Recovering Data from USB Drives

A USB flash drive is a data storage device. To this device is attached a universal serial bus interface that protrudes out. While the flash drive (that is a small printed circuit board) is encased in a plastic or metal cover, the bulging USB interface is capped over.

This storage device is better than other portable storage devices as it is lightweight, has more storing capacity and can be rewritten on repeatedly. The USB memory stick is available in different varieties with storing capacity ranging from 32 megabytes to 64 gigabytes. The more the storage space, the costlier is the flash drive.

Data can be accessed from the flash drive by just connecting it to a computer. It plugs in the USB port and does not require accessories or batteries to run. This feature makes the durable storage media easy to transport.

Uses of USB Memory Stick

The most common use of a memory stick is storage of information. A 2GB drive can store information equivalent to that contained in 710 floppy disks.

A USB memory stick can easily transfer recovery and anti-virus software to infected PCs. It thus plays a useful role in troubleshooting.

The applications carried in the flash drive can run on the host computer without any extra installation.

Some USB flash drives are converted to digital audio players after being given sound output.
Different Varieties of USB Memory Stick

Different makers of USB memory sticks have created different models that are radically different in their very construction and software.

Exterior Variations

The difference begins right from the very casing. Some USB flash drives have a dotted cover for easy handling while some popular mid-sized models have a transparent plastic body (Transparent casings enable partial visibility of the parts fastened inside.) Other models have a strong and sturdy plastic body.

The neck strap is encased on the body while some USB memory sticks have a neck strap attached to the cap. If the strap is attached to the cap it is easy to uncap it, but this is not much preferred. For, the body of the USB flash drive might easily fall down.

The Light Emitting Diode (LED) flashes in some USB drives while data is being transferred. In some models the LED is on one end of the drive. This allows the user to view it from any angle.
Some USB models also have a slot to insert the custom label for easy identification.

Write protection switch is available in some pen drives. In the absence of such a switch the host computer can make data changes in the USB drive.

Some USB drives have very low read write speeds. But, they are popular for they are inexpensive and have a stylish exterior.

Hardware/Software Alterations

Some user-friendly pen drives have an easy to use interface that allows drive partitioning and offers password protection.

Running the software is slightly difficult in some varieties of USB flash drives, for it has to run from an InstallShield wizard. This slows down the computer especially when data is transferred over interconnected computers.

Common Faults in a USB Memory Stick

Like any other flash memory device this can be written over and erased only for a limited number of times. Mid-range of the flash drive can tolerate many attempts. But, increase in the number of attempts slows down the writing process.

The write protection device is absent in some USB flash drives
This storage device is vulnerable to physical damage which causes data corruption.

Data Recovery from USB Memory Disk

Data may be lost from the USB drive due to virus attacks, accidental deletion, file corruption, damage, and power outage or by the user forgetting the password. Data thus lost, can be recovered from the pen drive by using non-destructive read software only.

The USB drive is plugged in the USB port. The data recovery software is downloaded from the internet and run on the pc. This software retrieves lost data.

The USB memory stick is a durable and easily transportable flash drive that can store plenty of information. However, stored information is always subject to loss due to power outage, virus attack or accidental deletion. Data recovery is possible by using the data retrieval software.