How to Use a USB Flash Drive on an HP

Flash drives have become one of the most popular ways to store and transfer computer files. Most flash drives can hold in between one and four gigabytes of data, and because they use flash memory instead of standard hard-drive components, file transfers occur very quickly. Flash drives are fully compatible with any HP computer, as long as it has Windows XP or Vista installed on it.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Remove the cap or covering of the flash drive to find the USB connector.

2. Plug the flash drive into a free USB port on your HP computer. The USB ports on HP computers are usually located on the back of the systems, near the video and Ethernet ports.

3. Double-click on the "My Computer" icon on your desktop and navigate to the flash drive, which will usually be labeled as "Removable Media."

4. Drag and drop files from your computer into the flash-drive window, which copies the data from your HP hard drive to the flash drive.

5. Right-click on the green "Removable Hardware" icon in the lower-right task tray, and select "Safely Remove Hardware."

6. Click on the name of the flash drive in the pop-up window and choose "Stop." This ejects the flash drive from your HP computer.

7. Unplug the flash drive from the USB port once you see the pop-up message saying it is safe to disconnect your hardware.

Resources

• HP Support Website