Sticky labels are not a professional solution to label flash drives. Today we look at an alternative for labeling a flash drive which suits the demands of a business and/or professional.

There is a clear difference between labeling your flash drive because of personal use and the need to label a flash drive which is sold, shipped or mailed to a paying customer.

A common method to label a flash drive is with a sticky label applied to the outside of the flash drive, or a paper merchandise tag with some notes about the contents hanging from the lanyard loop. Albeit a good method for a personal flash drive, not the most professional or durable flash drive label tag when sold as a commercial product.

It is a common requirement from a company to include more information about the contents of a flash drive than what the space of a sticky label or tag will allow. In addition, the durability of said label should withstand environmental conditions which surpass the limits of a merchandise tag. Examples include:

• Detailed instructions for how the flash drive should be used
• Software or firmware version information (longer than sticky label space)
• Medical compliance information about the contents
• Audit tracking of ownership / possession (longer than sticky label space)

From the examples above, the question becomes:

What flash drive label can be used which is professional looking while having the durability and space needed to print the information required?

The best flash drive label we have found is the plastic credit card sized label offered by Nexcopy.

The CC USB Label is a white PVC plastic product which is 85mm wide by 54mm tall and 0.75mm thick with a total weight of 4 grams. The CC USB Label is printable on both sides and includes a lanyard for connecting to a USB flash drive.

The CC USB Label accepts full color print and with a white background, each color is vibrant and great contrast for users to easily read the printed information. Using an eco-solvent printer, the ink is permanent and water proof. The information printed will last in various weather conditions and environmental conditions.

Nexcopy offers their eco-solvent LOGO-EZ printer for in-house production. Nexcopy also offers print services for those not wanting to invest in a flatbed eco-solvent printer.

The credit card size and the light weight of the card make it a perfect complement as a flash drive label. With double sided print capability, a company has a great deal of space to print the information required for their product.

From the image below, one can see the flash drive label is ideal for printed bar codes for scanning during product fulfillment, shipping and receiving. Printing a more precise image like a QR code could improve user experience, such as streamlining a product registration process or direct landing page for a how-to video for product instruction.

The plastic PVC material is ideal for printing color logos and highlighting specific information. Having the flexibility for color print lends itself to emphasizing certain bits of information the manufacturer wants the end-user to notice.

In addition, the CC USB Label allows custom branding to match the requirements from the marketing department to ensure branding compliance is matched – getting stuck with black only printed sticky labels or merchandise tags decrease the overall perceived value of the product and could fall out of compliance of a company’s marketing guidelines.

Although some of this information sounds overkill for a flash drive label, keep in mind this solution is designed for a business or professional who might be required to provide very detailed labels for the product in which the flash drive is associated with.

Do I have to eject my USB flash drive?

The short answer: No.

The technical answer: Yes.

If the technical answer is yes, the why do I have to Eject my USB Flash Drive?

The difference boils down to the type of file system being used. If the USB is FAT, FAT32 or exFAT you do NOT need to eject the USB flash drive before pulling it out of a computer.

If the USB drive is NTFS, then yes, eject the flash drive before pulling it out of the computer.

So why eject when the USB flash drive is formatted as NTFS?

The NTFS (New Technology File System) is a journaling file system system.

A journaling file system is one that keeps track of changes which have not yet been committed to the main part of the file system by recording the goal of such changes in a data structure known as a “journal,” which is typically a circular log. In the event of a system crash or power outage, such file systems can be restored more quickly and with a lower risk of corruption.

Depending on how it is implemented, a journaling file system may only keep track of stored metadata, resulting in improved performance at the expense of increased data corruption risk. A journaling file system, on the other hand, may track both stored data and related metadata, with some implementations allowing for user-selectable behavior in this regard.

With an NTFS formatted flash drive it is very possible there are journal entries going on in the background which the user is not away of, so if the drive is unexpectedly pulled out of the computer that physical action could corrupt the data on the drive.

Why do people format flash drives as NTFS?

Two common reasons people (wrongfully) format a flash drive as NTFS include:

1. The user would like to take advantage of security settings which NTFS does offer
2. The user has large single files and isn’t aware exFAT solves the same problem

NTFS allows an Administrator to assign privileges’ to files and folders and those security settings will remain for said files on the NTFS formatted flash drive. This is probably the ONLY legitimate reason a flash drive should be formatted as NTFS.

FAT and FAT32 have a single file limit of 4GBs so any single file larger than 4GBs will not be copied to a FAT or FAT32 flash drive. To get around this problem, Users will format the drive as NTFS. They select NTFS because it’s the same file system as their host computer… and since it works there… might as well format the flash drive the same way. However, what the users don’t understand is exFAT solves the same problem while at the same time providing a more stable file system – one that isn’t a journaling file system – so a flash drive can be pulled out without ejecting.

Good News – Free USB Eject Software Tool

GetUSB.info reported on this earlier; Eject USB Flash Drive safely, Free Download. The software is free to download, free to distribute and free to embed into other programs.

I want to copy protect a digital photo on a USB flash drive. The answer wasn’t as obvious as I had hoped, but I did find it.

Below is the process I used to get what I needed.

The first thing I want to emphasize is that I want to protect a digital copy of a photo rather than a physical copy of a photo.

So, how to prevent a digital photo from being copied from a USB flash drive is a difficult question to answer. My first thought is about the medium I intend to use to send a digital photo to someone.

• Do I offer a download link?
• Do I send them a digital copy on a storage device like a portable hard drive or USB flash drive?
• Do I provide them a weblink to view the file from a hosted server?

The more I considered a delivery method, the more questions I had.

My first thought was to host the photo on a private webpage. Only users with access to the page could view the photo.

This isn’t going to work. I realized that once the viewer is on the page and viewing the photo, they can save it or screen capture it. After that, they could share the digital photo with whoever they wanted. There isn’t much protection here.

My next thought was to put the digital photo in a password-protected zip file. That is a good idea. The photo can only be viewed by someone who knows the password.

Oh wait, that doesn’t work either. I end up with the same problem as the hosted webpage. Once the file is accessed, the user can do anything they want.

So it occurs to me… I keep returning to an encryption solution rather than a copy protection solution. Encryption is useful because only those with the correct password can access the photo; however, it is not the same as my ultimate goal, which is to copy protect a digital photo and prevent it from being copied.

I guess you can say encryption is a way of keeping the honest people… well, honest.

I need a way to protect my photo regardless of the recipient’s intent. I realized I needed a solution in which everyone can see the photo but no one can do anything with it. Is it even possible to find such a solution?

When I was talking with a neighbor who is an IT guy, he mentioned a concept that I’d heard of before but didn’t apply to my thinking. Rather than a digital method of sending the photo, he proposed a type of physical dongle that held the photo. He explained that without the physical device, viewing the photo is impossible.

The lightbulb went on!

There is nothing worse than a blank screen after pressing the power button on your computer. Your heart sinks, your shoulders drop, and a sense of anxiety quickly sets in.

Why now? You have emails to check, orders to process, work to finish.

It always seems like computer problems happen at the worst possible time.

A quick glance at the computer reveals a USB flash drive sticking out of a USB port. Could this be the problem? You remove the USB device and restart the computer.

A few moments later, the system boots normally. So what happened? Why will your computer not boot with a USB device plugged in?

In this scenario, the explanation is simple. When the USB device is connected, the computer attempts to boot from the flash drive instead of the internal hard drive.

At some point in the life of that USB drive, it was made bootable and boot-strap code was written to it. Because the BIOS detects boot code on the device, it assumes the USB drive contains an operating system and attempts to start from it.

This does not mean every flash drive will cause this issue. Only USB drives that were previously made bootable can interfere with startup. Most standard flash drives are not bootable by default.

The other important factor

Using the CMD prompt in Windows 10 or 11, it is a one-line request to get the serial number of a USB flash drive. The serial number in question is the device serial number, which follows the device and remains the same value used to identify the physical device. This serial number is written into read-only memory on the flash drive and cannot be duplicated, deleted, or modified. This is different than the volume serial number, which we covered in a previous post.

Steps are very simple:

# Insert a flash drive (or multiple drives)

# Select a flash drive by clicking on the drive letter

# In the Explorer path field type cmd

This will open the Command Prompt.

# Copy the text below and press Enter

wmic path Win32_USBControllerDevice get Dependent | find “USBSTOR”

This command asks Windows to search the system for any Mass Storage devices (flash drives) connected to the computer’s USB host controller.

You do need to parse some information out, because more than just the serial number is returned.

The serial number of the USB flash drive is listed last, and there is a &0 at the end which is not part of the serial number. The hardware serial number can vary in length, so there is no fixed guideline. In practice, we commonly see serial numbers ranging from 8 to 30 alphanumeric characters.

Using a third-party utility, you can confirm that the serial number reported by the software matches the same serial number shown by the CMD prompt method.

1. Can you freeze a USB flash drive?
2. Will a USB flash drive survive the washing machine?
3. Can a USB flash drive survive getting wet?
4. How long does a USB flash drive last?
5. Why is a USB flash drive so durable?

#1 – Can you freeze a USB flash drive?

Yes. If a USB drive is frozen, it will work and will typically function immediately without the need to defrost. Nerdy details below.

#2 – Will a USB flash drive survive the washing machine?

Yes, a USB flash drive will usually survive a washing machine cycle; however, it is recommended to let the flash drive dry for 24 hours before attempting to use it. Nerdy details below.

#3 – Can a USB flash drive survive getting wet?

Yes, a USB flash drive can survive getting wet; however, it is recommended to let the flash drive dry for 24 hours before trying to use it. Nerdy details below.

#4 – How long does a USB flash drive last?

Data on a USB flash drive could last indefinitely if configured correctly and stored under proper conditions. However, the real-world answer depends on several variables: the type of NAND flash memory (SLC, MLC, or TLC) and how the device is stored over time. The technical details are below, but the practical guidance is simple: (A) write protect the device once data is finalized, and (B) avoid exposing it to extreme temperatures and harsh environments.

#5 – Why is a USB flash drive so durable?

A USB flash drive (thumb drive) uses NAND flash memory. The key characteristic of NAND memory is its ability to retain data without continuous power.

The technical (nerdy) details behind the answers above

Here is a quick recap of traditional storage memory. In simple terms, a computer uses long-term storage (historically hard drives) and short-term memory (RAM). Traditional hard drives store data magnetically on spinning platters, where positive and negative charge states represent binary ones and zeros. Because of this magnetic state, data remains intact even when power is removed.

RAM (Random Access Memory), by contrast, only holds data while power is flowing. Once power is turned off, the information in RAM disappears.

Together, long-term storage and RAM allow a computer to both save data and operate quickly.

Flash memory (NAND memory) is different. It is a non-volatile storage medium that does not require power to retain data. Flash memory is a type of electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).

You can think of it like a “dam” holding electrons in place so the stored data does not change when power is removed.

Because of this characteristic, the flash memory inside USB drives is very durable. A USB flash drive can survive being left in a freezing car overnight in North Dakota, survive a trip through the washing machine, or survive getting wet in the rain.

That said, flash memory does have a finite lifespan. NAND flash has a limited number of Program/Erase (P/E) cycles before it begins to lose integrity. Each time data is written or erased, the internal structure degrades slightly. Think of it like repeated small storms weakening a dam over time. Eventually, after enough cycles, the memory can fail.

The number of P/E cycles depends heavily on the type of flash memory used (SLC, MLC, or TLC), which we covered in detail in an earlier article.

Environmental factors generally do not impact NAND flash performance as much as people assume. However, temperature does matter for long-term data retention.

Technically, degradation occurs in the oxide layers that insulate the floating gate (the “dam”). As the oxide weakens over repeated use, electrons can begin to leak, which makes stored data less reliable. The device may continue to function, but with increasing risk of data corruption.

If the device is write protected, the P/E cycle count no longer increases. If data is written early in the life of the memory and the device is then write protected, data retention can be extremely strong. Cold temperatures do not accelerate data loss, while sustained high temperatures can accelerate degradation because heat increases the likelihood of charge leakage.

A “write protect switch” for a USB drive is meant to turn on and off the ability to write data to the drive. When the USB is locked (read-only) content cannot be added, changed, altered, manipulated, formatted or deleted off the drive. What is the point of a physical write protect switch if anyone can turn the write protection on or off? Doesn’t add up…

Yes, a write protect switch keeps the honest people honest, however the USB write protect switch doesn’t apply in all situations.

So what replaces a write protect switch for a USB flash drive?

How about programmable firmware for turning ON and OFF the USB write protection?

Better yet, how about a required password before turning ON and OFF the USB write protection?

We can relax because the Lock License USB flash drive addresses both these issues of
#1) Replacing the USB write protect switch with a more secure method
#2) Provides the feature of assigning a password to turn on and off the USB write protection.

The Lock License drive is a hardware based ( at the chip level ) write protection solution and through a specific vendor software command the write protection can be removed to make the USB stick writable. The function to write protect the media can be done through a provided GUI software application, can use a command line to change the write protect status, or use the command line to build your own custom method for how the USB write protection can work.

The write protection is configured on the USB controller of the flash drive. This means the write protection is done at the device level and will follow the USB stick. The result is a Lock License drive which is truly read-only when connected to anything… such as a Windows computer, Mac computer, Linux box, Smart TV, car stereo, anything!

The Lock License drive comes with a software method to unlock the drive and make it writable. This special software requires a password to be assigned for the unlocking. The password is required because the manufacturer, Nexcopy, didn’t want a universal way to unlock the drive.

Kanguru manufactures a USB flash drive with a physical write protect switch. The write protection itself is as secure as the Lock License solution, the difference is a Lock License drive adds one additional layer of security. The additional layer of security, the password requirement to make the stick ‘writable’ is an important step for ensuring the device is as secure as possible. To be clear, the Lock License drive is always readable. This product seems a great solution for those who want a USB write protected without the ability for users to turn the write protection off with a flip of a switch.

Another interesting fact about the Lock License drive is the default state of the USB stick being read-only, or write protected. This means it is impossible for a user to accidently leave the Lock License drive unlocked.

The “locking” or write protection is done when power is cut from the device. Even if a user forgets to lock the drive, the locking happens automatically when the USB is disconnected from the computer. This is a major issue with those using a USB write protect switch; if a user forgets to set the write protect switch, well not much security at that point.

It is worth noting there is no universal way to write protect any flash drive, this is why you cannot buy some software solution to do the feature. Write protection is a hardware based solution, not software.

From our on-line research, the Lock License drive is manufactured by Nexcopy Inc who is based out of Southern California. The product is available in USB 2.0 for the smaller 2GB and 4GB and any GB capacity higher (8GB and above) is USB 3.0 technology. The maximum size as of this posting is 256GB media.

Aleratec Closed and out of Business Since February 2022

From all accounts it appears Aleratec closed their doors and out of business from sometime starting in February, 2022.

GetUSB.info has called the corporate office multiple times searching for comment, but no answer. In addition, it appears Google removed Aleratec from their search results as their domain www.aleratec.com has been off-line for well over 30 days. We are posting this information in the event end-users are looking for support or warranty information related to the company.

Aleratec, Inc. was a family-owned, California-based company with two decades’ experience in designing, developing and marketing products acclaimed for high performance, reliability and ease of use.

Greg Morris, CEO of Nexcopy Inc, a similar company profile and also based in Southern California commented today after request, “I’ve known about Perry Solomon, the CEO, well over twenty years and he was always a good person to speak with regarding industry trends and business practices. Extremely friendly and approachable. Perry was focused on bring a solution to the market which brought true value to the end-user. I wish him the best of luck with his next business adventure.”

Aeratec sold PC based and standalone flash memory duplicators, CD and DVD duplicators, hard drive duplicators and hard drive demolishers. Aleratec also provided a “charge and guard” cabinet for charging portable devices like tablets. Schools found the charge and guard cabinet particularly beneficial.

At the time of this posting some products can still be found on-line, but most models seem to be listed as out of stock or on back order.

If Aleratec would like to comment or provide information for post sales support and parts, please reach out at: gmo @ getusb dot info and we can post the information in this article

Below are a list of the ten most common questions about a disk signature collision along with the related answer. The bottom of this article includes a video for some of the diskpart steps, which is needed when investigating a disk signature collision.

1. What is a disk signature collision?
2. Why does Windows create a disk signature collision?
3. How do I find the disk signature ID?
4. Does Windows 10 have diskpart?
5. How do I start or launch diskpart?
6. How to change a disk signature?
7. Is there a disk signature collision for every device?
8. What is MBR verse GPT
9. What is the difference between an online and offline device, how do I fix it?
10. Where can I find the full list of diskpart commands?
11. Jump right to the demonstration video at bottom of article

#1 – What is a disk signature collision?

When two (or more) storage devices have the same hexadecimal value for their disk ID (also known as disk signature). Windows does not like to see multiple storage devices with the same signature, so it will take all but one offline so the user gains access to only one device. The signature collision is most often found when binary copies of a master have been made to target devices.

#2 – Why does Windows create a disk signature collision?

Our understanding of why Microsoft did this was to prevent malware from spoofing the OS by presenting an identical seeming drive with bad intent. Bear in mind this MBR stuff was developed when dinosaurs still ruled the earth. Malware was but a dream in some teenage miscreants mind. So little effort was expended in that direction, much to the chagrin of todays Microsoft. The bible says something about this, “The sins of a father shall be visited upon their sons” or words to that effect.

#3 – How do I find the disk signature ID?

One-sentence summary; What is USB4

USB4 is the USB-C form factor for connecting; fully supports the Thunderbolt 3 specification, all wrapped up using the USB 3.2 specification.

USB4 has four benefits over prior versions of USB.

Maximum speed of 40Gbps. Using two-lane cables or a set of cables, devices may operate at up to 40Gbps, the same speed as Thunderbolt 3. Keep in mind there is a big difference between Mb and MB. Mb is megabits, not megabytes (MB). For example, 8Mb is about 1MB of data. As a reference, a typical MP3 audio file is about 3MB (megabytes). 5,000MB/second is the theoretical maximum speed of USB4.

USB4 supports DisplayPort 2.0. DisplayPort 2.0 cables feature 80Gbps bandwidth, making it possible to display ultra-high resolutions at previously impossible refresh rates. DisplayPort 2.0 can handle up to two 4K screens at 144Hz simultaneously, or an 8K display at up to 85Hz natively, with no form of image compression. This is possible because USB4 can use all eight data lanes at the same time.

Compatible with Thunderbolt 3 devices. USB4 is a protocol which supports all the specifications of Thunderbolt 3; however, Thunderbolt 3 is capable of 100 watts of bi-directional power delivery and not all manufacturers who support USB4 will include the full power implementation of Thunderbolt 3.

More efficient resource allocation. USB4 devices use a process called protocol tunneling, which optimizes the use of DisplayPort, PCIe, and USB packets at the same time while allocating bandwidth to improve efficiency. This approach can deliver better performance across multiple connected devices using different protocols.

USB4 will only operate through a USB-C type physical connector. USB4 peripherals will most likely not support older USB Type-A ports because the connection speeds and power delivery mechanisms will not be available. Although USB4 is backward compatible with all other USB protocols, it does not mean older standards will receive the improved benefits. For example, if you connect a Type-A 5Gbps USB 3 port using an adapter, the speed and power will drop to the lowest common denominator.

Some notable comments:

Device and host manufacturers are not required to pay Intel royalties when implementing USB4 technology. This improves the chance of mass adoption. However, there is a catch between manufacturing USB4 devices and making products fully USB4 compliant. Specifically, the Thunderbolt compatibility specification may become part of the product requirements for using the USB4 logo. This could mean a consumer buys a laptop with USB4 and later discovers it does not work with a Thunderbolt 3 peripheral.

It is important to know Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 are logo-certified programs from Intel which cost manufacturers time and money. While a USB4-powered computer may work with 40Gbps devices or even those labeled as Thunderbolt, this may not be obvious because the product did not go through certification. The opposite can also be true: a USB4 device may not support Thunderbolt due to the cost required for certification.

USB4 has two speed tiers. As with Thunderbolt, a USB4 product may not support the full 40Gbps specification. 40Gbps is the theoretical maximum speed, but many devices will use the lower 20Gbps standard because manufacturing costs are lower, resulting in a lower price for consumers. If speed is a priority, check the specifications of the USB4 product before purchasing. At the time of writing, most USB4 products that support 40Gbps are cables and PCIe adapter cards.

Why the USB4 name?

An online article summarizing an interview with Brad Saunders, CEO of the USB Implementers Forum (USB.org or USB-IF), indicated the lack of a space between “USB” and “4” is intended to move focus away from version numbers and toward branding. This branding change makes sense, but the long history of USB versions will likely continue to cause confusion.

Port Hub Provides Six Connection Options via USB

The Satechi Port Hub adapter extends the functionality of your M1 MacBook Pro laptop. It has all of the necessary ports, including a USB4 port, Gigabit Ethernet, a USB-C data port, two USB-A data ports, and an audio jack port. The Pro Hub Mini is the only adapter you need, with a wide range of options for fast data transfer and a modern aluminum design.

Designed to complement your MacBook ports, it includes two USB-A 3.0 data ports, one USB-C data port capable of up to 5 Gbps, Gigabit Ethernet, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

The port hub features next-gen USB4 technology and can charge your devices at up to 100W. You can also benefit from data transfer speeds of up to 40 Gbps and video output resolutions of up to 5K/60Hz.

By connecting the hub to the Thunderbolt ports of your MacBook Pro 14 and 16 inch (2021), you will have access to all ports. The MagSafe 3 port is still usable and recommended for fast charging. An audio jack port clip is also included and is designed to fit into the MacBook Pro 14 and 16 inch (2021) chassis to help stabilize the hub.

Having designed multiple technology products, this product does raise a question about the physical connection between the port hub and the MacBook. From the image (as this unit has not been tested here), it appears the audio jack and dual USB-C connectors provide a reasonably durable mating.

However, accidents happen. If the combined unit were to be dropped (for example, slipping off a desk edge) and landing on the hub, there is a reasonable concern about potential stress or damage to the laptop’s internal ports.

Given that these ports represent the only external digital connection for this model, repairs could be costly. Food for thought.

Consider buying this MacBook port hub from Amazon if this article helped inform your buying decision.

Important

• To achieve 5K video output, you’ll need a compatible computer, Thunderbolt cable, and a 5K monitor
• The MacBook Pro (16 inch, M1 Pro/Max, 2021) MagSafe 3 port can charge up to 140W
• The USB4 port can only charge up to 100W
• Use the MagSafe 3 port directly on the computer for faster charging
• Charging and CD drives are not supported by USB-A ports
• The audio jack port clip is only compatible with MacBook Pro 14 and 16 inch models released in 2021
• The hub can be used with older MacBooks with USB-C, but the audio jack clip will not fit

The original manufacturer product page can be found here on the Satechi website.

Mini Portrait Display Monitor – Mini in Size, Large on Coolness

With the everlasting newsfeeds from Twitter and never-ending social media feeds a portrait style display is the ideal monitor keeping you connected while not eating up real-estate on your main monitor. We understand not one display size will fit all needs, but this mini portrait display stands tall amongst other sizes we’ve seen. The cool factor for this product is off the charts and wouldn’t you love to be the first in your office to have this setup?

Resolution is 1280 x 400 with a physical size of 70mm (x) 208mm (x) 16mm so for you Americans on the Imperial measuring system that is 8 inches tall by 3 inches wide. The monitor size is just under 8 inches.

The mini portrait display uses an HDMI cable for video and micro-USB for power.

The display isn’t fully supported on the Mac so user experience will vary when paired with that OS, but the mini portrait display monitor will run as expected on a Windows machine. The unit is (about) $95 USD after the conversion from Yen. The company marketing this display is Sanko and the product is not yet available.

Are you interested in this product? GetUSB.info is planning to bring in 50 units… get on the list to buy. Send an email to gmo (at) getusb.info to make a request.

Source: Impress Watch, Japan