The gig was rough.
The files may still be alive.
"Not readable" almost never means "gone". In our experience most failed USBs still hold the data, the drive just can't present it anymore. What you do next decides whether it's recoverable.
First: stop using the drive
- Do not format it. Formatting can destroy the recovery chances.
- Do not keep re-plugging it into players, every mount can make it worse.
- Put it aside until you're at a computer with recovery software.
Step 1 - Recovery software
If the computer detects the drive at all (even without showing files), software can usually pull the music off it. Two tools we would actually use:
The tools on the next page may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend, and there are no paid links inside Emergency Mode.
See the recovery tools →Step 2 - If the drive is physically dead
No light, not detected anywhere, or it got hit/wet: software can't reach it. A recovery lab can, they open the drive and read the memory directly. Expensive, so only for irreplaceable files. When to use a lab →
Step 3 - Make this the last time
The DJs this never happens to aren't lucky, they run a system. It takes one evening to set up.
Set up the prevention systemNever go through this again
We will email you the printable Emergency Card and the pre-gig checklist. Next time a drive dies it is a five-minute inconvenience, not a lost set. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.
Registering is free and counts everywhere on Save My Gig. We send a confirmation email first. Your address is stored with Brevo, our email provider. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy