Using USB Flash Drives to Save Your Work

USB Flash Drives (Also known as "Thumb Drives" or "Flash Drives") are used to store files, music, documents, pictures, and other data.  While these drives provide a small and convenient way to store documents, users must take care to properly remove the drive after they are finished.  Pulling the USB drive out of a computer without "safely removing" will cause damage and loss of files.

At Nebo we will use USB Flash drives to save our work and transfer files between the Windows Lab and the MusicTech Linux Lab.

Steps for Using USB Drives on Windows Computers.

1.  Insert the USB Drive into a USB port (on the front of the computer).  The computer will read the drive and put this window on the screen.  Select "Open folder to view files" and click OK. 

2.  A window showing your "Removable Disk" will open.  You man double click on any document you wish to open.  Or, you may click the minimize icon to return to the desktop.

3.  To Open a document to a USB drive, select "File->Open" from the menu bar of the program.

4.  Click on the "Desktop" icon one time.

5.  Double Click on "My Computer."

6.  Double Click on the "Removable Disk (E:)" 
(Sometimes your drive will be the "F Drive")

7.  Find your document and double click to open.

8.  Saving your work follows the same steps. 
    a. Select "File->Save" from the menu Bar.
    b. Click on "Desktop"
    c. Double Click "My Computer"
    d. Double Click "Removable Disk (E:)"
    e. Click "Save"

9.  When you are ready to remove the USB drive, click once on the Green Arrow on the Start Bar "Safely Remove Hardware."

10.  Select "Safely remove USB Mass Storage Device - Drive(E:)"



11.  When the message appears "Safe to Remove Hardware," pull the drive out of the computer.

Steps for Using USB Drives on Debian-Linux / KDE Computers.

1.  Insert the USB Flash Drive into the computer.  The "What do you want to do?" window appears.  Click "OK"



2.   The address of your drive is system:/media/sda.  You may Open and Save in the same manner as Windows.  Except - you need to go to "/media/sda" to save your work. 



3.  To safely remove:
    a.  Go to "system:/media"
    b.  Right Click on your USB Drive
    c.  Select "Safely Remove"
    d.  Wait for the icon to disappear.
    e.  Pull the USB Flash Drive out.



Remember to save your work often! 
Always use "Safely Remove" before you take your drive out of a computer!

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