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A pendrive collecting dust is a wasted USB
Possibly USB sticks are the most useful devices we have at home. However, with the proliferation of cloud storage, and other systems that no longer require physical means to store information, for many it has fallen into disuse.
However, if you have a USB hanging around your house and that you no longer use, perhaps these ideas will help you to use it again, since after all it is "free" storage that we waste.
Install operating systems
Practically any operating system can be installed on a USB stick, so we can always have it at hand in case we need to format a PC, or even want to boot the system from the USB itself.
To do this, the first thing is to copy the operating system files to the pendrive, creating a bootable USB and then configure the BIOS of the computer to prioritize booting from USB.
Having a USB on hand with the operating system of our preference can come in handy. In addition, if you have several USB sticks you can always reserve one of them to the installation of an operating system.
Share files from the pendrive on a network
If your router has a USB port, it can be used to share the files we have on a USB stick or external hard drive to other devices connected to the network, as if it were a kind of NAS.
Although it is not as effective and secure as a NAS can be, it can make us the fix to see the files on the hard drive from other devices or computers connected to our network. In most routers, this option is on the configuration page of the router itself, being able to make the files visible through FTP or from the network options of our operating system. How you do this will depend on each router and provider.
Create a media server
With the help of our computer's own operating system, or with external applications such as Kodi or Plex it is possible to create a media server for Play any content we have on the pendrive. To do this, we will have to use a computer that acts as a bridge between other devices and thus allow playback from any computer on our network.
Another option is to connect the pendrive to the USB port of your WiFi router, if you have one. This method can also be used to configure a multimedia server through the hard drive or USB memory itself. In this way, we can play audio and video files from any device. To do this, you will have to touch the configuration of the router and allow the sharing of data over the network from the operating system.
Use the pendrive as a data recovery system
We have already learned that it is possible to connect an external hard drive or USB stick to the router to share files and even to create a media server. However, it is not the only thing we can do in relation to files accessible from other devices. And it is that with the help of additional software or the operating system of our computer, it is possible to use a USB storage unit connected to the router as a recovery or backup system.
To do this, we will have to opt for some software that periodically sends the files of a location of our computer to the hard drive connected to the router. In this way, in case of data loss, those that have been moved to the storage connected to the router will be safe. From Windows 10 and 11 we can perform this task through the 'Backup with File History' option located in the 'Backup' configuration menu.
Transporting portable applications
Many of the programs that we use in our day to day on the computer also have a 'portable version', which is a version that does not need to be installed on the computer to work, so we can copy the program files on a USB and run the application from the pendrive itself.
To do this it is important to know first if the program has a portable version, and download the files to the pendrive if we want to run the application from there. In this way, we can transport applications on the USB without having to install them on any computer.
This comes in handy especially to take with usPortable versions of software dedicated to equipment maintenance and monitoring, such as HWiNFO, CPU-Z, CrystalDiskInfo and so on.
Use a USB as an access key to your PC, or to remember the password
The USB stick can also be used as a physical key method to access a computer. In the case of Windows, the operating system has functions for this. You just need to go to the configuration of the computer, and in 'Login options’ look for the 'Security key' function.
There is also third-party software such as USB Raptor and similar to access any operating system by simply introducing the USB in the computer, being another interesting security method to access our system.
A USB with your contact information inside
If you are one of those who always carry a pendrive in the keys, this may be a good way to recover them in case of loss. And is that just by creating a text file with your contact information and storing it inside your USB, you will have more chances to recover the keys if someone finds them out there.
To give rise to this, you can always place a label on the surface of the pendrive that urges anyone who finds the keys to know how to contact you.
Use a flash drive to save all your encrypted passwords
When we have an account for each website we visit and tools we use, it can be difficult for you to remember each and every password you use (because as a good user, you always use a different one for each site, right?). In addition to password managers, you can also use a pendrive to store this type of information, always encrypted in case it falls into the wrong hands.
As ways to encrypt your information you can always make use of applications such as BitLocker, VeraCrypt, and the like. In this way,You can keep your information safein case the USB ends up lost in any corner.
Record DTT programs
In some televisions it is possible to connect an external device to record the DTT programming. TVs like Sony's support this function, and it is very useful, especially when we want to record our favorite program and then watch it comfortably.
In addition, it is also possible to do it through Kodi. The application is more than a multimedia center, and through its different add-ons it is also possible to record DTT from IPTV lists.
Use a flash drive to locally update equipment and software
Of course, a USB memory allows you to store any type of file, so it is also possible to copy to the pendrive those files necessary for the firmware update of any equipment and software that allows this function. In this way, we can get to update from the BIOS of our PC, to the firmware of a TV, or router.
As far as televisions are concerned, today practically any manufacturer has a method to install updates from the USB itself. The companions of Engadget Smart Home have shown us how to do it on Sony, LG or Samsung TVs, although the procedure is similar in most models.
Those are some amazing ideas
