6 USB Drive Uses You’re Missing Out On

Most of us use USB drives for temporary file storage, but they can do much more. You can boot an operating system, store and encrypt passwords, automate critical data backups, and more. If you have a spare USB drive that you only use for storage, here are some other ways to make the most of it.

1

Run a Portable OS

Using a USB drive, you can carry a complete operating system in your pocket. This enables you to experiment with a different OS on your device, use a portable operating system on shared computers without leaving activity traces, and have a backup solution to continue working without interruptions if your main installation gets corrupted.

Setting up a portable OS is easy. Download the operating system’s ISO file. Then, use a third-party tool like Rufus to format and create a bootable USB drive. Once it’s ready, access your computer’s BIOS/UEFI settings by pressing the designated key during startup, change the boot order to prioritize the USB drive, and restart your computer to boot into the new OS.

You can also use Rufus to create a bootable drive for other operating systems like Linux. Otherwise, you can opt for another tool—the process remains essentially the same.

2

Store and Manage Passwords Securely

Another underrated use for USB drives is securely storing and managing passwords. If you rely on an online password manager or browser-based storage, using a USB drive adds an extra layer of security. It protects your credentials from hacking attempts and data breaches and ensures you always have access to them on any computer.

A basic approach is to save your passwords in a text file, encrypt it, and store it on your USB drive. However, a more secure and convenient option is to use a portable password manager that runs directly from your USB drive and is protected by a master password. Tools like Sticky Password allow you to do this easily.

To use this method, install a password manager like Sticky Password, connect your USB drive to your computer, and configure the portable version through the application settings. Once set up, you can securely store your credentials on the USB drive and use it to autofill login details on any device.

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3

Backup Important Files Automatically

Some files and folders contain critical data we can’t afford to lose. While you can use various backup methods, a simple approach is to use a USB drive as a backup location. Once backed up, you can unplug the drive to store your important data securely. Since USB drives are easily portable, you can access your files on other devices.

To set this up, you can use a third-party backup tool and select your USB drive as the backup destination. Alternatively, you can use Windows’ File History feature, which allows you to back up specific folders. You can also customize settings, like excluding certain folders, adjusting backup frequency, and defining how long saved versions are retained.

You can manually back up only the most critical files from these folders instead of everything. This allows you to use your USB storage more efficiently for backups.

Related

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4

Run Your Favorite Games From Your USB

You can play your favorite games directly from a USB drive, and I do this often. It’s really helpful in many ways. First, I don’t have to install games on multiple computers, which saves storage space on my primary devices and avoids extra hassle. Plus, I can take my games anywhere. Some games can run directly from the USB without installation.

You can also move games from platforms like Steam to a USB drive and play them from there. This lets you carry a small gaming setup in your pocket and use it on any computer. However, the downside is that performance might not be as good as playing from an SSD, and it depends on the hardware of the computer you use.

To get the best experience, choose a USB 3.0 or higher drive for faster speeds, and make sure it has enough free space even after installing the games.

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5

Turn Your Flash Drive Into a Mini Web Server

You can also turn your USB drive into a portable web server, enabling you to develop and test websites or applications locally without an internet connection. This approach allows you to work on a local server without installing additional software on every computer, making development more flexible—especially if you frequently switch devices.

To set up a mini web server on your USB, install XAMPP Portable directly onto the drive and follow the setup instructions. Once installed, open the server control panel and start the necessary services (such as Apache and MySQL). If you’re new to setting up a local server, I recommend following a tutorial to understand the process.

Alternatively, USBWebServer is a lightweight, no-installation option. With this setup, you can carry a server in your pocket and access your projects from anywhere.

These are just some ways to use a USB drive beyond simple file storage. If you weren’t aware of these uses before, now you have plenty of ideas to make the most of that unused USB drive.