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External drives, USB, and memory cards

External drive, USB, and SD card recovery: don't format it.

Portable drives get dropped, unplugged mid-copy, and carried everywhere, and flash drives and memory cards often hold the only copy of years of photos. When one stops working, the worst move is the one the computer suggests: formatting it. DriveSavers recovers external drives, USB flash drives, and memory cards.

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What to do right now

  1. Don't format it. If Windows says the disk needs to be formatted, or a camera offers to format the card, cancel. The files are usually still there.
  2. Stop if it clicks or was dropped. A portable hard drive is an ordinary hard drive inside. A drop while it was running can damage the heads; treat it like any clicking hard drive.
  3. Don't take the drive out of its enclosure. On many portable drives the USB connector is built into the drive's own circuit board, and some encrypt data through the enclosure, so the bare drive can't be read elsewhere.
  4. Try one other cable and port. A bad cable or a weak USB port is a common cause of a drive that keeps disconnecting. If a second cable doesn't fix it, stop.
  5. Don't keep using the card or stick. New photos or new files can overwrite the ones you want back.

Common failures

Not recognized

Can be the cable, the port, the enclosure's USB circuit, or the drive itself. A different cable is a fair first check; anything beyond that belongs in a lab.

Dropped portable drive

A portable hard drive dropped while running often has damaged heads. It may click, beep, or not spin at all.

"You need to format the disk"

Usually a damaged file system, often from unplugging the drive mid-copy. The files are generally still on the drive; formatting makes them harder to recover.

Broken USB stick or card

A snapped connector, a cracked card, or a flash drive that is no longer detected. The memory chip inside is often still readable in a lab.

USB flash drives and memory cards

Flash drives and SD, microSD, and CompactFlash cards store data on flash memory. Many are built as a single sealed chip, so a broken one is recovered by reading the memory directly, which is lab work. Per DriveSavers, they recover flash drives and camera cards: SD, microSD, CompactFlash, and the rest.

Two ways to start

Path 1 · You know it's the drive

Go straight to DriveSavers

Clicking, dropped, broken, or not detected: start a case with DriveSavers and use code DS22831 for 10% off. The evaluation is free and inbound shipping is free.

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Path 2 · You're not sure

Bring it to us first

Not sure whether it's the drive, the cable, or the computer? Bring the drive, its cable, and the computer to our Fairport shop. A diagnosis runs around $50.

Call (585) 388-8780

J&N referral code

10% off your DriveSavers recovery

Give DriveSavers this code when you start your case, or use our referral link, and they'll take 10% off. Mention it up front: it can't be added once a job is already underway.

DriveSavers Data Recovery authorized reseller: get discount code
DS22831
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External drive and flash media questions

How do I recover data from an external hard drive that is not recognized?
Try one other cable and USB port. If it still isn't recognized, or it clicks, beeps, or was dropped, stop and start a case with DriveSavers. Don't take the drive out of its enclosure: on many portable drives the USB connector is part of the drive's own board.
Windows says I need to format my drive. Is the data gone?
Usually not. That message generally means the file system is damaged, often from unplugging the drive mid-copy. Cancel the prompt, don't format it, and don't run repair tools on a drive that holds the only copy.
Can a dropped external hard drive be recovered?
Often, in a cleanroom. A portable hard drive dropped while running usually has damaged heads. Power it down and send it to a lab rather than reconnecting it again and again.
Can data be recovered from a broken USB flash drive or SD card?
Often, yes. The memory chip inside is usually still readable even when the connector is snapped or the card is cracked. Per DriveSavers, they recover flash drives and camera cards, including SD, microSD, and CompactFlash.
My camera says the card needs formatting. What should I do?
Cancel, take the card out, and stop using it. Formatting it, or taking new photos on it, can overwrite the ones you want back.
What does data recovery cost?
It depends on the device and what's wrong with it, so DriveSavers quotes each case after a free evaluation. Per DriveSavers, if they can't recover your data, you don't pay for the recovery. Our code takes 10% off the recovery.
How do I get the 10% off?
Give DriveSavers our referral code, DS22831, when you start your case, or start it through the referral link on this page. The discount is applied by DriveSavers, so mention the code before the job begins; it can't be added to a case that's already underway.

Other recovery guides

Clicking or dead hard driveClicking, beeping, grinding, or not spinning. SSD and NVMeNot detected, wrong capacity, or files deleted. RAID and NASFailed arrays, rebuilds, Synology and QNAP. Phones and tabletsWon't turn on, water damage, broken. Deleted and formattedDeleted files, formatted drives, lost partitions. RansomwareEncrypted files and a ransom note.

Start from the main page: data recovery through DriveSavers, or data recovery in Rochester, NY.

Near Rochester Rochester Fairport Penfield Pittsford Victor Webster Gates Greece Hilton

Don't format it. Start a case.

Start a case with DriveSavers using code DS22831 for 10% off, or call us if you're not sure what failed.

Start a case with DriveSavers Call (585) 388-8780

J&N Computer Services is a DriveSavers referral partner and may receive a referral fee when you use our code or link. DriveSavers performs all recoveries and sets its own pricing, terms, and turnaround.