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Connect the USB drive, open it in your computer’s file manager, copy or drag files into it, check that they appear, then eject the drive before unplugging it. The steps differ slightly between Windows and Mac.
Before you start
- Connect the drive to a compatible port on your computer. The connector you need depends on the ports available on your computer and the drive; use an adapter only if those connectors do not match.
- If the computer does not show the drive, reconnect it and check whether it appears in File Explorer or Finder before trying to copy files.
Copy files to a USB drive in Windows
These steps apply to Windows 10 and Windows 11. Microsoft says Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025; these instructions do not change that support status.
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- Plug the USB drive into the computer.
- Open File Explorer and locate the files or folders you want to copy.
- Select the items. To choose multiple items, hold Ctrl while selecting each one.
- Copy the selected items, open the USB drive in File Explorer, then paste them there. If available in your Windows menu, you can also use Send to and select the drive. Microsoft’s external storage guidance covers using a drive for file transfer.
- Open the drive and confirm the files or folders are listed. For important files, open one from the drive to check that it copied successfully.
- Before unplugging, select the drive’s eject or safely remove option in Windows. Microsoft advises: “To avoid losing data, always safely remove hardware devices like USB flash drives or external hard drives before disconnecting them.” See Microsoft’s safe-removal instructions.
Copy files to a USB drive on Mac
- Connect the drive to your Mac.
- Open Finder and look for the drive in the sidebar. Apple’s external storage guide describes using drives such as USB and thumb drives with a Mac.
- Locate the files in Finder, then drag them onto the drive in the sidebar. You can also open the drive first and drag files into its window.
- Open the drive and confirm the copied items appear. Open a file from the drive if you need to verify it is usable.
- In Finder, click the eject icon next to the drive, or select File > Eject. Wait for it to disappear from the sidebar before disconnecting it. Apple explains this process in its instructions for ejecting storage devices.
If your Mac can read the drive but will not copy files to it
Check the available space first, then inspect the drive’s format and permissions. In Finder, select the drive and choose File > Get Info to review its details. Apple says a Mac may read an NTFS-formatted drive but cannot write to it using macOS’s built-in support. A drive reserved for Time Machine, restricted permissions, or disk errors may also prevent copying. Apple’s external storage troubleshooting guidance covers these checks.
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Choose a format only if you are ready to erase the drive
For a drive you need to use with Windows and Mac, Apple’s Disk Utility guidance recommends MS-DOS (FAT) for a disk of 32 GB or less and ExFAT for one larger than 32 GB. These are Apple’s stated thresholds for preparing a disk for Windows use, not a requirement to format every drive. Formatting erases the drive, so copy any files you want to keep somewhere safe first. Follow Apple’s Disk Utility instructions for erasing and formatting a disk; do not erase a drive just to troubleshoot it if it contains files you need.
#1 Best Overall
Sale
Lexar D40E 128GB Dual USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C Jump Drive, Champagne Silver | USB-C Flash, Metal Housing, Swivel Design, Thumb Drive
- USB-C 2-in-1 storage OTG: The Lexar JumpDrive Dual Drive D40E features USB Type-A and Type-C connectors in a slim, portable form factor for easy device compatibility
- Transfer speeds up to 100MB/s: Based on internal testing, performance may vary depending upon the host device, interface, and usage conditions. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes
- Plug and Play: Widely compatible with USB Type-C smartphones, tablets, laptops, Macs, and traditional Type-A devices, no software installation required. The 360° swivel design allows for easy switching between connectors without the hassle of losing a cap
- Durable & Compact: The Lexar D40E USB memory stick features a metal enclosure, withstands temperatures from 0° to 50° C (32°F to 122°F), and is lightweight at 26g with dimensions of 70.4 x 16.9 x 11.7mm
- Security & Warranty: Securely protects files using an advanced security software solution with 256-bit AES encryption. Backed by a Lexar 3-year limited warranty
Copying files back from the drive
To transfer files from the USB drive to the computer, open the drive in File Explorer or Finder, then copy or drag the items to a folder on the computer. Verify the copies there before ejecting the drive.
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Best Value
IMEASON Swivel Design 16GB USB Flash Drive with Keychain, USB 2.0 Portable Thumb Drive Memory Stick, FAT32 Format Flashdrive for Data Storage, Photos, Music, Files (Black, 16 GB)
- 【16GB Flash Drive】USB flash drives with 16GB capacity, meet your needs of daily use on work, school, home and travelling for photos, music, videos, files storage and transfer. IMEASON thumb drives can be used to store different files, easy to data backup.
- 【Metal Swivel Cap Design】USB thumb drive is metal swivel cover provides extra protection for the usb thumbdrive connector, no usb drive cap to lose; keychain design makes it easier to carry without worrying lose it.
- 【Wide Compatibility】USB drive supports Windows 7/8/10/11 / Vista / XP / Unix / 2000 / ME / NT Linux and Mac OS, also Supports USB 2.0 and 1.1 ports. USB Stick support TV, desktop, notebook computer, car, audio and other device. The USB Memory Stick is your great data storage and transfer companion with traveling and working.
- 【Easy to use】usb memory stick is plug and play without any software installation. Just simply plug the Flashdrive into the port of your USB-compatible devices such as computer, laptop to start data storage or transmission.
- 【What You Get】16 GB USB Flash Drive Thumb Drive, The default format of the usb storage flash drive is FAT32.
Rank #4
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SIMMAX 32GB Memory Stick USB 2.0 Flash Drives Swivel Thumb Drive Pen Drive (32GB Purple)
- GOOD VALUE PACKAGE - 1 Pack 32GB Memory Stick USB 2.0 Flash Drives with great cost performance and high quality.
- BIG CAPACITY - The available capacity: 29.10GB-29.8GB, You can save the data of movies, music, photos, designs, programs, manuals, handouts in a high speed.Good performance in digital data storing, transferring and sharing with families, friends, workmates, clients and machines.
- EASY TO USE & PLUG AND WORK - Support windows 7 / 8 / 10 / Vista / XP / 2000 / ME / NT Linux and Mac OS, Compatible with USB2.0 and below.
- TWISTTURN DESIGN & EASY CARRY - The metal clip rotates 360° round the ABS plastic body which with rubber oil skin feeling finish. The capless design can avoid lossing of cap, and providing efficient protection to the USB port.
- WARRANTY & SUPPORT - SIMMAX logo is laser printed on the USB connector surface, our products are of good quality and we promise that any problem about the product within one year since you buy.
Rank #3
2 Pack 64GB USB Flash Drive USB 2.0 Thumb Drives Jump Drive Fold Storage Memory Stick Swivel Design - Black
- What You Get - 2 pack 64GB genuine USB 2.0 flash drives, 12-month warranty and lifetime friendly customer service
- Great for All Ages and Purposes – the thumb drives are suitable for storing digital data for school, business or daily usage. Apply to data storage of music, photos, movies and other files
- Easy to Use - Plug and play USB memory stick, no need to install any software. Support Windows 7 / 8 / 10 / Vista / XP / Unix / 2000 / ME / NT Linux and Mac OS, compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1 ports
- Convenient Design - 360°metal swivel cap with matt surface and ring designed zip drive can protect USB connector, avoid to leave your fingerprint and easily attach to your key chain to avoid from losing and for easy carrying
- Brand Yourself - Brand the flash drive with your company's name and provide company's overview, policies, etc. to the newly joined employees or your customers
Rank #2
SANDISK 128GB Ultra Flair, USB-A Flash Drive, Up to 150MB/s Read Speeds | USB Flash Drive, Up to 15x Faster than standard 2.0, Password Protection, Durable, Sleek Metal Casing, USB 3.0, Silver/Black
- High-speed USB 3.0 performance of up to 150MB/s(1) [(1) Write to drive up to 15x faster than standard USB 2.0 drives (4MB/s); varies by drive capacity. Up to 150MB/s read speed. USB 3.0 port required. Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending on host device, usage conditions, and other factors; 1MB=1,000,000 bytes]
- Transfer a full-length movie in less than 30 seconds(2) [(2) Based on 1.2GB MPEG-4 video transfer with USB 3.0 host device. Results may vary based on host device, file attributes and other factors]
- Transfer to drive up to 15 times faster than standard USB 2.0 drives(1)
- Sleek, durable metal casing
- Easy-to-use password protection for your private files(3) [(3)Password protection uses 128-bit AES encryption and is supported by Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and Mac OS X v10.9 plus; Software download required for Mac, visit the SanDisk SecureAccess support page]
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