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How to truly erase data from USB flash drives | PCWorld

Oct 14, 2024

A USB stick is a smart tool for anyone who needs to move large amounts of information between two different computers — or take a lot of files with them when travelling.

It’s simple to use: Just plug the little “memory stick” into your computer’s USB port and you can easily move files back and forth as if it were a hard drive on your computer. There are small USB sticks that cost just a few tens, and if you pay a little more, there are variants that hold several hundred gigabytes.

If you have an old USB stick that you want to clear of information, you can do this in two different ways.

The easiest is to insert it into your computer, open Explorer and click on My Computer. Right-click on your USB stick, select Format and follow the instructions.

Some USB sticks contain various pre-installed programs when you buy them, and sometimes formatting the stick is not enough to get rid of this. In this case, you can usually open the program itself and uninstall it from here.

For example, here’s how to get rid of U3 System from the Sandisk Cruzer USB stick:

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This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC för Alla and was translated and localized from Swedish.

Martin is our sister site PC for Alla's consumer editor where he, among other things, guides you as a reader to what you need to be aware of when buying products and services. He writes engaging columns and tips on smart apps and programs, and sometimes he also tests hardware and software for PC för Alla.