Have you ever accidentally deleted a file from your flash drive? Or maybe you have encountered a corrupted Word or Excel document that just won’t open. It can be frustrating and stressful to lose important files, but don’t worry, there are ways to retrieve them.
Retrieving a Deleted File from a Flash Drive
Accidentally deleting a file can happen to anyone. Perhaps you were trying to free up space on your flash drive, and in the process, deleted a file that you still needed. Luckily, there are several methods you can try to recover your deleted file.
One way to retrieve a deleted file is by using a third-party data recovery software. These software programs can scan your flash drive and search for deleted files that can still be recovered. Some of the popular data recovery software programs include Recuva, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, and Disk Drill.
If you don’t want to use a software program, you can also try using the Command Prompt. Here’s how:
- Connect your flash drive to your computer
- Click on the Start button and type “cmd” in the search bar
- Right-click on “Command Prompt” and select “Run as Administrator”
- Type “CHKDSK [drive letter]: /F” and hit Enter. Replace [drive letter] with the letter assigned to your flash drive. This will scan your flash drive for errors and repair any damaged sectors.
- After the scan is complete, type “ATTRIB -H -R -S /S /D [drive letter]:\*.*” and hit Enter. This will unhide any hidden files and folders on your flash drive
- Check to see if your deleted file has been recovered. If it has, copy it to a different location on your computer to prevent it from being accidentally deleted again.
Repairing a Corrupted Word or Excel Document
Another frustrating situation that can occur is when you try to open a Word or Excel document, and it’s either corrupted or won’t open at all. However, there are ways to repair these documents and retrieve your information.
One way to repair a corrupted Word or Excel document is by using the “Open and Repair” feature in the Microsoft Office application. Here’s how:
- Open the Microsoft Word or Excel application
- Click on “File” in the top left corner of the screen
- Select “Open”
- Navigate to the location of the corrupted document
- Click on the drop-down arrow next to “Open”
- Select “Open and Repair”
- If the “Open and Repair” feature is unable to repair the document, you can also try using the “Recover Text from Any File” feature. Here’s how:
- Follow Steps 1-4 above
- Change the file type to “All Files (*.*)” at the bottom of the window
- Select the corrupted document and click “Open”
- The document will open with all formatting removed, but you can still retrieve the text
If the above methods do not work, you can also try using a third-party recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery or Kernel for Word to repair your corrupted document.
FAQ
Q: Can I recover a deleted file from a flash drive that was formatted?
A: It is possible to recover a file from a formatted flash drive, but it is more difficult and may require professional data recovery services. It’s best to avoid formatting your flash drive without backing up your important files first.
Q: How do I avoid losing my files on a flash drive?
A: To avoid losing your files on a flash drive, it’s best to make regular backups of your important files on your computer or an external hard drive. You can also prevent accidental deletions by enabling write protection on your flash drive or using a cloud storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox to store your files.
Video Tutorial
Check out this video tutorial for more tips on how to recover deleted files and repair corrupted documents.
