USB flash drives

How long do USB sticks last?


The lifespan of USB sticks depends on your usage. Depending on the stick can last between 10 to 30 years. You can avoid unnecessary defects by safely removing the USB stick after use. You do this by clicking on the USB symbol in the taskbar on the right and ejecting the relevant stick.
If a cap is supplied, you should also use this. This prevents contamination of the port or the entry of liquids into the USB interface, especially during transport or when not in use.
Nevertheless, I recommend you to back up important data multiple times. You can also use cloud services for this.



Why does a USB flash drive effectively offer less memory than stated?


This problem is not a defect, nor is it a misrepresentation or fraud by the manufacturer. The difference is due to the conversion from decimal prefixes to binary prefixes. You can find more detailed information about this on techbook.de.
Briefly explained: Hard disk manufacturers calculate with the decimal system (1 byte = 1000 kilobytes) and Windows with the binary system (1 byte = 1024 kilobytes). Therefore, Windows recognizes less memory after the conversion than specified by the manufacturer. The operating system macOS shows since the update 10.6 the exact memory size of the USB stick.
The higher the amount of memory, the greater the difference between the specified and actually usable amount of memory. If you need the exact size of the manufacturer, so I recommend you to choose a storage capacity larger.




How to encrypt a USB stick?


To encrypt sensitive data on your USB stick, you can use an external software, such as Veracrypt, WinRaR or Bitlocker. This will ask for a password before opening.
Some manufacturers also offer corresponding sticks, which are sold with their own software. An alternative to software are USB stick models with physical buttons on the case, so you set a word or numeric combination as a password. Without the correct PIN access to the data of the stick is not possible.
Certain versions of Windows offer the possibility to encrypt individual folders. To do this, right-click on any folder to search in the "Properties" for the tab "General" and then "Advanced". Now you have the option of "Encrypt content to protect data".




Are there waterproof USB sticks?


In the trade, numerous USB sticks with a waterproof housing are available. These are often part of a product range of particularly robust sticks. Prerequisite for water resistance is that all interfaces are covered or screwed shut. Exact information can be found in the respective description of the USB stick.




Which file system is best suited for USB sticks?


For USB sticks the exFAT format is the optimal file system, because it was developed especially for flash memory. This offers high compatibility with many devices. FAT32 stores data up to a maximum of four gigabytes and is offered by Windows up to a size of 32 gigabytes. However, this is only recommended for older devices that are not compatible with exFAT. This can include televisions or media players.




Which USB sticks are bootable?


Nowadays, almost every USB stick is bootable with the help of suitable tools. For example, the Windows USB/DVD tool is suitable for this. After use, you can simply format the USB stick and reassign for the next boot.




Can I use USB sticks as a promotional gift?


With USB sticks, it is a popular promotional item. You can have them printed with your logo at numerous suppliers from a certain minimum number. Often you can benefit from volume discounts.