Recover Deleted Files from a Flash Drive for Free

December 27, 2008 by Jeremy Brock

Don't pay for a data recovery programs when deleted files can be recovered for free using PhotoRec. When a file is deleted the area is marked as free space, if the area hasn’t been used you can recover the data. Raw data recovery applications like PhotoRec are able to rebuild files in the free space area.

* This method only works if the If the flash drive is readable in windows and NOT physically damaged. If the flash drive is physically damaged we can recover your flash drive by removing the memory chip and reading it.

Step 1: Download the latest stable release of TestDisk & PhotoRec from the cgsecurity website

Step 2: Extract the files and run photorec_win while the USB drive is connected to the computer.

Step 3: Use the Up/Down arrows to select the USB Flash Drive (usually /dev/sdb) and press Enter.

Step 4: Choose Intel

Step 5 (optional): If you only wish to recover specific file types such as pictures select File Opt, press s and select the desired file types by pressing the space bar. For example “JPG Picture” or “GIF Graphic Interchange Format”

Step 6: If you are recovering files due to a format select “No Partition / Whole Disk” otherwise select the source partition (usually FAT16 or FAT32) and choose Search

Step 7: Choose Other and if asked choose Free.

Step 8: Press Y to save the recovered in a subfolder

Step 9: Open up the recup_dir.xxx folder in the PhotoRec directory. Any recovered data will be saved there. Recovered files won’t have their filename because photorec ignores the file system. If you’re recovering pictures you can locate the file by using thumbnail mode in the folder.