How to Restore Deleted/Lost Partitions in USB?

USB is one of the convenient storage options for files transferring or backing up data securely. However, not many users know that USB drives can be divided into volumes of different capacities. Just like hard drives, by disk partitioning, you can better organize files, have better data management, and have less fragmentation. While it has these advantages, due to various reasons, it sometimes also results in USB partition loss, making it inaccessible. Thankfully, there are many efficient ways to restore partition table in USB.

Are you also trying to restore deleted partitions in USB drive? Read along the article to effortlessly recover deleted partition in USB with easy methods in simple steps. We have also included various reasons for the deleted partitions in USB, along with steps to take before proceeding with USB partition table recovery.

Part 1: What Are the Reasons For Deleted Partitions in USB

Data loss can also occur because of deleting or losing a partition from your USB device. Identifying the root cause of this problem can help in applying suitable solutions to restore deleted partitions in USB. Thus, a USB partition can be removed for several reasons, including accidental deletion, software faults, or hardware failure.

Here are some of the common reasons for deleted or lost partitions in USB:

1. Corrupt Sectors: The logical storage unit of every storage drive is known as a sector. Files in a partition are divided into sectors. Each sector on the drive has its read-and-write cycles. However, once these cycles have expired, data cannot be stored in these sectors. If these sectors include system files, their removal may cause the USB partition disappeared.
2. Virus or Malware: When viruses or malware infiltrate a USB device, they aim to destroy or damage the partition. One of the most serious infection side effects on a USB drive might be the device being deleted or rendered inaccessible altogether.
3. Accidentally Deleted UBS Partition: Partitions can often be accidentally erased while conducting file operations. For example, you may mistakenly utilize disk management tools or format a USB device.
4. Software Bugs: The deletion or loss of the USB partition can occasionally result due to a problem or error in the operating system or disk management software. Following the partitioning process, a software error or malfunction could lead to an unexpected partition elimination.
5. Improper Ejection: Another typical cause is abruptly disconnecting a USB hard drive from your computer while reading or writing. It can result in data damage or a corrupted partition table. This may cause the partition to be erased or become unavailable.
6. Reformatted Drive: When a USB drive is formatted or reformatted, all the data and partitions are wiped. As a result, before performing drive re-partitioning and reformatting, it is important to ensure that everything on it has been fully backed up.
7. Physical Damage: Deletion or loss of partition can also occur if the USB drive is physically damaged, for example, a broken connector or a malfunctioning controller.

Part 2: Steps to Take Before Recover Deleted Partition in USB

If your USB partition is lost or corrupted, you should fix it right away. Typically, drive corruption happens on the partition table, suggesting the missing USB partition is still available. However, you have to proceed with caution as you could risk causing permanent data loss.

Following are the steps to avoid when repairing a USB partition:

• Transferring Files: Avoid copying or moving files on a USB drive, as it can destroy your data. Since your lost USB data is still present, adding new entries will overwrite them. In addition to the possibility of overwriting lost data, the file system on your corrupt USB device is unstable. Moving files on your USB drive may result in interrupted transfers and additional corruption.
• Formatting USB: A deleted or lost USB partition is not completely lost, but it is only inaccessible. If you format your USB drive, you risk permanently losing your data. If you run a Quick Format, you might be able to restore your data. A Full Format, on the other hand, deletes all data on your USB device permanently. As a result, while formatting can help you fix file system damage on your USB drive, it should only be used as a last resort.
• Re-partitioning USB: While partitioning divides your USB drive into many parts, re-partitioning creates, manages, and deletes partitions. If you modify the structure of your USB drive after a partition has been erased, you risk permanently losing the data on that partition. However, partitioning does not erase data because it uses unallocated space. However, in the case of corrupted USB partitions, it can create more corruption and render your data unrecoverable. As a result, you should avoid it before fixing your USB drive.

Part 3.Easy Ways to Restore Deleted Partitions in USB

Now that you know various reasons that cause USB partition deletions and precautionary measures to follow before USB partition table recovery. Here are the four best ways to recover deleted partitions in USB:

Solution 1: Using the Best Data Recovery Tool

If you accidentally deleted partition on USB drive or due to any other reasons, you can consider using the best data recovery tool, Recoverit, to recover partition table in USB. It is a professional data recovery tool that is highly reliable for USB partition table recovery.

Some of the key features of Recoverit to restore deleted partitions in USB:

• It can recover deleted or lost partitions on a USB drive in an efficient, secure, and complete way.
• It has a simple interface and is suitable for users of all technical ability levels.
• The program can recover data from over 2000 storage devices, including HDDs, SSDs, USB drives, and SD cards.
• It allows you to recover data that has been lost due to formatting, disk corruption, virus attacks, and other causes.
• You can preview recovered files to ensure they include the right data.

Here are the following steps to restore partition table in USB using Recoverit:

Step 1: First, download and install the Recoverit on your computer from its official website. However, make sure to install the program on a different drive than the drive from where you want to recover.

Step 2: Connect the USB partition disappeared to your computer and launch the Recoverit application.

Step 3: Click on the “Hard Drives and Locations” option from the left side panel on the main screen. Also, select the USB drive you want to recover the deleted partition under the “External Drives” section.

Step 4: Wait for the program to scan the USB for deleted or lost partitions automatically. Once the scanning is over, preview the recovered files and click on the “Recover” option.

Step 5: Lastly, choose the location to save the recovered files and click the “Save” option. Ensure to save the recovered data in a different location than the original.

Solution 2: Using the CHKDSK Scan

If you accidentally deleted usb partition, you can use the CHKDSK Windows utility. It is also one of the simplest ways to fix corruption in USB drives that leads to partition. Not only does it fix all the logical file system errors, but it also helps restore bad sectors.

Here are the following steps to recover deleted partition in USB using the CHKDSK utility:

Step 1: First, in the "Start" menu, type "command prompt" into the search box.

Step 2: Next, from the search results list, right-click the "Command Prompt" option and choose "Run as Administrator" from the context menu.

Step 3: Finally, in the command prompt window, type "chkdsk X: /f /r /x" and hit the "Enter" key. Make sure to change the "X" letter to the USB drive letter from File Explorer.

Step 4: After the utility scan and repair process is over, exit the command prompt. Also, properly eject and reconnect your USB drive to your computer.

Solution 3: Using Windows Diskpart Utility

USB partition loss can also be caused by a missing drive letter, volume label, or partition name. When this occurs, you will be unable to access the damaged USB sector. Therefore, you must reassign or assign the drive letter to restore deleted partitions in USB. The easiest approach to reassign the letter is by using the Windows DiskPart program. It is similar to the free command-line application CHKDSK, which helps recover deleted partition in USB problems by assigning new drive letters. To utilize it, you must first log in as a system administrator on your computer.

Here are the steps to follow for USB partition table recovery using Diskpart Utility:

Step 1: To start the process, first, you need to locate the deleted partition of the USB drive in Disk Management. Connect your USB drive to your computer and right-click on the “Start” to select the “Disk Management” option from the list.

Step 2: On the Disk Management window, find the deleted partition and note its size. Deleted partitions are typically marked as unallocated.

Step 3: Next, in the "Start" menu, type "command prompt" into the search box. Right-click the "Command Prompt" search result and choose "Run as Administrator" from the context menu.

Step 4: On the Command Prompt window, enter the “diskpart” command and press “Enter”.

Step 5: Enter "List Disk" and press “Enter” to see all the connected disks on your computer.

Step 6: Identify your deleted USB partition in the list by using the size you noted previously. After you have found it, enter "select disk 2", make sure to change 2 with your USB drive partition number and press "Enter".

Step 7: Enter "list volume" and press "Enter" to show every available disk volume. Select a disk volume without an associated letter. Enter "select volume 4", replace 4 with the relevant number for you, and press "Enter".

Step 8: Finally, enter “letter=g”, or enter any other available letter and press “Enter”.

Step 9: Wait until the utility resets a drive letter to your lost USB drive partition. Exit from the command prompt and reconnect your USB drive to access the deleted partition.

Solution 4: Using Attrib Command

When a USB device is connected to a virus or malware-infested machine, it often gets infected as well. Consequently, a virus or malware infection can modify the attributes of a file on a USB drive. It hides data and generates executable shortcuts to hidden files and directories by modifying their properties.

As a result, if you observe any suspicious activity, such as a deleted partition on your USB caused by a change in file attributes, use the Attrib command to correct it. This command line helps you change the attributes of USB devices and display any hidden folders or files on USB drives.

Here are the steps to fix the USB partition disappeared issue using the Attrib command:

Step 1: First, connect your USB drive with the deleted partition to your computer.

Step 2: Next, in the "Start" menu, type "command prompt" into the search box. And, right-click the "Command Prompt" search result and choose "Run as Administrator" from the context menu.

Step 3: Once the command prompt is launched, enter the “attrib -h -r -s /s /d X:.” command and press the “Enter” key. However, make sure to replace the “X” letter in the command with your USB drive letter.

Step 4: Wait for the scan and repair process to complete. Exit from the command prompt and reconnect your USB drive to your computer after proper ejection.

After reconnecting your USB drive, the deleted partition should be accessible.

Part 4: Tips to Avoid Deleted/Lost Partitions in USB

Although it is impossible to forecast USB drive corruption, but you can take precautionary measures to avoid losing your partitions and data. By applying simple cautions, you can prevent future data and partition losses on your USB drives.

Follow the below steps to prevent deleted or lost partitions in USB:

• You should consider regularly backup your data in a safe place to recover when in need.
• It is important that you properly eject the USB drive from your computer after done using it.
• Try to protect your USB drive against physical damage and handle them carefully during inserting and disconnecting from various devices.
• Always make sure to scan for viruses or malware on the system you are going to connect the USB drive.
• Sometimes, overloading the USB drive with multiple copy-and-paste files can also render it corrupt.
• You should also make sure not to shut down your computer abruptly while the USB drive is being accessed.
• When connecting the USB drive, ensure that your computer does not experience any power interruptions or voltage changes.

Conclusion

When the USB partition disappeared, many users assume the data is also lost. Fortunately, the data is still stored on the USB drive, but it cannot be accessed due to the deleted partition error. You can recover deleted partition in USB using the above-provided methods by running commands on the command prompt. However, if you want to effortlessly recover partition table in USB, use the Recoverit Data Recovery tool in easy steps.