How to Store Stuff on a Flash Drive

A USB flash drive.

Flash drives have become a popular way of transporting files from one computer to another. Computer users can now store many gigabytes of files, including photographs, videos, text files and programs, on a piece of technology smaller than a human thumb. A flash drive connects to the USB port in almost any computer, according to Lakeland College, whether it is a PC running Windows, a Mac, or a machine running Linux or another operating system.

Things You'll Need

• Flash drive
• Computer
• Files

Instructions

1. Insert the flash drive into the computer's USB port. Push firmly, but do not shove.

2. Click the "Start" button in the lower left-hand corner of the computer screen. When the menu appears, click "Computer." A window should appear showing the drives connected to the computer.

3. Find the icon for the USB flash drive under "Devices with Removable Storage." It should list a name (for example, Kingston Flash Drive). Double-click the icon with the name that describes the flash drive. You should now see a window for a folder displaying all the files currently on the flash drive.

4. Click on the "Start" button again and select the location where the files you wish to store are currently placed. For example, in order to store files from the Documents library, click on the "Documents" tab on the right side of the Start menu.

   You should see two folders: one displaying the files on your computer, one displaying the contents of the flash drive. If the flash drive folder does not appear, click the taskbar icon that looks like a picture of several manila file folders, found toward the bottom of the screen, and select the flash drive folder from the "Aero Peek" window that appears. Both folders should appear side by side. If necessary, click the mouse button in the top part of folder window and hold it down while you move the mouse in order to "drag" the folder to the side, in order to view both folders at once.

5. Click on the file or files you wish to transfer in the folder on the computer. Hold down the mouse button while moving the mouse pointer until it rests over the flash drive folder, then let go of the mouse button to store files on the flash drive.

Tips & Warnings

• These steps will work with slight adaptation in almost any operating system that uses file folders, including Mac OS and versions of Linux that use graphical interfaces.

• According to Microsoft Support, using this "drag and drop" method between the local hard disk and a flash drive will copy files; using it between two different folders on the same disk will move files.

References

• Online Learning at Lakeland College: What Is a Flash Drive?
• Microsoft Windows 7: Working With Files and Folders
• Microsoft Windows 7: What's New With the Windows 7 Taskbar