Got files missing from a USB stick? Start here
You plug in a flash drive and the folder you needed is empty. Or Windows says the drive is unreadable and offers to format it. Free USB Flash Drive Data Recovery from IUWEshare is a free Windows tool for these situations. It scans removable storage and tries to bring back files that were deleted, lost or made inaccessible.
Quick facts
- Vendor: IUWEshare
- Platform: Windows (a separate Mac edition exists)
- Price: free to download
- Paid option: the vendor also sells a non-free USB Flash Drive Data Recovery edition
Key features
Get back deleted, formatted and lost files and folders
The tool is built to undelete files and recover folders that disappeared through accidental deletion, formatting, a virus attack, corruption or a damaged file system.
Work with many kinds of removable media
The vendor says it handles memory sticks, USB jump drives, pen drives, dongles and external USB hard disks, including damaged or crashed ones.
Recover from drives that look inaccessible
Drives that aren't physically faulty but seem corrupted because of file system problems are a target case. Brands the vendor names include Transcend, Kingston, SanDisk and Sony.
Use it without technical knowledge
The vendor describes recovery as something you can do without specialist skills. It also says the software doesn't affect system performance while it runs.
Who it's for
It suits you if you have a single USB drive or pen drive with missing files and want to try recovery before paying for anything. It also suits you if the drive shows as corrupted and you'd rather scan it than format it.
Pros and cons
- Pro: free to download and try.
- Pro: covers deletion, formatting, virus damage and file system corruption.
- Pro: works with common flash drive brands and other removable media.
- Con: the vendor offers a paid edition, so the free one may have limits compared with it.
- Con: a drive with real physical damage may not be recoverable by any software.
- Con: Windows only in this edition; Mac users need the separate Mac version.
FAQs
Is it really free?
The vendor offers it as a free download. A paid USB Flash Drive Data Recovery edition is sold separately.
Can it recover formatted drives?
Yes, formatting is one of the data loss situations the vendor lists, along with accidental deletion and virus attacks.
Does it work on a Mac?
This edition is for Windows. The vendor has a separate Mac Free USB Flash Drive Data Recovery.
Which drive brands does it support?
The vendor names Transcend, Kingston, SanDisk, Sony and other popular brands.
System requirements
It runs on Windows. Check the vendor's download page for the current list of supported Windows versions.