Mesa Community College
Business Administration Department
USB Flash Drives
Most of us have used floppy disks before. Through the years, floppy disks have been very convenient to store and transport computer files. Now that computer files are much bigger due to larger file storage formats, images, music, and the number of files being stored, a floppy disk does not have the capacity to store all the information we may need. Using a USB Flash Drive (disk), sometimes called pen, jump, thumb, cigar, pocket, or USB mini-drive, you can store information much in the same way as the floppy, but with a much larger capacity.

The difference between a flash drive and floppy disk, besides the greater capacity, is the way it is connected to your computer. There is a port located in the front of most newer computers called a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port. USB 1.1 devices transfer data at 12 megabits per second (Mbps), and USB 2.0 transfer at 480Mbps. The flash drive is connected to the computer through the USB port. A battery or external power supply is not rquired, because power is passed through the USB port. As soon as the drive is plugged into a USB port, the operating system recognizes and mounts the device by assigning a letter drive to it.

1. Plug in flash drive and system will recognize and mount it.
Flash Drive Mounted

2. Once connected, it acts like any other drive on the computer.
Flash Drive Mounted


When you are finished using the flash drive, be sure to save all your work and close all applications. Be sure to select Safely Remove Hardware before pulling the drive out. Data may be lost if the drive is pulled out before dismounting it properly. If you are not sure how to complete this task, be sure to ask for assistance regarding this process.

3. Left click on the removable drive icon on the task bar:
Removable Drive Icon
4. Using the mouse, select your drive from the list of removable drives.
Safely Remove Hardware
If there is only one device connected, then only one drive will appear on the list. The system will display a message when the flash drive can be disconnected.

Students may purchase a USB flash drive at many stores in the Valley including Best Buy and Fry's Electronics among many others. They are also readily available on the Internet. Search for flash drives by going to an Internet Search Engine like yahoo.com and searching for "USB Flash Drive". We recommend you purchase at least a 128MB or larger flash drive. Prices for a 128MB flash drive start around $30.00.

Flash drives can be used at home, office, and at any of our computer labs. They are very transportable as they are small. The only problem we have seen so far is they are easy to lose or misplace. Be sure you are careful to remove your flash drive each time you leave the lab. You may also want to write your name on the outside of your flash drive with a permanent marker, and create a folder on the drive with your name on it. To protect the drive itself, be sure to replace the cover on the connecting side of the flash drive before transporting it.

Flash Drive Example       Flash Drive Example       Flash Drive Example       Flash Drive Example      
Business Administration Department
1833 W. Southern Ave.    (480) 461-7725
Mesa, AZ    85202-4866
 
Revised: 2/14/2006 - www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d07/cis105/flashdriveinfo.htm