How to Take Apart a Flash Drive (4 Steps)
By Russell Wood
A flash drive is a handy thing to have for transporting data between two different computers. You can customize your flash drive by decorating it or replacing the original case to make it unique. To do this, the flash drive needs to be taken apart so you can use the core of the drive as your base. Taking apart a flash drive takes just a few minutes.
Step 1
Hold the flash drive steady in one hand, holding it by the USB plug so you have access to all sides of the flash drive's case.
Step 2
Insert the tip of the utility knife into the seam between the two halves of the flash drive case.
Step 3
Twist the utility knife to separate the two halves of the case. Insert the small flat head screwdriver into the gap created by the knife, then run it around the perimeter of the flash drive, twisting the blade of the screwdriver in the process to work the case loose.
Step 4
Pull off the top and bottom of the flash drive using your hands, until you're left with a USB plug and the circuit board that holds the flash memory.
Tips
- If you're worried about breaking the flash drive, first copy any data on the drive to your computer's hard drive; that way you always have backup.
Writer Bio
Russell Wood is a writer and photographer who attended Arizona State University. He has been building custom cars and trucks since 1994, including several cover vehicles. In 2000 Wood started a career as a writer, and since then he has dedicated his business to writing and photographing cars and trucks, as well as helping people learn more about how vehicles work.