How to use a USB flash drive on Windows PC - Kingst... https://www.kingston.com/en/blog/mobile-lifestyle/how...

How to use a USB flash

drive on Windows PC
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What is a USB drive?

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A USB drive, also referred to as a �ash drive or memory stick, is a small, portable
device that plugs into the USB port onAccept
your computer. USBDeny
drives are commonly
used for storage, data backup, and transferring �les between devices. USB drives
come in multiple storage capacities and different ports, each having a unique
shape. Using a USB drive can differ depending on the type of computer that you
want to connect to. Keep reading to learn how to use a USB drive on Windows.

Is my USB drive compatible with my computer?

If you are using your USB
drive for the �rst time, it’s
important to check that your
USB drive is compatible with
the USB ports on your
computer. Most people

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would recognise the USB-A,

the large, square-shaped
USB drive which can only be
plugged in one way.
However, the latest Windows
computers are starting to
replace the USB-A port with
a smaller, slimmer
alternative USB-C port.

If your Windows computer only has a USB-C port, but your USB drive is a USB-A type drive, then
you can either purchase a USB-A to USB-C adapter, or for a small expense, you could buy a new
USB-C drive.

How to insert the USB drive?

Once you have a USB drive that is compatible with your Windows computer, you can now insert
the drive into a USB port. The ports will typically be located on the side of a laptop and either the
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front or back of a desktop. If you
suchareasusing a USB-A,
cookies pleaseessential
to enable make sure you insert the USB drive the
correct way to prevent any damages to your computer.
site functionality, as well as for
analytics, personalization, and
The �rst time you insert the USBtargeted
drive, advertising
Windows willpurposes.
install the necessary driver software in order to
use the USB drive. Next, a dialog box should appear. Select ‘Open folder to view �les.’ If a dialog box
does not appear, it can be �xed by inserting the USB drive again or by opening File Explorer and
Data Storage Policy
selecting your USB drive.
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How do you format a USB drive on Windows 10?

Most USB �ash drives will be preformatted. If the drive is 32GB or less they will be in the FAT32 �le
system. If they are larger than 32GB (for Kingston’s USB �ash drive capacity groups, this would be
our 64GB capacities or higher) they will be in the exFAT �le system. FAT32 is limited to a maximum
of a 32GB storage volume, so it will not have the option to format it in this �le system on any
storage drives larger than this.

After you plug your USB �ash drive into your computer you are ready to copy and move �les,
format, or rename the drive. You can rename the drive by opening File Explorer and clicking on
‘This PC’ from the left pane. Then right click your USB drive and select rename. NTFS is the standard
format for a Windows boot drive but external Windows exFAT or FAT32 allows you to use the USB
drive on both Mac and Windows computers. You might want to keep the drive in exFAT or FAT32 so

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they will work with a Mac, however you can also format them into the NTFS �le system. To format
to NTFS open File Explorer and click on ‘This PC’ from the left pane. Then right click your USB drive
and select format and NTFS but note that any data on the drive will be erased, so make sure you
already have another copy.

If the USB �ash drive was formatted for a Mac (AFS+) but you want to use it on a PC, you must
format it into the exFAT, FAT32 or NTFS �le system, but note that any data on the drive will be
erased.

After you have formatted the USB drive it should be ready to go. You can view the contents by
opening File Explorer and selecting your USB drive from the list in the left-hand panel.

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How can I use the USB drive?

Once you can access the USB drive on your Windows computer, it can now be used like any other
folder on your computer.

• You can save documents straight to the USB drive.

• You can copy �les to and from the USB drive. (Please note that when copying �les, the �les will
be duplicated).

• You can also remove a �le from your USB drive by dragging the �le to the trash can. A dialog box
should appear. Click yes to con�rm that you want to permanently delete this �le and free up
storage on the USB drive. (If the dialog box doesn’t appear automatically; right click on the
recycle bin, then properties, and tick the box ‘Display delete con�rmation dialogue’.)

How to remove the USB drive?

When you have �nished usingThisthe website
USB drive, it is important
utilizes to properly remove the device from the
technologies
Windows computer, to avoid such
damaging the �les.
as cookies toYou can do
enable this either by clicking on the small
essential
arrow on the right-hand side site functionality,
of the as well
taskbar, selecting asUSB
the for icon, and clicking ‘Eject’ in the
analytics, personalization, and
popup menu for your desired USB or by right clicking the USB drive and selecting ‘Eject’.
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External storage like USB drives and SSDs are a great way to transport your �les, backup important
documents, and give your Windows computer
Data Storage some extra space to run applications and play
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games.
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How to use your old

SSD as an external
storage drive
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