one-click tool to solve your computer issues.
To fix file system error or disk error:
Step 1: DOWNLOAD EaseUS Tools M for Free and install it.
Step 2: Open the software and select the 'File showing' option.
Step 3: Choose the drive and wait for repairing. After the operation completes, click the 'View' button to check the drive.
CHKDSK Alternative - Check Disk with USB Flash Drive Error Checking
You may also do this same task using the Error-checking in the device properties menu. It can be more intuitive if you are not very comfortable with the command-line syntax. For Windows 10:
Step 1. Insert the corrupted USB to your PC via the USB port.
- Go to File Explorer > This PC.
Step 2. Right-click on the USB device, select Properties.
Step 3. Go to Tools, click the Check button under Error checking.
Step 4. Select Scan and repair drive.
Step 5. Continue to follow the wizard interface, it will prompt you to automatically fix disk errors if any error is detected.
2. Recover Data After Repairing Corrupted USB Flash Drive/Pen Drive
EaseUS file recovery software - Data Recovery Wizard is 100% secure. With this software, you can get everything back with no limitation.
It supports USB pen drive, flash drive, or other removable storage devices of all major brands such as Sony, Transcend, SanDisk, Kingston, Apacer, Panasonic, PQI, Toshiba, Super Flash, and Ridata.
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is incredibly simple to use. The steps to recover data from a USB drive are as follows:
Step 1. Run USB data recovery software.
Connect the USB flash drive to your computer and launch EaseUS USB data recovery software on your PC. Select your USB drive which marks as a removable disk, and click 'Scan' to start finding your lost files.
Step 2. Scan all lost files from USB.
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard will thoroughly scan your USB flash drive and find all your lost data on it. After the scanning process, use the Filter feature to filter a specific file type. You can check and preview found USB files in this program.
Step 3. Restore all lost files from USB.
A double-click will allow you to preview the file results. Choose the target files and click 'Recover' to save them to a secure location on your PC or other external storage devices.
- Notice:
- When restoring data from the USB or pen drive, save the files to a different location than where you originally lost them.
To thoroughly repair your USB and be sure that it is in perfect working condition after fixing it, you can back up the data to your computer, reform the device, and restore it.
Conclusion
For software or driver issues, you can scan and repair a flash drive using your computer's built-in repair utility. If you lost data after USB corruption, you could use EaseUS data recovery software. This data recovery software can easily retrieve lost files from corrupted flash drive, SD card, hard drive, and external hard drive. Download EaseUS USB data recovery software and get back data with ease.
USB Flash Drive Repair Frequently Asked Questions
You have learned about the best USB repair tool to fix a corrupted or damaged USB drive. And always keep your data safe before repairing the USB drive. However, not all of the USB repair tools and solutions are reliable. If you still have problems, read the following questions and answers.
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Can you fix the corrupted USB drive?
Yes. You can fix a corrupted USB using CHKDSK. Here are the steps:
Step 1. Plugin your USB flash drive or pen drive to your computer.
Step 2. Go to the start menu, type in 'cmd' in the search bar, hit enter, and then see something named 'cmd. exe' in a list of programs.
Step 3. Right-click 'cmd. exe', run as administrator, and type 'chkdsk /X /f G:' or 'chkdsk G: /f' (replace G: with the drive letter corresponding to your USB drive). The chkdsk operation will then start to repair the damaged USB drive.
How do you fix an unrecognized USB flash drive?
There are several ways to fix an unrecognized USB drive. Here are the methods:
- 1. Recover files and format RAW USB
- 2. Update unallocated USB drivers and create a new volume
- 3. Change the USB drive letter
- 4. Check USB port, change the USB connection
- 5. If none of the above fixes work, take USB to a local device repair center for manual repair
Why is the USB drive corrupted?
The USB storage media is prone to be corrupted/damaged due to the following reasons:
- Virus attack
- Abrupt removal
- Sudden power outage and more
Why can't I see my USB drive in Windows 10?
If there is something wrong with your USB driver, the USB flash drive will not appear in Windows 10 File Explorer and may show up as unallocated space under Disk Management.
Do you know what to do when you can't visit or access your data on storage devices? There are a number of common issues that may happen to any brand of storage devices.
Here, we have taken SanDisk as an example and categorized the usual problems that occurred on SanDisk USB flash drives, pen drives, micro SD cards, SDHC cards, and SDXC cards, into two groups with corresponding solutions.
These problems can all be solved by either formatting the disk using a reliable SanDisk format tool or manually repair the device with a SanDisk repair tool.
Common Issues with SanDisk Cards and Flash Drives
Check which category that your problem falls into, then follow the respective guide to get your SanDisk or other brands of devices work again.
Category 1. Need a SanDisk Format Tool | Category 2. Need a SanDisk Repair Tool |
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Whether the problem you have is on your internal hard drive, external hard drive, USB, memory SD card, apply the recommended SanDisk format tools or SanDisk repair tools with how-to tutorials to make your device function again.
Part 1. SanDisk Format Tool Free Download and Format the Disk
When facing SanDisk problems similar to the listed entries in the first category, go ahead and download SanDisk format tools for help. Here in this part, we've collected 4 formatting tools that you can pick up one to format your SanDisk devices now:
- #1. EaseUS Partition Master
- #2. Windows File Explorer
- #3. Windows Disk Management
- #4. CMD - Windows DiskPart Command Prompt
#1. Format SanDisk Device using EaseUS Partition Master
Remember to back up your data to another location first if you can access the device for now. If you cannot open the device at all, format your device first, and then let reliable data recovery software to bring all your lost files back.
Instead of recommending Windows built-in tools, we would like to let you try EaseUS Partition Master Free Edition. The reason why we recommend this free partition manager as the first SanDisk format tool is that it enables you to perform more advanced operations besides formatting.
- Pros: ①. 100% free formatting; ②. Format 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, and even bigger device to FAT32; ③. Convert FAT32 to NTFS; ④. Clone and partition storage device, etc.
- Cons: Doesn't work on macOS.
- Supported Format: NTFS, FAT32, FAT16, Ext4/Ext3/Ext2, exFAT, etc.
- Best for: All levels of users - beginners, experienced and professional users
Guide: 4-Step Format a Sandisk Drive in Windows
Connect your problematic SanDisk drive or removable device to your PC and follow next steps to format it with ease.
Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master, right-click the partition on your external hard drive/USB/SD card which you want to format and choose the 'Format' option.
Step 2. Assign a new partition label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3), and cluster size to the selected partition, then click 'OK'.
Step 3. In the Warning window, click 'OK' to continue.
Step 4. Click the 'Execute Operation' button in the top-left corner to review the changes, then click 'Apply' to start formatting your external hard drive/USB/SD card.
#2. Format SanDisk Device using File Explorer
As Windows File Explorer is a Windows built-in tool, you don't need to download it at all. As long as the File Explorer is working properly, you can format your SanDisk or other brands of devices with ease.
- Pros: 100% free
- Cons: Cannot format 64GB or bigger USB, SD card to FAT32;
- Supported Format: NTFS, FAT/FAT32, exFAT
- Best for: Window beginners
Tutorial: 4-Step to Format SanDisk Device
Step 1. Connect SanDisk device to your PC. Open Windows File Explorer, right-click on SanDisk device that you need to format, select 'Format'.
Step 2. Rename the drive, reset its file system to FAT32 or exFAT.
Step 3. Click 'Start' to begin the formatting.
Step 4. When the formatting process completes, click 'OK' and close File Explorer.
#3. Format SanDisk using Windows Disk Management
Being similar to File Explorer, Windows Disk Management is pre-installed on Windows computer. You can easily apply it to format or change a device file system. As a result, no download and installation are required.
- Pros: ①. 100% free; ②. Partition SanDisk or other brands of devices;
- Cons: Cannot format 64GB or bigger device to FAT32;
- Supported Format: NTFS, FAT/FAT32, exFAT;
- Best for: Experienced users
How-to Guide: 4-Step to Format SanDisk Device
Step 1. Connect your SanDisk device to PC, right-click 'This PC' or 'My Computer' and choose 'Manage'.
Step 2. Go to 'Disk Management'.
Step 3. Right-click the SanDisk hard drive partition and choose 'Format'.
Step 4. Set the volume label, file system and click 'OK' to start formatting the drive.
When the formatting process completes, exit Disk Management.
#4. Format SanDisk using Windows DiskPart Command Prompt
Windows DiskPart command prompt is more like a disk management tool which cannot only format your SanDisk device but also work to resolve other issues on your devices. You can easily bring it up without downloading or installing it.
- Pros: ①. 100% free; ②. Works more than formatting, such as to convert disk to GPT;
- Cons: ①. Complex for beginners; ②. Any false operation may cause serious problems;
- Supported Format: NTFS, FAT/FAT32, exFAT;
- Best for: Professional or advanced users
Step-by-Step Guide: Format SanDisk Device using DiskPart
Step 1. Keep your SanDisk device connected to PC. Type cmd in the Search box, right-click Command Prompt and select 'Open as Administrator'.
Step 2. Type diskpart in Command Prompt and hit Enter.
Step 3. Type below command lines in DiskPart and hit Enter each time to quick format SanDisk drive:
Make sure you enter the right command each time.
- list disk
- select disk 2 (Replace 2 with your SanDisk disk number)
- list volume
- select volume 10 (Replace 10 with the volume number of the partition that you want to format)
- format fs=ntfs quick (If you need to format a hard drive partition to FAT32 or other file systems, replace ntfs with fat32, exfat, etc.)
Step 4. Type exit and hit Enter to close the command window when DiskPart reports it has successfully formatted the volume.
Part 2. SanDisk Repair Tool Free Download
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For the situations in the second category, simply formatting the disk will likely not be sufficient. Instead, it will require some advanced operations, such as applying SanDisk repair tools to fix these issues on your device.
Here, we also collected several SanDisk repair tools for you to pick up one and apply to repair corrupted, unreadable, and even write-protected SanDisk devices:
- #1. EaseUS Tools M + EaseUS Partition Master Free Edition
- #2. CMD - Windows DiskPart Command Line
- #3. File Explorer + Disk Error Checking
- #4. Registry Editor
As the solutions toward different cases are different even using the same SanDisk repair tool. In the following, we'll guide you through the process to repair different SanDisk device errors with respective SanDisk repair tools.
Case 1. Repair a Write-protected SanDisk SD Card or Flash Drive
When a SanDisk card, USB or other brands of storage devices become write-protected, you cannot direct format to remove the write protection.
For example, when an SD card or USB becomes write-protected, you can try to unlock the device by toggling its switch. However, if this doesn't work, you'll need to fix a write-protected SanDisk drive with the following methods:
Method 1. Fix Write-Protected SanDisk Device using EaseUS Tools M and EaseUS Partition Master
Connect SanDisk device which is write-protected to your computer. And then continue to remove write protection with the following steps. It's free.
If you are not professional in computing management and not familiar with command lines, don't worry. EaseUS R&D team has promoted a fresh kit for helping you resolve the write-protection issue on your hard drive, external hard drive, USB or SD card, etc., devices.
EaseUS Tools M is a practical computer fixing tool that is safe and light-weighted. It's a perfect alternative to the command line.
Use this one-click tool to solve the write-protection issues on your own:
Step 1: DOWNLOAD and install EaseUS Tools M for free.
Step 2: Run EaseUS Tools M on your PC, choose the 'Write Protection' mode.
Step 3: Select the device which is now 'Write-Protected' and click 'Disable' to remove the protection.
When you have removed write protection from the device, you can then apply EaseUS Partition Master with its Format feature to format the device usable again. You can revert to the formatting tutorial in Part 1 as a guide.
Method 2. Remove Write Protection from SanDisk Device using CMD
Remember to connect the write-protected SanDisk device to your computer before starting the following steps. Be careful while using DiskPart command line.
Step 1. Press 'Windows + R' and enter cmd. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
Step 2. Type diskpart and hit Enter.
Step 3. Type the following command lines and hit Enter each time:
- list disk
- select disk # (# is the number of your SanDisk USB/SD card/SSD drive that you want to remove write protection from.)
- attributes disk clear readonly
Step 4. Type exit and hit Enter to close DiskPart.
Method 3. Remove Write Protection from SanDisk using Registry Editor
If you are a Windows beginner, we suggest you revert to Method 1 and apply EaseUS Tools M for help. Registry Editor is efficient in removing write protection error, however, it's not for beginners.
Any false operation may cause device malfunction on your computer. Follow the steps carefully while removing the SanDisk device write protection error:
Step 1. Type Regedit in the search box and hit Enter.
Click 'Yes' to open the Registry editor when you see it is displayed at the top of the list.
Step 2. And then navigate to the following key: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlStorageDevicePolicies
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Step 3. Double-click on the WriteProtect value in the right-hand pane of Registry Editor.
Change the Value data from 1 to 0 and click 'OK' to save the change.
After this, close Registry and restart your computer.
Case 2. Repair Corrupted, Unreadable SanDisk Device on Windows PC
Mostly, when SanDisk or other brands of storage devices not detected by Windows PC or becomes inaccessible, it may contain a file system error, bad sector or internal errors. To fix this issue, you can try the following methods with reliable SanDisk repair tool for help:
Method 1. Use Free Partition Manager - EaseUS Partition Master
EaseUS Partition Master Free Edition with its Check File System feature enables you to easily fix file system error, soft bad sectors, and even some internal errors that stop you from visiting the device on Windows PC.
Here are the steps:
Step 1: Open EaseUS Partition Master on your computer. Then locate and right-click the SanDisk drive partition, and choose 'Check File System'.
Step 2: In the Check File System window, tick the 'Try to fix errors if found' option and click 'Start'.
Step 3: The software will begin checking your partition file system and fix errors found on your disk. When it has completed, click 'Finish'.
Method 2. Run Disk Error Checking in File Explorer
Step 1. Open File Explorer, right-click the SanDisk device and choose 'Properties'.
Step 2. Under on the Tools tab, click the Check button under the Error-checking section.
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Step 3. Next, you can choose to 'Scan drive' to scan errors and click 'Repair drive' if errors were found.
Method 3. Run CHKDSK Command to Repair SanDisk Drive Error
CHKDSK command works to repair internal device errors on all brands of storage devices. Follow the steps carefully when you need to run the command and repair corrupted SanDisk device:
Step 1. Type cmd in the Search box.
Step 2. Right-click 'Command Prompt' and choose 'Run as administrator'.
Step 3. Enter the following command:
Replace 'E' with the drive letter of the SanDisk drive you want to repair.
Bonus Tip: SanDisk Offical Resolution - Repair using Registry
The official SanDisk knowledgebase states that a corrupt registry entry can cause your SanDisk product to not be detected by the computer. Removing the registry keys created upon installation of your SanDisk product will allow the computer to fully reinstall the device and may resolve the issue.
Step 1. Back up the registry
1. Unplug the SanDisk device from the USB port.
2. Run regedit.
- Windows XP: Go to 'Start' > 'Run', type in regedit and then click 'OK'.
- Windows 7, 8 and Vista: Click the Start button, type regedit in the search box, and then press Enter.
- Window 10: Type regedit, in the 'Search the web and Windows' field (lower-right) and then select 'Regedit - Run Command'.
3. From the registry menu, choose 'File' > 'Export'.
4. Name the file SNDK.reg and save it to your desktop.
If you experience any issues after editing the registry, you can restore this backup by following steps 1 through 3, but choosing File > Import instead. Choose the SNDK.reg file that you backed up, allow it to import, then restart your PC.
Step 2. Remove SanDisk info from the registry
WARNING: DO NOT delete any registry keys other than keys that include VID_0781, the SanDisk devices' keys. Deleting important registry keys can result in booting issues and other system malfunctions.
1. From the registry menu, click 'Edit' and choose 'Find'.
2. Type in VID_0781 and click 'Find' Next.
3. Once the search finishes, right-click the highlighted registry key and select 'delete'.
4. Press the F3 key to find the next registry key that includes VID_0781.
5. Right-click the highlighted registry key and select 'delete'.
6. Repeat this process until the search returns with No results Found.
NOTE: Under Windows 7, 8 and Vista, some registry keys may be protected and cannot be deleted. Simply skip over these keys if you receive a message that the key cannot be deleted.
7. Once all registry keys containing VID_0781 have been deleted, reboot your computer.
8. Plug the device into the computer after it's finished rebooting. The device will be reinstalled.
If you have trouble completing this process, there is another way that you can try to fix a USB flash drive not showing up in another way.
Wrapping Up
When you complete the whole process, you may lose some files after formatting or repairing SanDisk device. Reliable data recovery software is capable of helping you out. If you need a detailed tutorial, please refer to Restore Formatted Files for help.
On this page, we concluded the symptoms when a SanDisk or other brands of storage devices do not work properly on Windows PC. We divided these issues into two groups and present respective solutions to help you make your SanDisk device work again by using SanDisk format tool and Sandisk repair tool.
As for Windows beginners, we suggest you take EaseUS Partition Master and EaseUS Tools M as for formatting and repairing problematic SanDisk memory card, SD card, USB, external and even internal hard drives.