Washed or Wet Flash Drive: What to Do to Save Your Files

There are multiple ways that a USB Flash Drive can get water damage, from spilling water (or any liquid) on the USB, to dropping it in a pool or puddle, or even accidentally leaving it in a washing machine. You may think all the data saved on the flash drive is lost. Fortunately, the truth is that you can recover data from a washed USB flash drive.

Will water damage my USB flash drive?

Yes, water can damage USB flash drives. After your drive is exposed to water, it is important to take action immediately to minimize the damage and increase the chances of successful data recovery. 

• Remove the drive from the water as quickly as possible. 
• Clean it and dry it.
• Use an adapter and software to recover the data, OR
• Contact a data recovery service.

How to dry out a wet flash drive

If you’ve dropped your flash drive in water or it got wet in any other way, the first thing you should do is remove it from the water as quickly as possible. Then you can try to fix the device, to see if data is still accessible.

Important: Don’t connect a wet flash drive to your computer.

1. Carefully remove the plastic cover.
2. Inspect for water damage.
3. Place the device in a bag of uncooked rice for 24 hours. Rice is naturally moisture absorbent, so it may help to dry up the wet flash drive. Then put the bag in a warm place.
4. You can use gel silica instead of rice.
5. Don’t use a hair dryer or any other way that may overheat the USB drive.

Once the device is dried up, plug it in and see if the system recognizes the volume. You can use an adapter if needed, just as when you have a physically broken flash drive.

How to recover data from a washed USB flash drive

After you dry your flash drive, you can likely open it and save your files. You may use data recovery software if you can’t access your data.

Beware, though, that the time is short, and you can’t be sure of how long you have until the wet USB flash drive stops working. It all depends on how much damage it has.

Luckily, you can restore your data with the help of a professional.

Solution 1. Data recovery software

There are several data recovery software online. And most of them can restore files from different kinds of damage. SalvageData offers the best option for safe at-home data recovery.

Download the software > install > launch it > scan your USB flash drive.

In a few minutes, you can see a list of your lost files and select what you can recover.

Keep in mind that even if you are successful in recovering data from a wet flash drive, there is no guarantee that the data will be intact or usable. It is always a good idea to create regular backups of your important files so that you can restore them if they are lost or corrupted. This way, you will never have to worry about losing important data again.

Solution 2. Data recovery service

If you couldn’t access your files with your computer and the data recovery software didn’t restore your washed USB flash drive data, then it’s time to contact a data recovery service.

SalvageData experts are experienced with USB drive data recovery and can safely restore your files.

Contact us 24/7 for a secure and guaranteed flash drive data recovery.