How to Recover Files from a Formatted USB Drive

Formatting rebuilds the USB drive's file-system structures. A quick format may leave some file data readable until new files overwrite it; a full format or subsequent writes can sharply reduce the chance of recovery. Do not format the drive again, run repair tools, or copy anything onto it before checking your options.

Check what happened before scanning

Confirm the USB drive's capacity and label in Disk Management. If the drive is missing, disconnects, or reports a zero-byte capacity, resolve the connection or hardware issue first; recovery software needs a readable device. Check cloud storage or a previous backup for an intact copy. If Windows asks to format a drive that has not yet been formatted, cancel the prompt.

Recover with Qiling Deep Data Recovery

Install the program on the PC's internal drive, not on the affected USB stick. Connect another disk with enough space for the output.

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Step 1. Open Qiling Deep Data Recovery and choose Format Scan. This matches a drive that was actually formatted; a missing partition or physical failure needs a different diagnosis.

Step 2. Select the formatted USB device by its capacity and drive letter. Click Scan and let the search finish without unplugging the stick.

Step 3. Search and preview the results, especially representative photos or documents. Filenames and folder structure may be incomplete after formatting.

Step 4. Select the files and click Recover. Save to the separate disk, never the formatted USB drive. Open several recovered files to confirm their contents.

Only then prepare the USB drive for reuse

After verifying recovered copies, test the USB drive for errors. If it remains unreliable, replace it rather than trusting it with the only copy. For older Windows and Mac-specific context, see the formatted USB recovery overview.

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• Windows 11 Deleted File Recovery
  Choose a scan mode for files lost without formatting.

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