The Top 10 Features Of A USB Flash Drive Duplicator System

If you are looking to buy a USB system, it is worth checking out these 10 essential features. Years ago, CD and DVD duplication towers dominated the market.

However, since the optical drives on most computers have been eliminated, USB flash drives are now the primary method for distributing information. Before purchasing a USB Duplicator, consider the following aspects.

Start with the most essential items as you go down the Top 10 list.

1. Binary Copy

Verify that the USB duplicator you are using has a copy binary function. To make a digital copy that is perfect, you need a binary copy feature. The binary function will copy the entire master device or image, including the boot code, the partition tables, the file allocation tables, as well as the data. It is essential to have a binary-copy method because of the wide variety of products that are available, including Raspberry Pi devices, bootable thumb drives and multipartition thumb drive. You may not require the binary copy function but we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. So it is always best to buy equipment that does everything.

2. Erase Feature

In the section before, we talked about the Erase function. This is a key feature that every system should include. The Erase function will delete all data. It would also be impossible to recover data if the drive were infected. This function will erase all data from the NAND memory by writing random bits (0 and 1) to each part. This feature can be very valuable for your company, if it reuses flash drives to work on different projects. The only way to ensure that all data has been deleted from the drive is by using the Erase feature. Format is a function that clears the data in the file allocation table. However, data can still recovered.

3. Write Protect Media

It is important to consider whether a USB stick should be read-only, or protected from being written. Writing protection on a USB stick provides two levels of safety. A USB that is read-only prevents the data from being altered, hacked and manipulated. By having USB write protected, a computer compromised by a virus will not be able to jump onto the USB drive. Although both of these features are important, if you do not feel that the data stored on the USB drive is important then it would be a bad idea for a company to allow a virus onto your flash drive.

Unfortunately, there’s no universal method to make USB devices write protected. This is because write protection happens at the controller-level on the device. A vendor-specific command is sent to controllers in order to enable the read only feature. There is no duplicator that can write-protect “all flash drive”. It is important to confirm what functions are available. A good example of this is the Nexcopy USB flash drive duplicator, which has a live-chat feature on its website.

4. Verification

Each flash drive should include a verification feature. This feature is included in all the products that we have found. However, you should double-check to make sure your duplicator system includes verification. Verification of flash drives is necessary because they are not all the same. Even though they may appear the same from the outside, the quality of parts inside can vary. In light of this, it is important that the duplicator system has a way to verify the data written on the USB sticks was correct. Verification is the tool you use to make sure that each write process goes smoothly. This is an especially good feature when combined with a binary-copy function.

5. Log File

Every boss will want proof of your performance. Every customer wants to know the performance of their company. It is impossible to provide better proof than a log for what you have done. It is up to each programmer to create their own log file. The level of detail in the log will be determined by how much effort the programmer invested into logging the actions. Make sure your software includes a detailed, readable log file that allows anyone to easily track all the activities and functions performed.

Imagine that you have 1,000 flash drives out in the field. People suddenly complain the drives do not work. To get back those 1,000 flash drives, it could cost a lot of time and money. So having a log is vital to understanding what happened. This log file will save your company both time and money if you have a problem with flash drive replication. The example above is extreme but it illustrates the need for a logging file to be included in any software that allows thumb drive duplication.

6. Multiple Copying Methods

Earlier, we discussed binary copy method. It is the fastest way and most reliable to copy data. But one method won’t work for everyone. Companies provide services that allow customers to upload a limited number of files. Companies that provide data-streaming can help a company with flash drives that need to contain unique information. If the IT manager requires a sequence of actions such as Format Drive, Erase Drive, Copy Data, and then Verify, this can be done. The ability to create a string of functions may be critical for your business. Many companies offer such a solution.

7. Easy User Interface

Some USB Duplicators are stand-alone and some run on a host computer. The standalone systems may be easier to use, but the PC based ones offer more advanced features and functionality. We recommend that you ask for a user manual from the manufacturer, and then review the screenshots in it. The user manual will give you a clear understanding of the way the software operates and how the graphic user interface (GUI) is used to manage features.

8. Create IMG File

A binary copy is an image file. A single image file contains all the data of a device including partition table(s), boot code and data. Image files can be used to archive data loads. Image files (.img), for example, can be used as a digital archive of a data load job. The master data is kept on the host PC inside the image file.

Image files allow departments to share their data. In this case, the research department would create a master-image file with boot code and partitions. This image file could then be sent to production and used for mass-duplication. As we’ve already said, this is a great method to archive your jobs for future use. It is possible to create USB flash drives and duplications by using the image files as backups, in conjunction with log files.

9. What Is The Best Way To Contact Technical Support

Since anyone can make a site quickly and easily, it is more difficult than ever to assess the size and reputation of a business before purchasing product from a supplier. Google’s search results show that there is only a small number of manufacturers who produce USB flash drive equipment. However, you can find dozens upon dozens resellers. It is important that you, the end user of the equipment, are able reach out to technical support when an issue arises.

To test the capabilities of a company, it’s best to try to contact them. And in this instance, go one step farther and see if you can get a quick response from their tech support team. Consider the comment above, which brings us up to number ten.

10. Manufacturers’ Phone Number And Address

Everyone can now create a web page, as mentioned earlier. It is becoming more and more common for websites to display less and less contact info. However, we disagree, particularly when it comes to purchasing expensive equipment. If a USB flash duplicator company does not provide their address and phone numbers on the website, then we recommend not purchasing from that business. Google Maps is another way to confirm that the address on a website is not just a home-based business. If a business is located in an area that is primarily residential, it’s not appropriate to label them as a manufacturer. There are also questions regarding the availability of technical support and how long they will be around.

It is important to take into account that a USB duplicator will also be an investment. It is smart to select a duplicator that will satisfy both the current needs and those of the future. This article is meant as a summary of the most important features when considering to purchase such equipment.

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