Roll Play Scenario:

• Windows: Sound of connecting a USB flash drive…
• User: Ah yes… let’s get to work!
• Windows: Sound of a disconnected USB device…
• User: Oh no, what’s happening?

A quick Google search later and here we are. Let’s take a closer look.

Intermittent USB disconnects are frustrating because they often feel random. In reality, Windows is usually responding to a power, driver, or hardware condition rather than failing silently. The key is to determine whether the issue follows the USB device itself or stays with a specific computer or port. Once you isolate that variable, troubleshooting becomes much more predictable.

Below are five legitimate reasons your USB flash drive might be disconnecting from your Windows computer.

1. Running on Battery

By default, Windows is configured to reduce power consumption when running on battery, which can include powering down USB ports after a period of inactivity. This typically happens after 10–15 minutes, but power profiles can vary. Before changing any settings, plug your laptop into AC power and see if the issue disappears.

To check your USB power settings:

Search for Control Panel and press Enter.

In the Control Panel, click Hardware and Sound.

From there, select Change battery settings, then Change plan settings, and finally Change advanced power settings. Scroll through the options to find USB settings and adjust power behavior as needed.

2. Faulty USB Port

The most common cause of USB disconnects is a worn or damaged USB port. Laptop ports see frequent use, and front-panel ports on desktop towers often experience the most wear. If the USB device wiggles easily or inserts with little resistance, the port may be failing.

Did you buy one of those ultra-thin laptops and fall in love with the lightweight design, sleek form factor, and powerful processor—only to realize you can’t use its full potential because it lacks the ports you need? A 9-in-1 USB-C hub solves that problem, giving your laptop desktop-like connectivity.

A USB-C hub allows you to connect a monitor, speakers, headphones, SD cards, and even a 10Base-T Ethernet cable at home. A hardwired Ethernet connection is especially useful, but the ability to connect a spare VGA monitor for a second screen is equally valuable.

The 9-in-1 hub is compact, lightweight, and well built. It consists of a wedge-shaped aluminum tube, with the taller side housing the video ports. A circuit board is suspended inside using plastic inserts that also align and cover the port openings. The two end caps are press-fit into the aluminum body without adhesive. If the device were dropped and came apart, it would be easy to snap back together.

Evaluating product quality often requires taking it apart. This hub disassembles easily by removing the plastic cap over the Ethernet port, allowing the internal board to slide out effortlessly. The cap on the cable end can also be removed, though it is not required for board access. The USB-C cable is connected via a displacement-style connector and secured with adhesive. The cable shielding is ungrounded, which adds minimal functionality, but the short cable length helps preserve signal reliability.

Most major components, aside from the DAC, are older parts from reputable manufacturers. Two of the four USB-C high-speed lanes are assigned to USB data, while the remaining lanes are allocated to DisplayPort. As a result, USB operates without compromise, but DisplayPort bandwidth is limited to two lanes. This means higher-bandwidth modes such as 4K at 60Hz are not supported. The onboard 3A DC converter should provide sufficient power for all components, assuming only low-power USB devices are connected simultaneously.

• The USB hub supports up to 2.4A fast charging for a single device; however, the hub is limited to 3A total, so charging multiple devices at high speed is not possible.
• The HDMI output is limited to HDMI 1.4, but all non-3D display modes within the specification are supported.
• VGA output supports both widescreen 1080p (16:9) and UXGA (4:3).
• The card reader supports simultaneous use of microSD and full-size SD cards.
• The 2-channel DAC requires HDMI audio input and converts HDMI audio to analog stereo output.
• Ethernet supports link detection and Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) to reduce power consumption when idle and during operation. Shorter Ethernet cables may also reduce heat. Wake-on-LAN features are supported.

When compared to the OEM Microsoft Surface Dock, which typically costs around $200, the value difference is significant. This USB-C hub offers strong value at around $30 at the time of this post.

View all articles related to USB hub products published by GetUSB.info.

The following article will explain how to check your USB flash drive for if it’s bootable. There is no software needed, no download, just a couple of simple commands in your Windows 10 operating system.

A master boot record (MBR) is a special type of boot sector at the very beginning of a partition storage device like a fixed disk (hard drive) or removable drive (USB thumb drive). The MBR contains executable code to function as a loader for the installed operating system. This loader turns over the functions of the hardware (mother board bios) and passes that loading responsibility off to the operating system (Windows).

This is how you check if your USB is bootable, or not:

First, please have only the one USB stick connected which you want to check if it’s bootable. It’s not required to do this, but will my the instructions below a bit easier to follow, that’s all.

Using the Windows search function copy and paste this into the search field and click Enter

compmgmt.msc

The screen shot below will pop up after you click Enter. Using the image as a reference, select “Disk Management” under the “Storage” folder“. In the middle of the dialogue box you will see the drive letter associated with your USB flash drive. In the middle of the box you will probably see the USB listed two different times. The top portion of the box, the USB will be listed along with other devices, like your hard drive and optical drive. The bottom portion of the box, the USB will be shown as “Removable“

Once you’ve determined which drive letter is your USB drive, you may Right Click on the drive letter and select Properties.

A Properties dialogue box appears giving you the option to select any one of the devices show in the previous window (the Disk Management window). From this dialogue box, click the Hardware tab and select the “Mass Storage USB Device” by a single click. Then click the Properties button at the bottom.

The last dialogue box are the Properties of your specific flash drive.

Click the Volumes tab at the top, you then must click “Populate” to get the device information. . The “Partition Style” will read either Master Boot Record (MBR) or the field will be empty.

If the above information isn’t detailed enough for the information you are looking for, the next step is to use a hex editor and check if the boot strap code is actually in the Master Boot Record. This is a bit more detail and the guys at Hakzone did a really good job of summarizing how this would be done using a hex editor program.

In general terms, TF cards and microSD cards are the same. They share the same physical size and most technical characteristics, and the two formats can be used interchangeably.

There are some technical differences between the two, which are explained later. For now, the most important difference between a TF card and a microSD card is the history behind the name.

The TF card came first. TF card—also known as T-Flash or TransFlash—was introduced by SanDisk in 2004. SanDisk, in partnership with Motorola, created the TF card specification. At the time, it was the smallest read/write memory form factor available and was designed specifically for mobile devices.

TF cards are based on NAND¹ flash memory. The format had a short lifespan. By the end of 2004, the Secure Digital Association—the governing body for Secure Digital media—absorbed the TransFlash technology and rebranded it as microSD.

As a result, the TF card effectively disappeared in late 2004, while the microSD card has remained in production ever since. This explains why TF-branded cards are no longer available today. Another factor was capacity: TF cards were limited to 16MB or 32MB at the time of production, capacities that are impractically small by modern standards.

Here is the key technical distinction between the two formats: microSD cards support SDIO mode, which allows them to perform functions unrelated to storage, such as Bluetooth, GPS, and Near Field Communication. TransFlash cards do not support these capabilities.

SDIO stands for Secure Digital Input Output. It is a Secure Digital interface specification that allows SD cards to function as input or output devices rather than just memory.

The SD Association also established a method to standardize speed ratings for SD cards. These ratings, known as Speed Class, define the minimum sustained write speed of a card. Common classes include Class 2 (2MB/s), Class 4 (4MB/s), Class 6 (6MB/s), and Class 10 (10MB/s). These values represent minimum performance levels, and actual speeds may be higher.

NAND is not an acronym. The term comes from “NOT AND,” a Boolean logic operator. A NAND gate produces a false value only when both inputs are true. It contrasts with a NOR gate, which produces a true value only when both inputs are false.

Does the title of this article even make sense? Yes—but probably not to most people.

USB enumeration is the process a host computer uses to identify the type of USB device that has been connected and determine how the operating system should interact with the newly detected device.

The term “fingerprint” refers to the specific sequence of steps an operating system follows when determining the type and behavior of a USB device.

For roughly 99.7% of visitors to this site, this information won’t matter. For others, however, it is critical. The security industry is a prime example. If a security professional, development team, or programmer understands the exact steps an operating system takes to mount a USB device, they can better design and protect secure applications.

Andrea Barisani, a security researcher based in Italy, published open-source code that compares USB enumeration fingerprints across macOS, Windows, and Linux. The source code is available on GitHub (view here).

This code is particularly valuable for software developers working with USB flash drives, portable applications, or device-level security controls.

Billy Idol’s Hot in the City is the tune that comes to mind whenever talking about USB gadgets designed to keep you cool.

With summer coming into full swing, it’s a good time to mention a USB fan. While browsing Amazon, this Aikoper product caught our attention. At first glance, it honestly looked like something designed by Apple. The aluminum base, sleek black body, and cool gray vents gave it that unmistakable Apple-like aesthetic. Turns out, it’s not an Apple product at all.

This USB fan includes several features we think most people will appreciate.

There is no physical on/off switch. Instead, the fan is controlled by touching the aluminum base, which feels very Apple-esque. A single tap activates low-speed mode, a double tap switches to high speed, and a third tap turns the fan off. The touch-sensitive base includes four rubber pads to prevent vibration during operation.

The fan itself uses a dual-blade design. There are four blades toward the front of the shell and another four blades toward the rear. This configuration is intended to reduce operating noise while maintaining airflow.

The black shell is convex in shape, designed to pull air downward into the system rather than upward. While the pitch angle is limited, this airflow approach may reduce the amount of dust and debris drawn into the fan. The curved shell rests on the aluminum base and allows for slight tilt adjustments to aim airflow higher or lower during use.

The product measures 5.6 × 3.9 × 4.9 inches and sells for $16.99 USD on Amazon at the time of this post.

The Amazon listing shows over 1,600 ratings, with 61% rated five stars and 13% rated four stars. The remainder appears to come from more critical reviewers. To give a sense of real-world feedback, here are a few testimonials from the listing:

This article explains how to view Linux files stored on a USB flash drive when it is connected to a Windows 10 computer.

This situation is more common than many people expect. As of 2020, roughly 25% of computers run some form of Linux. Because of this, there is a good chance you will eventually receive a USB flash drive formatted on a Linux system that you need to access from Windows. This guide walks through the steps a Windows user can take to read a Linux-formatted USB flash drive.

Linux commonly formats USB flash drives using ext2, ext3, or ext4 file systems. These formats are native to Linux and are optimized for reliability, permissions, and journaling. While Linux can also read and write FAT32 or exFAT, ext-based formats are preferred for system tools, bootable media, and application data.

When a USB drive formatted as an ext file system is connected to Windows, the operating system will usually prompt you to format the drive. Do not format it. Formatting will permanently erase the data. Try the steps below first. You may also find this related guide helpful: best practices for formatting USB flash drives.

Follow these steps to access a Linux-formatted USB flash drive in Windows.

The first step may not be strictly required, but it is strongly recommended for improved compatibility.

In the Windows search field, type Control Panel and press Enter.

This opens the Windows Control Panel.

Click Programs, then select Turn Windows features on and off.

In the dialog box that appears, scroll down until you find Windows Subsystem for Linux and check the box. Click OK to apply the change and close the window.

How to Copy Protect PDF Files Outside Adobe Ecosystem

This article will overview how to copy protect PDF files outside of the Adobe ecosystem. A couple of things worth mentioning before getting into the details:

• Encryption is different than copy protection. Encryption is a technology solution where the PDF owner assigns a password to the document and after the user enters that password the user can do anything they want with the file. Print, share, screen capture, etc. The idea for encryption is the document being unattainable until a password is entered.
• Copy protection does not use a password and anyone can see the file. However, the file cannot be copied, printed, shared or screen captured. The idea behind copy protection is the PDF being viewed by anyone, but nothing can be done with the file. When people are searching for PDF copy protection, this is the solution most likely sought after.

Challenges with PDF Security and Copy Protection

PDF or Portable Document Format is an open standard. What this means is the document format was designed to be used in just about any document reader program. The goal for the PDF specification was to make the format as universal as possible. For this reason, it is a bit more difficult than one would think to copy protect a PDF file.

Windows comes pre-installed with Adobe Reader. In addition, Windows has embedded Adobe API code to read PDF files. Even if Adobe Reader was not installed on your computer, or uninstalled, the underlying code is still there to open a PDF. In additional to Adobe Reader (#1 PDF reader in the market) there are dozens of additional PDF reader programs. Again, the goal for all these readers is to open and read a portable document file.

Adobe copy protection solutions are very well known for being cracked. If you Google “Adobe copy protection crack” you will find pages of ways the Adobe security features are compromised. Here and here are two examples of Google search results with web pages dedicated to hacking.

The fundamental problem with copy protection are the lack of controls when viewing a PDF. Meaning a PDF content owner (you) does not have the control over Adobe Reader, or other programs, to stop the user (your client/customer/student) from printing, screen grabbing, sharing and saving.

The idea behind a PDF copy protection solution is a framework where the PDF can be opened and viewed, while you (the content owner) maintains control of the document.

Of course Adobe Reader, FoxIt Reader and others, will not provide the tools to block a user from printing or saving from within their program. In contrast, we need a “reader” or “viewer” with controls to block those functions.

With this in mind, it is difficult to provide a reader with these security functions. Most users who receive a PDF do not want to download and install another program just to read a PDF file. The ease and beauty of a PDF gets lost in that process. No longer is the PDF a portable document format. In addition, a software program that can be downloaded to view a PDF can also be downloaded by a hacker to be reverse engineered. There needs to be something more than just a secure reader/viewer to control the PDF.

The most secure way to copy protect a PDF file is to associate it with something physical. There are some software (only) solutions, but those are not as secure as a solution with something physical.

The lifespan of a USB flash drive depends on three main factors. In general, a flash drive will last much longer than most people expect. Below are the key elements that influence its durability.

Factors That Affect USB Flash Drive Lifespan

• How the drive is made
• Wear leveling technology
• How the drive is treated

USB flash drives are largely commodity products driven by the lowest price. Manufacturers often cut corners to reduce costs. Understanding the quality of the device you’re using is essential for reliable, long-term storage.

1. How the Drive is Made

A USB flash drive consists of five main components: the PCB (printed circuit board), flash memory, USB controller, supporting components, and soldering that holds everything together.

Printed Circuit Board (PCB)

Many promotional USB drives use a two-layer PCB to save costs. However, the USB specification requires a four-layer PCB for proper grounding and interference-free data transmission. A two-layer board is more likely to experience performance issues. If you received a USB stick from a trade show, avoid using it for long-term or critical storage.

Example: A four-layer USB flash drive by Nexcopy with Micron memory offers write speeds of 12MB/s.

Flash Memory Quality

USB drives often use downgraded NAND memory. High-quality NAND chips go to phones, set-top boxes, and other premium devices first. Lower-grade chips are repurposed for USB sticks. A 512MB USB drive may have gone through several downgrades, making it unreliable.

Quick Test: For USB 2.0, a good-quality drive should have a write speed of at least 9–10MB/s. For USB 3.0, look for 18–20MB/s or higher. Slower speeds suggest lower-quality silicon struggling with phase changes during data writes.

USB Controller

The controller is the “brain” of the flash drive, managing communication between the host computer and NAND memory. The quality of the controller and its firmware significantly affects drive performance and longevity. Firmware determines whether the device prioritizes speed, capacity, or compatibility with specific NAND chips. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to test this without knowing the manufacturer and their firmware configuration quality.

Device Components

Capacitors and resistors are typically reliable due to mature manufacturing processes. However, cost-driven production may result in lower-quality components, which can slightly reduce lifespan over time.

Soldering Quality

Poor soldering or the use of hot glue instead of precision solder joints can lead to device failure. If you’re curious, you can open a USB casing to inspect build quality. Sloppy soldering is a red flag for long-term reliability.

2. Wear Leveling Technology

Wear leveling is a firmware-based algorithm that evenly distributes write and erase cycles across memory blocks, preventing premature failure of specific sectors.

• Dynamic wear leveling: Maps data writes to unused blocks but ignores untouched areas, potentially shortening lifespan.
• Static wear leveling: Periodically shifts data across unused memory areas, improving overall durability.

Thanks to wear leveling, modern USB flash drives can theoretically last up to 100,000 write cycles per individual memory block, not just per drive.

Learn more on Wikipedia.

3. How the Drive is Treated

Even a high-quality flash drive can fail if mishandled. Proper storage plays a huge role in lifespan:

• For long-term archival storage, keep the drive in a safe, dry place away from physical stress.
• A promotional flash drive or very small capacity stick (e.g., 2GB or less) is often unreliable for archiving important data.
• Frequent handling, heat, and physical shocks can damage internal solder joints and components.

Final Answer: USB Lifespan

There’s no universal number for how long a USB flash drive will last. Quality manufacturing, proper wear leveling, and careful handling all extend its life. Under optimal conditions, data stored on a good-quality drive can remain intact for 15–20 years or more.

Understanding How USB Copy Protection Works

In this article we will detail how USB copy protection solutions work from a Southern California company named Nexcopy. Before we start there are important definitions we must all agree upon. As in today’s market place there are multiple vendors using the wrong definitions to explain copy protection.

Copy protection is different than encryption; although copy protection does use a form of encryption in the overall solution.

Encryption is scrambling up data and requiring a password to piece all the data together and display it. Once the password is entered the data can be viewed. The potential security issue is the user who entered the password can now do anything they wish with the files, print, save, share, etc.

Copy protection is different in two ways. First, there is no password required to view the data. Second, the files cannot be saved, printed, shared, streamed when viewed by even the most trusted user.

The later, copy protection, is what most people want when it comes to multi-media files like PDF, video, audio and HTML pages. Most users want the data to be seen by as many people as possible, yet the data cannot be saved, shared, streamed, printed or screen captured.

So with that in mind, let us review how the Nexcopy solution works for USB copy protection.

Key Features of Nexcopy USB Copy Protection

Here are six bullet points regarding features Nexcopy provides which others do not:

• Copy protected content plays on both Mac and Windows computers
• There are no Admin rights required to play the content
• There is no installation required on the host computer
• The content runs 100% from the flash drive
• The USB stick is write protect, so files cannot be deleted or changed
• The solution is both hardware and software, ultra-secure

The Nexcopy USB copy protection solution runs with the assumption the content owner does not want to share the data with even duplication service companies. It is assumed the content owner wants total control of the data before, during and after the USB duplication process.

Here are the steps for using the Copy Secure drives as the content owner:

You never know where a flash drive has been.

It’s always best to scan a USB flash drive before using it.

Did you know Windows Defender can be configured to automatically scan a USB flash drive the moment it is plugged in? Below are the steps to configure Microsoft Windows to scan USB drives automatically.

By default, Windows Defender is not configured to automatically scan removable drives when the operating system is installed. This is surprising, as malware spreading through USB flash drives remains a common security issue. The likely reason is user choice—automatic scans take time, and Microsoft leaves the decision up to the user.

This tutorial takes about three minutes to complete. Read through the steps first, then return and apply the settings when ready.

We are going to create a Group Policy rule that instructs Windows Defender to scan USB flash drives.

First, open the Group Policy Editor.

Press Windows Key + R.

Type gpedit.msc and press Enter or click OK.

Under Computer Configuration, locate and expand Administrative Templates.

Scroll down and expand Windows Components.

Continue scrolling until you find Windows Defender Antivirus, then expand it.

Locate the Scan folder and click it.

On the right-hand side, look for the setting labeled Scan removable drives and double-click it.

This setting is disabled by default. Select the Enabled option to activate automatic scanning for USB flash drives.

Click Apply, then click OK.

That’s it. Your Windows computer will now automatically scan USB flash drives using Windows Defender when they are connected.

Alternatively, you can insert a USB stick, right-click the drive letter, and select Scan with Windows Defender. The problem with this approach is the USB device may have already executed malicious code before you had a chance to initiate the scan.

The average user inserts a USB stick into their computer from a trusted source. However, there are companies and situations who receive USB flash drives or USB hard drives and they are not certain if the device is infected. Some information to help with USB firewall for connecting USB devices.

Globotron is a company based in New Zealand who designed the product. The product is called Armadillo and is an open-source USB firewall.

Some research has shown, as many as 29 different types of USB attacks can happen from plugging in mass storage devices (like USB flash drives and USB hard drives) or also HID devices (human input devices like keyboards and mouse).

The USB stack which is the low level code used in the host computer, is very complex and over time researchers and hackers have discovered ways to compromise a computer system through these vulnerabilities.

The Armadillo is an open-source device which is a firewall between a USB device and computer. The firewall isolates the firmware of the USB device so as not to infect your PC if the device has been infected with malicious firmware. You just need to plug in Armadillo between your computer and the USB device using the provided micro-USB cable. Armadillo is an upgrade over USG, the original or first-generation USB hardware firewall device.

The Armadillo has bot detection. This means if the USB firewall device detects malicious codes are being entered via keyboard or mouse (HID devices) the device will block transmission and a red LED indicator light will turn on.

The Armadillo has the ability to temporarily make your USB read only. This is valuable if the computer is infected and you need pull information (recovery software) from the USB stick and want to insure virus’ do not infect the flash drive. The USB is read-only, but it is read/write when not connected to the Armadillo.

Note: If you need a USB stick that is always write protected at the controller level, yet need to temporarily turn off the write protection for data changes, the Lock License drive from Nexcopy is your solution.

This last point about the Armadillo is a bit strange, but we like it. The body is sealed with glitter epoxy so it is easy to identify if the box itself was tampered with. Very creative!

The Armadillo USB Firewall is available from Globotron for $150 USD and ships from New Zealand.