A Different Kind of USB Drive Is Coming — And It’s Not Removable

There’s buzz in the dev and IT circles about a new type of USB drive being tested by a Southern California tech group — and it’s not your average thumb drive. Unlike traditional models, this device identifies as a Local Disk instead of a removable drive. That subtle shift could have a big impact for system builders, software developers, and security-minded teams.

What’s different between a flash drive and hard drive?

Rather than acting like a typical USB memory device, this one behaves more like a hard drive — natively and consistently across all major operating systems. Early info suggests it’s not relying on software tricks or OS-specific tweaks. Instead, it’s using a controller-level hardware profile to mount as a Fixed Disk. That makes it ideal for workflows that require a genuine HDD classification, such as enterprise deployment tools, forensic environments, or OS imaging applications.

People familiar with the project say it’s especially useful for creating Windows To Go environments or installing software that demands a hard disk target. This isn’t a workaround — it’s a purpose-built piece of hardware made to behave like part of your machine, not a plug-in accessory.

Reported features include support for both USB 2.0 and 3.0 protocols, multiple enclosure styles, and compliance with major certification standards (CE, FCC, RoHS, UL). Early samples start at 2GB with scalable options beyond that — and are available in small production runs for evaluation.

For integrators, this could be a clean solution to a long-standing limitation with USB-based installations. No registry edits. No mounting scripts. Just plug, and go.

We’ve now posted the full details and official specs in our article: Nexcopy USB HDD Fixed Disk Could Bypass Removable Drive Restrictions.