How to Recover Permanently Deleted Data from USB Flash Drive?

Losing critical files from a flash drive can cause instant panic, especially when you realize the files didn’t go to the Recycle Bin. If you’ve pressed Shift+Delete on your flash drive, files are now permanently deleted, so the traditional recovery methods are useless but still there is a solution. This comprehensive 2026 guide will show you precisely how to recover permanently deleted data from USB Flash Drive with a high degree of success. You can find here the common manual tricks, explaining why they often fail, and outline the most reliable, guaranteed method for retrieving your lost data.

Understanding USB Data Deletion: Where Do Deleted Files Go?

All the deleted files from a USB flash drive or pen drive are deleted permanently rather than going to the recycle bin. Why does this happen? USB flash drives typically use FAT32 or exFAT file systems, which do not have a dedicated Recycle Bin feature. When it comes to recovering permanently deleted files from a flash drive, here we come up with an effective technique to instantly recover deleted data from flash drives from the powerful software.

It consists of a unique feature, i.e., it highlights the deleted files by red color. So, it becomes easy to specify which data is deleted permanently. Moreover, this utility does not have any compatibility issues. It supports all the latest and below versions of Windows OS. It has the capability to recover formatted data from pen drive.

Step-by-Step Guide to Recover Permanently Deleted Data from USB Flash Drive

Here, in this segment, we are going to disclose the directions on how to recover permanently deleted files from flash drives. Firstly, download and install the application on your Windows system named SysTools USB Flash Drive Recovery Tool. It has the capability to recover corrupted, deleted, and formatted files from a USB flash drive check the steps below:

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• Step 1: Select the Refresh View option to view the newly attached USB flash drive.

• Step 2: Select the Scan option instead of the formatted scan.

• Step 3: Preview Permanently deleted data in red color

• Step 4: Save specified data or complete recovered data as needed

• Step 5: Select the location to save recovered data on your PC.

• Step 6: At last, the program will notify you after completion of the successful recovery of shift deleted data from USB

Manual Methods to Recover Deleted Files (Win 10/11) & Limitations

Recovering deleted files from flash drive Windows10/11 can be tricky, especially if they have been overwritten, but there are a few manual methods you can try before resorting to third-party software. Following the below steps:

Check for Accidentally Hidden Files

You can start checking accidentally deleted files. Sometimes a virus or system error may hide files rather than deleting them.

Use the following methods to check deleted hidden files:

1. Open and navigate file explorer to the USB drive.
2. Next click the View tab in the ribbon.
3. Check for any Hidden items box. If it appears, copy them to your PC.

Windows File History or Backup

Windows might have a backup stored if you frequently copy files from your computer to the USB drive, check the steps you can perform to find:

1. Just right click the folder where the file was originally located in your system.
2. Select Properties & navigate to the Previous Versions tab.
3. If previous versions exist, you might be able to find and restore the file.

Note:This only works if File History was already enabled. If you are still looking to recover deleted files from USB without software the below method is for you to recover deleted files from USB using Command Prompt.

Command Prompt (CMD) to Recover Data

The Command Prompt is often cited online for recovery, typically using the chkdsk command. This is the command which is designed to fix file system errors not recover permanently deleted files. But sometimes it helps reveal files whose pointer was corrupted:

1. Search CMD in the Start Menu – right-click, and select Run as administrator.
2. Simply type chkdsk X: /f (Replace X with your USB drive letter) then press Enter.
3. Type ATTRIB -H -R -S /S /D X:*.* and press Enter.
4. Check your USB drive for a newly created folder containing recovered files.

Checking Temporary Files

Last but not the least you can try checking the temporary files as your operating system may retain temporary versions of files, check below how you can do it:

1. Open File Explorer and enter %temp% in the address bar this will open a temporary folder.
2. Use the search bar to look for files with the .tmp extension or search by the last known name of your deleted files.

Why Manual Methods Fail to Recover Permanently Deleted Data from USB Flash Drive?

Although the manual methods mentioned above can fix minor issues or recover basic deleted files, they are not really enough when you need to recover permanently deleted data from a USB flash drive.

Here’s why: Manual tools can’t access the raw, unreferenced data blocks on a flash drive. When you use Shift+Delete, the file system’s address book entry for that file is immediately deleted. To securely scan the entire storage area byte-by-byte and reconstruct the file based on its headers and footers, which is essential for permanent deletion recovery.

You need advanced software SysTools recovery software with proprietary algorithms. Relying solely on CMD or File History for a necessary recovery runs the risk of running out of time before the data is overwritten.

Prevention Tips for USB Flash Drive

Well, recovery is possible with powerful and advanced software and only prevention is the best key to avoid losing deleted files from pen drive.

• Routine Backup: Create a routine (daily or weekly) to back up important data from your flash drive to cloud storage or an external hard drive.
• Safe Ejection: Always use the “Safely Remove Hardware” option before disconnecting the drive. Removing the drive could damage the file system, resulting in data loss that may need to be recovered.
• Check Before Deleting: Using the shortcut Shift+Delete taking a moment to make sure your files you are deleting are truly unnecessary.

Common Questions Addressed (FAQ)

Find all your common questions, problems, and solutions with our expert advice and answers regarding the recovery process.

Q1: Can you recover deleted files from a flash drive?

Answer: Yes, of course. You can easily recover deleted files from a flash drive by following simple steps using the SysTools data recovery application mentioned above.

Q2: What is the manual method to recover permanently deleted files from a USB drive?

Answer: You can check the manual steps in the guide “How to Recover Permanently Deleted Data from USB Flash Drive”. However, there is no fully reliable manual method to restore permanently deleted data from a USB drive.

Q3: How to get permanently deleted photos from a USB flash drive?

Answer: Yes, it is possible to recover deleted photos from a USB drive unless the data has been overwritten. You can use our data recovery tool or deep scan feature to restore your deleted images.

Q4: What happens if you delete files from your USB flash drive?

Answer: When you delete files from a USB flash drive, they do not go to the Recycle Bin—instead, they are permanently removed. To recover them, users must rely on the software mentioned above.

Q5: How long do I have to recover deleted files?

Answer: There is no fixed recovery time limit. Recovery depends solely on whether the deleted data blocks have been overwritten. As long as the sectors remain intact, you can even recover permanently deleted data years later.

Conclusion

Finding and restoring important files lost with Shift+Delete requires going beyond simple manual fixes. To increase your chances, stop using the drive immediately and choose a reliable tool designed to safely scan and recover permanently deleted data from USB flash drives. Don’t wait for the data to be overwritten, start the data recovery process today.