Since Windows has been popular for years due to its robust utilities and up-to-date operating system. Users can easily deal with various tasks and handle issues with the help of Windows built-in tools. However, sometimes, an embedded tool might bring troubles, for example, Windows Scan and Fix deleted files.
Will Scan and Fix Delete Files
The Scan and Fix is one of the practical features of Microsoft Windows. It will appear automatically in Windows when you connect a removable disk (external hard drive or USB flash drive) to this computer. Once you see this prompt window, you should realize that an error has been found on your disk by Windows.
When seeing the question – “Do you want to scan and fix Removable Disk (*:)?“, almost all users are prone to click on the first option – “Scan and fix (recommended)“, instead of continuing without scanning. Yes, this will help to fix the problems on the disk. But have you ever thought that this operation may delete your files? To be honest, I’ve heard many people say “Microsoft Scan and Fix deleted files“. Here is a real case:
USB Scan and fix
Last night I was going to transfer over some photos to my USB stick where I keep all of my videos and photos of me lifting/training from over the years. When I went to plug in the USB it came up with an error message and gave me two options to either scan and fix the USB or continue without scan. I didn't think much of it and did the scan and fix. When the scan was done all of my photos and videos were gone. The USB still shows there are file on the USB but I can't access them. There is a folder Found.000 in the USB with fragmented files. I'm not sure what I should do. Any recommendations and advice? I would like to get my photos and stuff back... - Dry-Memory-9232reddit.com
How can you recover lost files from the USB drive that has performed the Scan and Fix operation? Keep reading to find solutions.
A Good Solution to Deleted Files Recovery on Windows
For removable devices, deleted files are permanently removed from the devices since there is no Recycle Bin on the device. Although Windows Scan and Fix deleted files don’t happen all the time, it puts data at risk of loss. If your files are lost after performing the Scan and Fix operation, how to recover deleted files from Scan and Fix? Fortunately, you can choose a reliable data recovery software to complete the data recovery task from the external device.
To choose an appropriate file recovery tool, you should take several aspects into account, such as compatibility, reliability, effectiveness, cost, and more. Among numerous secure file recovery software on the market, MiniTool Power Data Recovery software is highly recommended with its clean and secure data recovery environment and professional technical support. You can get MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free to scan and detect your removable device where files have been deleted from.
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Be Prepared for Recovering Lost Files after Scan and Fix
First of all, you should verify whether the device is properly recognized by your computer by checking in Disk Management. You can press Win + X and choose Disk Management to open it. If your computer detects the device, you can find it in the disk list.
Secondly, please close all related programs that could use this disk and stop all the operations that are trying to write new data to the disk.
Be Ready to Recover Deleted Files from Scan and Fix
Step 1: You should download and install MiniTool Power Data Recovery on your computer and launch the software. On the main interface, you need to choose the target partition in the Logical Drives and click Scan. If there are several partitions of your device, you can change the Devices tab to scan the whole drive.
Step 2: The software will display files on the page during the scan process. In order to find all the files on this drive, do not interrupt the scan process in the midway. The scan duration is decided by the number of files and the capacity of the disk.
When the scan process is completed, you can start to find your required files. However, if there are numerous files, you can utilize features such as Filter, Type, and Search to filter out unnecessary files.
- Filter: You can set filter conditions in the top toolbar according to your requirements, such as file size, file criteria, file category, and file last modified date.
- Type: Changing to the Type tab helps to find a certain type of file. This function will sort files by their types, including Document, Picture, Audio & Video, Archive, etc.
- Search: To find a specific file, you can input its file name (both complete and partial names are OK) into the search box at the top right corner and hit Enter to perform a preliminary filter.
- Preview: Different from the above three functions, the Preview feature helps to verify file content to enhance the data recovery accuracy. This feature allows you to preview documents, pictures, videos, audio, and other files. You can read this post to learn specific information about the Preview feature.
Step 3: After you confirm the wanted files, add check marks in front of them and click the Save button. In the prompt window, you need to choose a proper restoration path of those files. The chosen file path should be different from the original one to avoid data overwriting.
You will get a prompt window after recovering the Windows Scan and Fix deleted files. However, MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free only supports 1GB of file recovery for free. When you choose files more than 1GB, you should get an updated version to complete the data recovery task.
About MiniTool Power Data Recovery
MiniTool Power Data Recovery is designed to recover files that are lost in various situations, encompassing unintentional deletion, partition loss, virus attacks, device formatting, and more. Additionally, this Windows data recovery software is widely compatible with diverse data storage devices that can be detected by Windows, including USB drives, SD cards, external hard drives, memory sticks, and more.
MiniTool has provided several editions to satisfy different requirements of different users. You can visit the License Comparison page to choose the most suitable edition for yourself. If you are an individual user, the Personal Ultimate edition can be the best choice with unlimited data recovery capacity and lifetime free updates.
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Deal with the Microsoft Windows Scan and Fix Prompt
To avoid Windows Scan and Fix deleted files, you can cancel the operation when receiving the prompt window. Then you should back up or restore the crucial files from the drive to avoid data loss. Read the following content to learn what to do.
Step 1 – Cancel the Scan and Fix
When you receive a prompt window that says “Do you want to scan and fix Removable Disk (*:)?”, you should choose the Continue without scanning button instead of the recommended one, as performing the Scan and Fix operation might delete your files.
Sometimes, you may prompt into other informing windows, such as “We found errors on this drive. To prevent data loss, repair the drive now.”. Click Cancel to disable the operation.
Afterward, you can move on to the next step to safeguard your files.
Step 2 – Backup Data or Undelete Files from USB
Here are two approaches for you to rescue files from the removable disk. You can manipulate one based on your case.
>> Back up Files from the USB Drive
If you can still access the USB drive after canceling the Scan and Fix operation, you need to back up the files stored on this drive to avoid data loss in the following repair operations.
To back up files, you can directly copy and paste files from the USB drive to your computer. Optionally, you can use professional data backup software, like MiniTool ShadowMaker. This software supports you backing up files automatically at certain intervals. The trial edition allows you to experience those backup features for free within 30 days.
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>> Recover Files from the USB Drive
If the USB drive becomes inaccessible after closing the informing window, you should recover files from the USB drive immediately. As long as the USB drive can be detected by the computer, you can recover files with MiniTool Power Data Recovery in accordance with the above steps.
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Step 3 – Scan the USB Drive for Errors
After rescuing your files from the USB drive, you can carry out measures to fix the USB drive. Here are two solutions for you to detect and repair USB errors.
Way 1. Detect and Repair the USB Drive with the Error-Checking Tool
This Windows built-in tool helps to repair device errors triggered by the corrupted file system. You can launch this tool from the File Explorer or Disk Management. Here I’d like to show you how to do it.
Step 1. Press Win + E to open File Explorer on your computer.
Step 2. Select This PC at the left sidebar. You should find the USB drive on the right pane and right-click on it to choose Properties.
Step 3. Switch to the Tools tab and click Check in the Error-checking section.
Step 4: Choose Scan and Repair the drive in the prompt window. You can wait for the computer to complete the process.
If you are unable to find the USB drive in File Explorer, go to Disk Management by pressing Win + X and choose Disk Management from the WinX menu. After that, you can repeat Steps 2-4 to complete the checking process.
Way 2. Run the CHKDSK Command Line
The CHKDSK command line detects the integrity of the file system and repairs logical errors on your disk. You can run this command by launching the Command Prompt with the following steps.
Step 1. Press Win + R to launch the Run window.
Step 2. Type cmd into the dialog and press Shift + Ctrl + Enter to run Command Prompt as administrator.
Step 3. Type CHKDSK X: /f and hit Enter to execute this command line. Please replace the X letter with the actual drive letter of your USB drive.
Top Recommendation
If you run the CHKDSK command by mistake and then find it has deleted the files that are important to you, you must want to get them back, right? On this occasion, MiniTool Power Data Recovery is still a good choice for you. Please click here to learn the steps to recover CHKDSK deleted files efficiently.
Sum Up
Windows will offer you a solution to repair your device when it thinks your device encounters some problems. For instance, it will suggest that you Scan and Fix your removable disk when it detects errors there. On one hand, this is convenient for you to solve the problem; but on the other hand, it may delete your valuable files by mistake.
Considering that so many people are seeking help to get Windows Scan and Fix deleted files back, I feel honored to provide practical solutions to it. When you are really in face of such situation, please follow the steps we described in this post to know how to recover deleted files from Scan and Fix and how to fix the problem easily and quickly.
If you do have other questions or doubts, please feel free to leave a short message below; I’ll reply very soon.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Andrea graduated in English and has a keen interest in the IT industry and questions that arise when computers are used. She is passionate about new things and challenging things and has a wide range of interests like playing guitar, gaming, and crafting.