Boot Windows or Linux from USB Flash drives

For example, if you are running an instant messaging application from a UFD in an Internet café, you probably don’t want the next user to be able to read your conversation in a log file.

Play safe by using the freeware instant messaging client Miranda, which can store all its temporary files on the UFD.

Stumbling blocks such as Registry entries and temporary files are a thing of the past, with the arrival of UFDs with U3 tools. 

Sandisk and M-Systems, worldwide leaders in Flash product manufacture, have jointly initiated U3 to create a universal platform for UFD programs.

Until it becomes more established, though, choose software for your UFD with care.
Saving space with compression

Some applications need lots of space and may not fit on smaller UFDs.
However, UPX noticeably shrinks exe and DLL files; for example, when compressed with UPX, Open Office requires 75MB of storage instead of 125MB on the UFD.

As the file extensions remain the same, the program files are still executable. A powerful algorithm ensures files compressed with UPX run almost as fast as the originals. In use the difference in speed is barely noticeable.

Having your favourite programs on a UFD is only a partial mobile office. Only if you can use your own desktop settings on any PC can you really claim to have a tool that makes every desktop your own.

Cheap shareware tools such as Mobile Assistant ($20/£13.71 to register, free version available,) help with this task and save your desktop configuration options – such as background colour, wallpaper and fonts – with a single keystroke.

As well as desktop settings, Mobile Assistant can copy Internet Explorer bookmarks and system directories, such as My Documents, to the UFD, to be used instead of the corresponding local files and folders.

The only problem we found is that the English version still includes lots of untranslated German menu text.

A companion program that offers other functions is the shareware USB Toolbox 2 (€15/£10.28), which features 17 useful applications and utilities that will run from your UFD, including a word processor, email client, calendar, browser, file encryption and lots more.

At a push, you can also use one of Windows’ own tools to permanently transfer personal settings to a PC from the UFD. Start the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard using Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools.

After selecting the transfer method, in this case the UFD, the tool transfers files, settings or both to the UFD.