4 lesser-known issues I do with previous USB drives

I’ve quite a lot of previous USB drives mendacity round. A budget storage answer is most well-known for being a straightforward method to retailer Phrase docs and PDFs, however they will accomplish that far more.

Do you know that with a USB drive you’ll be able to create an encrypted locker for all your passwords? When you’ve got an previous USB drive mendacity round, you’ll be able to simply upcycle it and get extra use out of it. Listed below are the 4 ways in which I prefer to upcycle my previous USB drives.

1

Experiment with a transportable OS

Study a brand new OS akin to Linux with a USB drive and endurance

Linux Mint

Putting in a bootable OS on a USB drive is a breeze. All you will must do is obtain whichever ISO information from whichever OS you want, after which use a third-party instrument (I want Rufus) to create a bootable drive. When you’re utilizing a Home windows-based laptop, you will must entry your laptop’s UEFI/BIOS, which could be completed by urgent the designated key (usually your F1 key, however examine your producer first) at startup. When you’re within the BIOS, search for a tab known as boot order, and choose the USB drive.

The method is definitely a bit less complicated on macOS, as you will not must obtain Rufus or any third-party applications, and might do the whole course of, together with booting from the USB drive with the built-in macOS Disk Utility function. You will nonetheless must obtain the OS ISO information to your USB flash drive, after which plug the drive in and entry the Disk Utility software.

Associated

What is Linux? Everything you’ve always wanted to know

Linux is a strong working system with a lot to supply – discover out what it’s and easy methods to get began.

2

Play your favourite video games

You may as well retailer and run video games instantly on a USB drive

Nintendo

Along with storing and operating an OS from a USB drive, you are able to do the identical factor along with your favourite video games. It is a straightforward method to journey along with your favourite video games, and it means that you can run video games on a pc with out having to put in video games on a number of computer systems.

You may as well simply transfer video games from Steam to your USB drive and play them instantly from there. Nonetheless, you will want a USB drive that’s each quick and has quite a lot of house. I like to recommend utilizing any drive that’s licensed USB 3.0 or greater for pace and to be sure to have sufficient house in your video games.

Associated

5 classic PlayStation games I emulate on my iPhone

With PlayStation 1 emulators now on the Apple App Retailer, it is lastly time to revisit a few of your favourite classics.

3

Automate file backups

Do not lose crucial information

Google / Pocket-lint

There are extra methods than ever to again up vital information and folders which you could’t afford to lose. Nonetheless, one of many easiest methods to again up what’s most vital to you, is through the use of a USB drive as a backup location. One of many major advantages of utilizing a USB drive to again up information, is which you could then entry your most vital information from anyplace, due to the compact portability of USB drives.

The simplest approach to do that is to make use of a third-party backup program. I personally have been utilizing Arconis True Image to do that, however bear in mind that Arconis isn’t free and can run you $50/12 months.

On each Home windows and macOS, you’ll be able to at all times manually backup information through drag and drop from the file tree, however if you’d like the flexibility to rapidly and routinely backup information to a USB drive, you will need a third-party program.

Associated

How (and why) I back up my Windows 11 PC

You have obtained quite a lot of choices, however one goes to be the go-to for many customers.

Create a transportable media library with 1000’s of songs

Whereas there are quite a lot of high-tech methods to create a private media library — akin to making a NAS or Plex server — one of many easiest methods to create a transportable media library is with a easy USB drive. Now that there are USB drives available on the market which can be able to as much as 1TB or storage that you should use for a variety of films, music, and e-books to take them anyplace with you.

It is a good way to have the ability to entry your media from a number of computer systems, and it makes touring along with your favourite media straightforward. You do not have to fret about carrying further drives in your bag or fear about whether or not you will have web entry, as every thing you need to deliver could be saved domestically on the USB drive.