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Hello! I went from reading a topic to creating one, because I tried everything I've read in multiple discussions.
My USB 2.0 Stick drive got suddenly corrupted. I did not physically damage it. I just wanted to rewatch some videos on it, I think the last time I used it to write was about 3 years ago. Maybe you know the cause, from what I found on Internet it would be something about NAND cells in time etc. If you could explain it better I'd appreciate.

My objective is to recover the mp4 files from it. I chose to post the topic here, even if I used both TestDisk and PhotoRec. I am going to describe the problem and what I did.

Problems:
TestDisk:
- When I select Intel and run a Quick Search and a Deep scan, I get the error that "the partition sector doesn't have the endmark 0xAA55."
- When I select None, it shows Unknown partition 3773 249 60 (I get set to Advanced tab) > Type > FAT32 (I think this was the type for my stick, I am not sure), it shows Boot sector - bad, Backup Boot sector - bad > Boot > rebuild BS > "Can't find cluster size."

PhotoRec:
- When I choose Other (default Options) > Search, it recovered 31 mp4 files (all starting with letter "f", NOT "b"), but only 21 videos are playable
- Other > Options: Paranoid: No, Keep corrupted files: Yes, Expert Mode: No, Low memory: No > Search, it recovered 48 files (all letter "f"), the same mp4 files are unplayable except for one only, weird
- Other > Options: Paranoid: Yes (Bruteforce On), Keep corrupted files: Yes, Expert Mode: No, Low memory: No > Search, it recovered 48 files (some of them have the letter "b"), same mp4 files are unplayable

Discussion:
I tried using Untrunc for the corrupted videos, it did not work. I tried VLC media player convert solution, it did not work. I tried checking the VLC options to automatically repair AVI files and changing from mp4 to avi, it did not work.
Some said on the forums that the bigger the size of the mp4 is, the more chances there are that it is fragmented on the RAW drive and this is why it is unplayable, but I do not think so. I have a 1.5 Gb video which is playable and a 700 Mb video which is unplayable. Or maybe this was a coincidence.
I was thinking of changing the Geometry in TestDisk or PhotoRec, but I do not know what to change. Also sector size is saying to me that changing it's dangerous.
I've read also making a clone to the usb drive to another usb drive or image. Why? Can these operations alter the data?

More info:
PhysicalDrive1- 31 Gb / 28 Gib - CHS 3773 255 63, sector size=512 (Question: why is it different from "3773 249 60" from above?)
My OS: Windows 10 Pro (2nd laptop). On the main laptop (Windows 11 Pro), the usb drive is not listed in Disk Management (maybe because of usb 3.2 ports on the main laptop and usb 2.0 port on 2nd laptop???)
I also used DMDE software (it's like PhotoRec), same recovered mp4 files are unplayable.

I've also read that PhotoRec could be unable to recover fragmented data so what would you recommend ? (free/paid with demo because I want to test the software before buying it).

Lion2329 wrote: 10 Nov 2025, 18:01 Hello! I went from reading a topic to creating one, because I tried everything I've read in multiple discussions.
My USB 2.0 Stick drive got suddenly corrupted. I did not physically damage it. I just wanted to rewatch some videos on it, I think the last time I used it to write was about 3 years ago.

USB sticks are at the bottom of the flash "food chain". They get what's left in flash storage selection. USB sticks are media for transport of files, not for storage.
USB sticks are like storage wannabees.

Maybe you know the cause, from what I found on Internet it would be something about NAND cells in time etc. If you could explain it better I'd appreciate.

Flash storages dies. From one moment to another. Even good flash devices are no exeption. I can't tell you why.

My objective is to recover the mp4 files from it. I chose to post the topic here, even if I used both TestDisk and PhotoRec. I am going to describe the problem and what I did.

Problems:
TestDisk:
- When I select Intel and run a Quick Search and a Deep scan, I get the error that "the partition sector doesn't have the endmark 0xAA55."
- When I select None, it shows Unknown partition 3773 249 60 (I get set to Advanced tab) > Type > FAT32 (I think this was the type for my stick, I am not sure), it shows Boot sector - bad, Backup Boot sector - bad > Boot > rebuild BS > "Can't find cluster size."

Sounds like the boot sector of your partition is unreadable.

PhotoRec:
- When I choose Other (default Options) > Search, it recovered 31 mp4 files (all starting with letter "f", NOT "b"), but only 21 videos are playable
- Other > Options: Paranoid: No, Keep corrupted files: Yes, Expert Mode: No, Low memory: No > Search, it recovered 48 files (all letter "f"), the same mp4 files are unplayable except for one only, weird
- Other > Options: Paranoid: Yes (Bruteforce On), Keep corrupted files: Yes, Expert Mode: No, Low memory: No > Search, it recovered 48 files (some of them have the letter "b"), same mp4 files are unplayable

Discussion:
I tried using Untrunc for the corrupted videos, it did not work. I tried VLC media player convert solution, it did not work. I tried checking the VLC options to automatically repair AVI files and changing from mp4 to avi, it did not work.
Some said on the forums that the bigger the size of the mp4 is, the more chances there are that it is fragmented on the RAW drive and this is why it is unplayable, but I do not think so.

Once you start deleting some but not all files on your stick, files that are being written later onto your stick will fill the existing holes. Therefore they are not positioned in a continuous way. PhotoRec and other file carvers cannot notice that the next sector/cluster belongs to another file.

I have a 1.5 Gb video which is playable and a 700 Mb video which is unplayable. Or maybe this was a coincidence.

You made a single experience that is misleading you.

I was thinking of changing the Geometry in TestDisk or PhotoRec, but I do not know what to change.

Do not play around unless you know what you are doing.

Also sector size is saying to me that changing it's dangerous.

Do not play around unless you know what you are doing.

I've read also making a clone to the usb drive to another usb drive or image. Why? Can these operations alter the data?

You have not taken into account that your stick may be technically broken. Further use could break it completely. Furthermore some operations modify the stick. That is why you clone your storage device onto another one or into a file.

More info:
PhysicalDrive1- 31 Gb / 28 Gib - CHS 3773 255 63, sector size=512 (Question: why is it different from "3773 249 60" from above?)

CHS 3773 255 63 is a geometry. To learn about 3773 249 60 provide the log file.

My OS: Windows 10 Pro (2nd laptop). On the main laptop (Windows 11 Pro), the usb drive is not listed in Disk Management (maybe because of usb 3.2 ports on the main laptop and usb 2.0 port on 2nd laptop???)
I also used DMDE software (it's like PhotoRec), same recovered mp4 files are unplayable.

I've also read that PhotoRec could be unable to recover fragmented data so what would you recommend ? (free/paid with demo because I want to test the software before buying it).

Every carver is subject to this limitation.

Ask Christophe Grenier if he still does commercial mp4 repair. Ask Joep from disktuna.com as well.

Thank you for your detailed response. I really appreciate all the information.
I am working for a solution for 2 days, but I think I am happy that I got some videos back and that I gained experience in storage devices. I mean I found out interesting stuff, such as this CHS info etc.

I do not know how to quote (I rarely use forums ) ) so I am gonna copy-paste it:
You said "Flash storages dies. From one moment to another. Even good flash devices are no exeption. I can't tell you why."

I am asking what I should use for videos, photos storage then. You mean I should use for example an external HDD and not external SSD ?

Also what do you think about playing games on external SSD, given the fact it's just a read operation?

How can I prevent the flash memory of getting is this situation I described ? Should I scan from time to time for bad sectors ? (using Windows 11 tools - right click on drive, properties, scan drive - it's just chkdsk I guess). I also have CrystalDiskInfo and for my external SSD I have the Kingston software which shows the lifespan.

recuperation wrote: 10 Nov 2025, 19:25

Lion2329 wrote: 10 Nov 2025, 18:01 Hello! I went from reading a topic to creating one, because I tried everything I've read in multiple discussions.
My USB 2.0 Stick drive got suddenly corrupted. I did not physically damage it. I just wanted to rewatch some videos on it, I think the last time I used it to write was about 3 years ago.

USB sticks are at the bottom of the flash "food chain". They get what's left in flash storage selection. USB sticks are media for transport of files, not for storage.
USB sticks are like storage wannabees.

Maybe you know the cause, from what I found on Internet it would be something about NAND cells in time etc. If you could explain it better I'd appreciate.

Flash storages dies. From one moment to another. Even good flash devices are no exeption. I can't tell you why.

My objective is to recover the mp4 files from it. I chose to post the topic here, even if I used both TestDisk and PhotoRec. I am going to describe the problem and what I did.

Problems:
TestDisk:
- When I select Intel and run a Quick Search and a Deep scan, I get the error that "the partition sector doesn't have the endmark 0xAA55."
- When I select None, it shows Unknown partition 3773 249 60 (I get set to Advanced tab) > Type > FAT32 (I think this was the type for my stick, I am not sure), it shows Boot sector - bad, Backup Boot sector - bad > Boot > rebuild BS > "Can't find cluster size."

Sounds like the boot sector of your partition is unreadable.

PhotoRec:
- When I choose Other (default Options) > Search, it recovered 31 mp4 files (all starting with letter "f", NOT "b"), but only 21 videos are playable
- Other > Options: Paranoid: No, Keep corrupted files: Yes, Expert Mode: No, Low memory: No > Search, it recovered 48 files (all letter "f"), the same mp4 files are unplayable except for one only, weird
- Other > Options: Paranoid: Yes (Bruteforce On), Keep corrupted files: Yes, Expert Mode: No, Low memory: No > Search, it recovered 48 files (some of them have the letter "b"), same mp4 files are unplayable

Discussion:
I tried using Untrunc for the corrupted videos, it did not work. I tried VLC media player convert solution, it did not work. I tried checking the VLC options to automatically repair AVI files and changing from mp4 to avi, it did not work.
Some said on the forums that the bigger the size of the mp4 is, the more chances there are that it is fragmented on the RAW drive and this is why it is unplayable, but I do not think so.

Once you start deleting some but not all files on your stick, files that are being written later onto your stick will fill the existing holes. Therefore they are not positioned in a continuous way. PhotoRec and other file carvers cannot notice that the next sector/cluster belongs to another file.

I have a 1.5 Gb video which is playable and a 700 Mb video which is unplayable. Or maybe this was a coincidence.

You made a single experience that is misleading you.

I was thinking of changing the Geometry in TestDisk or PhotoRec, but I do not know what to change.

Do not play around unless you know what you are doing.

Also sector size is saying to me that changing it's dangerous.

Do not play around unless you know what you are doing.

I've read also making a clone to the usb drive to another usb drive or image. Why? Can these operations alter the data?

You have not taken into account that your stick may be technically broken. Further use could break it completely. Furthermore some operations modify the stick. That is why you clone your storage device onto another one or into a file.

More info:
PhysicalDrive1- 31 Gb / 28 Gib - CHS 3773 255 63, sector size=512 (Question: why is it different from "3773 249 60" from above?)

CHS 3773 255 63 is a geometry. To learn about 3773 249 60 provide the log file.

My OS: Windows 10 Pro (2nd laptop). On the main laptop (Windows 11 Pro), the usb drive is not listed in Disk Management (maybe because of usb 3.2 ports on the main laptop and usb 2.0 port on 2nd laptop???)
I also used DMDE software (it's like PhotoRec), same recovered mp4 files are unplayable.

I've also read that PhotoRec could be unable to recover fragmented data so what would you recommend ? (free/paid with demo because I want to test the software before buying it).

Every carver is subject to this limitation.

Ask Christophe Grenier if he still does commercial mp4 repair. Ask Joep from disktuna.com as well.

I think I should have replied to your message, check the one above.