RAW Pen Drive Recovery – Fix and Recover Data from RAW USB/Thumb Drives

➤ What Does It Mean When a Pen Drive Becomes RAW?

When your pen drive became RAW, the operating system cannot recognize its file system (FAT32/NTFS). As a result, the device shows as RAW pen drive or RAW thumb drive, and all stored files become inaccessible.

➤ Common Causes of RAW Pen Drive File System

• ✦ Improper removal or sudden ejection of the USB drive
• ✦ File system corruption due to system crashes
• ✦ Virus or malware infection
• ✦ Bad sectors on the pen drive
• ✦ Power interruption during data transfer

➤ RAW Pen Drive Data Recovery Methods

If your pen drive turned RAW format, you can try:

1. ✔ Using professional RAW pen drive recovery software like iCare Recovery Free
2. ✔ Running chkdsk /f command in CMD (may not always succeed)
3. ✔ Formatting the pen drive after recovery to restore usability

➤ Free Tool: iCare Recovery Free

One of the best free solutions for RAW pen drive data recovery is iCare Recovery Free. It allows users to scan their RAW USB drives and recover documents, photos, videos, and other files. Unlike some tools, iCare does not overwrite existing data, making it a safe first step before attempting formatting or disk repair.

Note: Please do not download nor install iCare Recovery Free on the raw pen drive to avoid data overwriting. You can download and install it on a Windows computer hard drive such as the C drive for instance.

➤ Using RAW Pen Drive Data Recovery Software (Recommended)

This method is the safest for recovering your data before attempting to fix the drive.

• ✔ Download and install: a tool like iCare Recovery Free on your computer.
• ✔ Connect: your RAW pen drive to the computer.
• ✔ Launch: the recovery software and select DEEP SCAN RECOVERY mode and scan the RAW USB drive.
• ✔ Select & Recover: choose desired files and save them to a safe location.

➤ Fixing the RAW Pen Drive by Formatting

If recovery has been completed, the most effective way to fix a RAW pen drive is by formatting it. This restores a new file system (FAT32, exFAT, or NTFS) and makes the drive usable again.

✦ Format in Disk Management

• ➤ Press Win + R, type diskmgmt.msc, and press Enter.
• ➤ Locate your RAW pen drive from the list.
• ➤ Right-click and select Format.
• ➤ Choose FAT32, exFAT, or NTFS, then click OK.

✦ Format in File Explorer

• ➤ Open This PC or My Computer.
• ➤ Right-click the RAW pen drive and choose Format.
• ➤ Pick the desired file system (NTFS/FAT32/exFAT).
• ➤ Check Quick Format and click Start.

✦ Format with Third-Party Tools

If Windows utilities fail, you can use reliable third-party formatting tools:

• ✔ IM-Magic Partition Resizer – lightweight tool for repairing and formatting RAW drives.
• ✔ Rufus – commonly used for USB boot drives, also works for formatting RAW devices.
• ✔ HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool – powerful utility for fixing stubborn RAW pen drives.

➤ Using Command Prompt (DiskPart & CHKDSK)

These methods attempt to repair the drive's file system, but they might not work for completely RAW drives and could lead to data loss if not used carefully since Diskpart command will remove everything on the pen drive in the following process.

✦ Using DiskPart (to format the drive)

Note: You can use a free third party format tool to format the raw pen stick if you do not know how to manage the Diskapart cmd. The format tools can be found after this section.

• ➤ Connect: the RAW pen drive to your PC.
• ➤ Open: Command Prompt as administrator.
• ➤ Type: diskpart and press Enter.
• ➤ Type: list volume to find your RAW drive’s number.
• ➤ Type: select volume X (replace X with the volume number).
• ➤ Type: format fs=FAT32 quick (or NTFS) to reformat.

✦ Using CHKDSK (for partially RAW drives)

The chkdsk command is designed to check and repair file system errors. It may help if the pen drive is only partially RAW, meaning the file system structure still exists but is slightly corrupted. However, in cases where the drive is completely RAW (no recognizable file system), chkdsk cannot run properly and usually returns the error: “CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives.”

In short:

• ✔ CHKDSK will work if the file system is still partially intact (e.g., minor corruption in FAT32 or NTFS).
• ✘ CHKDSK will not work if the pen drive is fully RAW, as there is no valid file system for it to repair.

How to use CHKDSK to repair a RAW thumb drive:

You should know which drive letter your pen drive has on your computer, since it will be used in the following code.

• ➤ Open: Command Prompt as administrator.
• ➤ Type: chkdsk X: /f /x (replace X with drive letter).
• ➤ Wait: for the process to complete.

➤ Important Considerations

• ✔ Data Recovery First: Always recover files before formatting, as formatting erases all data.
• ✔ Professional Services: For critical files, consider professional recovery experts.
• ✔ Preview Files: Before purchasing recovery tools, check if they provide free preview of recoverable files.

➤ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is a RAW pen drive?

A RAW pen drive is a storage device with a corrupted or missing file system, making it unreadable.

2. Can I fix a RAW pen drive without formatting?

Yes, but you should always perform RAW pen drive data recovery first using tools like iCare Recovery Free before any repair attempt.

3. Does CMD work for RAW pen drives?

Sometimes. Running chkdsk may repair minor errors, but it usually fails if the file system is completely damaged.

4. Is iCare Recovery Free effective?

Yes. iCare Recovery Free is widely used to safely restore files from RAW USB/pen drives before formatting.

➤ Conclusion

A RAW pen drive doesn’t mean your data is lost forever. With free tools like iCare Recovery Free, you can safely perform RAW pen drive recovery, retrieve files, and then reformat to fix the RAW file system permanently. Always remember ➤ recover first ✔, then repair.