The most common use for a USB jump drive is the transferring of files. However, there are hundreds of additional tasks for these handy little devices. I have listed 5 of my favorite, and in many cases, unknown tasks for my USB flash drives.

Take Your Programs With You

Guaranteed, flash drives are great for storing files, but did you know you can run portable applications from flash drives as well? A free business suite, OpenOffice includes a word processing program, a PowerPoint application, a spreadsheet program and even a database… and there is a portable version. Firefox, Opera and Thunderbird all have portable versions of their web browsers that can be downloaded and run from your flash drive. With the combination of programs like OpenOffice and Firefox, you have the ability to work, write, create, and surf the web all in the pocket of your pants.

You should also search for Portable Apps for other applications that you can install on your USB drive. Packages are available to download and install that include such things as audio players, games, and antivirus – all with a handy menu system.

Transfer your Files and Use it as an MP3 Player

Well, we just couldn’t write an article about flash drives and not mention the obvious. The most common use for your flash drive is for the transferring of files. Wouldn’t you like to also use your flash drive as an MP3 player? Have your built-in multimedia program(Windows Media Play or iTunes) play your MP3 files that you store on your jump drive.You can take advantage of Windows Media Player’s playback features to customize your experience. And with using your computer, you don’t have to be concerned with your MP3 battery going dead.

Boot Up Your Operating System

Want to do some really cool stuff with your flash drive, try booting an entire OS from your jump drive. While Linux is more commonly used for this type of adventure, you can also boot Windows.

Luckily, there are plenty of tutorials on how to boot an OS from your USB thumb drive online.

Use Your USB to Connect to a Wireless Network

You have a wireless network right? You can store your wireless network settings on your flash drive so you never have to remember them or pass your login credentials around when you want to temporarily add a computer to your network. With the information, you can use your USB drive to quickly and effortlessly connect another computer or WCN-compatible device to your internet. Find more information about WCN by going to the help and support located in the start menu.

Always Use Protection

Use your USB thumb drive as a password reset disk; a handy tool if you forget the password to a user account that is not part of a domain. A tough situation to be in, but not if you have your flash drive with the info, reset your password, and can get back to work. Windows Vista will allow you to use a USB thumb drive rather than a floppy disk as a password reset disk.

Since you like to stay protected, use your USB thumb drive to transport sensitive data – one like the Rohos Mini Drive that can safeguard your data. With this type of device, you can create a secret partition on the drive, password protect it and any documents you copy to that partition using the file manager.