Apart from the normal usage of USB flash drives, there are other things you can do with it.
To speed up your computer
You can use your flash drive’s space to speed up your slow computer by using the READYBOOST feature that has been around with Windows since Windows Vista. You can access the feature by right clicking on your flash drive and then click on the properties option. The READYBOOST feature will appear in one of the tabs. If your flash drive cannot be used to speed up your pc, you will see the message.
To install an Operating System
You can use your flash drive to format or reinstall an OS by using an application like PowerISO to enable the flash to boot up the computer. This is useful if at all your computer is not having a CD ROM drive like some Notebook laptops and it is faster than a CD ROM.
Run portable applications
These are applications you can run directly without installation. If you already have portable apps on your pc that you would like to run on another pc, you can simply place it in your flash drive. If you don’t have any, you can download some portable apps from www.portableapps.com. You can also create your own portable app using a software called Cameyo.
To protect your files
You can protect your files by encrypting your flash drive with a password using the Bitlocker software that came with Windows 7. This helps you protect your confidential files in your flash drive in case if someone is trying to use it without your consent. And even if stolen, the person can only format the flash drive before it could be use.
Ousman Faal [Digital Vigilante] is a Tech Entrepreneur & Digital Skills Trainer who teaches both in the classroom and online. He has experience in various technologies and likes sharing it with others. Ousman has published 149 articles on this blog. He is the CEO of Faalen Technologies and Skills.gm.
