How to Recover Data from a Broken USB Flash Drive

USB drives are often damaged physically, which is not recoverable via software; however, we can recover flash drive data even from damaged drives!

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Broken USB flash drives are recoverable

USB flash drives are convenient for storing and carrying around data. However, the form factor of most drives - sticking out far from the USB port and not being flexible makes them very vulnerable to damage. Whether your drive is physically broken or simply doesn't work when plugged in, recovering your data is often still possible. At Rossmann Repair Group, we specialize in data recovery from all types of storage media, including broken USB flash drives.

Understanding the Damage

Before attempting any recovery of files from a USB drive, it’s important to identify the type of damage:

Physical Damage: Broken connectors, cracked casing, or circuit board damage. Software is not recovering this.
Logical Damage: Corrupted file system, unrecognized by the computer, or missing files. Software can often recover files from USB drives in these cases this.
Electronic Failures: Issues with the internal components like the controller chip or NAND memory. Software is not recovering this.

Step-by-Step Guide to Recover Data

1. Assess the Physical Condition

Inspect for Visible Damage: Check the USB connector and the casing for any visible signs of damage. A bent or broken connector is a common issue. Try Different Ports and Computers: Sometimes, the problem might not be with the flash drive itself. Test it on different USB ports and computers to rule out port or driver issues.

2. Software-Based Recovery (For Logical Damage)

Download Data Recovery Software: Use reliable data recovery software like UFS Explorer or R-Studio for data recovery from a USB drive. These tools are designed to recover files from corrupted or unrecognized drives and often do a good job. This can help you understand how to recover files on flash drive effectively.

Scan the Drive: Install and run the software. Select your USB flash drive from the list of devices and initiate a scan. The software will search for recoverable files and allow you to proceed with file recovery from the USB drive.

Recover the Files: Once the scan is complete, you can preview and recover the files to a different storage location. This method ensures the recovery of files from the USB drive without risking data loss. Avoid saving recovered files back to the same USB drive to prevent overwriting data.

3. Physical Repair (For Physical Damage)

Professional Repair Services: If your USB flash drive was broken physically, this is not the type of thing that is easily recoverable at home. In such cases, understanding how to recover data from a USB drive via microsoldering, chip-off, and advanced logical recovery(controller emulation, etc.) is often necessary which requires professional help. At Rossmann Repair Group, we have the specialized tools & technicians necessary to recover data from USB drives that have been bent, cracked, and physically damaged.

Micro Soldering: For broken connectors or damaged PCBs, we can repair the broken physical connections that result in a failed drive resulting in a successful USB drive data recovery. We have all of the tools to perform this, as can be seen in the videos to the right.

Chip-Off Recovery: In cases of severe damage where the drive can't be fixed, chip-off recovery is an option. This involves removing the NAND memory chip and reading the data directly. It’s a complex process that should only be performed by professionals; we have all of the tools to perform this, as can be seen in the videos to the right.

Professional Data Recovery is the best approach once these noises begin!

When dealing with a USB flash drive with any of the issues we described, whether physical or logical, Rossmann Repair Group can resolve the issue for you and recover data from your USB drive!

Expert Diagnosis: Professional technicians have the tools and expertise to accurately diagnose the problem, and provide a free estimate so you know EXACTLY what the recovery will cost before we proceed, at no cost to you.
Advanced Tools and Techniques: Recovery experts use specialized tools like the ACELAB PC3000, Rusolut, Deepspar Disk Imager, and other proprietary technologies to recover data from damaged drives. While ddrescue often works to recover drives with mild issues and costs $0, the tools necessary to work on flash drives that are physically damaged can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Choosing the Right Data Recovery Service

When selecting a data recovery service, consider the following factors:

Reputation and Reviews: Look for a company with a strong track record and positive customer reviews THAT WERE NOT PAID FOR! If you see several reviews mentioning that they were left in exchange for a discount, you are dealing with the business equivalent of a 90 year old man dating a 21 year old woman. For instance, drivesavers has come under fire for what appear to be obviously faked reviews.
No outsourcing: Reputable data recovery services aren't sending your drive off to another facility and collecting a middleman fee to your recovery cost while adding no value to the transaction. For instance, going to Best Buy's Geeksquad often results in a more expensive recovery and less detailed communication as a result of outsourcing. Ask the facility you are using if they are doing the recovery themselves, and feel free to ask probing questions to ensure they have an understanding of what they're doing.
Transparency and Communication: Choose a service that communicates clearly and transparently about the process, costs, and chances of success. Avoid companies that make unrealistic guarantees.

How do I know what problem I have?

You are welcome to bring your drive to our store, or send it in, for a free estimate; we will come up with a plan on how to recover files from your USB. We also carry out all our data recoveries in-house, unlike some of our major competitors such as GeekSquad who outsource all of there repairs at a premium price too.

Problem not listed? We can still help!

Although your problem hasn’t been listed, that doesn’t mean we cannot help! Our dedicated team at data recovery has seen many problems over the years and are more than likely still able to recover files from thumb drive or any other USB storage device.

Check out a real data recovery below!

If you’re feeling curious, watch our process.

Top Reasons To Have Your Repairs Done By Us

We do all data recovery from USB flash drives and other devices in-house at our repair workshop location.

Our pricing is fair.

We do not pay for expensive adwords & affiliate marketing, which is why our pricing is fair!

We provide you with a no hassle free estimate.

Get In Touch with Us

Give us a call or fill out the form below to get a fast price estimate on a fix for your device. If you are not local, we also offer a very streamlined Mail-In Service which makes it very easy to work with us from anywhere in the country.

Mail-In Repair Service

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(347) 552-2258

Monday-Friday – 11 AM to 7 PM

2410 San Antonio Street
Austin, TX 78705

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