Recover/Repair NTFS File System on USB device

Question

I have a USB Flash Drive that I formatted to use the NTFS file system. It has been working fine for quite a while (probably something between 5 and 10 years). All of a sudden it is no longer recognized when I boot Windows. In that, it does NOT even show up as a drive on the Computer Management tool. However, if I wait until after I've booted Windows to plug it in, it is recognized as a drive and a dialogue box pops up with a message saying it has to be formatted. If I then use the command line to run chkdsk the result is the following:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19045.3803]

(c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>chkdsk d: /f

The type of the file system is NTFS.

The first NTFS boot sector is unreadable or corrupt.

Reading second NTFS boot sector instead.

Unable to determine volume version and state. CHKDSK aborted.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

I notice that it references boot sectors so I thought it worth pointing out that this drive has never been used to boot any kind of system. At the same time it does recognize it to be NTFS which is suggesting to me that it might be possible to salvage some, if NOT all, of the files stored on the drive.

Is there a way to do this using software supplied by Microsoft (presumably as part of the Windows system)?

Answer 1

Hello,

Thank you for posting in Q&A forum.

I will help you narrow down the issue from Windows aspect, hence need some additional information from your side:

1.According to your statement, this issue occurred suddenly. Is there any OS/hardware upgrade or any other change recently?

2.If this drive works properly on any other Windows machine?

From Windows side, we have some basic tool as below can help repair the storage:

1. Using File Explorer.

Right-click on the drive ->"Properties", navigate to the "Tools" tab and click on "Check" under the Error-checking section. Follow the on-screen instructions to check and repair the drive.

2. Using PowerShell:

You can try Repair-Volume command to attempt a repair:

Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/storage/repair-volume?view=windowsserver2022-ps

If it doesn't work, it may be due to USB driver hardware factors that Windows no longer recognizes the storage.

At the same time, please also consider seeking for professional hardware support and troubleshoot form other side.

Hope this answer can help you well.

Answer 2

Yes, suddenly in this case would mean it was working fine and then the next time it started behaving as stated. I use the device on different computers which include both Windows 7 and 10. The behavior is basically the same on each computer. In that, booting with drive attached fails to even recognize that it exists. Attaching while booted at least recognizes the drive and assigns a drive letter.

Using file explorer as you suggest produces the result shown as follows:

This is essentially the same thing that happens when the drive is first plugged in. In that, Windows seems to be saying there is NO file system. However, as mentioned chkdsk is able to tell that it is formatted as NTFS. According the description at the site you reference my chkdsk d: /f is in fact what your Powershell suggestion would do.

When it comes to driver issues, that is one of the big benefits of using Windows 7. There is nothing more stable.

Thanks for responding but I don't think there is anything new to report.

Answer 3

Hi, @Snookred ! Did you manage to fix the issue with your drive? I happen to have the same problem and I am loosing my mind over it :(