There was a time when USB drives were almost essential. We always carried one with us to move files between computers or save them for a while without depending on the Internet. That scenario has completely changed. Today the focus is on mobile phones and cloud storage, which leaves many pendrives forgotten in a drawer. The question is inevitable: if we meet one again, is it worth giving it a second life?
In a new video published on the Xataka YouTube channel We try to answer precisely that question. Ana Boria reviews different ways to recover the usefulness of this peripheral that has apparently been outdated by the passage of time. And the interesting thing is that several of the proposals it raises go beyond the most obvious uses that we all have in mind.
Tricks to take advantage of our USB drives
One of the first ideas points to something as everyday as it is necessary: freeing up space on phones with little internal memory. “Well, if you have a pendrive and an adapter like this, you can use it to transfer all the photos, videos and files you want, to free up space on your mobile without having to erase your memories,” explains Ana, who also details what type of adapter should be used to do it in a simple and practical way.
The video also covers more familiar functions, such as using a USB drive to install Windows, with instructions on how to create the installation media, and other less common functions, such as using portable applications. “It is very useful if you have to use other people’s equipment from time to time or you cannot happily install programs,” our colleague points out from her own experience.
There is even room for proposals designed for more technical profiles. Ana shows different possibilities to execute operating systems in Live USB modea common practice in several Linux distributions. And on Windows? There are also alternatives, and the video mentions specific tools that allow you to achieve this without too much complication.
“I also want to tell you about a very interesting option, but one that has its nuances… We can use our USB memory as a physical key for two-step verification.” With this idea, Ana enters the field of digital security and puts on the table a less known, but especially useful, use for this type of device.
The review continues with other tricks that show that that forgotten pendrive can still have a journey. The video is now available on Xataka’s YouTube channeland the invitation remains open: tell us in the comments if you knew of any of these uses or if they were already part of your daily life.
Images | Xataka
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