Non-Programming Question, but Help required!

Question

I have a 2GB USB 1.0 flash drive which was used to store important documents.
Few days ago, I connected it to my PC, and while loading one of the files, the pendrive stopped working.
I removed it and connected it again but now I couldn't see it in This PC. I tried removing and restarting but that didn't work. Then I used another PC but couldn't see the pendrive even there.
I then visited device manager, where I saw the error 43.
I want those files badly. Is there a way I can get my files back?

Answer 1

Can you try to connect the pendrive to your phone via OTG cable?

Answer 2

😢 Sounds like it is dead.

Answer 3

https://www.stellarinfo.com/blog/usb-drive-is-corrupted-and-unresponsive-recover-files/

Answer 4

I read this solution yesterday when I ran a google search too. I haven't tried the software yet...

I uninstalled the driver, and restarted my PC. Then I connected the pendrive. It ran - installing driver, but then showed an error that the driver couldn't be installed. And then again I was stuck with error 43.

Thus, I can atleast conclude that the problem is just with the driver or some wire or chip.

I will now try the software, I hope I can get my data back...

Answer 5

I then tried uninstalling the driver, as it may have become corrupt, but after restarting and connecting the pendrive, i get the message that the driver couldn't be installed.

My pendrive has a led to indicate successful connection, but that isn't glowing up.

But I hear a beep sound on connecting the pendrive and it is similar to what I heard earlier whenever I connected my pendrive.

I then gave a visit to Disk Management, to check if the pendrive is assigned with a confusing drive letter or not, but my pendrive isn't visible even there.

Answer 6

Ill try it just now.

Answer 7

I connected it with the phone, it cant detect any pendrive...

Answer 8

Personally I have never had luck with these "let us install your drivers for you" programs. every clients computer that has had these installed has become infected with malware or worse. It may just be a coincidence but I tend to steer clear of them.

Answer 9

Yar. Agreed. I hope it works. Just voicing a concern re: the rest of the pc. The instructions there are good. no doubt about that.

Answer 10

⚠ Don't write/repair until you attempt a disk image [raw backup]. Flash storage uses automatic wear leveling, which may reassign the blocks you need to read.

These tools are cross-platform & can read unmounted devices and raw disk images:

TestDisk (download link on left)
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Step_By_Step

PhotoRec (not just for photos; ignores file system and scans for magic numbers)
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec

If Windows doesn't work out, Linux may still be able to access (READ) the device even if the volume/partition is corrupt. You may be able to take a disk image, even if there are read errors.

Ideally, repairs and recovery should be tested on an image first (otherwise it's your backup). Just let me know if you go the raw image/Linux direction. There's a special tool to get raw images.

Answer 11

Then How I can use this image to get my data back?

Answer 12

Ill first try using TestDisk and PhotoRec directly, then use the image method.

Thank You!

But, will creating the image delete the data from the flash drive?

Answer 13

@Ms Arnold
Thank You for your solutions. Unfortunately, I had tried all of these and none worked for me.

@Kirk Schafer
I could get an image of my pen drive, but the TestDisk isn't able to read it.
Ill try again, as maybe I didn't understand it yet how to use TestDisk successfully...

Answer 14

The error message 43 is usually seen in my device when the USB driver software can't be installed.
I must confess the problem with your flash drive is beyond my knowledge.
If you don't find a solution contact a technician since you badly need the files.

Answer 15

@Adeleye Oreoluwa
Ill try contacting a technician soon... Thank You for your advice!

@Washiul Alam Sohan
Unfortunately, the mobile can't read it either. Ill try some other pc with linux maybe. Thank You!

Answer 16

I think there is a solution
*******************************
https://www.drivereasy.com/knowledge/fix-code-43-error-device-manager/

Answer 17

@Kirk Schafer
Ill try your solution, as I still haven't got my problem solved. Thank You very much!

I wanted to ask one thing, how do you create a raw image of a flash drive in linux?

Answer 18

dd if=/dev/usbdevice of=./outputfile.img bs=4096 conv=sync,noerror

dd "duplicate disk" has NO safeties. Admins who make mistakes (usually by messing up "of=") have another name for 'dd': "destroy disk". Before you commit any 'dd', double check "of=....." for no spaces or any cleverness; it is bulk OUTPUT.

4096 = Most likely block (cluster) size: Windows/2GB/FAT32. Charts for other possibilities:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/140365/default-cluster-size-for-ntfs,-fat,-and-exfat

4 KB : bs=4096 (1024*4 )
16 KB : bs=16384 (1024*16)

What's dd? (short):
http://d.goodlad.net/articles/the_dying_disks_best_friend/

conv=sync,noerror (error alignment / null padding)
https://superuser.com/a/622553

bs=4096 (point: reliability)
https://superuser.com/a/1075837
Size alignment...exact/even multiples = much faster I/O.

'dd' is silent. Two ways to get feedback:
https://bneijt.nl/blog/post/show-progress-of-dd-command/
https://askubuntu.com/questions/215505/how-do-you-monitor-the-progress-of-dd

...(hopefully skip) but in case you must 'lsusb' + insert the device by hand:
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/SCSI-2.4-HOWTO/mlproc.html

Answer 19

No. As long as you do not write back to the device.

if = input "file" (error recovery reads)
of = output; the dangerous end

Totally understand 'tools first'; the rest may help you / collaborating with a tech.

Answer 20

@Kirk Schafer
Ok So I tried using TestDisk and PhotoRec on Windows, as I currently don't have access to a linux system.

On Windows, even testdisk can't detect my drive, idk why.
All I can see is the computers HDD loaded.
Can it be that it can be merged with the internal drive?

Then I entered the only disk I could see, and then selected the type none.
Then I could see a partition, maybe, and then I changed the type to Fat32, then ext2, then ntfs and lastly fat16.

I got the error filesys is damaged in fat32,ntfs and ext2, but in fat16, 2 odd looking files were visible, with corrupted dates. Also, Boot Sector Analysis showed both boot sector and backup as bad.

Maybe it was the flash drive, or some virtual memory partition.

Ill now switch to linux tomorrow...