USB flash drives are a cheap and portable way to back up files and move them around between machines. But as cloud storage becomes cheaper, and Wi-Fi more commonplace, flash drives aren’t as necessary as they once were. You probably have a couple sitting around in a drawer that rarely ever get used. If you want to breathe new life into your old USB flash drives, this guide includes ten things you may have never known they could do.
Good to know: these super portable flash drives make it easy to carry files with you anywhere you go.
1. Install an Operating System
USB flash drives quickly replaced CDs and DVDs as bootable drives, due to their large capacities and compatibility with almost any computer. You can create a bootable USB with Rufus to install a new copy of Windows on your computer. Any USB drive lying around with a capacity of 8GB or larger will work. You can also do this to create a bootable Ubuntu USB.
A lesser-known way to utilize your old USB drive is to run a persistent OS directly from the flash drive. Unlike a bootable USB that installs the OS on your internal hard drive or SSD, this method can install Windows, Linux, or macOS on the USB flash drive. This allows you to permanently save any changes you make to files and settings on the flash drive, and efficiently run your portable OS installation on any other computer. Creating a Windows or Linux “To Go” disk can also be done via Rufus.
2. Run Portable Apps and Games
USB drives are convenient for carrying useful apps and games when moving between systems. Disk management tools, antivirus programs, data recovery tools, PC cleaning tools, and other software can be stored and launched from a USB drive.
Tools like PortableApps.com and LiberKey allow Windows users to bring their favorite programs and files with them on a flash drive without having to boot into a new operating system. When you plug in your flash drive, you can open what is basically a separate, portable “Start” menu. Not every application is supported, and you may still have to use open-source applications to fully take advantage of portable apps.
And while it isn’t exactly portable gaming, you can even install certain games to flash drives and get your gaming fix on any machine. Not every game supports this functionality, so do your research. Minecraft and Assaultcube can be run from a flash drive, but there are others as well.
Also helpful: run old games on Windows, and relive the nostalgia anytime you want.
3. Speed Up Windows with ReadyBoost
If your computer’s slowing down, and you own a flash drive with extra space, you can use the latter to give the former a speed boost. Windows provides a tool called ReadyBoost to speed up your computer using your flash drive as RAM. ReadyBoost designates part of the USB drive as cache memory so that Windows can fetch the most commonly used files from this cache instead of the hard drive.
Turn this feature on in the “ReadyBoost” tab from your USB drive’s “Properties.” It allows you to customize the space on the drive you want to use for ReadyBoost. Note that this method of speeding up your computer’s day-to-day performance is worthwhile only on systems with hard drives much slower than modern SSDs. Also, you need to keep the USB drive dedicated to ReadyBoost plugged in at all times.
4. Make a Password Reset Disk
Forgetting your Windows password can become an unnecessary pain if you don’t have a backup. Fortunately, Windows provides a quick and straightforward way to create a password reset disk in advance to prepare for such a scenario. All you need is a spare USB disk, and you’re all set. This method essentially converts the USB drive into physical proof of your computer ownership. The process to set up the reset disk asks for your current Windows password to secure the disk.
The “Reset password” option on the login screen will guide you to use a password reset disk to set a new password. You can then enter and start using a new Windows password to regain access to your computer.
Tip: you can also reset your Windows administrator password if needed.
5. Partition Hard Drives
Partitioning helps keep things organized and also helps in case something unexpected happens. You may find yourself in need of partitioning a hard drive now and then. Maybe you want to keep your Windows files separate from other files to simplify future OS reinstallation. Or perhaps you want to install Windows on one partition and Linux on the other.
Partitioning is difficult and dangerous when an operating system is running from the hard drive, but Parted Magic is a standalone Linux OS that can help you boot from a flash drive to more easily re-partition your computer’s hard drive. You can clone your hard drive, recover data from it, or securely erase it using Parted Magic. Once you’ve successfully partitioned your drive, use these free partition management tools to make changes.
6. Keep Files Private
You can turn your entire flash drive into an encrypted partition to keep private files safe from prying eyes. You also have the option to have your flash drive boot as usual but include a separate partition that encrypts any file placed in it. For an extra layer of security, you can also password-protect your encrypted partition.
Encrypting and decrypting a USB drive can be done quickly using the built-in BitLocker feature in Windows 10 and 11 Pro versions, and third-party tools can help you if you’re running alternate Windows versions. Note that if you want to make the USB drive shareable again, you must remove the encryption. You’ll have to enter a password or key to confirm the decryption.
Good to know: you can encrypt your Gmail messages just as you would computer files.
7. Unlock Your Computer
If you don’t feel that using a password alone is secure enough, and your computer doesn’t have a biometric scanner, you can still protect your computer from unauthorized access. Just turn your USB flash drive into a key, and set your computer to unlock only when the drive is plugged in. Physical keys like this protect against password guessing, as it’s harder to steal, but if you lose it, it may cause more headaches than it’s worth.
You can use great all-in-one solutions like the Google Titan Security Key or Kensington VeriMark Fingerprint Key if you want a preconfigured USB security key. But if you’re comfortable creating one yourself, tools like USB Raptor and Rohos Logon Key Free can easily convert your spare USB drive into a tangible, hardware-based password key for your computer.
8. Rescue an Infected PC
You can install virus scanners on your USB drive to search for malware on infected computers. A ready-to-use USB malware scanner can be a lifesaver in cases where your PC is rendered unusable due to a severe malware infection. Simply plug it in, and run a deep malware scan to root out any infections from your system.
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Find well-known offerings to restore your computer after a malware-related crash, such as Avast, Kaspersky Free Rescue Disk, and AVG Antivirus FREE. What each of these essentially does is allow you to install a bootable version of the malware or virus scanner on a USB drive, which you can then use to recover your computer after a malware crash.
Also helpful: you can remove viruses from your computer without antivirus software.
9. Automatically Sync Files
You probably drag and drop your files onto your flash drive, but there is a simpler method of keeping your files synced to your USB storage. By using tools that allow automatic syncing of files between your computer and your USB drive, you can always have an updated backup of essential files.
You can use Google Drive to enable automatic syncing to any USB drive you choose, and keep your files backed up in the cloud. With 15GB of free storage, there is enough to start with, and you can purchase additional storage if needed. Another free tool to help you sync your files to a USB drive is AOMEI Backupper, which provides various kinds of sync features, like real-time and two-way sync.
10. Store Cryptocurrency Keys
Your private crypto keys are like passwords generated by your crypto wallet, and need to be kept secure to prevent hackers from accessing your crypto wallet and stealing your funds. Hardware or cold wallets are considered much more secure than default methods, as they’re explicitly designed to hold and transact crypto, and offer strong encryption. USB drives can be a relatively less secure and less functional alternative to hardware wallets.
However, you can’t use this USB drive to execute crypto transactions. It’s merely a storage device for your private key. Moreover, as a precautionary measure, it’s advisable not to connect your “USB wallet” to the Internet.
USB flash drives are handy tools for fixing computers and booting operating systems. You can use them to recover passwords, store sensitive data, and sync important files. If nothing else, they’re still good for storing files, too.
If you’re worried about accidentally deleting your data from your flash drive, you can add a Recycle Bin to USB drives. And if you’re having USB detection issues, like the “USB device not recognized error,” you can fix it easily in most cases.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons. All screenshots by Tanveer Singh.
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