Unlike solid-state memory, hard drives are susceptible to damage by shock (e.g., a short fall) and vibration, have limitations on use at high altitude, and although they are shielded by their casings, they are vulnerable when exposed to strong magnetic fields. In terms of overall mass, hard drives are usually larger and heavier than flash drives; however, hard disks sometimes weigh less per unit of storage. Like flash drives, hard disks also suffer from file fragmentation, which can reduce access speed.

Inside the plastic casing is a small printed circuit board, which has some power circuitry and a small number of surface-mounted integrated circuits (ICs).[citation needed] Typically, one of these ICs provides an interface between the USB connector and the onboard memory, while the other is the flash memory. Drives typically use the USB mass storage device class to communicate with the host.[28]
Our tester highly recommended this flash drive for iOS mobile users: “The iXpand is a great resource for backing up media files and for expanding storage, as well as transferring files to a PC.” He added, “The Drive App is easy to navigate and copy files with, as well as operate the camera and play music and video files.” On the other hand, our reviewer reported, “The 30 MB/s write speed on PC is far from horrible but definitely slow for the asking price, and we calculated only about a 12 MB/s when connected to an iOS device.” He ultimately concluded, “A slightly cheaper price would make it the surefire winner in the Lightning connector category.”

A USB flash drive, also commonly known as a thumb drive or a memory stick, is a type of portable data storage device that fits directly into a USB port. It can back up, store, and transfer important data and make that data available to other devices with USB ports. USB drives tend to favor speed and convenience over absolute storage space; discover the wide selection available on eBay.
Most USB flash drives do not include a write protection mechanism. This feature, which gradually became less common, consists of a switch on the housing of the drive itself, that prevents the host computer from writing or modifying data on the drive. For example, write protection makes a device suitable for repairing virus-contaminated host computers without the risk of infecting a USB flash drive itself. In contrast to SD cards, write protection on USB flash drives (when available) is connected to the drive circuitry, and is handled by the drive itself instead of the host (on SD cards handling of the write-protection notch is optional).
Installers of some operating systems can be stored to a flash drive instead of a CD or DVD, including various Linux distributions, Windows 7 and newer versions, and macOS. In particular, Mac OS X 10.7 is distributed only online, through the Mac App Store, or on flash drives; for a MacBook Air with Boot Camp and no external optical drive, a flash drive can be used to run installation of Windows or Linux.
Custom flash drives are practical giveaway items you can personalize with a logo or company name to help promote your brand. In the age of information and data storage, thumb drives are a hands-on approach to transferring data when a “cloud” isn’t readily available. Browse our catalog and select form a variety of styles that include plastic, leather, metal and novelty designs to truly impress your audience. Compact and easy to transport, our wholesale USB flash drives can be custom printed, or laser engraved to fit your portable storage needs. Combine a with a custom lanyards for the perfect trade show giveaway - enjoy Guaranteed Low Prices and Free Shipping!
Português: Transferir Dados de um Pen Drive para um Computador, Italiano: Trasferire i Dati da una Chiavetta USB a un Computer, Español: transferir datos de una unidad flash a una computadora, Русский: перенести данные с флешки на компьютер, Français: transférer des données d'une clé USB sur un ordinateur, Deutsch: Daten von einem USB Stick auf einen Computer übertragen, Bahasa Indonesia: Mentransfer Data dari Kandar USB ke Komputer, Nederlands: Gegevens overzetten van een USB drive naar een computer, العربية: نقل البيانات من وحدة التخزين الخارجية إلى الحاسوب, Tiếng Việt: Chuyển dữ liệu từ USB vào máy tính, ไทย: ย้ายข้อมูลจากแฟลชไดรฟ์ลงคอมพิวเตอร์
Yes you can but if you have a lot of files, a flash drive won't back it all up. If you only need to back up 32GB-64GB for example, you could back it up on the flash drive. However, anything bigger isn't sensible for flash drives; you're better off getting an external hard drive. Also, it's not a long-term storage option––it can corrupt easily or be lost.
Most USB flash drives weigh less than 30 g (1 oz).[31] While some manufacturers are competing for the smallest size[32] with the biggest memory,[33] some manufacturers differentiate their products by using elaborate housings, which are often bulky and make the drive difficult to connect to the USB port. Because the USB port connectors on a computer housing are often closely spaced, plugging a flash drive into a USB port may block an adjacent port. Such devices may carry the USB logo only if sold with a separate extension cable. Such cables are USB-compatible but do not conform to the USB standard.[34][35]
Logotech has one of the largest inventories of customizable USB drives online. With hundreds of models to choose from, you're sure to find a style that fits your business. If you're looking for a truly unique item that will set you apart from the competition, Logotech can create a USB to look like any shape. Do you run a logistics firm? We'll create USBs that look like semi-trucks. Are you a children's sports non-profit? We can make a basketball USB drive. Whatever you can imagine, we can bring to life. Contact us today to learn more about our customizable usb drives!
Quickly transfer files to and from your laptop or desktop using this SanDisk Ultra SDCZ48-064G-A46 USB 3.0 flash drive that features a read speed of up to 80MB/sec. The 64GB capacity offers ample storage space. (Ten times faster than USB 2.0 drives. Write speeds up to 10 times faster than Cruzer USB 2.0 drive.)* *USB 3.0 port required. Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending upon host device.
In the arcade game In the Groove and more commonly In The Groove 2, flash drives are used to transfer high scores, screenshots, dance edits, and combos throughout sessions. As of software revision 21 (R21), players can also store custom songs and play them on any machine on which this feature is enabled. While use of flash drives is common, the drive must be Linux compatible.
We offer the most reliable and consistently top performing customizable, no minimum USB flash drives out there. With more than 25 styles and over 550 different looks, our drives are available in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB capacities–with most available in USB 3.0 from 16GB and up. We’re so confident in the quality of our drives, each one includes a lifetime warranty.
As highly portable media, USB flash drives are easily lost or stolen. All USB flash drives can have their contents encrypted using third-party disk encryption software, which can often be run directly from the USB drive without installation (for example, FreeOTFE), although some, such as BitLocker, require the user to have administrative rights on every computer it is run on.
Apple smart products don’t come with USB ports, so you will need a backwards compatible drive that can also plug into lightning devices. This thumbdrive from SanDisk is designed for ease of use with iPhones and iPads, thanks to a curbed plastic connector that fits behind the back of the screen. It has high-speed USB 3.0 transfer speeds and can hold over 7,200 photos or 8,000 songs. It has automatic photo backup and contact transfer to help free up space on your devices without having to deal with the slow upload speeds.

Inside the plastic casing is a small printed circuit board, which has some power circuitry and a small number of surface-mounted integrated circuits (ICs).[citation needed] Typically, one of these ICs provides an interface between the USB connector and the onboard memory, while the other is the flash memory. Drives typically use the USB mass storage device class to communicate with the host.[28]


In January 2013, tech company Kingston, released a flash drive with 1 TB of storage.[24] The first USB 3.1 type-C flash drives, with read/write speeds of around 530 MB/s, were announced in March 2015.[25] As of July 2016, flash drives within the 8 to 256 GB were sold more frequently than those between 512 GB and 1 TB units.[2][3] In 2017, Kingston Technology announced the release of a 2-TB flash drive.[26]
The memory in flash drives is commonly engineered with multi-level cell (MLC) based memory that is good for around 3,000-5,000 program-erase cycles,[40] but some flash drives have single-level cell (SLC) based memory that is good for around 100,000 writes. There is virtually no limit to the number of reads from such flash memory, so a well-worn USB drive may be write-protected to help ensure the life of individual cells.
For computers set up to be bootable from a USB drive, it is possible to use a flash drive containing a bootable portable operating system to access the files of the computer, even if the computer is password protected. The password can then be changed, or it may be possible to crack the password with a password cracking program and gain full control over the computer. Encrypting files provides considerable protection against this type of attack.
Quickly transfer files to and from your laptop or desktop using this SanDisk Ultra SDCZ48-064G-A46 USB 3.0 flash drive that features a read speed of up to 80MB/sec. The 64GB capacity offers ample storage space. (Ten times faster than USB 2.0 drives. Write speeds up to 10 times faster than Cruzer USB 2.0 drive.)* *USB 3.0 port required. Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending upon host device.
We are specialists, when it comes to producing a custom flash drives to your specifications. Personalized USB drives are great for promotion of your favorite team, non for profit organization, or business. Important marketing information can be loaded on flash drives. You can imprint USB drives with logos for your school, or use it as a gift to employees, or guests at the wedding.
This depends on the programs. Most programs will situate their contents in multiple locations, so if it's on your computer, you'll need to know where all of a program is stored. It can be easier to download the program from scratch again as it brings in all of the needed content for you. If you are trying to transfer from a computer, at the very least be sure to capture the EXE, Application and Java files; however, there are usually many other files too. Also, the programs will differ between operating systems (for example, EXE is Windows, while .app is Mac). End answer: it can be done but it's easier if you can download the program afresh.

“The transfer speeds are satisfyingly fast for reading and writing all kinds of files, whether large HD videos or unsorted media folders,” our tester reported of this flash drive. He also liked the inclusion of the SecureAccess file encryption, although advanced features are an additional purchase. In terms of negatives, our reviewer called the plastic shell casing “flimsy and fragile” and observed that the transfer speeds are capped when the flash drive is plugged into a USB hub. Overall? Our tester was “more than satisfied with the transfer speeds, but would have appreciated a better, sturdier physical design.”
USB flash drives usually specify their read and write speeds in megabytes per second (MB/s); read speed is usually faster. These speeds are for optimal conditions; real-world speeds are usually slower. In particular, circumstances that often lead to speeds much lower than advertised are transfer (particularly writing) of many small files rather than a few very large ones, and mixed reading and writing to the same device.
“The transfer speeds are satisfyingly fast for reading and writing all kinds of files, whether large HD videos or unsorted media folders,” our tester reported of this flash drive. He also liked the inclusion of the SecureAccess file encryption, although advanced features are an additional purchase. In terms of negatives, our reviewer called the plastic shell casing “flimsy and fragile” and observed that the transfer speeds are capped when the flash drive is plugged into a USB hub. Overall? Our tester was “more than satisfied with the transfer speeds, but would have appreciated a better, sturdier physical design.”
Most USB-based flash technology integrates a printed circuit board with a metal tip, which is simply soldered on. As a result, the stress point is where the two pieces join. The quality control of some manufacturers does not ensure a proper solder temperature, further weakening the stress point.[77][78] Since many flash drives stick out from computers, they are likely to be bumped repeatedly and may break at the stress point. Most of the time, a break at the stress point tears the joint from the printed circuit board and results in permanent damage. However, some manufacturers produce discreet flash drives that do not stick out, and others use a solid metal uni-body that has no easily discernible stress point. SD cards serve as a good alternative to USB drives since they can be inserted flush.

With their paper-slim profiles, Ultrabooks and tablets are barely thick enough for a USB port. That's why some of the bulkier drives on this list are not ideal for those devices. Meanwhile, Samsung’s Fit drives are slim and compact, about the size of your thumb nail. This unobtrusive storage is constructed with a metal casing that is resistant to the elements and NAND flash technology. With USB 3.0 tech you can expect fast read speeds, while the price is easy to stomach. Just make sure to attach it to a lanyard, so you don't lose it.
USB 2.0 flash drives have a transfer rate of up to 480Mbps, while USB 3.0 flash drives allow for transfer rates 10 times faster — up to 4.8Gbps. However, you can only take advantage of this higher speed if your device has a USB 3.0 port. Although USB 3.0 flash drives and other devices are backwards compatible with USB 2.0 ports, they will only operate at a USB 2.0 rate.
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