If your old technology is too old for its primary use, you still have options: phones can be security cameras, tablets can be electronic readers, and laptops can be customized to act as dedicated media servers. This type of hardware recycling can also be used with USB drives.

Take your apps everywhere

Portable applications are programs that run from a USB drive - you can unlock the drive, transfer it to another computer and download all your favorite applications. This is a useful option if you are moving between home and office or just switching between different computers in different rooms.

Computer troubleshooting

If your computer starts to have problems with errors, crashes, or viruses - or you are called in to help a friend, coworker, or relative with a damaged computer - your first action may be to jump online and find some useful tools to download. . However, switching to the Internet is not always possible if your browser or Internet connection is blocked by malware or a nasty hack.

Here you can use a USB drive full of troubleshooting tools. By downloading the kit in advance, you eliminate the need to connect to the Internet, and you also know that they are not at all affected by any pain that causes major computer problems.

What troubleshooting tool you choose for your USB drive is up to you, but there are many good ones for free. Emergency Kit is an antivirus scanner that is a useful starting point while scan your computer for common malware that may already be rooted. It is also the Avira rescue system that can scan and fix various Windows setup and configuration issues. Microsoft has its own antivirus scanner that can also be run from a USB drive

Wear a portable operating system

We are talking about portable applications, but on a USB drive you can take the whole computer with you - the operating system, applications, files and everything. The open source Linux OS is ideal for this, and many Linux distributions can run in portable mode, including Linux Lite, Puppy Linux, and MX Linux. Take a look around to see which distro is best for you. Instructions for installing your chosen version of Linux on a USB stick should be available, For example, here are the instructions for booting Ubuntu from a USB drive. You will soon need to download and run a small utility called Etcher, which will unpack the Ubuntu operating system and convert it to a suitable format that can only be run from a USB drive.

Then all you have to do is find a spare USB port on another PC, plug in its portable drive and boot Linux instead of a regular computer OS. Instructions for switching boot devices should appear on the screen when you start your computer, or you can perform a quick search to find instructions for your computer (usually you need to hold down a key like Wipe or F8 when you start your computer). Create a Windows recovery disc

Windows has some fairly extensive recovery tools built into the operating system itself, but there are times when you won't be able to access the operating system or access the recovery tool normally - meaning you won't be able to roll back or reinstall Windows normally. .

As a safety net in the event of a serious error on your computer, you can create a Windows recovery disc with an additional USB key. In Windows, open the Start menu and search for "create recovery time" to select the correct tool. Follow the on-screen instructions to copy the required files to the USB drive of your choice, but keep in mind that these files will not contain your personal files and data - you will need to back up everything regularly, separately.

If a disaster occurs, you must implement a recovery system. This is usually done by deleting the keys or holding down the F8 key when starting the computer, but a quick search should tell you during the startup process what the correct key is for your computer (which can also be displayed on the screen). To reinstall Windows, select Boot from USB, and then select Troubleshooting, Advanced Options, and Recover Drive.