How to recover lost space on a usb-drive: best methods

How to recover lost space on a usb drive

USB drives have become an integral part of our daily lives. We use them for storing and transferring files, backing up data and running programs. But sometimes, while using the drive, we may face the problem of reducing its available space. In this article, we will look at some of the best ways to recover lost space on a USB drive.

Table Of Contents

The first way is to delete unnecessary files and folders from the drive. Open Explorer and browse through the contents of your drive. You may find files or folders that you no longer use, these can be painlessly deleted to free up additional space on your drive.

Another way to recover lost space on your USB drive is by emptying the Recycle Bin. When we delete files from the drive, they go into the Recycle Bin. From time to time, we may forget to empty the Recycle Bin, which results in taking up extra space on the drive. Open the Recycle Bin, select all files and click on the “Empty Recycle Bin” button.

It is important to note that deleted files from the Recycle Bin cannot be recovered, so check the contents of the Recycle Bin thoroughly before emptying it.

You can also use special programs to recover lost space on your USB drive. They allow you to detect and delete temporary files, cache, duplicates and other unnecessary items. These kinds of programs have a simple and intuitive interface, which allows you to recover space on your drive in just a few clicks.

Choose the best way to recover lost space on your USB drive and enjoy free space to store your important files and data.

Best ways to recover lost space on USB drive

USB drives are a popular means of data storage, but sometimes users may face the problem of losing available space on the drive. In this article, we will look at some of the best ways to recover lost space on a USB drive.

1. Deleting unnecessary files

The first step to recover lost space on a USB drive is to check for unnecessary files. There may be files stored on the drive that are no longer needed or duplicated on other devices. Delete these files to free up additional space.

2. Emptying the Recycle Bin

After you delete files, they may remain in the Recycle Bin, taking up space on the USB drive. Open the Recycle Bin on the computer connected to the drive and make sure it is completely emptied. If there are files in the Recycle Bin, delete them permanently to free up space on the drive.

3. Transferring files to another device

If you have files on your USB drive that you intend to keep, but you don’t need constant access to them, you can transfer them to another device. For example, you can copy the files to your computer or cloud storage, freeing up space on your drive.

4. Using disk cleanup software

There are special disk cleanup programs that can help you recover lost space on your USB drive. They can detect and delete temporary files, cache, and other unnecessary data, freeing up additional space on the drive.

5. Formatting the drive

If none of the above methods work to recover the lost space, you can try formatting the drive. Formatting will erase all data from the drive and restore it to its default state. However, be careful and make sure that you have saved all the important files from the drive before formatting it.

Conclusion

Recovering lost space on a USB drive can be an easy task if you use the available methods correctly. Start by deleting unnecessary files and transferring files to other devices. If that doesn’t work, try using disk wiping programs or format the drive. Remember that formatting will delete all data from the drive, so be careful and save important files on another device before starting the process.

Using a data recovery program

If you have lost space on your USB drive and can’t find it back, you can use special data recovery programs. These programs are able to scan your device and recover lost or deleted files, including space.

Here are some programs that can help you recover lost space on your USB drive:

Recuva is a free program developed by Piriform that allows you to recover deleted files from USB drives and other storage devices. Recuva has a simple and straightforward interface and powerful scanning features to help you recover lost space on your drive.
TestDisk is a free open source utility that specializes in recovering lost partitions and file systems. TestDisk can scan your device and automatically recover lost space on your USB drive.
Stellar Data Recovery is a professional data recovery program that can help you recover lost space on your USB drive. It offers advanced scanning and recovery functions and a simple and straightforward interface.

When using data recovery programs, you should take the following points into consideration:

Make sure your USB drive is connected to your computer before you start scanning.
Select the scan mode that best suits your situation (quick or full scan).
After scanning, the program will show a list of found files and lost space. Select the files you want to recover and save them to your computer or other storage device.

It is important to remember that data recovery programs cannot always 100% recover lost space on a USB drive, especially if too much time has passed since it disappeared. Therefore, it is recommended that you back up your data regularly to avoid losing information.

If you are unable to recover lost space on your USB drive, it is recommended that you contact data recovery experts who have professional equipment and experience in dealing with such cases.

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Cleaning junk files with system tools

When you use a usb drive, over time it accumulates a lot of junk files that take up valuable space and can slow down the performance of the drive. To recover the lost space on your usb drive, you can use system tools to help you clean the drive of junk files.

Here are some ways to clean junk files using system tools:

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Windows Task Manager: Open Task Manager by pressing the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Esc. Click on the “Details” or “Processes” tab and find the processes that are consuming a lot of memory or CPU. Select these processes and click on the “End Task” or “End Task” button. This will help free up resources and speed up the drive.
Windows Disk Cleanup: Right click on the usb drive in explorer and select “Properties”. In the “General” tab, click “Clean Disk” button. In the window that appears, select the categories of files you want to delete (e.g. temporary files, recycle garbage can files, etc.) and click “OK”. Wait for the cleanup process to complete.
CCleaner: Download and install the CCleaner program. Run it and select the “Cleaner” section. Click the “Analyze” button and wait for the scan to finish. After that, click the “Clean” button and confirm the deletion of the selected files. CCleaner also offers a “Registry” feature that allows you to clean unnecessary entries in your system’s registry.

After following these steps, you should notice that more space has been freed up on your usb drive. Remember, regularly cleaning out junk files will help keep your drive performing optimally and increase its lifespan.

Formatting a USB drive using the command line

Step 1: Connect the USB drive to your computer. Make sure the drive is properly recognized by the system and appears in Explorer.

Step 2: Open a command prompt. In Windows, you can do this by pressing the Win + R keys, typing “cmd” and pressing Enter.

Step 3: At the command prompt, type “diskpart” and press Enter. This will open DiskPart, a utility designed to work with drives and disks.

Step 4: Type the command “list disk” and press Enter. This will show a list of all connected disks, including the USB drive. Note the disk number that corresponds to your USB drive.

Step 5: Type the command “select disk X”, where X is your USB drive number, and press Enter.

Step 6: Type the command “clean” and press Enter. This will clear all partitions on the selected disk.

Step 7: Type the command “create partition primary” and press Enter. This will create a new primary partition on the USB drive.

Step 8: Type the command “format fs=fat32 quick” and press Enter. This will quickly format the USB drive to the FAT32 file system.

Step 9: Wait for the formatting process to complete. When it is complete, you will see a success message.

Step 10: Type “exit” and press Enter to close the DiskPart utility.

Your USB drive is now formatted using the command line and ready to use.

FAQ:

Can I recover data from a usb drive if it has been deleted?

Yes, it is possible to recover data from a usb-drive even after it has been deleted. You can use special data recovery programs for this purpose.

What usb drive data recovery programs can I use?

There are many programs to recover data from usb drives, some of them are free and others are paid. Some popular programs in this field are Recuva, Disk Drill, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard and R-Studio.

What is the most effective way to recover data from a usb drive?

The most effective way to recover data from a usb drive is to use specialized data recovery software. They allow you to scan the device for lost files and recover them.

What should I do if my usb drive is physically damaged?

If your usb drive is physically damaged, such as a broken or cracked case, it is best to contact a service center for repair. Independent attempts at recovery can only worsen the situation and lead to permanent data loss.

How do I recover deleted files from a usb drive?

If files were accidentally deleted from a USB drive, you can use a data recovery program. There are many free and paid programs such as Recuva, Disk Drill, EaseUS Data Recovery and others. These programs scan the drive and recover deleted files.