best (secret) ways to use your USB sticks
USB sticks are far more than just cheap file storage. Jane Hoskyn reveals nine surprising reasons to dust off those dinky dongles
Flash drives are more flash than you think. We explain just how versatile they can be
1Keep two computers in sync
If you’re spending all summer working on your laptop in the garden, you’ll soon be faced with the challenge of syncing all those files back to your desktop PC without losing or overwriting any of them. The best free tool for the job is still Microsoft’s Synctoy ( www.snipca. com/ 28492). It’s not been updated with new features for some time, but it’s still safe to use on all current versions of Windows.
It’s also really easy. Install Synctoy on your desktop PC, then click Create New Folder Pair to link a folder on the PC with a folder on your USB stick (see screenshot below). Choose the Synchronize option to sync all changes made in both folders. If you feel confident, you can even create a BAT file to sync automatically every time you plug in the USB stick.
2Create a shared Wi-fi drive
Setting up a file-sharing network at home sounds daunting, but you can do it in minutes using a USB stick - as long as your wireless router has a USB port. Plug the stick into your router, open the router’s settings in your browser and look for a drive storage or file-sharing option (it varies between makes). Netgear even has a dedicated USB Readyshare tool: www. snipca.com/28517. The USB stick will show up as a connected drive, along with an option for mapping it as a network drive (see screenshot below). All devices in your home can then share access to it.
3Back up your Windows login details
Keep forgetting your Windows password? Just grab one of your old USB sticks and use Windows’ built-in Password Reset tool to turn it into a security key that securely stores your Windows login. Plug in your USB stick, type password reset into Start, then follow the steps to create a data file on the stick. If this advice comes too late and you’ve already forgotten your password, turn to page 60 to find out how to get back into Windows.
4Lock/ unlock your PC
Free, open-source program USB Raptor ( www.snipca.com/28524) goes a step further than Password Reset by letting you embed an encrypted ‘lock file’ that turns a USB stick into a key that unlocks Windows when you plug it in - and then locks it when you remove it. You can increase the security further by adding a password, setting it to work with a certain USB port only, and locking down your Wi-fi network. Make sure to set an ‘override lock’ password in case you lose the USB stick.
5Create a Wi-fi login key
Windows 7 has a useful tool that saves your Wi-fi network profile (including the passcode) to a USB stick. You can then use it to connect to your home network from a new computer, or to give to visiting friends and family. Sadly, Microsoft ditched this tool in Windows 8 and above.
To use it in Windows 7, click Start, type manage wireless networks, then press Enter. Double-click your wireless network in the list, then click the ‘Copy this network profile to a USB flash drive’ link. Plug in your USB stick, then click Next. When the process completes, your wireless network profile will be added
to any PC the USB stick is inserted into.
6Create a portable safe
Open-source program Ciphershed ( www.snipca.com/28502; click the download link in the ‘#Release version’ section), from the makers of Truecrypt, lets you create an encrypted folder on your USB stick, and then hide it for good measure (see screenshot above). So if anyone gets their hands on your USB stick they won’t see any files on it, let alone be able to open them.
Free portable program USB Write Protect ( www.snipca.com/28499) is similar, but it write-protects your files so you can’t delete them by accident. It also lets you lock your computer’s ports to prevent anyone sticking in a sneaky device and stealing your files. This function is similar to Apple’s new USB Restricted Mode for ipads and iphones ( www.snipca.com/28500), except it’s been around on PCS for years.
7Create a portable malware-removal kit
Portable security tools such as Malwarebytes Adwcleaner ( www. malwarebytes.com/adwcleaner), BC Uninstaller ( www.snipca.com/28513) and Nobot ( https://nobotsecurity.com) weed out dangerous junk that has slipped past your antivirus (see screenshot above right). These tools are free and run safely on Windows & and above without an internet connection, so keep them on a USB stick to scan old PCS.
To remove system-locking infections such as ransomware, you’ll need something more powerful. The free rescue tools from Kaspersky ( www. snipca.com/28514) and AVG ( www. snipca.com/28515) turn a USB stick into a bootable malware scanner that can bring a locked PC back from the dead.
8Run your own private OS
Tails ( https://tails.boum.org) is a fully-functioning operating system (OS) - complete with free software - that you can run from a USB stick on any PC you like. Not only is it portable, open-source and free, but it’s also private, letting you use any PC without leaving a trace.
The next big release of Tails, due in September, will add Firefox and encryption tool Veracrypt to a mix of pre-installed software that includes Libreoffice, photo editor Gimp and private browser Tor. The catch: you’ll need at least 8GB spread across two USB sticks, and an hour for installation (see screenshot above). Head to www.snipca. com/28527 for the download and a step-by-step guide.
9Speed up your old computer
Windows 7 includes a feature called Readyboost, which draws on the flash memory from a USB stick to improve performance. The option is offered automatically when you plug in a USB stick (see screenshot left), and it can deliver noticeable speed boosts on older computers with limited RAM.
There are similar non-microsoft tools for Windows 8/8.1 and 10, but they don’t come cheap. The best value is eboostr ( www.eboostr.com), which costs from $14.99 (£11.50) and has a free trial version that you can use for two hours between restarts.