Do you want to improve and better appreciate how you use USB flash drives?

The average consumer uses 36 cloud-based services every day. Even though cloud services have replaced USB sticks, the latter is still quite popular. After all, they shine where online cloud services cannot.

We want to help you get better at using your USB stick. Continue below to learn ten USB flash drive tips and tricks that you may not yet know.

1. Place the USB Cap on When You’re Not Using It

Put the cap on whenever you’re not using the USB flash drive. It protects the part you insert into a computer port. When you cap the flash drive, you ensure no dirt and debris enters the contacts.

Dirt can destroy the flash drive or cause issues with it during use. The same applies if you have a flash drive that has a swivel cap.

Do you tend to lose things, like the flash drive cap?

If you’ve already lost your cap and can’t find a replacement, use a small purse or bag instead. Place the flash drive in a bag with a zipper to protect it. You can also do it for flash drives with their caps still intact or swivel designs.

Do you want to provide custom USB flash drives as gifts with custom logos? A better idea would be to give custom bags for these USB flash drives. Even when the recipients lose their USB caps, they can still protect the flash drives from debris.

2. Lock and Unlock Your PC With a USB Flash Drive

Did you know you can use your USB flash drive as a physical key for your computer? Instead of using a lock password, you can also use your USB flash drive to open your Windows 10 PC. You only need PREDATOR, a free Windows program, to get started.

PREDATOR turns a chosen USB flash drive into an access control device or a key. You can unlock your computer whenever you plug your USB stick into it. When you unplug the USB stick, your computer will lock up, keeping others out of your files and accounts.

PREDATOR is a tool great for:

• Limiting computer access to specific time/days
• Protecting point of sales computers
• Protecting your child’s PC
• Protecting various PCs with one flash drive
• Protective various accounts with individual flash drives

You can get PREDATOR from Windows at $10 for the Home Edition. You can also upgrade it to the Professional Edition for $15 or $30.

3. Use USB Flash Drives to Run Portable Apps

Do you often switch between computers because of your work? Are you planning to go out of town but don’t want to leave your work behind? We know that switching PCs or moving can be a hassle if you need specific apps to work.

The good thing about portable apps is they make doing work outside easier. You only need to copy them into a USB stick. After that, you can plug the USB stick into any device and run portable software.

Since most portable apps work on 32-bit and 64-bit PCs, you won’t have trouble with compatibility. Now, you can visit your hometown, a holiday resort, or a friend’s house without worrying about work. Today, you can even find portable games that you can copy on a USB stick.

4. Install an OS With a USB Stick

The operating system, or OS, is the most vital part of a computer that manages the memory, processes, software, programs, and more. It’s the powerful software behind the other software on your computer.

The part that makes it interesting is that you can store a copy of the OS installer on a USB flash drive. You can even use the USB flash drive to install the OS onto a computer. In other words, you can use one USB stick to update or reinstall your PC’s operating system.

Windows is still the most popular desktop operating system today. If you have issues with your Windows operating system, you can grab the USB stick with the OS installer. Recover or reinstall Windows on your PC to resolve the issue.

5. Watch and Reduce Your Flash Drive’s Wear

Like other pieces of technology and everything else, USB flash drives wear down. USB sticks tend to wear down with use more than age. Thus, proper care is necessary if you often use your USB flash drive.

One way to maintain your flash drive is to monitor its usage. Some flash drives have an SLC or Single Level Cell-based memory. These USB flash drives can perform 100,000 writes or less.

The more common type is the MLC or Multi-Level Cell-based memory flash drive. It can only perform up to 10,000 writes. In other words, expect it to wear down after 1,500 connect and disconnect cycles.

6. Something Is Wrong if You See Sparks During Connections

Does your USB stick sometimes spark when you plug it into your computer or other computers? If yes, then you’ve got an issue with the flash drive. It can mean that the USB got damaged.

Seeing sparks whenever you plug it in is a problem. These sparks are electrostatic discharges that occur between the flash drive and computer. If you don’t address the issue right away, the sparks can damage your flash drive and computer hardware.

The good news is that many modern USB flash drives today have more protection to prevent this issue. Today, USB 2.0 ports have a 5-volt DC connection inside. Each one has a half–amp rating, giving more stability.

7. Always Remove the Flash Drive Safely

In 2018, 85% of US households had a broadband internet subscription. In homes that didn’t have Wi-Fi or cellular data available, they used flash drives. They did this whenever they needed to transfer files from one PC to another.

Many people tend to pull their USB sticks out of the ports when they’re over with the work they need to perform on it. Doing this can create a problem with the USB drive and the computer. It’s also why you can find an Eject option for the flash drive on our computers.

Clicking on the Eject option tells your OS to stop reading the drive. It checks or stops everything happening between the USB drive and your computer. You’ll also get an alert from the PC if specific processes have yet to finish.

One example is copying a movie from your computer to your flash drive. Some assume that the copy-pasting process is over, so they pull it out immediately. Pulling the flash drive out without ejecting it can stop the copy-paste process.

You’ll only end up with an unfinished and unreadable file on your USB flash drive when you do this. You even risk corrupting the file or the entire drive. Thus, make it a habit to eject your USB drives before unplugging them from your PC.

8. Always Eject the Flash Drive When Not in Use

If you’re not using the flash drive, unplug it from the computer. Leaving a USB flash drive plugged into a PC can cause unnecessary wear.

As we mentioned, flash drives have SLC or MLC-based memories. If a flash drive remains plugged in, it’ll keep writing its data to the cells. Most of these memories have a limit.

Plus, remember that your computer can heat up too. Flash drives get hot with use, even though they create heat through consistent and heavy use. A flash drive may start failing you sooner than expected if you don’t practice ejecting the right way.

9. Keep Malware and Viruses From Your Flash Drive

Viruses and malware can also infect your USB flash drives. Yet, the malware won’t ruin or cause extra processes in the flash drive. This kind of infection isn’t the same as infecting a computer.

Instead, the flash drive acts like a carrier of the disease. You’ll notice your files in an infected flash drive disappearing into hidden folders. Other files also get corrupted and become unreadable.

As a tip, never open any unreadable or unknown files you see on your flash drive. They could be EXE files, and clicking on them can trigger these executable files. Once you initiate them, the virus or malware will spread into your computer system.

10. Use Your Flash Drive to Save PCs From Viruses and Failure

What if your PC is the one infected with viruses? Our last tip is that you can use your flash drive to rescue your PC instead of infecting it. This tip also works if you see your PC crash.

All you need is to place boot and recovery tools in the fastest USB flash drive that you have. Some of the best tools include:

• SystemRescue
• Ultimate Boot CD
• Knoppix
• Hiren’s Boot CD
• Trinity Rescue Disk
• Bootable Rescue Disk

After the PC crash, plug the USB into the system and run the boot recovery tool.

Get the Most Out of Your USB Flash Drive Today

The best USB flash drive provides excellent use, so don’t ignore these tips and benefits. Start using them to boost your tech experience now.

We hope you enjoyed learning from and reading our guide on USB flash drives. Try reading our other guides if you have questions, too. Our other blog posts might have the answers you need.

admin

See author's posts

Do you need to dispose of your company’s old tech equipment? Trying to find a way to do so effectively and efficiently?

Disposing of obsolete equipment can be a tricky thing. This is due to the fact that in many states, it’s illegal to just toss aside certain electronic gadgets.

Additionally, old computers usually have sensitive company data on them that could jeopardize business if it fell in the wrong hands.

With this in mind, it’s important to dispense with your old technology the right way.

Here are the steps to properly dispose of outworn equipment.

1. Ensure you have Backups for All Information

A good way to do this is to copy the drive onto a separate external drive. It’s just good practice to clone the most crucial files to the backup of a cloud.

There are various drive copying devices for both Windows and Mac. But if it’s surmised that your system is corrupt, then you’ll want to refrain from cloning the drive.

This is due to the fact that it will clone the problems as well.

2. Deauthorize Cloud Accounts

Google Drive, iTunes, Office 360, etc, deauthorize them all. If you fail to do this, it will restrict your ability to access your files and even customer support will have a difficult time trying to resolve this for you.

Just ensure you inform everyone in your IT department, so everybody is in the know.

3. Have the Hard Drive Wiped

It’s not enough to simply erase the information. This is especially true if there is sensitive data on it. Make sure you take advantage of wiping software to clear the hard drive.

4. Delomish the Hard Drive

Once it has been wiped, a good option (for safety breach purposes) is to physically destroy the hard drive. There are a couple of ways to do this.

You can take a mallet or hammer and smash it yourself. Or you can take it to a professional to have it shredded.

And don’t worry about preserving old parts, you can easily find new and functional ones by visiting the right website.

5. Dispense With the Computer

There are a few ways to do this. First, you can trade it in. Many companies offer trade programs where you can swap materials.

This can be smart business as you can trade in a piece of equipment you no longer need or use for one that does provide some utility.

Second, you can recycle it, this is typically the best alternative. Especially if your computer is older (5 years or so) or just broken down.

And third, you can donate it. Even if it happens to be inoperable, there are still places that take broken computers and refurbish them.

Disposing of Old Tech the Proper Way

If you fail to dispense with your old tech in the right fashion, not only can it cause damage to the environment, but as a result, your business could be hit with some hefty legal fees.

So it’s important that you deal with these manners correctly.

If you enjoyed this article, take a moment to browse through some of the other write-ups in our tech category.

admin

See author's posts

Honor phones are great devices, and generally don’t split your bank. In the global smartphone industry, Honor smartphones made a big name for themselves. That isn’t a sure thing, but meanwhile, honor phones are also using features such as petal scan, which helps you to import Android applications from other sites, so that most of the apps you need are available.

Honor Best Smartphones At A Glance

Honor is one of the major smartphone brands in the industry. Honor launched different smartphone series in 2020 and expected to introduce a new series in 2021. Here are a few best-selling Honor Smartphones.

1. Honor View 20
2. Honor 20 Pro
3. Honor 9
4. Honor 9X Lite
5. Honor 20
6. Honor 10
7. Honor View 10
8. Honor 20 Lite
9. Honor 10X Lite
10. Honor Play

Honor Smartphones Features

In case you are not sure about the Honor series then keep reading. In this section, we are going to discuss some amazing features presented by Honor.

Design and Display

Design is one of a smartphone’s most critical features. Whenever a brand produces a collection, the main focus includes design and display. Honor provides its consumers with special layouts and a Full HD display. The smooth, quick interface helps adults to comfortably use mobile phones.

Colors

Honor smartphones are available in various colors. From Shiny Red to Midnight Blue and Emerald Green to Sky Blue, Honor smartphones facilitate its customers with all catchy colors in accordance to display and design.

Battery

Honor understands the importance of battery life in mobile phones. Keeping these requirements in mind, Honor smartphones offer a long lasting battery timing with fast charging capacity. Honor smartphones are best for the users who want to use their phones frequently with high efficiency.

Storage Data

Honor smartphones give a sufficient amount of storage with 4GB, 6GB, and 8GB ram in different phones. Now users can keep unlimited data in their phones with no fear of losing it.

Best Smartphone Camera

In this digital era customers use their phones to capture their moments. Smartphones have become a source of connectivity and sharing for the users globally. Honor offers the best smartphone camera to its users. It offers up to 48MP rear camera for amazing resolution experience. Honor’s front selfie camera is the best smartphone camera for selfies with beauty effects.

Security

Mobile protection is a precaution that can be taken to protect users’ privacy and other phone data from a wide variety of attacks. These attacks on users’ mobile devices are meant to capture personal data such as financial records, login data. To keep your data safe and protected Honor brings fingerprint and face lock. 

Gaming

People use their phones to use different applications and play games. Honor smartphones give HD resolution display and features to provide customers with amazing gaming experience. Users can play high demanding games effortlessly. They can download high efficiency games with one click. Due to storage and its features Honor is the best for gaming.

Smartwatches

Honor smartphones can be connected to smartwatches. This allows users to enjoy all amazing features.

mikeholt1435

See author's posts