How to Repair a SanDisk USB Flash Drive

🔧 SanDisk USB Not Working? Here’s How to Fix It Like a Pro

We’ve all been there: you plug in your SanDisk USB flash drive and nothing. Maybe it’s asking to be formatted, not showing up at all, or worse, giving that dreaded “Please insert a disk into USB drive” error. Before you assume it’s completely dead, take a breath. You might still be able to repair your SanDisk USB stick using some clever software tools some official, some community-loved, and all practical.

Here’s your step-by-step guide.

💡 First: Diagnose the Problem

Before rushing into repairs, figure out what’s actually wrong. The most common issues include:

The USB shows as “RAW” in Disk Management.
It’s write-protected and won’t let you format or save files.
It’s not recognized at all.
Files disappeared suddenly or the device shows 0 bytes.

These different problems require different solutions. Let’s start with the basics.

🧰 Step 1: Use Basic Windows Tools

🔍 Check If It’s Recognized

Plug the SanDisk USB into your PC.
Press Win + R, type diskmgmt.msc, hit Enter.
See if the drive shows up with a drive letter or as “RAW” or “Unallocated.”

If it shows up but seems damaged, move to formatting or scanning. If it’s not detected, try other ports or computers. Still nothing? Move on to advanced tools.

🧪 Step 2: Try the SanDisk Official Repair Tool (When Available)

🔧 SanDisk USB Repair Tool / SanDisk Rescue PRO Deluxe

SanDisk doesn’t offer a universal USB repair tool, but they recommend RescuePRO Deluxe for data recovery and reformatting in some cases.

🔗 Official: Official Sandisk Format software - SanDisk Recovery Software .
🛠️ Use it for: Recovering deleted or corrupted files before formatting.

However, RescuePRO is more for recovery, not firmware repair.

🛠️ Step 3: Use ChipGenius to Identify the USB Controller (Advanced)

If your USB is completely unreadable, you can’t fix it unless you know which controller chip it uses.

✅ Use ChipGenius

Download ChipGenius (free diagnostic tool).
Run it as Administrator.
Find your USB drive and look for:

Controller Part-Number (e.g., "SM3257EN")
VID / PID

Once you know the controller, download the appropriate Mass Production Tool (MPTool) for that chip.

🧰 Step 4: Use Mass Production Tool to Repair Firmware

This is only for advanced users and may void warranties but it can revive a “dead” drive.

🔧 Example Tools for SanDisk USB (Common Chips)

Controller Chip	Tool Name	Download From
SMI (SM3267, SM3257)	SMI MPTool (MPALL)	Flash Drive Repair , flashboot
Alcor (AU6989)	AlcorMP	Flash Drive Repair , flashboot
Phison (PS2251)	Phison MPTool	Flash Drive Repair , flashboot

⚠️ Caution: These tools can low-level format your USB, erasing all data permanently.

🔨 Example (SMI Controller):

Download and unzip MPALL.
Launch the executable as Administrator.
Plug in the SanDisk drive.
Click Start or Scan.
Wait for the repair/format process to complete.

🔒 Step 5: Remove Write Protection (if needed)

Some SanDisk USB drives get stuck in read-only mode.

🛠 Fix via Command Prompt:

Run CMD as Administrator
Type:


diskpart
list disk
select disk X  (where X is your SanDisk)
attributes disk clear readonly
exit

Or Use a Tool:

USB Write Protector Remover : small utilities like “Write Protect OFF” can help.

🧼 Step 6: Format the Drive

If the USB is working but corrupted, a good clean format will help.

Use Windows Format Tool:

Right-click the USB drive in File Explorer.
Choose Format.
Select FAT32 (for 32GB or smaller) or exFAT (for 64GB+).
Click Start.

✅ TIP: If Windows says it can’t format it, try a tool like HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool.

🧩 Optional: Data Recovery First?

If your files are important, recover data before repairing.

Top recovery tools:

Recuva : (Free, beginner-friendly)
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard : (Free up to 2GB)
Disk Drill : (Good UI, deep scan)

🧠 Final Thoughts

Not every SanDisk USB can be saved but many can with the right combination of software and a little patience. Here's the quick summary:

🧭 Quick Fix Guide:

Problem	Tool / Fix
Drive not recognized	Try ChipGenius → MPTool
Drive is RAW or unformatted	Format in Windows or MPTool
Write protected	Diskpart / Write Protect OFF tool
Files disappeared	Recuva or Rescue PRO Deluxe

If all else fails, and your SanDisk USB is still under warranty, you can also reach out to SanDisk Support for a replacement.