Web Mail | LearnJCU | Contacts | Bulletins | Campus Maps
   Information For > Prospective Students | International Students | Current Students | Visitors | Staff | Jobs at JCU
Information About > The University | Research | Teaching | Courses & Degrees | Faculties & Divisions | Library & Computing

USB Flash Drives

InfoHelp Logo

An InfoHelp How To...? Guide

Download
this guide in Word

A Flash Drive is a small self-powered drive that connects to a computer directly through a USB port. It's both Mac and PC compatible, so you can transfer files between both Macs and PCs. Flash drives can hold any type of data, including excel, jpeg, video, and text files and come with varying amounts of storage space. Flash drives are also commonly referred to as key drive, thumb drives, jump drives, USB drives, USB memory sticks and pen drives.

Introduction

Advantages of USB Flash drives over other removable media

Copying Files from a flash drive on a PC

Copying Files to a flash drive on a PC

Copying files to a flash drive on a Mac

Copying files from a flash drive on a Mac

Introduction

Flash drives are meant as a way to get files to and from multiple computers. They are NOT for backups. We strongly encourage users to backup files to CD-RW or CD-R disks.

Please note that not all flash drives are the same. Some may require extra drivers to be installed on a computer in order for them to function properly. The GATCF Lab computers do not allow drivers to be installed. Therefore, not all flash drives will be compatible, unlike floppy disks and CDROM R/W disks that are fairly standard.

Several devices have been tested on both the PC and Mac and two have worked correctly and consistently, both on and between these platforms. These are the SanDisk Cruzer Micro available through the JCU Bookshop and the Seitec USB Bar available from the JCU MacShop. Both suppliers offer the product at a reduced price to students.

Top of Page

Advatages of USB Flash drives over other removable media

USB Flash drives gives you the freedom to carry all of your files in the palm of your hand and can be up to 350 times the capacity of a floppy disk.
Recordable CDs take time to burn and are prone to errors. Using a USB Flash drive can save data up to 10 times faster and enable you to create, copy and delete files quickly.
Floppies and disks are bulky, unreliable and only work on computers with specific drives and software. USB Flash disks are durable, highly reliable and work on nearly every computer with a standard USB port.

Top of Page


Copying Files from a flash drive on a PC

  1. Open My Computer. In the GATCF labs you will see A (floppy drive), E (temporary storage area on the local hard drive) and F drives (CD Drive) only. On you own computer you will see other drives such as C: drive.
  2. Insert the flash drive into the USB port and watch to see where the USB flash drive appears. In the GATCF labs this will always appear as G: drive. Most will appear as removable storage, but some will instead appear as hard drives. Note the name Windows is using to refer to the flash drive ("Removable Disk (G:)," for example).
  3. Double-click on the flash drive to locate the file(s) or folder(s) you want to copy to this computer. Select the files or folders you want to copy by left-clicking on them. To select more than one, hold down the CTRL key while you click and select all of the files or folders you wish to copy.
  4. Right-click on the files or folders you have selected and choose Copy.
  5. Open My Documents or the location to which you want to transfer files from the flash drive.
  6. Click on the Edit menu, then select Paste.
  7. When the copying is finished, do NOT immediately remove the flash drive from the USB port. Right click on the Remove Hardware icon that is located at the right hand of the Start Bar on the bottom of the screen..

  1. An Unplug or Eject Hardware dialogue box will be displayed. Click Stop. A second dialogue box will appear from which ou select the USB device that you wish to remvoe. Highlight the removable device and then click OK.
  2. A message should then be displayed informing you that it is safe to remove the USB Flash Device.

Top of Page

Copying Files to a flash drive on a PC

  1. Open My Computer. In the GATCF labs you will see A (floppy drive), E (temporary storage area on the local hard drive) and F drives (CD Drive) only. On you own computer you will see other drives such as C: drive.
  2. Insert the flash drive into the USB port and watch to see where the USB flash drive appears. In the GATCF labs this will always appear as G: drive. Most will appear as removable storage, but some will instead appear as hard drives. Note the name Windows is using to refer to the flash drive ("Removable Disk (G:)," for example).
  3. Locate the folder containing files you want to copy to the USB device. Select the files or folders you want to copy by left-clicking on them. To select more than one, hold down the CTRL key while you click and select all of the files or folders you wish to copy.
  4. Right-click on the files or folders you have selected and choose Copy.
  5. Locate the G: drive in My Computer. This should contain the contents of your USB drive.
  6. Click on the Edit menu, then select Paste.
  7. When the copying is finished, do NOT immediately remove the flash drive from the USB port. Right click on the Remove Hardware icon that is located at the right hand of the Start Bar on the bottom of the screen..

  1. An Unplug or Eject Hardware dialogue box will be displayed. Click Stop. A second dialogue box will appear from which ou select the USB device that you wish to remvoe. Highlight the removable device and then click OK.
  2. A message should then be displayed informing you that it is safe to remove the USB Flash Device.

Top of Page

 

Copying files to a flash drive on a MAC

  1. Insert the flash drive into the USB port.
  2. A white USB drive icon will appear on the desktop:
  3. Find the files or folders you want to copy to the flash drive. Select the files or folders you want to save to the flash drive by clicking on them. To select more than one, hold down the APPLE key while you click and select all of the files and folders you wish to save.
  4. Drag and drop the selected files/folders to the white USB flash drive icon.
  5. When you have finished copying, do NOT immediately remove the flash drive from the USB port. Instead, drag the white USB drive icon to the Trash Can, located on the Dock. Note: the Trash Can will change to the Eject Icon.
  6. The white USB drive icon will no longer be visible on your desktop. It is now safe to remove the flash drive from the USB port.

Top of Page

Copying files from a flash drive on a Mac

  1. Insert the flash drive into the USB port.
  2. A white USB drive icon will appear on the desktop:
  3. Double-click on the white USB drive icon to see the files and folders currently stored on the drive.
  4. Open the folder where you would like to copy the files or folders from the Flash Drive.
  5. Back at the USB flash drive folder, select the files or folders you want to copy from the flash drive by clicking on them. To select more than one, hold down the APPLE key while you click and select all of the files and folders you wish to save.
  6. Drag and drop the selected files/folders to the folder on the computer where you would like them to be copied.
  7. When you have finished copying, do NOT immediately remove the flash drive from the USB port. Instead, drag the white USB drive icon to the Trash Can, located on the Dock. Note: the Trash Can will change to the Eject Icon.
  8. The white USB drive icon will no longer be visible on your desktop. It is now safe to remove the flash drive from the USB port.

Top of Page

If this information is inadequate, incorrect, or can be improved in any way, please let us know