USB Drive Not Showing Files and Folders? Fix It and Recover Data

Quick Answer

If your USB drive is not showing files and folders, the files may still exist but are hidden, corrupted, or inaccessible due to file system errors, malware, or connection problems. Try showing hidden files first. If the files are still missing, recover your data before formatting or making major changes to the USB drive.

Common Symptoms of a USB Drive Not Showing Files and Folders

You may encounter one or more of the following symptoms when your USB drive is not showing files and folders:

• The USB drive appears empty, even though you previously saved files on it.
• The USB drive shows used space but no files or folders are visible.
• Some files or folders have disappeared after connecting the USB drive to another computer.
• Folders are visible but appear empty when you open them.
• The USB drive is detected as RAW instead of its normal file system.
• Only some files are missing, while other files remain accessible.

Why Is My USB Drive Not Showing Files and Folders

A USB drive not showing files and folders does not always mean the data is lost. In many cases, the files are still stored on the drive but become hidden, inaccessible, or unreadable due to system errors, malware, or connection issues.

Common reasons include:

• Hidden files and folders: Files may be hidden accidentally or by malware. In this case, the USB drive may show that space is used, but no files are visible. Showing hidden files can make them appear again.
• USB connection issues: A loose connection, damaged USB port, or detection problem may prevent Windows from displaying the USB drive contents correctly.
• File system errors: A corrupted or unsupported file system can make files disappear or cause the USB drive to become inaccessible.
• Virus or malware attacks: Malware may hide files or change file attributes, making folders appear missing.
• Physical damage: Water, heat, dust, or long-term use can damage a USB drive and prevent access to stored data.

If your USB files are still missing, try the solutions below to show hidden files, repair USB errors, or recover important data.

How to Fix USB Drive not Showing Files and Folders

Depending on the cause, you can try the following methods to make missing USB files visible again or recover inaccessible data.

Method 1. Check USB Connection and Device Status

Before trying advanced solutions, rule out simple connection, detection, and security issues first. Reconnect the USB drive, try a different USB port, or connect it to another computer to check whether the problem is caused by the USB drive, USB port, or computer.

You can also run a quick virus scan with Windows Security. Some malware may hide USB files or change file attributes, making folders appear missing.

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Method 2. Show Hidden Files and Folders on USB Drive

USB files may become hidden accidentally or due to malware infections. Showing hidden files and folders can help reveal missing data.

Step 1. Connect the USB drive to your computer and press Win + E to open the Windows Explorer.

Step 2. After switching to the View tab at the top toolkit, you can tick the Hidden items option to show files.

Alternatively, if you are familiar with command lines, executing the proper command line via the Command Prompt enables you to remove the hidden attribute of files handily.

Step 1. Connect the USB drive to your computer.

Step 2. Press Win + R to open the Run window. You can type cmd into the dialog and press Shift + Ctrl + Enter to run Command Prompt as administrator.

Step 3. Type attrib -h -r -s /s /d X:\*.* and hit Enter. Remember to replace X with the actual drive letter of the USB drive.

After changing those settings, you can check whether the USB files show up. If not, try the next approach.

Method 3. Repair USB Drive Errors

Bad sectors can be the cause of the USB drive full but no files visible error. You can check and repair the USB drive errors with Windows built-in tools. Here I’d like to show you how to use the error checking tool in File Explorer.

Step 1. Connect the USB drive to your computer and press Win + E to open Windows Explorer.

Step 2. Choose your pen drive at the left sidebar and right-click on it to choose Properties.

Step 3. Select the Tools tab and click Check in the Error checking section.

Please wait for the checking disk process to complete. Afterward, open your USB drive to see if the hidden files appear. If USB data is still invisible, it is most likely to be permanently lost. Please move on to the next solution.

Method 4. Recover Missing USB Files with MiniTool Power Data Recovery

If the USB drive still shows empty after revealing hidden files or repairing file system errors, stop using the drive to avoid overwriting data.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery can scan the USB drive, locate recoverable files, preview them before recovery, and restore them to a safe location. It supports hidden, deleted, formatted, RAW, and inaccessible USB drives, making it suitable for most USB file loss scenarios.

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Step 1. After downloading and installing MiniTool Power Data Recovery on your computer, you need to connect the USB drive to your computer and launch the software to enter its main interface.

If the USB drive has several partitions, choose one that contains the lost files under the Logical Drives section and click Scan. Optionally, scan the entire USB drive under the Devices section, which may take a longer time to complete the scan process.

Step 2. In order to find all the files, do not stop the scan process in the midway. You can browse the file list to locate target files. Confronting with numerous files, you have an option to utilize several auxiliary functions. For instance, set screening conditions with the Filter function, search a specific file using the Search feature, sort files following the file types and formats under the Type tab, and verify the file content with the Preview feature.

Step 3. Once finding the wanted files, add check marks in front of them and click the Save button. You need to choose a destination different from the original one to avoid data overwriting, which may cause data recovery to fail.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free allows you to recover 1GB of files for free. If you need a larger data recovery capacity, you need to upgrade to an advanced edition. The License Comparison page shares you with detailed information about different editions. You can visit the page to choose one edition you preferred.

Method 5. Format the USB Drive as a Last Resort

A USB drive not showing files and folders can also be caused by file system errors, such as unrecognized or corrupted file systems. Generally, you will receive an error message that informs you to format the USB drive once the USB drive is connected to your computer. If you refuse to format the device, the USB drive will turn inaccessible as well as the data on it.

To avoid any secondary damage to the original data on the USB drive, you are highly advised to recover data from it before formatting with the help of MiniTool Power Data Recovery. This software can restore files from a RAW drive easily.

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After successfully rescuing data out of the USB drive, you can format it for normal use. You can format the USB drive via File Explorer directly or using third-party software when Windows built-in utilities fail to complete formatting.

>> Format the USB drive in File Explorer

Step 1. Click on the folder icon at the taskbar on your computer to open File Explorer.

Step 2. Find and right-click on the USB drive at the left sidebar and choose Format.

Step 3. Choose a compatible file system and set the volume label for the USB drive.

Step 4. Ensure the Quick Format option is enabled and click Start to format the USB drive.

>> Format the USB drive using MiniTool Partition Wizard

However, sometimes, the computer fails to format the USB device due to insufficient privileges. In this case, you can format the USB drive with a professional partition manager, like MiniTool Partition Wizard. This software can resize, merge, format, and wipe partitions and disks within a few clicks. You can complete the partition format task with the free edition.

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Step 1. Connect the USB drive to your computer and launch the software.

Step 2. Select the USB drive partition on the main interface and click Format Partition at the left sidebar under the Partition Management section.

Step 3. In the small prompt window, you need to set the file system and volume label and click OK.

Step 4. The software will display the disk status after formatting. After ensuring that there is no mistaken operation, click the Apply button to finish the suspend process.

If your USB drive loses files frequently, you’d better replace it with a new drive to avoid data loss and for better use.

How to Prevent USB Files from Disappearing Again

After recovering missing USB files, taking some preventive measures can reduce the risk of file loss in the future. Follow these tips to keep your USB data safe:

• Safely eject USB drives: Always eject the USB drive before unplugging it to avoid file corruption caused by interrupted data transfers.
• Back up important USB files regularly: Keep another copy of important files on your computer, external hard drive, or cloud storage to prevent permanent data loss.
• Scan USB drives for malware: Viruses or malware may hide files, modify file attributes, or damage USB data. Regularly scan your USB drives with reliable antivirus software.
• Avoid using damaged USB drives: If a USB drive becomes slow, disconnects frequently, or shows errors, move your files to another storage device as soon as possible.
• Keep multiple copies of important data: Do not rely on a single USB drive for important files. Maintaining multiple backups can protect your data if the device fails.

Bonus Tip: Back up USB Files Regularly

USB drives, similar to other portable devices like SD cards, memory sticks, and others, are small in size but have large data storage capacity. However, advanced digital technology doesn’t help those devices immune to data loss, such as a USB drive not showing files and folders. To effectively safeguard your files, you are heartily advised to back up the USB drive on a regular basis.

MiniTool ShadowMaker is a comprehensive data backup software that allows you to back up files, folders, partitions, and disks on different devices, including USB drives, SD cards, external hard drives, memory sticks, and more. Furthermore, this software supports three backup types – full backup, incremental backup, and differential backup, and automatic backup on a settled period. You can get the free edition to experience those powerful backup features for free within 30 days.

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Step 1. Connect the USB drive and launch the software.

Step 2. Choose the Backup tab on the left sidebar.

• Click on the SOURCE section and choose Folders and Files to select the files you want to back up from the USB drive. Click OK.
• Click on the DESTINATION section to choose another path for the backup and click OK.

Step 3. Optionally, choose the Options button next to the Back Up Now button. You can set the backup type and backup scheme in the following window.

Step 4. Click Back Up Now to start the backup task.

USB Drive Not Showing Files and Folders FAQ

Final Words

If your USB drive is not showing files and folders, your data may still be recoverable. The issue is often caused by hidden files, malware, or file system errors.

Try the fixes above and avoid formatting or writing new data to the USB drive before recovery to improve the chance of getting your files back. If you have any questions using MiniTool software, please feel free to let us know via [email protected].