Ask Engadget: What do you keep on your USB keychain drive?

Last week reader Andrew wanted to know what the best wireless data plans were, this week our own Dan Wu has been curious about what stuff people keep on their USB flash memory drives. Email and bookmarks? Excel spreadsheets? MP3s? Do you just use them to transfer files between computers? We're dying to know (seriously), so give us the scoop, especially if you have any recommendations for useful applications to carry around on your keychain.

[VoodooRay @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

Lately nothing....I have it but never seem to need it as much as I thought I did.

[Kangaroo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I always have my USB Wireless drivers on my USB thumb drive. So I could always wardrive or use my NetGear MA111 on any computer where there's wireless networks.

[richard @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

i have an exe file (made with flash) that has a little animation of my basic information on it just incase it gets lost and someone finds it.

[Tommy Rutledge @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I keep current anti-viral and spyware removers as well as any new MP3 or PDFs that I need to carry around. Along with all that, I've got a general toolkit for diagnosing common PC problems, etc.

[Eric @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I keep a portable verision of the Firefox browser with all my extensions and bookmarks.

[Man @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

Firefox --fully operational
Izarc --fully operational
My college class/home work:
word.doc --documents
pspice --documents
excel --documents
MATLAB --documents
pro-e --documents
pictures --varied
It's a Sandisk 1gb cruzer-mini.

[warragul @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I carry virus defs, AdAware ref files, an install for FireFox, the sasser patch etc.
Plus a few Mac apps that I use for network debugging.
Plus a backup of my clients' settings. And a web-site in progress.
Various hardware drivers.
In short, anything useful I can fit into 250Megs.

[Ken @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I have a a ton of pics of my kid who is 3 months old! I got a free memory key from work and yes there was a mad rush for those!

[pyromancer @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

Ten weeks of systems administration training material I've been writing. I hope I don't lose this baby.

Irony: I am a UNIX systems admin, training other UNIX systems admins, and all the material is written in PowerPoint and Flash.

[tmchow @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

i usually port music or pictures between pcs. easier than copying over a network or burning CDRs.

I don't use the usb drive as much as i originally thought i woudl..but they are handy

[Blue Fox @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I keep all the basic utilities I need, drivers for my pcs, schoolwork, my favourite website links, wallpaper, and other odds & ends.

[Zac White @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

Hey richard, you better hope I don't find it. I have a mac...

[Brandon Campbell @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

school papers and mp3's, that's all.

[Maikeru @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I tend to keep firewall software, anti-spyware programs, and such in case friends need me to help them out. Also, I keep a few pieces of art work that in case I need to show someone right that moment what I'm capable of doing.

Also, the device came with a neck lanyard and I wear the thing quite often. However, the plastic clip release has since broken and I've actually made a replacement using plumber's chain/hobby chain similar to that of a military dog tag. So I've decided to put basic vital information about me on it as a .txt file labeled as !DogTag in hopes that someone will open it up if I'm unconcious/dead and needs to ID me or contact my next of kin.

[Adopted Northwesterner @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

256 MB:

1. Backup of Microsoft Money 2005 (password protected)
2. Backup of personal budget in MS Excel (password protected to both open and update).
3. WEP key in .txt file.
4. Various pictures transferred b/wn home Mac, home PC, and work PC.
5. Backup of work Outlook addresses in .csv and .pst format.

[Richard @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

Just saw a fellow with Studio 321's XCopy express install on his usb drive.

The courts have outlawed this DVD decryption program.

[jr @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

Unfortunately, you can't put your weed in here.

[Chris @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I mostly use mine to trasnfer/trade files with friends/co-workers though i do have an opera install file on there, because i cant live without it, and a few pictures.

[C Wall @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

backups of important documents that I am working on. some favourite pictures. a song or two

[Maurice @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I keep any kind of documents I'm working on (essays, stories, etc.) to port between my ancient laptop, my semi-new home PC, and my uber-fast workstation.

[C Wall @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

backups of important documents that I am working on. some favourite pictures. a song or two

[Rui Carmo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I keep all this:

http://the.taoofmac.com/space/Tools/USB%20Disk%20Manifest

[RickP in AZ @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

PC installs of Firefox, Thunderbird, Spybot, Ad-Aware SE, AVG, etc. for fixing/updating family Windows machines. (I'm a Mac user.) Firefox Bookmarks.html, personal documents, WEP & WPA keys in TXT file, and a folder with VNC installs for whenever I get off my lazy a** and set it up for access over the Net.

[StuBee @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

Don't use it much, but when I do it is just to tranfer photos from my pc to someone elses (or vice-versa)

[Gudlyf @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I keep a copy of the latest putty along with my ssh keys for connecting to my home system from work/school.

[Jimmy P @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I just got a 512 Cruzer Mini and I'll be keeping all my basic little tools I use: putty, spybot, mcafee antivirus, foundstone's superscanner as well as some other security tools in case I'm at a friend or family members house. I'll also keep pictures and a portfolio of web programming work to show clients spur of the moment if need be.

[Mike M @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I use it for daily off-site backups of dev projects. I need a bigger one though.

[Dean Welsh @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

Our local, weekly, small-town newspaper has people ferry each edition off to the printer 100km away on a keychain drive (don't ask me why they don't FTP it. I don't know.)

[Vishal @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

All my files and some family pictures, as well as a few MP3 files are kept on my Verbatim Flash Drive.

[littleman09z @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I used it to transfer anything I need... Some important progs i kept on there .. hw - in middle skool , ah and really anything else BUT DAMN i lost mine last tues at boy scouts and it was 80 bbucks... that was the first time i have lost somethin important - so over 14 years..

[Kurt @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

Stuff for work, really. I use it to transfer files from a computer on the other side of the building. I also have a few recoreded tv shows on there. No reason.

[Justin @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

Whatever I need for school, and maybe some mp3's for programming class. Sometimes I'll have an ebook on there, or whatever files I can fit in a 64 MB one... Too small...

[Shaun @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

- Password Safe w/ all my passwords (encrypted of course)
- antivirus tools, firewalls, spyware removal tools and other tools needed to fix and improve other peoples computer
- Copies of my bookmarks
- Files that I need to xfer from work to home
- Backups of important documents that I am working on when on the road
- My address book
- A copy of DriveCrypt with an encrypted volume that I use for any of the above that I want to keep secure
- A README file with an anonymous email and phone dropbox in case anyone finds the drive and is in a mood to return it

[tomas316 @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I keep my VPN software so if i really need to get into work i can just buy a laptop.
My realbasic install and files.
VNC client.
nero buring rom
pictures.

[Fergus Stevens @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

Outlook PST contacts. Need a bigger thumb... Recomendations?

[farmfreshglue @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

-I run Firefox with my bookmarks and extensions straight from the thumb drive for my work PC, or when I'm on a customer's site using their PC
-I run Miranda from the drive the same way
-I run Keypass (this is a fantastic app from Dobysoft.com for storing passwords, and I have a ton of passwords) It's the best app yet, and I've tried them all, check it out @ http://snipurl.com/akwe
-Also, I am a Systems Engineer, and I keep all of my important customer config files on there so in an emergency, I can just upload the config to get the customers Telephone Switch back to a working point.

I only have a 128MB JumpDrive Sport that I got at MicroCenter for $19.00, but seem to have tons of room left. I really don't like the way the Lexar key fob attaches to my keychain though, it is rather poor design.

[mark @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

Ohhhh. Just a few video clips and pictures that i like to have around...

[Robert947 @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

- All of my screenplays.
- Tax Returns for last 3 years.
- MSMoney Files
- Bookmarks
- Address Book
- various family pictures
- random e-books

[techdragon @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I keep a copy of DamnSmallLinux.

[OLi @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

On my 128MB I have Linux installed just for the heck of it.

[polygoo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I only use mine to transfer between computers...sometimes I will carry pictures and such to show others.

[Walter @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I have a 256 MB cruzer-mini.

it's contents, in no particular order are:

my monthly personal budget in Excel

pictures of a trip to New York City

Ad-Aware (weekly updated sig files)

Spybot (also updated weekly)

AVG free anti-virus program

Norton Anti-virus 15-Day trial (reflashed weekly)

RegCleaner utility

My Documents folder from home, updated when I remember to do it

Firefox installer

Novell 4.83 client installer (for work)

Instant Internet 7.2 (Nortel networks firewall)

and last but most important: my a handful of my favorite nudie JPGs, don't leave home without them =)

[Lennart @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

A complete php development environment running on Apache or Xitami, with mysql, a postgres port and UltraEdit.

[inluxication @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

What I have that no one else has mentioned is:
- online manuals for my digital camera, cell phone, etc. Always good to have, and travel brings out unusual situations, so you're more likely than usual to need the manual.

Also the usual stuff:
- Address book, encrypted with PGP.
- Firefox bookmarks
- Works in progress, presentations, trip-specific stuff.

[Daniel @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I've got a 512mb Titanium drive:
- A couple of music albums (listen to music at work, at home, kinko's...etc)
- Work files
- homework
- save articles (research at whatever computer, save it on the USB)
- bookmarks
- personal budget
- backup of important files

Its about 400 mb full. I've only had it for 4 months and I'm already thinking about 1 gb one.

[T. Scuyler @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I keep:
Palm device backup
<>personal photos

[John @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

I keep my resumes and cover letters on it!

[farmfreshglue @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

to: inluxication,
That tip about .pdf manuals is a Great idea. I have all of mine in "My Documents" and there is only 39MB in 31 files so they'll fit nicely, and I'm gonna transfer those tonite.

Thanks for the tip,
farmfreshglue

[Ross Brown @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

What do people think when they see that little Hello Kitty flash drive dangling from your keychain? Technophile or pedophile?

Criminals' new trick: Child-Porn Collectors Using Pocket-Size Storage Drives
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/local/5968311.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

[John @ Dec 19th 2005 12:06AM]

Working on a bootable linux distro now. Plan on having that with some of the more common utilities for recovering window passwords for "friends." Yeah, friends. wink wink.