Most of us are familiar with USB keys – the keyring-sized devices that can hold as much data as thousands of floppy disks. But their simplicity makes them suitable for more jobs than you’d expect. By adding a few applications and your own data, you can turn the USB key into a personal mobile office.
With a USB key it’s possible to run your own programs on other people’s computers, without having to install anything. Alternatively, it can be used as a toolkit to help out with poorly PCs. In fact, it’s possible to use a USB key to run an entire operating system.
Try hot desking
Apart from storing data, the next easiest way to make more of a USB key is to fashion it into a rudimentary ‘hot desk’, so that items created on a home PC are at hand when using a different computer. This is something that would be especially useful to those who have to use several computers. Students, in particular, might find the ability to carry favourites around invaluable.
At its simplest, this could mean loading the key with a few documents, then copying across your web favourites and possibly some e-mail messages. Copying favourites, for Internet Explorer users, is easy. Open Internet Explorer and click the Favorites menu, then right-click the Links folder and select Open. This will open the Favorites folder in Windows.
Go back two folders by clicking twice on the green Up icon in the toolbar. Open the USB key’s disk folder and drag and drop the Favorites folder to it. Opera and Firefox users should click the Bookmarks menu, then Manage Bookmarks. In the Bookmarks Manager, click File, then Export, and give the file a name, and save it on the USB key. This is an HTML file that can be then loaded into another web browser.
E-mail and the USB key
It’s slightly more difficult to use e-mail with a USB key – the best way to carry e-mail messages is to save them (using the File*Save options in the menus) on the USB key as text messages. It is, however, possible to run an e-mail application from the key, which we will be covering later.
Some USB keys, such as the Disgo Classic and the Sandisk Cruzer come with software that will synchronise files and folders for you – check with the manufacturer or retailer if you are not sure. Alternatively, the Briefcase software, included with Windows, can be used to synchronise files with the USB key.
To create a Briefcase in Windows Explorer, click the File menu, then New (this can be done in any window except that opened by double-clicking the My Computer icon), then Briefcase. Copy any files into the briefcase, then drag and drop it to the USB key’s folder. On the other computer, double-click the Briefcase to open it, and open the files from there, saving them as usual when you have finished. To synchronise with the original computer, insert the USB key with the changed files, and double-click to open the Briefcase, then click the Briefcase menu and select Update All. Alternatively, select the files to update and click Briefcase, then Update Selection.
Using the apps
There are two ways to use applications from a USB key. One is to carry around a ‘toolkit’ of application setup files, which can then be installed on other people’s computers. This is useful if you are called to troubleshoot a friend’s PC – it’s then a case of installing programs such as Spybot Search & Destroy, Ad-Aware and Zonealarm. Bear in mind that only freeware and shareware applications should be carried in this way, because most paid-for applications will only allow the user to install the software on one PC. If you have deleted the setup file for favourite applications, just download them again from the original website and move them to the key.
Alternatively, and more useful, it’s possible to install some applications on to the key itself, so that when it is inserted into another PC, the application can be run without having been installed on that PC.
Web browsing
For a browser, try programmer John Haller’s Portable Firefox (http://johnhaller.com/jh/mozilla/portable_ firefox). Download the Zip file from the site and open it, then drag the Portable Firefox folder to the USB key. On the other PC, just open the folder and double-click PortableFirefox.exe.
The same principle applies to the following programs – install the applications on the key, then run them by opening the key’s folder from My Computer when plugged into another PC. The same programmer has created Portable Thunderbird to access e-mail away from the home PC (http://johnhaller. com/jh/mozilla/ portable_thunderbird). When you transfer this application to another PC, double-clicking the Portable Thunderbird icon will retrieve any e-mail from that account, no matter which PC is used.
Filezilla is an FTP application and download manager that will work from a USB key, and is handy for transferring large files to and from the Internet. To download it, select the ZIP option and choose a mirror from which to download the file. Then unzip the file into a folder on the USB key. When running it, select XML if asked to choose between storing settings in the Registry or in an XML file.
Instant messaging
Trillian Anywhere (www.trilliananywhere.com) gives instructions on how to make the instant-messaging application (which makes it possible to talk to buddies on the Yahoo and MSN instant messagers) available on a USB key. Another version is Trillian Basic, which will be better for USB keys with smaller capacities.
Office apps
John Haller has also created a portable version of Open Office (http://johnhaller.com/jh/useful_stuff/portable_openoffice), the free office suite. This is quite large, at 53Mb, but it’s within the limits of a 128Mb key. Remember to save any created documents on the USB key, rather than on the host computer.
Media maestro
If your USB key is already loaded with MP3 music files, XMPlay (www.un4seen.com) is a tiny music player. Download the ZIP and unzip it to the USB key, then run it from there.
Media Player Classic (http://sourceforge.net/ project/showfiles.php? group_id=82303& package_ id=84358) is another useful media player, which can also play video. There is only one file in the ZIP, so download it and extract it to the USB key to use it.
Pocket virus detection
While it’s not practical to carry a whole anti-virus application around, the Stinger from McAfee (http://vil.nai.com/vil/ stinger) is a tiny tool that can detect certain major viruses. Download the .exe file to the USB key and run it from there.
Glorious games on the key
As for entertainment, many old games can be installed on a USB key by copying the game folder. Take a look at www.abandonia.org for a repository of older games.
There are several websites that list USB-suitable applications, with instructions for installation and use. You can find a large directory at www.usbapps.com, and a similar one at www.tinyapps.org.
It’s always important to safely remove the USB key. Once you have finished working, wait for the light, if there is one, to stop flashing, then left-click the Safely Remove Device icon in the Taskbar. Select the USB key and Windows will make it safe to be removed.
Obviously, the capacity of the USB key will limit the number of these applications that can be used. The developers have kept them as small as possible, but it might be necessary to do some pruning rather than installing all of this software.
Alternative OS
One interesting option is to install Linux on a bootable USB key – Damnsmalllinux (www.damnsmalllinux.org) is designed for this and is a good way to try Linux without having to install it on a hard disk.
Key-based security
Some foreign banks are also experimenting with using USB keys. This would involve loading a file onto the key to unlock a bank account, and would work in conjunction with a password or other form of security. In a similar vein, Steganos Safe 8 is security software that allows users to create a data key on a USB drive, which can then be used to unlock data on a PC. The danger is that if the drive is lost, the data can’t be accessed. Deslock (www.deslock.com) also supplies software that will store a data key on a USB drive. The software is free for personal use, after registration.
Some keys come with dedicated features.
The Clipdrive Bio, by Memory Experts (www.memoryexpertsinc.com) and the Sony Microvault Fingerprint (www.sony.net/Products/Media/Microvault) both include biometric fingerprint readers. These can come in handy if you are concerned about data falling into the wrong hands. Alternatively, the Freecom FM-10 Pro (www.freecom.com) includes its own security software, while Sandisk’s Cruzer (www.sandisk.com) range includes USB keys that come with both security and synchronisation software, making it easy to keep files up to date and secure.
Finally, U3 (www.u3.com) is a new standard for USB keys. A U3 drive works with specially written software to allow users to carry around whole applications. Internet telephony and media players are among the programs available and more are lined up for the future.
Disk to the rescue
It’s possible to make a ’boot disk’ from your USB key, which can sometimes be used to rescue a PC that refuses to start. This is a tricky process, but worth a look if you’re a confident PC user.
The easiest way to do this is to use software such as Prime Expert’s Flashboot (www.prime-expert.com/flashboot). This can create a boot disk with MS-DOS on it, which can be used to diagnose and fix some systems. The downside is that Flashboot has to be paid for, although there is a demo version.
The computer’s BIOS needs to be suitably equipped for it to be able to start from the USB key – check with the manufacturer to see whether it supports USB ZIP or USB HDD booting. If you know how to get into the BIOS set-up (usually by pressing F1, F2, Del or Escape when starting the PC) you can check for yourself.
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