Keep your old USB drives for those important situations that still occasionally arise!
Ten years ago, USB flash drives were an indispensable part of many people's daily lives. People used them to store and transfer files and everything else. Now, they are no longer useful for everyday tasks. Transferring small files can be done on the device itself or via cloud storage services , while larger files are better suited to external SSDs and other storage devices. The drastic drop in flash storage costs has made microSD cards and SSDs far more attractive than USB drives for the average user.
However, that doesn't mean it's time to throw your old USB drives in the trash. Keep your old USB drives for a few important situations that still occasionally arise!
Use a USB drive to print and store your media library.
Many people are reluctant to send their files to public printers or use cloud storage services.
Everyone knows USB drives are great for storing and transferring files – that's nothing new. However, by 2026, cloud storage services and data transfer tools will be a much easier way to move files and media between devices. Quick Share and AirDrop are very popular, and some people even use communication platforms like Slack or Discord to move their digital documents. So why hold onto old USB drives if there are better options?
Privacy, simplicity, and reliability are three reasons many people keep a USB drive handy for transferring files and media content in certain situations. Some people no longer own a printer and prefer using a physical flash drive to print at stationery stores, libraries, or public printers. This way, they avoid sharing unnecessary information by emailing files to print services or using cloud storage providers.
Portable apps help you live like a digital nomad.
Keep essential applications ready to run on any machine you encounter.
Portable applications are definitely the best way to use a USB drive. They are small, standalone applications that reside on the USB drive and remain usable even when you move between different computers. After selecting the necessary portable applications and installing them onto the flash drive, they can be launched from a simple interface. There are portable applications for popular web browsers, photo editors, and media players – including GIMP and Google Chrome .
When set up to run portable applications, USB drives become useful for the same reasons we've already examined.
A bootable USB drive is still a lifesaver.
Especially if you have a laptop running Windows.
Finally, if you have a USB drive lying around somewhere and don't see the above use cases appealing, you can create a bootable installer as a backup in case of emergency. You really can't go wrong creating a USB installer, because it will at least be very useful when you decide to change machines, recycle, or give away your computer. A bootable USB allows users to wipe their PC and reinstall a fresh copy of the operating system without having to wait for the installer to download from a server.
If you have a Windows laptop, especially a new one, there's even more reason to create a bootable installation USB. If you own a Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, the dual-screen design and necessary drivers make a normal Windows reinstallation impossible. Instead, it's recommended to create a custom bootable installation USB from Lenovo with all the necessary drivers and software for the laptop. It's a great way to repurpose old USB drives when they're past their prime, and TipsMake.com also has instructions on how to create a bootable installation USB .