5 Best Updated USB Flash Drive Recovery Tools for Windows

Everyone relies on files. Since files have become such a staple, organizing our work and home life into digital data, we expect it to be there when we need it. However, have you ever encountered a time when some of your files disappear all of a sudden?

Whether the data went missing or became corrupted from your USB flash drive, SD card, or hard drive, it is essential to exercise some data recovery measures. But before we get into that, here are the most common culprit for the damage to your USB flash drive:

• Ransomware or Malware Attacks.
• Power Surge while the flash drive is plugged into the USB port.
• You removed the USB flash drive improperly.
• Human Error (Accidentally Deleting Massive Amounts of Data)
• Formatting your USB Flash drive.
• When the file system converts into RAW data, some files become inaccessible.

Data loss is inevitable, especially for people who rely on external storage devices. Whether it is an accident or the result of certain circumstances, preparation is your best defense. Here is one of the most trusted data recovery software that can help you rescue your data.

Here are five excellent USB flash drive recovery tools with powerful and intuitive retrieval programs to solve your present and future problems.

Comparison of the Best USB Flash Drive Recovery Tools for Windows

USB flash drives are among the growing number of portable storage devices that bring convenience to a digitally-saturated world. There are no moving parts to this device, making it more robust, portable, and valuable to many people. With all its benefits, recovering missing files can be difficult if you are not prepared. You have to utilize data recovery software in case your USB flash drive encounters an issue. In this way, you can never lose access to irreplaceable data.

Here is a comparison of one of the best USB Flash Drive Recovery Tools for Windows to help you make an informed decision:

Data Recovery Software	Price	Demo Version?	Supported File Systems
Disk Drill	It starts at $89.	Preview + Limited File Recovery(500 MB)	FAT, NTFS, NTFS5, exFAT, HFS+, Ext2, Ext3, Ext4.
Data Rescue PC 3.2	It starts at $99.	Preview-only	FAT, exFAT, NTFS, and xt2/ext3/ext4 file
Wise Data Recovery	It starts at $44.96.	Quick Scan and Preview	FAT, NTFS, HFS, and EXT file systems
Pandora Data Recovery	It starts at $89.	Preview + Limited File Recovery(500 MB)	NTFS (NTFS5, EFS), FAT (FAT16, FAT32, FAT64), ExFAT, EXT4
Undelete 360	It starts at $39.	Limited File Recovery	FAT, NTFS, NTFS5

1. Disk Drill

Disk Drill comes first to the list as one of the premier data recovery tools in the market today. This software allows users to examine the USB flash drive before initiating the recovery of file partitions. Supporting more than 300 file formats, you can always ensure that your desired data is restorable. They offer a free trial version for data recoveries less than 500 MB. It is also suitable for those who want to check if the tool can recover their desired files. For unlimited data recovery options, paid versions start at $89.

Pros

• Leveraging advanced recovery algorithms to perform quick and deep scans
• Well-designed yet simplistic interface
• Beginner-Friendly
• Recovers data from the varying file systems
• Filter, sort, and locate files by name
• It offers a preview of the types of files that you can recover.

Cons

• Does not support Linux Devices
• The demo version can only recover up to 500 MB of data.
• Fails to display the quality of the recoverable files

2. Data Rescue PC 3.2

Data Rescue PC 3.2 is known for its flexibility when it comes to data recovery. Apart from restoring file partitions, it also aims to boot records and configure Raids and partition tables. It also allows you to detect the issues from your USB flash drives. In this way, you can quickly fix the arising problem before you lose important data.

With prices starting at $99, 5 drives can already recover data with no limits. Businesses opt for the professional version, which starts at $299 to cover an unlimited number of drives per year.

Pros

• Advanced Search Filters scan all the files you need to recover in a matter of seconds.
• Duplicate files can be detected and automatically excluded from data recovery to prevent multiple similar data (Time Machine Backup)
• Offers Preview of the files you can recover
• Consistent email updates of the progress of scans

Cons

• More expensive than other software available in the market
• Not suitable for personal use
• The scans take a longer time in comparison to other data recovery tools.
• Users cannot pause and resume their scans once it has already started.

3. Wise Data Recovery

As one of the fastest USB flash drive recovery tools, Wise Data Recovery benefits individuals and businesses. This software allows you to restore compressed files, audios, videos, documents, and photos. During the scan, you can already get a clearer view of its results. It provides a detailed report and analytics of the recovery to give you an idea of how the process will proceed. You can also take advantage of filtering features to organize the files you wish to recover. More importantly, this software is portable that eliminates the need for a computer for installation and usage.

Pros

• Supports 32 and 64-bit versions of Windows Operating Systems
• Directly install the software into your hard drive using its portable version.
• Restore numerous sets of data simultaneously
• Beginner-friendly user interface
• It shows complete file information such as the size, path, probability for recoverability, and file name.
• Scanning speed as fast as lightning

Cons

• No deep scan feature
• Reports of users have found that more files end up unrecoverable.
• Recovered files are scattered instead of being situated in their original location.
• It doesn’t offer a preview of files that you can recover.

4. Pandora Data Recovery

Pandora Recovery is a USB data recovery software program that restores missing files. On top of that, it can retrieve files that are encrypted, archived, hidden, or compressed. You can also check the files you can recover before initiating the scan. You can organize your files further through the search, filtering, and browsing tools.

Pros

• Efficient recovery of missing or corrupted files
• Preview files that you can recover in image and text formats, including XML, TXT, LOG, CSS, BAT, etc
• Take advantage of multiple built-in features that facilitate a streamlined data recovery through Quick Scan, Lost Partition Recovery, Deep Scan, and more.
• Supports a wide range of file systems such as FAT32, FAT16, NTFS, exFAT, etc

Cons

• Many users have complained about the added browser toolbar required to install, which can be intrusive.
• Does not support deleted files that are from ZIF18 Microdrive

5. Undelete Data Recovery

Undelete 360 offers a well-established software for USB flash drive recovery of lost or corrupted files. From the files that went missing from the recycle bin, computer, USB flash drives, SD cards, digital camera, and smartphones, you can get them back within a few minutes. The free trial version allows users to retrieve a limited size of files for old and newer Windows OS versions. Featuring Advanced scan feature, Hex filter, and Preview of files, this software has a competitive edge over its competitors.

Undelete 360 supports FAT, exFAT, NTFS, HFS+, and EXT2/3/4 formatted drives. Nevertheless, it can be the data recovery tool that you can rely on in times of need. It can fully meet your needs to recover data and provide you with maximum protection. Here are some of the notable features of Undelete Data Recovery:

• Data Protection

Undelete 360 offers optimal data protection to all of its users. Leveraging the Recovery Vault and Guaranteed Recovery features, you can ensure that your data cannot be compromised. This feature is accessible in the free trial version.

• Drive Backup

Undelete 360 offers immense drive backup for every byte on your disk and partition. In this way, the application can quickly restore the missing files before you even know it.

Pros

• Demo version allows users to recover a limited size of data along with some of its features.
• Offers Preview of the file you can Recover
• Provides extensive features including Hex viewer support and Filtered search
• Well-designed and intuitive user interface
• Supports a wide range of file system types
• Users can explore recoverable files by their names.

Cons

• Errors in the file names (added characters) can make it more difficult for users to identify the recovered files.
• Does not support Mac devices

Final Takeaway

Having a reliable USB Flash Drive Data Recovery software by your side can prevent you from losing access to important files. It is integral that you have a reliable backup of valuable data to avoid repercussions in the future. In addition to protecting your flash drive, it also supports memory cards, SD cards, external hard drives, and more. These tools allow you to restore erased data due to software crashes, formatting, malware, and other damages. More importantly, you can take advantage of one of these tools for restoring files under 500 MB without spending a dime.