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Missing USB files

Hi

I saved a large number of files (7000 - I'm a teacher) to my USB stick from my work computer (Windows). Today I put the USB stick in my Mac and saw only a black rectangle with the name of the USB stick and I couldn't open any files. I returned the stick to a Windows computer and found that the files had disappeared and in their place was a 'shortcut' to the files which didn't work. I put the stick in another Windows computer and first ran a virus check before opening it. The virus checker checked all the files, even naming them. But still I can't access them.  I also checked in Properties and it says there are 15GB worth of files, although now nothing is showing the viewing pane.

I wondered if putting the USB stick in the Mac somehow converted it from NTFS to FAT32 (it currently is on FAT32). But I'm not an expert so don't want to convert it back without knowing for sure as I might risk deleting them. Are the files lost or is there another way of finding them? They are no longer on my work computer so really hoping there is!

Many thanks in advance!

It is unlikely the Mac did anything to the USB drive.  But you cannot prove a "Negative"

Changing the file system format.  The Mac would ONLY "Erase" and "Reformat" a drive via Applications -> Utilities -> Disk Utility, and there would be Nothing on the drive when it was finished.  It would not change the file system format, while keeping the files, or even the file names.

NOTE:  USB thumb drives are notoriously unreliable.  I personally use them for the few minutes it takes to move data from location A to location B, and assume the next time I use it, I will not need the data currently on the drive.

If you are going to use this USB Thumb drive to move files between macOS and Windows, then use exFAT, as it is supported on both operating systems, and will support large devices _AND_ large files.  FAT has both file size and device size limitation.  FAT32 has file size limitations.  exFAT is the best choice.  NTFS is read ONLY on the Mac.

Data Recovery – Best

Data Recovery – Disk Drill

Data Recovery – Data Rescue

Data Recovery – File Salvage

Data Recovery – Stellar Phoenix

Data Recovery - uFlysoft

Data Recovery - Recovering Deleted Files

Data Recovery - Recovering Deleted Files (2)

Thank you so much Eric and Bob for your great advice.  I think it must have corrupted in the few days between copying the date and when I was next able to save it - lesson learned   But I used one of the data recovery programmes and seem to have recovered everything

thanks again

最後更新：2017-08-25 05:30:16

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