Your trusty USB flash drive is a much more multipurpose than you might realize, packing competence that go well beyond storing and transferring files.
These little-known tricks can be take advantage of by computer newbie’s and technology alike to achieve anything from restoring a virus-ridden computer to launching and playing light apps right from the drive.
Unlock our top-10 ways to use a USB flash drive with the adviser below. Thanks to fellow How To blogger Ed Rhee, and the team at CNET, you’ll be amazed to find that storing files might not be the best use of thumb drives after all.
- Lock and unlock your computer, secret agent style
With Predator, you can turn your USB drive into a “key” that unlocks your computer when plug in, and locks it when it’s removed. If anyone attempts to access your computer without the key (or top-secret password), they’ll be hit with an epic “ACCESS DENIED” information. - Revive a virus-ridden system
with the free AVG rescue software filled on your USB drive; you can scan a crippled computer for virus and, if all goes well, bring your method back to life. - Run portable apps, games, and utility
what’s more portable than a laptop, tablet, or smart phone? Answer: a USB flash drive. Run solicitation like Firefox, Chrome, Open Office, and more, with just your USB flash drive and any computer. - Install and test-drive Windows 8
Want to peek into Microsoft’s upcoming events operating system? The consumer preview is attainable, but with this tutorial, we’ll show you how to try out Windows 8 without overwriting your current OS. - Give Linux a try
you might have heard your geek friends brag about Linux, the open-source operating system. Like the Windows 8 tutorial, we’ll show you how to use your USB drive to boot Linux and poke almost the OS without overwriting your current system. - Secure your docs and files
if all you want to do is use your thumb drive for file storage, don’t forget to encrypt it. By doing so, only you will have entry to the files on the drive, rendering it unjust to anyone who finds (or steals) it. - Hold down your Windows computer
Find out how to install Parted Magic, a handy piece of software that lets you do things like reset Windows passwords, clone your system, and screen your hard disk, right from your USB flash drive. - Install Windows 7 on a Mac Book
If you want entrance to both operating systems, OS X and Windows, you can use a USB drive to install Windows on your Mac Book. This is extra handy for Mac Book Air owners who need a workaround for the non-appearance of an optical drive. - Turn it into a last-minute present
Victims of procrastination will love this guide, which shows you how a ordinary 0l’ USB drive can be repurposed into a thoughtful gift in just a couple hours time. - Too many USB drives? Donate them!
Marketers seem to love USB drives, handing them out in any opportunity they meeting. We tech writers particularly are often inundated with the darned things at conventions like CES. If you’re in the same boat, see if there’s a school in your area that could use them.