After copying some files onto both my 16GB Micro SD and my 3.7GB USB drive, come of the folders got corrupted and I can't get rid of them. Windows gives an error, and seems to not be able to do anything about it. I have tried wiping the free space of my USB drive, as it only took a few minutes compared to hours for my Micro SD. I have attached a few screenshots I have.
Note, I copied all of the uncorrupted files with Far Manager.
How do I get rid of these files, preferably without formatting the drives?
1 Answer
Format it.
- You already have copies of all files that you want to save.
- It's just a few GB of data, so rather quick to copy back.
- Formatting will create a guaranteed good filesystem, whereas cleanup may not.
No reason to not format it at this point. You'll spend more time applying an unreliable solution than going for the obvious, reliable one.
Otherwise, the first logical step would be to chkdsk the drive. Either use the command line tool or drive's Properties, Tools tab.
This drive may already be nearing the end of its service life. I wouldn't trust any important data to it. Luckily it's just 4 GB, so cheap to replace.
answered Feb 11, 2021 at 12:47
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Sorry, i was writing this in the morning and realized that i moved the files, not copied them... :( theoretically i do have copies on another computer, but a) I do not have access to it's drives. b) even if i did have access, it is ~10 TB and I am not wanting to go through all of that. c) i am not sure if the files are even there. Commented Feb 12, 2021 at 12:34
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@HighElfWisard So just copy your good files from the flash drive/SD card, then format and copy them back? Or am I missing something? Commented Feb 12, 2021 at 13:18
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chkdsk?