Restoring Lost Data from Portable Storage: A Comprehensive Guide
We have a plethora of choices for data storage with modern computer technologies. Still and all, portable storage devices are still the most popular choice for both personal and business use. Variously available as USB sticks, memory cards, and external hard drives, they enable flexible data transfer between computers. They also make major storage expansion of a PC, laptop, smartphone, digital camera, MP3 player, game console, video recorder, or any other device possible.
But removable digital media are still prone to data loss despite their many benefits and continuously rising dependability. It can result from improper ejection, power outages, bugs in the BLR data recovery software, or even from unintentional deletion or format. Luckily, a good data recovery software can restore the lost files as long as the data on the device is not overwritten.
Recover files from an external hard drive, USB flash drive, memory card (exFAT) or any other Windows, macOS, Linux, Unix, or BSD file system
One way that external drives and internal drives are different is that the former lack a trash or recycle can. However, information from them is deleted similarly in compliance with the guidelines set down by the file system running on the storage. Therefore, it usually stays on the drive until new data is written to take its place.
Note: As soon as a data loss issue is found, it is highly advised to use the device no more. More storage operations could possibly destroy the lost files.
Such devices often operate on the FAT file system (or its more recent variant, exFAT). The main argument is that it is compatible with every operating system in use at the moment. Additionally able to read it are more basic appliances that might not even have an operating system at all. This file system gives enough opportunity to recover data.
However, in many situations, the following reasons may make the likelihood of data recovery almost nonexistent:
Files lost after a low-level (full) format cannot be recovered. Unlike other operations that just destroy file system structures, this one completely erases the drive, leaving it empty;
Some portable SSDs have the TRIM command supported. Once a file is deleted, it permanently destroys its content;
BLR Data Recovery Tool that shreds files makes it impossible to recover them. That's because it either overwrites them with some "garbage data" or zeroes them out;
BitLocker To Go and other encryption programmes let you encrypt portable drives to stop unwanted access. Such storages can only have data recovered as long as the decryption key is accessible;
Unlike removable memory cards, some portable devices, such as MP3 players, smart watches, and mobile phones, store their data in the internal memory. Only a virtual version of its file system can be accessed via Media Transfer Protocol when such a storage is linked to the computer. The manufacturer, meantime, has blocked access to the actual file system for security reasons. Although Superuser rights may allow low-level access to such a storage (as on Android phones), rooting a device is not advised as it can have a number of unintended consequences.
For those who need to recover files lost from external drives formatted with FAT/exFAT or other file systems used in any operating system environment—Windows, macOS, Linux, or Unix/BSD—SysDev Laboratories advises BLR Data Recovery as efficient Blr recovery software solutions. The data source and its structure won't be impacted in any manner; the software will analyze the storage in detail and offer you to copy the found files.
Use BLR Data Recovery Software to recover the files lost from a removable drive by doing the following actions:
Install the Blr data recovery software by downloading it to your computer. Make sure the software version you downloaded fits the platform of your operating system.
Start the programme and, if necessary, change its settings in the settings tab.
Connect the host computer directly to your device. Use any legal connection (USB, FireWire, eSATA) for a portable hard drive; plug a USB flash drive into the computer's USB port; insert an SD card into the computer's card reader or an external USB adapter; and place a microSD card into an SD card adapter. Please remember to turn on the power switch if your drive has one.
Use the corresponding button or the storage context menu option to search for lost data on this drive in the list of connected storage in the left pane.
Give the scan parameters you want. All file systems save the one installed on your storage can be deselected; if you're not entirely sure which one to use, leave them all selected. Press "Start scan" after that and wait for the results.
Look through the files and folders the programme has located. The "Set up displaying of file status" tool will list all files together with circular icons indicating their status: A file with a valid header is considered "good" when it is green; a file that has partially corrupted or whose integrity check failed due to format-specific issues is considered "bad" when it is red. The red colour of the names of the deleted folders and files helps to identify them from the available information. Along with quick or advanced search, you can sort the items by name, date, size, and view the contents of files in the internal viewer. Select the items you wish to duplicate by pressing "Define selection".
Save these files to a drive apart from the one from which they are being retrieved. Data Recovery Guide for Dead Laptop Hard Drive in Windows 10/8/7 How can I fix Microsoft Store Error 0x80072F78?
