# Flash drive

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Flash_drive
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Flash_drive.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_drive
> Source revision: 1335996957
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|Computer storage device}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2023}}
thumb|An assortment of flash drives
[[File:Transcend JetFlash by Augustas Didzgalvis.jpg|thumb|[Transcend](/source/Transcend_Information) JetFlash from 2014]]

A '''flash drive''' is a portable computer drive that uses [flash memory](/source/flash_memory). Flash drives are the larger memory modules consisting of a number of '''flash chips.''' A flash chip is used to read the contents of a single cell, but it can write an entire block of cells. They connect to a USB port<ref>{{Cite web |title=How to Use a USB Flash Drive on Windows PC |url=https://www.kingston.com/en/blog/mobile-lifestyle/how-to-use-a-usb-drive-on-windows |access-date=2023-03-01 |website=Kingston Technology Company |language=en}}</ref> and function as a folder. They can also be [encrypted](/source/Encryption) for extra security.

== Specific flash drive types ==
[Memory card](/source/Memory_card)s:
* Flash memory-based [CompactFlash](/source/CompactFlash) (CF) card (including [CFast](/source/CFast) card) and [XQD card](/source/XQD_card) (Note: some other types of CF and XQD card are not flash memory-based)
* [Memory Stick](/source/Memory_Stick) (MS)
* [MultiMediaCard](/source/MultiMediaCard) (MMC)
* [Secure Digital](/source/Secure_Digital) card (SD, SDHC, SDXC)
* [SmartMedia](/source/SmartMedia) card (SM)
* [xD-Picture Card](/source/xD-Picture_Card) (xD)
Other:
* [Solid-state drive](/source/Solid-state_drive), SSD, using flash memory (a few SSDs use DRAM or MRAM)
* [USB flash drive](/source/USB_flash_drive) (UFD)

==See also==
* [Flash memory](/source/Flash_memory)
* [Comparison of memory cards](/source/Comparison_of_memory_cards)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

Category:Solid-state computer storage media

{{compu-storage-stub}}

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Flash drive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_drive) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_drive?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.