How to Recover Deleted Files from Pen Drive in Linux

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Recovering deleted or lost files from your pen drive or hard disk files such as video, documents, and lost pictures from digital camera memory is a snap if you follow these steps.

Method 1
Method 1 of 8:

Install the testdisk tool.

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  1. This installs the testdisk tool.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 8:

Insert your pen drive.

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  1. This will work for any USB drive.
Method 3
Method 3 of 8:

Run the photorec utility with sudo.

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  1. You'll need to enter your password when prompted.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 8:

Choose your pen drive and press Enter.

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  1. You'll then be prompted to choose a filesystem.
Method 5
Method 5 of 8:

Choose a filesystem and select "Search."

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Method 6
Method 6 of 8:

Choose the file system you were using.

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Method 7
Method 7 of 8:

Select a location to scan.

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  1. Choose Whole to recover all files, not just those from unallocated space.
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Method 8
Method 8 of 8:

Choose a destination folder and press "C."

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  1. Once selected, press the C key on the keyboard. This begins the recovery process and shows the status of recovered files.

Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How much time does it take to recover?
    Community Answer
    It is not a matter of time, you just need to install the right software. Just be careful not to use your pen drive until you've recovered the files. Otherwise, you might overwrite the old data.
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