Broken connector
Mechanical stress can break tracks, pads or the USB connector without destroying the flash cells.
USB, SD & microSD recovery
Unreadable flash media should not be formatted or improvised on.
DataDoc assesses USB drives, SD and microSD cards with connector, controller, memory and logical damage. Compact construction and controller-specific data mapping require an appropriate technical route.
Important: Switch the affected device off. Do not initialise, format, repair or repeatedly restart the storage medium.
Specialist services
Small media can require highly specialised reconstruction.
Physical size says little about complexity: controller algorithms, error correction and monolithic packages can determine the entire recovery route.
Controller failure
A failed controller may prevent normal access even while NAND content remains physically present.
Monolithic media
Some compact cards and USB devices combine contacts and memory in one difficult package.
Logical and encrypted data
File-system damage, controller scrambling and encryption influence reconstruction.
Controlled process
Clear steps, documented decisions.
The technical route depends on the device, failure mode, data priority and any previous attempts.
- 01
Stop using the medium
Do not format, repair or continue writing to the USB drive or memory card.
- 02
Inspect construction and damage
Connector, PCB, controller, NAND and monolithic design are identified.
- 03
Select access method
The route may involve interface repair, controller-specific access or raw flash acquisition.
- 04
Reconstruct usable files
Error correction, page ordering and logical structures are processed on separate working data.
DataDoc · Cologne, Germany
Discuss your caseInternational enquiries, specialist work in Germany.
We clarify acceptance, shipping, costs and the return route before you send a device from outside Germany.
Frequently asked questions
What you should know before sending a device.
Can a USB stick with a broken connector be recovered?
Often it can be assessed, but the result depends on PCB, controller and memory damage. Avoid improvised soldering or glue.
Should I format an unreadable SD card?
No. Formatting changes logical structures and can reduce recovery options.
What is monolithic flash storage?
It combines contacts, controller functions and memory in a compact package, making access more specialised.
Can encrypted flash media be recovered?
Recovery depends on the encryption type, available credentials, controller state and physical condition of the memory.