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How to Restore Files from Password Protected USB Drive

Wondershare Recoverit Authors

Jan 15, 2024 • Filed to: USB Recovery • Proven solutions

How do I Remove Encryption from a USB Stick?

Part 1: Overview of the Password Protected USB Flash Drive

Once a USB drive is write-protected, you cannot use it anymore other than as a read-only device. You can view files but fail to modify them. While this is effective in securing data stored in the device, it is also dangerous for when you forget the password you have set on the device. Also, if data is encrypted, there is a risk for data loss when files are decrypted.

Encryption is a common practice for securing confidential files, especially those that are used in business. The data becomes safer because the files cannot be accessed unless the external device is plugged into a computer. Even then, access can never be gained if one does not know the decryption key to the file. If you fail to enter the correct key, or if you simply forgot the details such as passwords, data loss is an imminent possibility.

Part 2: How to Unlock Encrypted USB Drive

  • Step 1. Insert the encrypted USB drive to the computer via the USB port and go to This PC/ Computer.

  • Step 2. Once the drive appears on the connected drives list, right-click on the USB drive and go to Properties.

  • Step 3. Open the Security tab on the new window and select Edit.

  • Step 4. Choose User under Group and Usernames. Set Full Control and Write in the Allow column by checking the boxes. These are found under Permission for Authenticated Users.

  • Step 5. Select OK. Proceed to the file explorer and open the USB drive to check whether the files can now be accessed.

Part 3: How to Restore Files from Password Protected USB Drive with Recoverit

Whether its Mac or Windows OS devices, Recoverit has you covered. You can easily restore your deleted files from password-protected USB using these few steps.

Step 1. Launch the program

Install and launch Recoverit Data Recovery. Next, connect your USB drive from where you want to recover your files. Click on the specific drive and let the program kick-off the recovery.

recoverit interface

Step 2. Scan your lost files

At this stage, the Recoverit program will start to peruse over your files, searching for the files from a password-protected USB drive.

scan lost files

Step 3. Preview and Recover

This tool has a preview feature from where you can take on the test. Peruse through the populated list of files. These can be videos, music, photos, and other kinds of data that are USB drive protected. You can also, pause and resume the recovery process at a later time.

preview and recover

Once the recovery is completed, save your recovered files in a different drive. Remember not to save your recovered files on the password-protected USB drive from where you earlier lost them. The newly added ones will overwrite the previously saved ones, leading to a permanent data loss.

Conclusion:

Remember that restoring a password-protected USB drive needs some conscience. It could be that you are not able to retrieve files from the entire USB drive or it could be just a single file. The reason being, you can encrypt your entire drive or a particular file within it. In both cases, you need to incorporate a password. But worry less because the aforementioned solutions are apt enough to pull you out of such a mess. Furthermore, there are available tools such as Recoverit Data Recovery that you can use to encrypt and recover your files, in simple steps.

Recoverit author

Sue Wayne

staff Editor

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