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Three Essential Things to Do to Every New USB Key

You can do a few neat things with your brand new drive to make it more secure, more flexible, and more powerful.

By Will Greenwald  |  Aug. 27, 2010

If you're using a USB drive, it's probably to shlep files from computer to computer. It's so easy to just rip open the packaging, plug in the drive, and start filling it with data. However, you can do a few neat things with your brand new drive before you load it down to make it more secure, more flexible, and more powerful.  

For starters, you might want to consider whether you want to use FAT32 or NTFS file systems. 
 
NTFS is the Windows default file system for local drives, but most USB drives come formatted in FAT32. FAT32 has the benefit of flexibility and hot-swapping; it's much less crucial to "eject" the drive before removing it from the computer than on an NTFS system. On the other hand, NTFS has a maximum file size of 2 TB to FAT32's 4 GB; if you're working with every large file sizes like those found in long HD video files, NTFS is the safer bet.  
 
When you've settled on the file system, you should consider how to best secure your USB drive. TrueCryp t is a powerful encryption suite that works on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and comes with several tools for keeping the data on your drive safe. At the most basic level it can encrypt a whole USB drive so only you can access it. Beyond that, it can create a hidden volume on the drive that only you can access, for another layer of security. If you want to load your key with a bootable OS, you can even encrypt that with a pre-boot authentication function, which prompts you for a password before it even loads the system. 
 
A few months ago I already explained how to set up a USB key to boot into an OS, but that's not all you can do when it comes to shuffling around your favorite software tools. PortableApps is a frontend for installing portable applications on a USB drive. You can download and install the standard suite of applications like OpenOffice, Firefox, and Pidgin, or you can download the platform and individually select from a few dozen software titles.  
 
Once you've done all the formatting, encrypting, and installing you want on the drive, then you can start actually putting your important files on it. With all that prep work, you can be sure that your drive has all the tools you need to work with your data, and that nobody else will be able to access it. 
 
What are they things that you to whenever you get a new USB key? Share your tips in the comments section below!
 
Image credit: Flickr user williamhook
21 Comments
RobReindl is online on Aug. 27, 2010 at 8:16 a.m.
I really do nothing when I get a new USB key. I hardly use these anymore as I usually use DropBox to backup files and transfer files between machines.
dvorakon Aug. 27, 2010 at 8:21 a.m.
Yeah I think internet cloud storage is the way to go. I don't know anyone who puts important personal data on a thumb drive anymore, it just seems like an unnecessary risk.
Laalipopon Aug. 27, 2010 at 8:45 a.m.

I put chrome portable on it because IE makes me want to cut myself.
lokilaufeyon Aug. 27, 2010 at 9:09 a.m.
Same as Laalipop. I put Chrome Portable on it, and I store my school files on it. That way I don't have to use IE on those awful public computers they have on campus. Eugh. I don't ever forget my thumb drive because I keep it on my keychain.
simianon Aug. 27, 2010 at 9:11 a.m.
For awhile in the office I was moving from desktop-to-desktop and pretty much lived off what Portable Apps was serving up. Of course once I had my desk back I trashed the contents for security but still, happy days.
lane moderator on Aug. 27, 2010 at 9:25 a.m.
First thing I do with a new thumb drive is put a text file on it called IF FOUND.TXT with my contact information in it. It's saved me many times over since I'm a forgetful buffoon - in fact, I just had someone return one I'd misplaced earlier this week.
Laalipopon Aug. 27, 2010 at 10:15 a.m.
@lane:
You're very lucky, around these parts that drive would be good as gone regardless.
MmmSkyscraperon Aug. 27, 2010 at 10:19 a.m.
1. Wonder where the hell it is
2. Find it
3. Wish it had more space
Topharon Aug. 27, 2010 at 10:39 a.m.
@lane:  
Yea I think that take a very different outlook than the article. It is giving you ways to keep your data safe and encrypted should an evil person steal it and try to use it, while you do something for when you inevitable just leave it laying around and somebody finds it. 
lane moderator on Aug. 27, 2010 at 10:50 a.m.
@Tophar: 
 
I keep sensitive information encrypted, but you don't have to encrypt every single file on the thing.
Kasumion Aug. 27, 2010 at 10:53 a.m.
I would personally keep one of a larger size (16gb and up) as FAT32 as I tend to download trailer videos onto the PS3 to be used for filler space later on my burns. I mean seriously, what else could you use 170ish mb of extra space for on a DVD?  Depending on the resolution of the video, of course.
 
Since the PS3 doesn't support NTFS, it's the way to go.
norman staff is online on Aug. 27, 2010 at 12:27 p.m.
@lane:  excellent idea.
Benjaminon Aug. 27, 2010 at 1:50 p.m.
I split mine into 3 partitions: one for Backtrack, a linux security testing suite, one for Super Grub Disk, for MBR recovery if ever needed, and finally the rest for storage space.
 
NTFS is a good file system to consider for your USB storage area. It's a shame ext3 is not well supported on Windows platforms, but you can get close to native support with Ext2 IFS.
 
However, a word of warning about partitioning a USB drive: Windows typically only "sees" the first partition, so make that your storage partition!
chasechasechaseon Aug. 27, 2010 at 6:23 p.m.
The first thing I do is take off the garbage bloatware partition/software that they seem to come with these days.
patrickon Aug. 27, 2010 at 6:35 p.m.
I just spent 2 hours last night transferring everything off my usb hdd ntfs partition just to reformat it as fat32. Was getting fed up of not being able to use it on my 360/PS3 :3 Brilliantly enough, the homebrew app on my Wii read from ntfs just fine.
Nebulazon Aug. 27, 2010 at 7:37 p.m.
@dvorak: 
 
Its weird seeing a Dvorak appreciate the cloud if you are a listener of No Agenda or TWiT. 
BaskervilleManoron Aug. 28, 2010 at 3:52 a.m.
I simply leave my USB thumbdrives in FAT 32 format.  Both Linux and Windows have an easy time with that format it seems and it causes almost no issues on both of them.   I have reservations about encrypting my data.   I understand a business doing it though.   
 
I have a ton of USB thumddrives I've gotten in the past 2 years.  Probably around 20 plus.  Most of them are Kingston in brand make and are 2GB in size.   I use them to store a lot of ebooks and data and MP3 audio files.   They're relatively dirt cheap now.  4 GB drives are around ten bucks at Wally-World.  I store all my thumbdrives away in a drawer anyway within wallets designed to hold them, and I have the drives simply there as backup and as useful items if needed.  USB thumbdrives are suppose to live and work for many years anyway and are supposed to get a large amount of reads and writes.  I would trust a thumbdrive with essential data more than a DVD-R or CD-R disc now.   I rarelly burn data discs anymore even though I used to do that quite a bit about 3 to 4 years ago.
 
I love DropBox and use it a lot, but the free version only gives you 2GB and you can only get a few free extra space give aways by going through a bunch of lame and bogus signups and  doing this-n-that on their site.  DropBox ain't perfect and it surely isn't a cure all to needing a USB drive or an external backup drive.  Maybe in 2 to 3 years more space will be given free and the upload / download speeds will be better for all, but for now, DropBox has limitations for me. And I'm surely not paying someone for cloud storage when I got cheap to buy USB thumbdrives available and also a 500GB external hard drive ready to use.  And also, don't mention the other online cloud storage sites that give a lot of free storage space.  Those sites aren't the easiest to upload and download to and are nothing like DropBox's nice user interface. 
Rehehellyon Aug. 28, 2010 at 4:18 a.m.
I remember my last (before the one i'm using now) USB memory stick I used was actually a microSD adapter since I had a spare microSD card, this thing was tiny and I managed to lose it by it coming out of my pocket when I took my hand out. I don't think anyone would of even seen it on the floor.
 
My current one is big and I only really use it as a backup incase the internet fails me, I never use it to transport important information. I normally just email everything to myself.
Jiggahon Aug. 28, 2010 at 10:21 a.m.
The first thing that happens to my new USBs is a clean wipe.  Removing annoying things that are bundled with it i.e. SanDisk's stupid U3 on the Cruzer drives.  
EndingPopon Aug. 30, 2010 at 6:22 p.m.
Remove U3! That's, sadly, step 1 for many drives.
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