How to Recover Deleted Jump Drive Files

Jump drives lack some of the safeguards provided for files deleted from a computer hard drive.

As with other USB memory sticks and pen drives, jump drives are convenient to for storing and transporting document files, photos and more. But unlike the computers they connect to, jump drives lack some security features that protect files from accidental erasure. While files stored on a computer hard drive are sent to the "Trash" or "Recycle" folder before being deleted, jump drive files are deleted straight away. Fortunately, you can often recover files deleted from your jump drive using data recovery software.

Instructions

1. Stop using your jump drive. The more you use your jump drive, the greater the chance your file will be overwritten with new data, in which case you will be unable to recover it.

2. Download a data recovery program to your desktop computer. When selecting data recovery software, look for a program that states that it can be used to recover files deleted from USB memory sticks such as a jump drive.

3. Connect your jump drive to the desktop computer where you downloaded the data recovery software. Verify that your deleted file is still on your jump drive and is recoverable. Most data recovery software allows you to download a free version that you can use to search your drive. Some data recovery software will allow you to preview files it finds, or estimate the likelihood that your file can be recovered intact.

4. Recover your RTF file. Save it to your computer's hard drive. Saving it to a separate drive reduces the chance that your file will be overwritten by itself before it can be fully recovered. After the initial save, you can move it back onto your jump drive.

References

• TechPro.net: How To: Recover Deleted files from Windows of MacOS
• Lifehacker: How to Recover Deleted Files with Free Software
• Wondershare: How to Retrieve Lost Files from Pen Drive?