How do I ... benchmark USB drives with CheckFlash?

If you’re like me, you use USB flash drives for everything from data portability to portable operating systems to use for troubleshooting. There are instances when you want to know the read/write speeds of your USB drives or if the storage on the drive is stable. That task isn’t easy without the right tools. CheckFlash is an easy-to-use USB drive benchmarking tool that can handle a few important tasks for those administrators who have a need to know their devices are up to the task.

In this introduction to CheckFlash, I will show you how to run both the Read Stability test and the Write/Read test on your USB flash drives.

This blog post is also available in PDF format in a free TechRepublic download.

Getting and installing

CheckFlash can be found at the developers’ (Misha Cherkes) Web site. Download the zip file and save it to a known location. There is no actual installation of this tool; CheckFlash is a complete, executable binary file that can simply be double-clicked to launch.

The best thing to do is, upon extracting the zip file, move the ChkFlsh file to a location you will remember. The easiest thing to do is to right-click the ChkFlsh file and select the Add to Quick Launch Menu option. This will add a clickable button to launch the application in the Quick Launch bar that resides on the Task Bar. You could also select the Pin to Start Menu option to add an entry to your Start menu.

Once you have CheckFlash ready to launch, you can either go ahead and launch the application and then insert a USB flash drive or insert the drive and then launch the application. If you launch the application first, you will have to hit the refresh button in order to see your drive listed.

The application will open to the main window.

U-Who? What your colleague's flash drive might be hiding

Last time, I provided some methods and motives for disabling Windows’ AutoRun capability. That post was prompted by my recent exposure to a device which exploits that system feature: a U3-enabled USB flash drive. Every helpdesk pro should be aware of these products, and the implications they have for making the business of computer support even more difficult.

It all began innocuously enough. One of our contract vendors had run out of the model of USB flash drives that I ordered for my office, and instead sent along some SanDisk USB keys of equal capacity. I didn’t really notice the substitution when I unpacked the USB keys, but the difference became clear when I eventually popped one into my office computer. AutoRun fired up a flashy application from the new USB drive, offering me the chance to customize my new purchase with additional software and utilities. I’d heard about the U3 product before, but my experience with it really got me thinking about the implications of devices like this for the helpdesk.

U3 is a middleware product that is showing up on USB thumb drives as a value-added feature. When a U3 drive is connected to a Windows computer, AutoRun activates the U3 launcher software, which puts a special menu in the system tray. From that menu, the operator can access and modify the software preinstalled on the flash drive. The idea is that one can use a U3 flash drive to carry applications and program settings in addition to the usual documents and other files. The applications stored on the U3 drive can be used without having to run an installer application or save anything to the host computer’s C:\ drive.

The marketing for these U3 drives aims them at anyone who might have to use more than one computer on a regular basis. Just imagine, with his U3 flash device, a user can carry his favorite programs and all his data with him…ready for use on any Windows computer he might come across. This idea should raise any support pro’s eyebrows. All of a sudden, you might not be able to predict what programs your users are using on your network.

Recently on TechRepublic Jason Hiner discussed a Wall Street Journal article which provided tips for circumventing the controls that might have been put in place by corporate IT departments. That original article mentions that users can install and run applications from removable USB devices, without necessarily having to have administrative access on their machine. These “portable” applications have been available on the Internet for quite a while; they’re not new. Tracking down the proper apps and installing them, though, once took a small amount of industry. What’s news is that your users can go to their local computer store and buy a U3 flash drive that has several portable apps and device management software preinstalled. No muss, no fuss, no special knowledge required. Now it’s not just the computer savvy users that you have to worry about carrying and using a drive full of unapproved applications, but everyone.

The repercussions of this for technology personnel are far-reaching. One thing support pros rely on when we’re supporting a network of computers is that the suite of applications in use is a known quantity. In many cases, techs have restricted users to a tested suite of applications that are stable and compliant with the organization’s security policies. This narrows the field of inquiry when troubleshooting a problem. By running unauthorized applications from USB devices, users are undermining the efforts that their IT pros have made to provide a consistently supportable environment, and U3 is facilitating that.

Fundamentally, if the information on your network is too valuable to risk the troubles that removable devices might bring, then it’s your responsibility to disable USB mass storage on your company’s machines. And I’ll admit, in the right setting, devices like this could be useful. Support techs on-call could carry a suite of troubleshooting tools on their own USB devices, for example. Let’s be realistic, though. This “feature” is an attempt on the part of U3 and flash memory manufacturers to head off the ever-falling prices on solid-state products. They can offer U3 software as a premium feature and charge higher prices for their devices. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want flash drive manufacturers making the decision to install bundle-wear for me, or using the storage space I paid for to advertise their partners’ products. In the future, I’ll “look for the U3 label”…

…and steer clear.

To USB or not to USB, that's the security question

In ITDojo, Bill Detwiler just outlined the steps necessary to boot Windows XP from a USB flash drive. Likewise, you can also create bootable flash drives for Linux and other operating systems. Booting from USB is relatively recent development in the PC world, and as such it adds one more headache for security conscious IT professionals.

Flash drives have presented security problems for IT for some time now based on their ability to store and make portable gobs of your sensitive corporate data. It’s not just flash drives either. Any device, such as digital cameras or iPods, that can store data and connects to USB present a method for people to remove data from your organization.

The question for IT leaders however, is what to do about flash drives and other USB storage options. Do you allow them in your organization or do you block them? And what are the implications for blocking USB?

More than a technical hurdle

It’s not all that hard to disable USB devices. There are all kinds of options to keep flash drives off your systems. You can disable USB in BIOS. All modern operating systems like Windows and OS X allow you to disable USB as well. Using Group Policy in a Windows Server environment, you can set a policy in Active Directory and disable flash drives as well. If you don’t have those options, there are third party utilities that can lock out USB devices. You could even go the low tech route and do something silly like gluing the ports closed.

The problem so much isn’t blocking flash drives from a technical standpoint as it is convincing users about the need to do so. Many users have a sense of entitlement, and even in organizations where security is important, they may balk at the idea of not being allowed to use flash drives. Or, if they do understand the need, they’ll try to convince you why they are the exception to the rule.

Although it’s possible to just create a policy on a paper, slap some controls on your network, and be done with it, that’s not always the best route to take. The best course of action is to check and see even IF a policy is needed in the first place. If so, then do your best to educate users about the reason why and enlist as much support as possible. People naturally bristle at restrictions, but presented properly, they won’t rebel as much.

Remember, if you do decide to block flash drives in your organization, you may need to come up with other options. Naturally any method that makes data portable enough to go around the office can make it portable enough to go out the door, but users won’t complain as much if you give them alternatives. It might be more storage space on the server, more portable computers, CD or DVD-RW drives, or something else. Just be aware that blocking flash drives won’t necessarily protect data nor lessen your administration headaches.

The bottom line for IT leaders

USB flash drives are as dangerous as they are ubiquitous. Not only can they be used to drain your organization dry, when used as boot devices they can also be used to overcome passwords and other security you have in place. If security is critical in your organization, you have policies and procedures in place to deal with them. Even in organizations where security isn’t as critical, there are lots of good reasons to restrict them. Decide what’s best for your organization, but be as clear to users as possible about what the decision is, why, and that there are no exceptions.

Create a Vista password reset disk using a USB flash drive

If you were an early adopter of USB flash drives, you may still have a 128 MB or a 256 MB USB flash drive in the back of your desk drawer. Even though the dusty drive may seem too small to be of any real use, you can put it back to work as a password reset disk for Windows Vista.

In this edition of the Windows Vista Report, I’ll show you how to create and use a password reset disk in Vista using a USB flash drive rather than a floppy disk.

The USB flash drive

First, let’s take a moment to talk about the USB flash drive. The reason that I’m spotlighting your old small-capacity USB flash drive is that it is really too small to be of much use in today’s world due to that fact that portable storage needs are now reaching more towards the GB range. However, that’s not to say that you couldn’t use a 1 GB USB flash drive for a password reset disk. Some might consider that to be a waste of disk space because the password reset file only weighs in at 2 KB, but flash drives are inexpensive — you can pick up a 1 GB USB flash drive for under $20 or a 128 MB USB flash drive for under $5.

Creating a password reset disk

Follow these steps to create a password reset disk:
1. Insert your USB flash drive and wait for it to initialize and receive a drive letter.
2. Once the drive is ready to use, click the Start button and type User Accounts in the Start Search box.
3. Press [Enter] or click User Accounts in the Results panel. Either way, you’ll see the User Accounts dialog box. You will need to locate and click Create A Password Reset Disk in the Tasks panel.

SanDisk launches Cruzer family of USB flash drives with hardware encryption

SanDisk has just launched a pair of USB flash drives dubbed the Cruzer Professional and Cruzer Enterprise for business users on the Windows platform. Both of these USB flash drives offers password protection as well as data security via built-in hardware-based 256-bit AES encryption.

Targeted straight at the SMB, as well as the enterprise segment, the Cruzer Professional features a password-protected “Privacy Zone” that can be set to any percentage of the drive’s total capacity. All data that is stored inside this “Privacy Zone” will be automatically encrypted.

The Cruzer Enterprise, on the other hand, offers mandatory password protection for the entire drive, with all files being encrypted.

Both Cruzer Professional and Cruzer Enterprise are billed as true plug-and-play devices, requiring no software installation whatsoever on the host system.

USB stick protects kids while online

A USB Flash Drive from Uxsight is designed to bring peace of mind to parents while their children are online.

The Kids Online Guard USB Stick allows parents to restrict the times that their children can go on the computer, and can be set to prevent children accessing undesirable sites.

A website can be designated, such as an educational site, which will then be displayed when a child logs in.

To ensure that kids don’t tamper with important files a ‘privacy room’ can be set up on the computer where important data can be secured, accessible only through the USB lock.

The lock can also disable the use of CD-ROM and USB flash drives, and will provide a history of which sites children have visited.

The device costs $21.69.

SanDisk drive earns FIPS and Common Criteria certification

SanDisk Corporation’s Cruzer Enterprise FIPS edition secure USB flash drive is the first FIPS 140-2 Level 2 USB Flash Drive ever to Earn Common Criteria Certification.

The Common Criteria, which is recognised in 26 countries, is an ISO standard used to assess the security functional requirements and security assurance requirements of technology products.

With its certifications recognized in 26 countries, Common Criteria is an important global evaluation standard for security products.

David Matot, SanDisk’s product marketing manager, enterprise solutions, said: “Cruzer Enterprise flash drives are the only USB drives in the world to hold both FIPS 140-2 and Common Criteria certifications, making them the USB flash drive of choice for organizations that require proven solutions from a leader in secure removable storage.”

SanDisk also announced outstanding results for the 2009 third quarter, with revenue up 14% to $935 million, while net income was $231 million, compared with $166 million loss in the third quarter of 2008.

Ironkey launches D200 USB flash drives

IronKey has launched the D200 range of USB flash drives for consumers, government and enterprise customers who want to safely transport large amounts of date.

The D200 is a lower cost drive, which still offers high security and remote update capabilities.

It features new policy enforcement, usability and field-maintenance capabilities, and doubles as a strong authentication token.

The drive is self-defending against physical, malware and password attacks, and its dual-channel architecture enables rapid data transfer rates.

The low cost of the device is due to its multi-level cell (MLC) NAND memory, which can pack more bits compared with Ironkey’s existing S200 series which has a single-level cell (SLC).

This gives a drive with double the capacity at the same price, although the MLC memory will wear out faster than SLC memory.

CyberPower adds speedy USB 3.0 to Gamer Xtreme machines

Gaming machine manufacturer, CyberPower Inc, is adding USB 3.0 Flash Drive and SATA-III as standard on all models.

From today, CyberPower customers can configure and order a Gamer Xtreme system with the super speed USB 3.0/SATA III interface.

Gamers will still be able to use their current peripherals as both USB 3.0 and SATA III are backward compatible.

CyberPower also announced new gaming machines with Intel’s latest Core i5/i7 processors and DirectX 11-ready (DX11) ATI Radeon 5800 Series video cards.

These will work with Microsoft’s Windows 7 Operating System to give faster boot up times and improved multi-threaded performance.

Imation ships wireless USB hard drive

Imation has announced the availability of the Pro WX, an external hard drive that connects by wireless USB to both PCs and Macs.

USB Flash Drive 2.0 devices can be connected to a computer wirelessly, from a range of up to 30 feet.

The device holds up to 1.5TB of data on a Seagate 3.5″ Barracuda hard drive and offers speeds of 15 mbps, slower than a wired version would offer.

It sells for a pretty hefty $449.99.

Imation recently announced plans to expand in the UK through a reseller programme centred on its business-to-business (B2B) range.

The programme will launch 1 January.

IronKey announces 32GB Secure USB Flash Drives

IronKey has expanded its D200 range with 32GB capacity devices which are ideal for larger companies and public sector use.

The IronKey 32GB secure drives offer capacity to transport, and to back up, large amounts of data.

The dual-channel architecture offers rapid data transfer rates and the drives meet FIPS 140-2, Level 3 security requirements.

Basic, Personal and Enterprise editions of the USB Flash drives are available through authorised distributors and resellers globally.

Kingston Digital launches DataTraveler range

Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, launches a range of limited edition stylised USB Flash drive.

The Kingston DataTraveler range has been customised to four styles to suit a wide range of consumers. Who said storage doesn’t have style?

“Four exclusive and bold designs make up this new lifestyle collection from our flash storage range” said Kirsty Miller, EMEA consumer marketing manager for Kingston Technology.

“They have all the features you’d expect from the Kingston DataTraveler series of products plus a choice of different designs to suit everyone.”

Only available for a limited period of time, these new designs include Red, Flower, Geometric and Boca are all available in 4GB, providing plenty of storage space for your latest photos and projects.

The Boca design, that’s reminiscent of the Rolling Stones’ iconic image, comes in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB variations.

Kingston’s DataTraveler range has been designed specifically to ensure that storing, transporting and managing your data is as simple as possible.

The USB drive features a sliding mechanism to fully protect the USB connector. The drive is small, economic, and now sexy too.

“Flash USB drives are becoming increasingly essential to daily life so why should people be limited to only a few basic colours,” said Miller, “This exclusive range is all about expressing your personality, no matter where you are or what you’re doing.”

Father’s Day, Easter, a birthday or just because you can – the exclusive Kingston DataTraveler designer range makes for a useful and tasteful gift.

Make sure you check out and join the Remember Kingston Fan page on Facebook where joining members will get the chance to enter and win one of the Limited Edition designs starting on the 6th April and ending on the 9th April.

Wireless USB – time for a new office

Wireless USB is making the home office a little easier to set up, and a lot less cluttered. The need for hiding, confining, and other wise controlling all the cables that congest the home office space may finally be gone.

Most home base business requires a multitude of electronics to keep them running smoothly. In addition to the basic PC, many have printers, scanners, digital cameras, and even external USB Flash drive. There have been many creative solutions to the tangle of cables that these devices produce. Even then, a small child or animal can wreak havoc with just one pull.

The best way to make a home office a safe environment (for your sanity, your information, and for the others that might use the space) is to cut the cables all together.

This is just the concept behind the expansion of the wireless USB. These units will be used to combine all the components of a home office and to connect them with just one wire to the computer. Many businesses already utilize this technology through the use of a wireless keyboard or a wireless mouse. As the wireless USB technology continues to improve, it will become a hub or router for multiple applications all at once.

The industry is pushing towards the full use of wireless USB. Before, the technology was limited by the specifications that were placed on it. Newer specifications should allow for an easy migration path from wired to wireless.

The application of wireless USB is not limited to the home office. It is possible that entire buildings can be connected through the one cable. Some of the wireless USB cables on the market today will allow the use of up to 127 devices. This could not only open up the work environment, but it could cut down costs for many electronic components in the business world by eliminating the need for duplications, and the miles of cables that currently connect the devices.

Wireless USB is set to make work a freer place for everyone.

Sierra Wireless introduces compact USB modem

Sierra Wireless has announced the Compass 597 USB modem, the smallest of its USB modem product line. The company also claims it is the smallest USB modem stick currently available.

The modem, which will be commercially available in the second quarter of this year, combines high-speed mobile broadband access to EV-DO Revision A networks with a microSD card slot for convenient storage. It is backward compatible with earlier network technologies.

Despite its small size the Compass 597 USB modem is packed with features, including TRU-Install(TM) software installation, to make installation simple, and a microSD memory card slot.

It is the only product in its class to include a connector for an external antenna to strengthen a network connection, making it ideal for use in areas where network coverage is poor.

The modem provides potential download speeds of up to 3.1 Mbps, and upload speeds of 1.8 Mbps.

Sierra Wireless will demonstrate the Compass 597 USB modem at CTIA Wireless 2008 in Las Vegas, April 1 to 3.

Plantronics Introduces USB Unified Communications Products

Plantronics, Inc. (NYSE: PLT) today simplified its growing Unified Communications (UC) portfolio and introduced new audio solutions that help IT departments deploy UC quickly and keep costs down.
The new solutions, including a USB desk phone and premium corded headsets, deliver brilliant audio, unmatched quality and ease of use across all work environments.

The Plantronics Unified Communications product portfolio is now organised into the following product families: Blackwire (TM), Calisto (R), and Plantronics Voyager (R) UC.

The simplified product families are designed for easy IT decision making.

Many products provide full call control functions for UC applications from partners including Alcatel-Lucent, Avaya, Cisco, IBM, Microsoft and Skype.

“Voice is paramount in Unified Communications because it enables us to be more expressive and engaged.

“Workers won’t adopt UC solutions if they can’t trust the audio to be clear and reliable, so it’s imperative that both IT and end users be able to quickly match an audio solution to their work style and audio needs,” said Elizabeth Bastiaanse Hamren, vice president of Product Marketing at Plantronics.

“We developed our new solutions to enhance the UC experience with audio that gives the feeling of true ‘face-to-face’ conversations and the reliability that people have come to expect of Plantronics for nearly 50 years.”

Simplifying UC DeploymentsThe new Plantronics Unified Communications product families give IT departments a single trusted vendor for a wide variety of audio solutions.

From executives in the corner office to mobile sales teams to knowledge workers around campus or in the office, Plantronics’ breadth of product options enable clear, reliable conversations across an array of environments.

Equally important, the audio solutions are easy to use and install, so IT departments aren’t burdened with support requests.

Plantronics Blackwire: Corded USB Wideband Headsets Designed for in-office and mobile PC-based conversations, the Blackwire family includes the new Blackwire 420, a foldable headset designed for a mobile worker which can lay flat next to a laptop for portability.

It has in-line controls for volume, answer/end and mute. Installation is easy via USB plug-and-play connectivity.

The Blackwire line includes five headsets with wideband audio, call control and noise canceling microphones in both mono and stereo.

Plantronics Calisto: Wideband USB Phones The Calisto family includes the new Plantronics Calisto 540, an Optimised for Microsoft Office Communicator deskphone.

The Calisto 540 is ideal for stationary workers who primarily use the PC for voice conversations and want the familiarity of a desk phone.

The Calisto family of products also includes a USB speakerphone and a handset.

Plantronics Voyager UC: Bluetooth (R) USB Wideband Headset For mobile professionals, Voyager PRO UC, introduced in November 2009, combines Plantronics’ award-winning Voyager PRO Bluetooth headset with a plug-and-play Bluetooth USB adapter to deliver richer wideband audio on softphones along with Voyager PRO’s superior noise and wind cancellation
on both mobile phones and softphones.

The Plantronics Voyager PRO UC headset supports multipoint technology that allows users to switch between their mobile phone calls and PC calls with the touch of a button.

Pricing and AvailabilityThe full portfolio of UC products is available through authorised Plantronics resellers and will be available in Spring 2010.

Plantronics Blackwire corded USB wideband headsets range in price from £30 to £79 MSRP.
The ultra portable Blackwire 420 has an MSRP of £69.

Plantronics Calisto wideband USB phones range in price from £69 to £119 MSRP. The new Calisto 540 USB Deskphone has an MSRP of £119.

Plantronics Voyager PRO UC has an MSRP of £109 and is currently available.