Usb-sticks for live-usb use

[BitJam]

For years I've been recommending the Samsung Flash Drive Fit. It is small and fast and has been reliable for me even with heavy use. I have four of them. The price of these devices has been rising, which is strange for electronics but may reflect supply and demand. This is still the device I recommend. It is small and white.

I'm now trying the Samsung Fit Plus. It's reasonably small (and black). It is faster than the Fit and it is much less expensive but the price may be going up. Several Amazon reviewers have reported issues with the device which may be why the price is low. I've just started using it so I'm not ready to recommend it yet.

Please do not use SanDisk Ultra Fit. They get very hot and they often don't boot (live or installed) unless you unplug and replug them. Other problems have been reported as well.

[duane]

Three things I do not like in Flash drives:
ones that slide open
ones that are so small you have to attach something to them so you don't loose them.
ones that have no way of attaching anything to them
I mostly use the Kingston Data Travelers myself. Not sure how fast they are compared to others but I like the fact that I can put a key ring with a small tag on them to label which distro and version and date of iso.

[Eadwine Rose]

For some reason the really cheapo ones that aren't too big (so up to say 16G) work best for me for LiveUSBs.

I do like those that have a light on them so I can SEE something is being done.

[azrielle]

For years I've been recommending the Samsung Flash Drive Fit. It is small and fast and has been reliable for me even with heavy use. I have four of them. The price of these devices has been rising, which is strange for electronics but may reflect supply and demand. This is still the device I recommend. It is small and white.
I have found that Mushkin Atom flash drives work equally well, and their characteristics are similar to the Samsung Fit.

Please do not use SanDisk Ultra Fit. They get very hot and they often don't boot (live or installed) unless you unplug and replug them. Other problems have been reported as well.
Echoes my experience with them as well, particularly the overheating.
Lexar S45 Jumpdrives have similar form factors, with a LED as well; they also get really hot, and I have experienced total data loss after 3 months of use on one occasion.

[skidoo]

FYI, regarding Lexar brand:

[Antediluvian]

Please do not use SanDisk Ultra Fit. They get very hot and they often don't boot (live or installed) unless you unplug and replug them. Other problems have been reported as well.

Now you tell me! I just bought one a few weeks ago.

[BitJam]

I've been saying it for years. In my live-usb-maker program I issue this warning if you try to use one:

Code: Select all

===============================================================================
Starting live-usb-maker
===============================================================================
Warning: A SanDisk Ultra Fit usb drive was detected
Warning: This device is known to cause errors during creation and boot

Do you want it included in the menu anyway
  > yes
  > no

Some people are able to use them with no problem. OTOH, I think one of them was partially responsible for burning out the mobo on my fancy laptop. Also, I did something very innocuous which destroyed one my the Utra Fits. That is my only usb-3 usb-stick that has died.

[KBD]

Yep. I burned up a Sandisk Ultra Fit awhile back. They simply have no room to dissipate heat. But otherwise I only buy Sandisk as they generally have worked very well for me. You have to be careful with usb sticks with plastic ends as they crack and break. I like the metal connector larger Sandisk sticks.