Deleting corrupted files from a flash drive

[carenza]

How do you delete corrupted files from a flashdrive?

 

There is a corrupted file, you know the sort, strange name, windows lets you select it, may be even able to do properties on it but when you try to delete it you get an error telling you that the files does not exist, has already been deleted or in some other way is 'bad'

 

What is needed is a program that works 'outside' of windows accessing the files directly an overwriting it.

 

I have tried ones in the past that use the dos name (in various combinatios if real characters and escape codes, etc) and they sometimes work but not always.

 

Anyone got any tips?

 

This is a generall question that could apply to windows and a hard disk as well but in this situation I am looking for that standalone program that will run from a flash drive (without being installed) and does not need administor rights.

[RAM GUY]

Please try to format the drive from a command prompt with this syntax:

Format (X:) /FS:FAT32 /U (X=the drive letter assigned to the Flash Voyager)

If you still have problems we can get it or them replaced, please use the RMA request found in TSXpress or follow the link in my signature “I think I have a bad part!” and we will be happy to replace them or it

[carenza]

I currently have a 2gb drive and getting a 16gb one and where formatting works I do not really fancy copying of 16gb of data, formatting it then copying it back on. I use my drive as a portable system with stand alone apps (mainly the stuff from http://www.portableapps.com) so there is a lot of files / stuff on it and it is not just temp data being transferred somewhere.

 

Also if the corrupted file is deep in the directory structure then it is not possible to copy everything off the drive because when windows comes across the corupted file the copy process stops. You then have to start reproducing the directory structure by hand and copying bits a directory at a time working your way around the bad file.

[Garvin]

Alternative method for just removing the corrupted files:

 

Go to Start, then Run, type "cmd" without the quotes in the box and hit enter.

 

When the Command Prompt window is fully up, type "cd C:\" without the quotes and hit enter.

 

You should now be at the C:\> prompt.

 

Type "CHKDSK X: /F" without the quotes and where X is the letter of your thumb drive and you've remembered to put a space between the colon and the backslash in the command. Hit Enter.

 

When it asks if it you want to convert anything into files, type "y" without quotes and hit Enter.

 

Let chkdsk run.

 

Once it's finished and your back at the C:\> prompt, type "DEL X:\File*.chk" without the quotes and where X is the letter of your USB drive. Then hit Enter.

 

Let it run.

 

Once back at the C:\> prompt, close the Command Prompt window.

 

The corrupt files should be gone now.

[RAM GUY]

Great suggestion Garvin, thanks for helping!

[carenza]

Where chkdsk might work the problem with that is if I am not on my own PC and do not have administor rights things like chkdsk and even the cmd promt can be disabled so cant be run.

 

Another possibility is to reboot the computer using a Linux Live CD, and try deleteing the file with that, again sometimes that works, sometimes it does not.

[RAM GUY]

Or with this case you might have to just format the Drive!

[carenza]

Or with this case you might have to just format the Drive!

 

 

That is always the fall back position but I thought that deleting corrupted files would be a thing that would be a common problem and there would be an easy way of doing it - obvioulsly not.

[RAM GUY]

Well yes but that is more of a Microsoft issue or just they way the file system works. However, they do have ways to remove corrupt files please check the help files and or search for Recovering corrupt files on http://www.Google.com or if you need to recover some data there are some third party utilities available that may help you if you have some data you need to recover from this site.