A USB drive is a tiny, portable device that inserts into the USB port on your computer. It is also known as a flash drive or memory stick. USB drives are frequently used for file transfers between devices, data backup, and storage. USB drives are available with various interfaces and storage capacity, and they are all shaped differently. The way you use a USB drive varies according on the kind of computer you wish to attach to. To find out how to use a USB drive on Windows, continue reading.
USB flash drive
A USB flash drive — also known as a USB stick, USB thumb drive, or pen drive — is a lightweight portable storage device that utilizes flash memory and can be attached to a keychain. Users can employ a USB flash drive in lieu of a compact disc. When the flash memory device is plugged into the USB port, the computer’s operating system (OS) identifies it as a removable drive and assigns it a drive letter.
A USB flash drive enables users to store important files and data backups, carry favorite settings or applications, perform diagnostics to troubleshoot computer problems, or launch an OS from a bootable USB. These drives are compatible with Microsoft Windows, Linux, MacOS, various Linux distributions, and many BIOS boot ROMs.
The first USB flash drive entered the market in 2000 with an 8-megabyte (MB) storage capacity. Currently, drives are available in capacities ranging from 8 gigabytes (GB) to 1 terabyte (TB), depending on the manufacturer, and future capacity levels are expected to reach 2 TB.
Most USB flash drives utilize multi-level cell (MLC) memory, capable of enduring 3,000 to 5,000 program-erase cycles. However, some drives are designed with single-level cell (SLC) memory, supporting approximately 100,000 writes.
What is Computer Storage Devices?