Review: Nexcopy 3.0 USB Duplicator

EverythingUSB posted a review of the Nexcopy 3.0 USB Duplicator with a bunch of “thumbs up” marks.  Let’s take a closer look.

Design and Build Quality

As far as USB duplicators go, the Nexcopy SSUSB160PC is actually pretty stylish. Its form certainly flows from its function, but Nexcopy has made it look engineered like a German car. Because of this form-from-function design, it’s rather rectangular with flat boxy sides. However, Nexcopy added some flair where they could. For example, the top slopes downward from back to front, giving it a more aggressive styling. This dash of style also makes it more functional, as inserting 16 flash drives into the USB 3.0 ports on that top surface is easier when they’re slightly vertically offset. It’s also easier to check all 32 status lights (red for bad, green for good).

Where the Nexcopy USB 3.0 duplicator is a serious tool meant for serious work, there is no plastic fascia to be found—only metal. Nexcopy managed to sneak in some pizazz by CnC milling the company logo out of the front panel. This allows air to be drawn in from the front and sides, flow over the internals, and exhaust out the back via a cooling fan. It’s a great example of proper form and function.

Performance and Software

I first made an image file of my freshly installed Windows 7 64-bit flash drive using the included basic software. (Note: The professional version includes advanced features like write protection, partitioning, and setting drives as USB CD-ROM devices.) Once that was done, I created a new batch job, pointed the software to the image file on my hard drive, plugged in all 16 flash drives, and got down to business. With about 30 more seconds of setup, I had started a 16-way duplication process.

From the moment I clicked “start” to when the copy was completed, it took just over 11 minutes—not including the image creation. That’s 128GB of data written in under 12 minutes, which is solid performance, although I had hoped for even faster speeds.

The Nexcopy 3.0 USB duplicator is a true force multiplier. The more frequently you run the same task, the faster your process becomes. Most of the time in testing was spent on setup—once you’re past that, the duplicator can crank out 16 flash drives with custom images very quickly. The faster your flash drives, the faster the duplication process. If time is money, then the SSUSB160PC is a money-printing machine.

For the full Nexcopy 3.0 USB Duplicator review, head over to EverythingUSB for more details.

EverythingUSB.com is a long-standing technology website that launched in the early 2000s, focused exclusively on covering USB (Universal Serial Bus) technology and related peripherals. At a time when USB was revolutionizing how people connected devices to computers, EverythingUSB quickly became one of the go-to sources for in-depth product reviews, industry news, and technical analysis. The site gained popularity for its objective reporting and detailed writeups on USB flash drives, hubs, duplicators, gadgets, and even obscure USB-powered accessories.

Run by a small but dedicated team of tech enthusiasts and editors, EverythingUSB carved out a niche by maintaining a sharp editorial focus on USB-based innovations, both consumer and professional-grade. The site helped shape public perception around USB as a universal standard and provided early insight into game-changing technologies like USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and USB-C as they emerged. Though the pace of updates has slowed in recent years, EverythingUSB remains a respected archive and occasional contributor to USB-centric product reviews and commentary.

Why Doesn’t Microsoft Allow USB Flash Drives to Autorun Programs?

Can USB Flash Drives Autorun From Windows? The short answer is NO. Microsoft disabled USB autorun functionality on standard USB flash drives primarily for security reasons, following several high-profile malware outbreaks that exploited this feature. Here’s why this change was necessary:

Autorun Was a Major Malware Vector

Before 2011, when a USB drive was inserted, Windows’ autorun feature could automatically execute files (like autorun.inf) stored on the drive. Malware creators exploited this by placing malicious executables on USB drives that would launch automatically when inserted into a computer. This made it easy for viruses and worms, such as the infamous Conficker worm, to spread rapidly between systems without user interaction.

USB Drives Are Easily Shared and Untrusted

Unlike CDs or DVDs, which are typically read-only and distributed from trusted sources, USB flash drives are read-write devices. They are frequently passed between multiple users and computers, making them a prime target for malware. Any infected computer could unknowingly weaponize a USB stick, allowing malicious code to spread instantly upon insertion.

Security Patch KB971029 Disabled Autorun

In 2011, Microsoft released security patch KB971029, which permanently disabled autorun for USB flash drives on Windows XP, Vista, and later versions to match Windows 7’s safer behavior. After this patch:

• USB sticks no longer autorun programs automatically.
• The system only shows a menu to “Open folder to view files” or “Play media.”
• Autorun for CDs and DVDs was not changed because these media types are generally considered safer and are typically read-only.

CD-ROM Emulation Still Allows Autorun

USB drives that emulate a CD-ROM device can still trigger autorun because Windows treats them like optical media. This is useful for software distribution, marketing content, or protected applications that need an autorun experience.

A professional solution for this is the Nexcopy Disc License USB drive. These drives feature a permanent, hardware-based CD-ROM partition that allows autorun to function exactly like a traditional CD, while maintaining a second partition for standard flash storage. Because the CD-ROM portion is read-only, it is safe from malware infections and trusted by the Windows autorun process.

So what does this all mean?

Microsoft removed autorun from standard USB flash drives to stop self-spreading malware and worms that thrived on this feature. If you need legitimate autorun capabilities for distributing software or presentations, using a Nexcopy Disc License USB drive is a secure and reliable solution.

Why Does Windows Allow Autorun from a USB CD-ROM Device?

Windows allows autorun from a USB CD-ROM device because the hardware identifies itself as an optical disc drive, and Windows is designed to trust read-only media. Here’s a detailed explanation of why this behavior exists and how it works:

1) Windows Trusts Optical Media by Default

The autorun feature was originally created for CDs and DVDs, which are read-only media. Because the content on a physical disc cannot be modified by malware, it was considered safe for Windows to execute instructions from the autorun.inf file automatically. This design choice made software installations seamless and secure for optical discs.

2) USB CD-ROM Devices Use a Different USB Descriptor

All USB devices report their device type to the operating system through a descriptor. A USB stick configured as a CD-ROM device reports itself as a Mass Storage Device ? Subclass: SCSI Transparent ? Protocol: CD-ROM (0x05). To Windows, this looks identical to plugging in a real optical disc drive.

Because Windows cannot tell the difference, it applies the same rules for autorun as it would for a physical CD or DVD drive. The firmware of the USB device essentially “masks” its true nature and convinces the OS it is optical media.

3) Autorun Works Because the Partition is Read-Only

Windows checks whether the device is read-only before permitting autorun. A properly configured USB CD-ROM emulation device has a hardware-protected, non-writable partition that mimics a pressed CD. This read-only characteristic assures Windows that the autorun.inf file has not been altered or infected by malware, making autorun safe to execute.

4) Using a Nexcopy Disc License USB Drive for Safe Autorun

A professional solution for creating a USB with autorun capabilities is the Nexcopy Disc License USB drive. These drives feature:

• A permanent, hardware-based CD-ROM partition that is read-only and recognized by Windows as an optical disc.
• A second, writable flash partition for storing additional files and content.
• Reliable autorun behavior identical to that of a physical CD or DVD, without malware risks.

Conclusion

Windows allows autorun from USB CD-ROM devices because their firmware tells Windows they are optical discs, and optical media is inherently safer due to its read-only nature. Standard USB flash drives are blocked because they are writable and could easily carry self-propagating malware. If legitimate autorun functionality is required, using a Nexcopy Disc License USB provides a secure and professional solution.

USB 3.0 is gaining momentum with every new product launch, and millions of PCs and peripherals are expected to ship with the SuperSpeed interface this year. That makes the timing of the Nexcopy SSUSB160PC USB duplicator especially relevant, offering users a high-speed solution to manage modern peripherals without relying on slower legacy USB 2.0 systems.

The SSUSB160PC is a 16-target duplicator designed to take full advantage of USB 3.0 technology, with theoretical transfer rates up to 5 Gbps. However, keep in mind that a USB 2.0 flash drive won’t automatically benefit from faster speeds just by being plugged into a USB 3.0 port—data transfer is always limited by the slowest link in the chain. That said, the SSUSB160PC excels when paired with modern USB 3.0 drives and hard disks, now common in professional environments.

Encased in a lightweight anodized aluminum housing, this duplicator is built for performance and portability. With an integrated 120-watt power supply, active cooling system, and support for data transfer at each device’s max speed, Nexcopy claims it can copy 32GB of data in as little as six minutes.

Who Needs a High-Speed USB Duplicator?

The SSUSB160PC is especially valuable for industries that demand rapid, secure content distribution—such as software publishers, government agencies, media production companies, and IT departments. When time-sensitive firmware, training materials, or confidential files need to be deployed across dozens of devices quickly and reliably, a professional-grade duplicator like this one becomes essential. Unlike cloud distribution, which requires stable internet access and setup on each machine, USB duplication delivers instant, offline access with full data integrity and copy protection options.

Released in the early 2010s, the SSUSB160PC quickly became one of the most trusted PC-connected USB duplicators for government agencies, publishers, and tech manufacturers. It ships with Nexcopy’s proprietary Drive Manager software and supports features like binary copy, write protection, data streaming, and USB CD-ROM emulation (in the Pro version). These capabilities, combined with its durable design, helped Nexcopy earn a leading position in the USB duplication market.

Source: UberGizmo

About Ubergizmo: Ubergizmo is a consumer technology news website founded in 2005 by Silicon Valley tech veterans Hubert Nguyen and Eliane Fiolet. Known for visually rich coverage and an accessible tone, the site gained recognition for product reviews, previews, and global tech event coverage, especially at trade shows like CES and MWC. Ubergizmo carved a niche by blending user-oriented design analysis with insightful reporting on innovation and usability.