Separate USB keys or just one?

[kjm_phd]

I know that we all have our various USB tool kits, and this isn't going to be just another thread about "what's on your flash drive." Instead, I pose another, simpler question...

How many flash drives do you use?

I'm a one-person shop (with a part-timer I hire out as he's needed, so kind of 2-person, maybe 1.5-person?) and I carry two with me to a client's site: a multi-boot 64GB with a bunch of tools, and a blank 32GB that's there for me to sell in case a client wants a quick backup made (or, as I experienced this weekend, a customer wanted a bootable OS X Yosemite disk as a backup to their backup *shrugs*).

How does your individual workflow go in this regard? Do you use more than one USB thumb drive and, if so, what's on the various ones?

 

[coffee]

Used to be that I carried a big book of CD's around with me. Today I carry two 4 gig memsticks on my keychain. One has all my tools for windows and some pdfs for reference. The other one doubles as a bootable linux (mint) and a backup stick. Thats pretty much about it. Anything else I can download from the clients machine if need be. Ive got pretty much everything I need on them.

Iam also a one person shop like you.

coffee

 

[cypress]

I just bought a USB case pouch last week. It holds 6 drives. 1 is my GE Tool Kit, 1 holds various other tools and 2 others Hold ISO's of Windows 7 and Windows 8. I am getting another 16gb to transfer data back and forth when on site. Getting the high speed USB of course. lol

 

[Krynn72]

I've got 4 USBs, one 4gb, two 32gb, and a 64gb on my keychain. I work in a shop though, where I'm usually working on 10-15 computers at a time, so each one is bootable and has all my tools on it, along with drivers on them except the 4gb one.

 

[SAG]

On my keychain I have a 16GB with some random/important utilities. The ones I feel I should never be without.

I have a 32GB on a lanyard hanging in my car with some more stuff on it and it also acts as a multiboot with a bunch of stuff.

In my toolbag is a 256GB USB3 for backups, data transfers, and such, an 8GB Kangaru with write-protect with all my virus/malware repair utilities on it, and an 32GB one I picked up that I have multiboot with installers, repair CDs, etc etc.

 

[citizensmith]

Only carry ONE? what if it gets lost, sat on, "borrowed" ?

I got 3 x 16gb imation write protectibles. All cloned to keep tools in sink. There's a t rusty zalman with OS images too.

 

[Martyn]

Yes several. Left one in a client pc yesterday and collected it today.

 

[mraikes]

One man shop too. For my own use, I lug around four. Two of them are 4gb read/write lockable drives with my A/V tools. The other two are 8gb non-lockable with the same A/V tools plus other odds and ends.

And I always have 2-3 others 16-32gb in retail packaging to sell when the opportunity arises.

 

[katz]

One man shop here, and for me one 64 gb drive is plenty. Unless I'm working at a business client, I bring the pc back to the shop with me anyway, so I don't need a lot of mobile tools.

I don't want to spend hours at a residential client running scans, so it's much more practical for me to bring everything back to the shop where I can work on several at once.

 

[Steve202]

I've just got the one, Imation 32gb with a write protect switch. This contains all my tools/software.

 

['putertutor]

I'm also a one-man shop. I have a single 32gb on my keychain. It holds various tools and is partitioned with a couple multiboot OS's and boot tools. That one gets me through most issues. I have another 16gb that I have a few tools and utilities on, but also a bunch of reference material (manuals etc). Last is a 64gb that I use for 'in-a-pinch' backups. Honestly, that first one gets all the action, though. The others just kind of mill around in my bag, drinking heavily from the boredom, I assume.

The main one also has a clone back at the shop, in case the other two get ****** and destroy the first in a drunken rage. That, or I lose it. Again.

 

[kjm_phd]

Only carry ONE? what if it gets lost, sat on, "borrowed" ?

I always have the second clean one... plug it into my laptop and in fifteen minutes or so I've got all my tools copied over. But, I'd rather keep that one empty to sell if at all possible.

 

[anti]

Vista All - 32bit (4GB)
Vista All - 64bit (4GB)
Windows 8.1 / Pro 8.1 64bit - EFI (8GB)
Windows PE 4 + Windows 7 64/32 + Windows 8.1 32bit + Vista 32bit + utils + drivers (32GB)
Fedora - 32bit (1GB)
Ubuntu - 32bit (1GB)
OSX Leopard / Snow Leopard / Lion / Mountain Lion (32GB)
2x8GB Spare keys for Hirens/CloneZilla/TrueImage/UBCD whatever
64GB Spare for random stuff

Probably use the Windows PE stick the most.

 

[Morrison5891]

Here is what I carry with me. Everything I need.

 

[anti]

Here is what I carry with me. Everything I need.

Have you had any issues with the blue 64GB ADATA sticks?

I had one fail in two uses then a second one fail within a week. We returned the rest.

I've had a grey 32GB one for over a year and it gets used 15 times a day.

 

[Morrison5891]

Have you had any issues with the blue 64GB ADATA sticks?

I had one fail in two uses then a second one fail within a week. We returned the rest.

I've had a grey 32GB one for over a year and it gets used 15 times a day.

No problems at all... have been using them for over a year. We have over 30 of the Adata Pro drives and we love them!

 

[cypress]

Here is what I carry with me. Everything I need.

That Blue Patriot Drive is what I am going to pick up next. Had the red one a couple years back and I loved it. Misplaced it somehow.

 

[citizensmith]

That Blue Patriot Drive

Man, I need glasses or a bigger font - thought that said Blue Parrot
nudge nudge

 

[cypress]

Man, I need glasses or a bigger font - thought that said Blue Parrot
nudge nudge

Lol! I think even a Blue Parrot would be useful.

 

[SCS75]

Right now, I have a 16 GB SanDisk Cruzer with the GEGeek toolkit, Tweaking AIO (redundant, I know), D7, and a few other odds & ends. Then I have another 4GB Cruzer with 32 bit Linux Mint MATE on it. Stole one of my wife's 1GB drives & put Hitman Pro Kickstart on it for something I was working on.

Ultimately, I'd like to make a multiboot USB drive with UBCD, a couple different Linux Mint variants, and a folder full of tools. That project's probably going to wait until I get a 32GB drive, though.