How to use a flash drive in windows 10

A flash drive, also known as a USB stick, is a data storage device. They are small, portable and can connect with any computer or device with a USB port. The drives get their name from the use of NAND and NOR flash memory chips. NAND flash memory can store any type of file inserted.

The amount of available memory varies between devices. The lowest capacity you'll typically find is 16GB. At the highest end, 1TB flash drives are offered, but cost upwards of $150.

How to use a flash drive

We'll first look at the process of using a USB flash drive, and then talk about other aspects of using it, such as renaming and formatting.

How to connect a USB flash drive to Windows 10

Any computer running the Windows 10 operating system (laptop or desktop PC) will have at least one USB port. Some cars may have as many as six or eight doors. Such ports are typically found on the side of the laptop and on the front or back of a desktop case.

If all of your ports are already in use, you'll need to disconnect one of your devices. Don't worry because you can put it back in as soon as you're done using the USB drive.

You can connect the drive whether your computer is on or off. Gently push the drive into the port until it is fully seated.

choose an action

Assuming you plugged in the flash drive when your computer was running and didn't customize the AutoPlay settings, Windows will notify you that the drive was plugged in.

You can click the notification to select what action Windows should take when it detects that a drive has been plugged in later. For a basic flash drive, you can choose to take no action or open the drive in File Explorer.

If you don't make a selection, Windows will keep asking you every time you reconnect the drive.

You can change the original selection in the Windows 10 Settings app. Open the Start menu and go to Settings. Then Devices and finally AutoPlay.

You can disable autoplay for all new devices using the icon at the top of the window. Or you can make a unique selection for every removable drive, memory card, and any other device you've connected in the past.

How to use a USB stick

You will most likely want to use your flash drive to move files between devices. Remember that you can also use a flash drive with devices such as Android TV boxes, printers and audio speakers.

To view the files on your drive, launch File Explorer. There should be a shortcut on the taskbar. If not, run a Cortana search by opening the Start menu and typing "file explorer."

In the File Explorer app, select your flash drive from the list of locations in the left panel.

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From here, you can drag and drop files between your memory card and PC. The drive will also appear as a destination in the Save As window in Applications.

Any files you delete from the USB flash drive will be permanently deleted; they won't end up in the Trash, so be careful. There are ways to try and recover lost data, but success is far from certain.

How to eject a USB drive in Windows 10

When you are done using the USB drive, you need to unplug it from the computer in the right way.

If you remove the device directly from the port without following the procedures, you risk corrupting the data on the drive. So it can be unrecoverable.

You can choose from a couple of different ways to safely eject a flash drive. The most common approach is to click the small arrow on the right side of the taskbar, select the USB icon, and choose Eject from the pop-up menu.

Alternatively, go back to the File Explorer app, right-click the flash drive in the left pane, and select "Eject" from the list of options.

How to rename a USB drive

You can give the flash drive a custom name. The name is stored on the device itself, so it will be consistent across any other machine you use that drive on.

To rename this drive, connect it to your PC and open File Explorer. Then, right click on the USB icon and select "Rename".

How to format a flash drive

You can erase all data on a flash drive using the Windows 10 format tool. This is useful if your device stores sensitive information or if you plan to sell it.

To format a flash drive in Windows, you need to connect the device to your computer again. Go to File Explorer and right-click the USB drive in the left pane. From the context menu, click "Format".

There are several format options available. Depending on your device, you may be able to change the file system, allocation unit size, and name. In almost all cases, the default settings are the most appropriate.

Additionally, you can choose between a quick format and a full format. The full format takes much longer, but does a more thorough job of erasing old traces of data.

Are flash drives safe?

In its basic state, the answer is a resounding no. If you leave your flash drive lying around and someone else sees it, nothing prevents them from accessing its contents. There have been numerous high-profile people who have lost sensitive USB flash drives so you need to be extremely careful.