HELP!!! Memory stick corrupted data retrieval

[Gaz_Stanton]

Hi all,
Got a quick question to all you IT gurus out there in Oopleland that could save me a) going crazy b) having to redo alot of work.

Because I travel between various sites and use various PCs I store all my work data on a 16GB memory stick. This was all working fine until I try to find something on Fri and the memory stick appears blank.
When I look at the properties it is showing that there is 14GB worth of data there but I can't see any of the files. I've done all the obvious things like trying it on various machines, trying other ways to access the data but nothing has recovered it.
I bought the Sandisk RescuePRO program and whilst it appears to have recovered some of the data all it has done is save the files with no filename just a number. So I now have 15,000 files in a folder that I will need to trawl through and open each and every one in irder to find the 2 or 3 I need for tomorrow.
Does anyone know a better way to do this? Is there any other software available or other methods to retrive the file indexing etc.

Any help mucho appreciated!!!!

And before any smart arse tells me I should back it up... yes I have backups, they're just not as recent as they could be.

[Huckster522]

I used recover my files software recently to recover a shed load of photo's and videos of the memory card to my other halves camera, after formatting it before they were copied to pc.

http://www.recovermyfiles.com/


it may be of some use, as some of the files were renamed and it found all
the correct files names.

hope it helps.

[markwilliamson2001]

Windows disk management is appalling IMO.
See if one of your friends has a mac, or even pop into an apple shop, and see if you can mount your usb stick there.

If you want my opinion as an IT employee, then I would get everyone signed up to dropbox or similiar, then its dead easy to share files!
Pen drives really are crap, and a last resort IMO, nothing more than a bigger floppy disk, I.e. so much more to lose because of the massive capacities nowadays too.

You get 2gb for free on dropbox, and can get upto 10gb i think for a fee.
I wouldnt use it as my only method though, just always keep backups.

[MatJohnson]

If it asks to be formatted when you plug it in chances are its dead. You can try the recovery but it prolly won't work.

I'd do as Mark said and use Dropbox or Skydrive. Should make transfer easy. Also, google docs is good.

[mattr]

Can try it on a linux/ubuntu machine, i retrieved a load of stuff from a memory card doing it that way.

A DOS prompt has in the past worked, but not very often. (or using the equivalent in ubuntu.)

[Cardnim]

Hey Gaz.

OK, you've got a couple of options, but if you have been using that USB on a PC exclusively (i.e. it hasnt been in a Mac) then its on its way out I think.

Firstly, trying the really obvious ones - is the LOCK on the device. i.e. is it preventing you from reading/saving the files because the little slider on the USB device is "locked"?

Secondly (and this is a loooong shot!) - put the device in the computer, and when its mounted, go to your recycle bin. Anything there that looks familiar?

Finally, use this tool to rebuild a partition...
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk

I think the 15,000 little files you talk about are just temp files created as you are editing the documents stored on your USB. Im guessing that you work from the files directly off the USB (this isnt good practise).
Always better to save them to your HDD, and then copy them back to the USB once you are done.

Anyways, try TestDisk - its a great little program thats helped me out in the past.

Sorry I cant be of more help.
Good luck mate!

[Gaz_Stanton]

Thanks for the help. Have now paid for RescuePRO and the recover my files but similar results. They recover around 400MB of files (not the urgent ones I need now) but 14.4GB are showing as corrupt.

Makes sense but dropbox or skydrive are not an option due to the nature of the customer.

[GRIFF55]

Should have backed it up Stants!!

[Gaz_Stanton]

I did!

It was just some time ago...