USBflashdrives

USB flash drives are compact portable storage devices that use NAND flash memory and connect to a computer via a USB interface. They are commonly called USB sticks or thumb drives and offer convenient transport, backups, and quick data transfers without moving parts.

A USB flash drive consists of flash memory, a controller, a USB connector, and an enclosure. The controller manages wear leveling, error correction, and data integrity. Capacities have grown from megabytes to hundreds of gigabytes and beyond. Interfaces evolved from USB 2.0 to USB 3.x and USB4, with higher theoretical speeds and varying real-world performance depending on the device and host.

Many drives are formatted for cross-platform use, commonly with FAT32 or exFAT, and can be reformatted for NTFS or APFS when needed. They can also be made bootable to install or repair operating systems. Some models offer hardware encryption and secure access features.

Typical uses include data transfer, portable software collections, OS installation media, and emergency backups. Flash memory has finite write cycles, but modern drives use wear leveling to extend life. Loss or theft can expose data, so encryption and strong access controls are recommended.

USB flash drives emerged in the early 2000s and quickly became widespread due to small size, reliability, and ease of use. They have largely replaced floppy disks and CDs for portable storage and are produced in a wide range of capacities and features, from basic devices to hardware-encrypted models.