PCinfospace

First of all they can be called many names.  Jump drive is a brand.  They are also called  Thumb Drives, USB drives, backup drives, portable drives or, for that matter, whatever you want to call them.

What are the differences?

There too many to mention all of them. By now almost any manufacture is OK to use.  Most “bad” ones have been weeded out of the market.  You mainly need to be able to know what you want to use it for.

• Some swing open while others just have a cap on them. Some even slide in and out. Larger drives are connected by using a USB cable.

• Transferring or storing a small amount of data- This drive can normally be as small as 500 Megabytes.  You still need to know how big the file or files will be however.

• Using as a backup drive- This depends on if you are going to use a backup utility that will over write the files each time.  If you are going to back up individual files or programs on a regular basis I would recommend a large drive.  Backup Drive physical sizes are normally bigger than a simple flash drive. Their storage space can be as large as one terabyte. In fact, they get bigger every day. Small flash drives have gained in storage space and can be as big as 16 GIG at this writing.

• Cost considerations – The type of drive you get may depend on your budget. Although a very large drive is nice to have you may be forced to buy a smaller drive.  USB drives have come down in price very fast.  As the large drives started coming out the small drive prices dropped like a rock.
• Storage capacity- Here is a good way to look at it: If you have a 500 GIG drive on your hard drive, buy a drive half that size.  Usually your data would have fit on a 500 GIG drive without a backup as an example. However, have a computer technician look at your storage needs.  Do not try to play technical.  This never saves any money. If you do it right the first time, you will go years without a worry.

Are there any warnings I need to know about?

Yes! As in any new technology, there is a procedure you need to follow if you want things to go properly.  When you plug it in it will install itself.  Do not panic if it takes a while. However, when you remove the drive you need to take special steps. If you just pull out the plug you can corrupt the data and/or make the drive inaccessible. If that happens, you will not be able to access any data that was on the drive.  Some people have done this numerous times without problems. Well! You know you are the one that this very bad problem will happen to. In the lower right corner of your desktop you will see “Safely Remove Hardware” if you hover over it with your mouse.  Double click it . You will see several selections normally. You need to find and select the proper drive and device.  Once you are sure click OK. In some cases it may take a while before it say that it is safe to remove.

If you have spilled any kind of liquid, such as coffee or soda, on your laptop computer you need to take action immediately. Do not wait for the next day. Waiting may allow liquid to get into the very delicate motherboard circuits. If that happens, it could short out the Mother board or even blow a circuit breaker if you have the power supply cord plugged in.  Water and electricity do not mix. You could even get an electric shock in some cases.

Before you give up hope, here are some steps to take to salvage your laptop from the perils of a liquid spill.

1. If you have never taken a laptop apart don’t even try the following step. Laptop parts are very small and a lot of them are plastic.  If you break something it could be very expensive to replace.  You also need special tools to take it apart. It also requires a lot of patience. Take it to a professional as soon as possible.

2. Unplug the power cord as soon as possible and remove the battery.  DO NOT WAIT! It could short out and destroy the motherboard or other components.

3. Gently incline one side of the laptop and try to get out as much liquid as you can.

3. Clean up as much of the liquid on the outer case as you can. If you are uneasy about taking apart your laptop, get it to a repair shop nearby as soon as possible.

If you can do the cleaning yourself, follow these steps. DO NOT attempt this if you have never done it.

1. Remove PC cards USB devices or anything attached to the computer.

2. Remove the battery and disconnect the power supply cord.  This will also keep you from accidentally bending and maybe breaking the connection.

2. Carefully take apart as much of the outer casing as you can.

3. Remove the keyboard, swab as much of the affected areas with rubbing alcohol, and spray it with compressed area. You can use a static free towel to soak up large quantities of liquid but never rub any surfaces with a towel of any kind. A swab will allow you to get smaller areas also.

4. Let it air dry for a day and then reassemble your laptop. If you think your hard drive or other circuitry was affected by your spill, you should get some electronics circuit cleaner to clean contacts if neccessary.

5. Power it up and see if your handy work has helped.

If the laptop does not start, your hard drive may still be able to be saved. It could be transferred to another laptop. You may want a professional to look at it before you make a drastic decision.

It is an unfortunate accident to knock a cup of liquid onto your computer.  The best tip for a laptop spill fix is prevention. If you are going to drink while working on your computer, keep liquids away from the spill zone. It is better to have them on a different table or just wait until you’re done with working on the laptop.  I normally just take a break an go to a different area of the office or home.