USB Pen Memory or CD-Burner

[Vieux Richard]

I take my laptop when on a customer site for downloading files that may need to be installed on their PCs, from the Internet. It does not have a CD-Burner nor USB 2.0. Am very tempted to buy a USB Pen memory for this use, as most of the files will only be 3-4 MB maximum. I assume that I will have to buy a PC card with USB 2.0 support.
However, most of my customers have USB 1.1 and Windows 98 or ME. So are there any problems with getting these configurations to recognise data on a USB 2.0 pen memory?

[TheJackal]

I would go for a USB pen drive if the files that you are going to be transporting are only 3-4mb each, that would be a waste of a CD, and a CD burner is a bit much to carry around.

Assuming your laptop has a USB 1.1 port then you won't need to buy a USB 2.0 PC Card as any USB pen drive would be backwards compatible with USB 1.1

Windows ME will auto detect USB pen drives. However Windows 98 requires the installation of drivers. You can always copy whatever driver CD comes with your pen drive onto one of the smaller business card size CDs, so that it is easier to carry around if you have to use the pen drive with any machines running Windows 9x.

[andyms18a]

when we fix computers at work usb and cd drives are not all ways usabble ie if the computer only boots to safe mode we use a usb hdd caddy conected to a laptop witch duil boots to winxp and linux we then remove the cust hdd and place it in the cady on the laptop and copy the files we nead strat to it

[topnode]

hello andy, i just need clarification on what you meant by "usb hdd caddy", this sounds very useful.

[andyms18a]

its an holder witch conects to the lap top via usb when we have a problam geting in to windows we remove the customers hard drive and put it in the caddy and conect it to our lap top check out this link http://www.addonics.com/products/external_hdd/combo_hd.asp

[Vieux Richard]

Is there any advantage for me to add a PC USB 2.0 card & then go for the USB 2.0 pen memory e.g. much faster copying. Or is it better just to buy the USB 1.1 pen memory and save some money on the PC card?

[TheJackal]

Well, the pen drive will probably be USB 2.0 already, so the only advantage to buying a USB 2.0 PC card would be that you would have faster data transfer, however if the largest file that you are going to transfer is going to be small, in the 3-5mb range then I would suggest that you forget the USB 2.0 PC card and save your money.

[Vieux Richard]

Someone recently suggested using a USB NIC with a crossover cable instead of a USB pen memory. Anyone had any experience of these?

[glc]

Installing NIC drivers and setting up a network is a lot more hassle for transferring a few megabytes than using a pen drive.

[Vieux Richard]

glc, I think the suggestion was that this could be useful when the customer's PC is infected with a virus and you would then be able to remove the virus from the infected PC by mapping the disk and running NAV from the laptop.

[TheJackal]

Seeing as how a PCMCIA Nic, and a small pen drive are both cheap items, why not just pick up one of each?

[glc]

It's just as easy to run F-Prot from the set of 3 floppies, and I assume you could load F-Prot up on your pen drive too. A full DOS F-Prot install is less than 3 megs.

[Vieux Richard]

glc, is this F-Prot a solution to solving how to disinfect a virus infected PC? If so, I'd like to know what's involved and how to get hold of it, as many of my customers contract viruses through inadequate or non-existant anti-virus s/w. It certainly sounds a simpler & easier solution that installing a LAN even through a USB NIC.

[glc]

http://www.f-prot.com/products/corporate_users/dos/

Download here: http://www.f-prot.com/download/download_fpdos.html

Definitions update:
http://www.f-prot.com/cgi-bin/get_randomly?fp-def
http://www.f-prot.com/cgi-bin/get_randomly?macrdef2

Instructions for running off floppies: http://www.f-prot.com/support/fpdos_faq/06.html

I know it says F-Prot Antivirus for DOS will run under Windows 3.x, Windows 95, 98, OS2, or UNIX, LINUX or Macintosh workstation running a DOS or Windows emulator - but it does run on Win2000 at a command prompt and I assume it will run on XP.

[Vieux Richard]

Thanks v much - I'll add it to my kit bag.