Every year, countless people lose access to important files when their USB flash drives suddenly stop working. Whether it’s precious photos, business documents, or client work, the data is often still stored on the memory chip but locked away because the drive’s system has become corrupted and can no longer communicate with your computer. Our project, FlashRescue, is about building an affordable, do-it-yourself tool that can bring these “dead” USB drives back to life. Unlike expensive professional services that can cost thousands of dollars, FlashRescue combines custom hardware and smart software to give everyday users a chance to recover their data.
The device works by plugging in between a computer and a corrupted USB drive. Using a specially designed circuit board, it can rapidly reset the drive’s power, capture raw memory signals, and feed them into software that reconstructs files piece by piece. What makes FlashRescue unique is its hybrid approach: fast, precise hardware handles the signal capture, while advanced Python-based software takes care of error correction and file recovery. Our goal is to create a low-cost, portable system that empowers individuals, small businesses, and freelancers to rescue their files when normal computers can’t even recognize the drive.