Editing USB flash drive (section)

{{Short description|Data storage device}}
[[File:SanDisk-Cruzer-USB-4GB-ThumbDrive.jpg|thumb|A [[SanDisk]] Cruzer USB drive from 2011, with 4&nbsp;GB of storage capacity]]
[[File:SanDisk Ultra Flair flash drive.jpg|thumb|A [[SanDisk]] Ultra Flair USB drive from 2020, attached to an HP laptop]]
[[File:Transcend JetFlash by Augustas Didzgalvis.jpg|thumb|[[Transcend Information|Transcend]] JetFlash from 2014]]
[[File:USB flash drive, 1TB.jpg|thumb|[[SanDisk]] 1&nbsp;TB [[USB-C]] flash drive (2020 model) next to a [[50 euro cent coin|50 cent euro coin]]]]
{{Memory types}}

A '''flash drive''' (also '''thumb drive''', '''memory stick''', and '''pen drive'''/'''pendrive''')<ref>{{cite web |title=thumb drive |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thumb%20drive |website=Merriam-Webster |access-date=December 11, 2021 |archive-date=December 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207095117/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thumb%20drive |url-status=live }}</ref>{{#tag:ref|'''Jumpdrive''' is a [[Lexar]] trademark.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jumpdrive |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Jumpdrive |website=Merriam-Webster |access-date=December 11, 2021 |archive-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125211550/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Jumpdrive |url-status=live }}</ref> Less common names are '''disk key''', '''disk on key''' (after the original M-Systems DiskOnKey drive from 2000),<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/object-of-interest-the-flash-drive|title=Object of Interest: The Flash Drive|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=2018-10-04|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-04-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421031225/https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/object-of-interest-the-flash-drive|url-status=live}}</ref> '''flash stick''', '''gig stick''', '''memory stick''', '''pen drive''', '''USB drive''', '''USB key''', '''USB memory''', and '''USB stick'''<!-- for adding alternative names, please see existing consensus at [[Talk:USB flash drive/Archive 3]] -->. For an incomplete list of alternative names, see the [//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/USB_flash_drive&hidetrans=1&hidelinks=1&limit=500 list of redirects] to this article.|group=note| group = "note"}} is a [[data storage device]] that includes [[flash memory]] with an integrated [[USB]] interface. A typical USB drive is removable, rewritable, and smaller than an [[optical disc]], and usually weighs less than {{cvt|1|oz|sigfig=1|order=flip}}. Since first offered for sale in late 2000, the storage capacities of USB drives range from 8 [[megabyte]]s to 256 [[gigabyte]]s (GB{{#tag:ref|1 GB = 1 billion bytes|group=note| group = "note"}}), 512&nbsp;GB and 1&nbsp;[[terabyte]] (TB{{#tag:ref|1 TB = 1 thousand gigabytes|group=note| group = "note"}}).<ref name="digitaltrends.com">{{cite web|last1=Madison|first1=Alex|title=Keychain Not Included: The Five Highest-Capacity USB Flash Drives for Your Digital Life|url=http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/highest-capacity-usb-flash-drives/|website=Digital Trends|access-date=17 October 2016|date=2016-07-09|archive-date=2016-10-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019013015/http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/highest-capacity-usb-flash-drives/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="techradar1">{{cite web|last1=Athow|first1=Desire|title=The best USB flash drives 2016|url=http://www.techradar.com/news/computing-components/storage/what-s-the-best-usb-stick-11-drives-tested-695094|website=Tech Radar|access-date=17 October 2016|date=2016-07-04|archive-date=2016-10-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161016070850/http://www.techradar.com/news/computing-components/storage/what-s-the-best-usb-stick-11-drives-tested-695094|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2024, 4&nbsp;TB flash drives were the largest currently in production.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=Wayne |title=This is the largest USB Flash Drive you can buy right now: 4TB USB 3.2 Gen2 thumb disk from Oyen Digital uses 3D TLC NAND — and can reach speeds of up to 1050MBps |url=https://www.techradar.com/pro/this-is-the-largest-usb-flash-drive-you-can-buy-right-now-4tb-usb-3-2-gen2-thumb-disk-from-oyen-digital-uses-3d-tlc-nand-and-can-reach-speeds-of-up-to-1050mbps |website=Tech Radar |access-date=4 December 2024 |date=27 November 2024}}</ref> Some allow up to 100,000 write/erase cycles, depending on the exact type of memory chip used, and are thought to physically last between 10 and 100 years under normal circumstances ([[Digital permanence|shelf storage time]]{{#tag:ref|USB flash drives allow reading, writing, and erasing of data, with some allowing 1 million write/erase cycles in each cell of memory: if there were 100 uses per day, 1 million cycles could span 10,000 days or over 27 years. Some devices level the usage by auto-shifting activity to underused sections of memory.|group=note| group = "note"}}).

Common uses of USB flash drives are for storage, supplementary [[data backup|back-ups]], and transferring of [[computer file]]s. Compared with [[floppy disk]]s or [[Compact disc|CDs]], they are smaller, faster, have significantly more capacity, and are more durable due to a lack of moving parts. Additionally, they are less vulnerable to [[electromagnetic interference]] than floppy disks, and are unharmed by surface scratches (unlike CDs). However, as with any flash storage, data loss from [[Data degradation#In storage|bit leaking]] due to prolonged lack of electrical power and the possibility of spontaneous [[flash memory controller|controller]] [[failure of electronic components|failure]] due to poor manufacturing could make it unsuitable for long-term [[digital archive|archiving of data]]<!--[[Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Linking#Redirects]] § 2 as of revision 1059369165 -->. The ability to retain data is affected by the controller's [[firmware]], internal [[data redundancy]], and [[error correction]] algorithms.<ref>{{cite web |title=USB Flash drive Resurrection |url=https://sectechno.com/usb-flash-drive-resurrection/ |website=SecTechno |access-date=12 December 2021 |date=29 May 2011 |archive-date=12 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412004705/https://sectechno.com/usb-flash-drive-resurrection/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=ni12>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-23|title=Understanding Life Expectancy of Flash Storage|url=https://www.ni.com/en-us/support/documentation/supplemental/12/understanding-life-expectancy-of-flash-storage.html|access-date=2020-12-19|website=www.ni.com|language=en|archive-date=2020-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219133144/https://www.ni.com/en-us/support/documentation/supplemental/12/understanding-life-expectancy-of-flash-storage.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Until about 2005, most desktop and laptop computers were supplied with floppy disk drives in addition to USB ports, but floppy disk drives became obsolete after widespread adoption of USB ports and the larger USB drive capacity compared to the "[[Megabyte#Definitions|1.44 megabyte]]" 3.5-inch floppy disk.

USB flash drives use the [[USB mass storage device class]] standard, supported natively by modern [[operating system]]s such as [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[Linux]], {{nowrap|[[macOS]]}} and other [[Unix-like]] systems, as well as many [[BIOS]] boot ROMs. USB drives with USB 2.0 support can store more data and transfer faster than much larger optical disc drives like CD-RW or DVD-RW drives and can be read by many other systems such as the [[Xbox One]], [[PlayStation 4]], DVD players, automobile entertainment systems, and in a number of handheld devices such as smartphones and tablet computers, though the electronically similar [[SD card]] is better suited for those devices, due to their standardized form factor, which allows the card to be housed inside a device without protruding.

A flash drive consists of a small [[printed circuit board]] carrying the circuit elements and a USB connector, insulated electrically and protected inside a plastic, metal, or rubberized case, which can be carried in a pocket or on a key chain, for example. Some are equipped with an [[I/O]] indication [[LED]] that lights up or blinks upon access. The USB connector may be protected by a removable cap or by retracting into the body of the drive, although it is not likely to be damaged if unprotected. Most flash drives use a standard type-A USB connection allowing connection with a port on a personal computer, but drives for other interfaces also exist (e.g. micro-USB and USB-C ports). USB flash drives draw power from the computer via the USB connection. Some devices combine the functionality of a [[portable media player]] with USB flash storage; they require a battery only when used to play music on the go.<!-- There are more devices than just this, TomTom ONE for example. I wonder if specific products (e.g., music player) should be included --><!-- From the article for Kingston -->