Ever since floppy disks were phased out, zip drives went the way of the dinosaurs, and file sizes increased to the point that CDs weren't big enough to pass them along, the humble USB drive has been the portable storage medium of choice. Chances are you've got a bunch of them in your desk drawer—ones you bought, ones you were given, and ones that came with hardware with the relevant driver files on them.

Depending on how long you've had them, they might be useful sizes for you, or possibly they could be too small for your normal tasks. But don't throw them out because, after a quick format, they can be reused for some pretty neat projects. Here are some of our favorite uses to reuse those old USB drives.

Make a computer unlock key

The best password is no password at all

Every few months, we seem to receive another report about how bad we are at creating secure passwords for our digital services. That's just as true for the passwords we use to log into our computers every day, so why not leave those passwords in the past? Turn one of your old USB drives into a physical unlock key for your computer, and you'll be more secure while feeling more like a secret agent every day. It's the perfect futuristic solution to an age-old problem, and it's really easy to do.

Our sister site, MakeUseOf, has a great rundown of three tools you can use to achieve this, but it's the same general process for all. Install the program and set up USB drives that can unlock the PC when inserted. That's it. When the USB drive is plugged in, the PC is unlocked. Once you unplug it and move away, the PC is locked and nobody else can use the computer. It's a great way to add extra security to your PC if you work in a public setting, and while most of the software packages have a small fee to use, you're not paying for new YubiKeys or other security dongles because you've had those USB drives for ages.

Take your Chrome profile with you

Never be away from your bookmarks and other data

Did you know that you can install Google Chrome onto a USB drive so it will run as a portable app? Well, now you do. The cool thing is that it saves all its bookmarks and other data to the USB drive, so it never leaves a trace on the PC it's plugged into. That makes it awesome for privacy, as you can stick an old USB drive with portable Google Chrome installed on it onto your keychain and always have your browser with you.

Recycle them

Some companies will take them off your hands for reuse or recycling

If you don't want to use those USB drives yourself, there are plenty of services that will recycle or reuse them once you send the drives their way. One is Recycle USB, which takes those unwanted USB drives and turns them into Portable Learning Centers for youngsters between 5 and 12 years of age. That way, your old USB is put to good use and isn't haunting your office drawers anymore.

Portable Linux install

Play with a few distros or use one for security purposes

Go further than simply having Chrome with you at all times by installing Linux on a Live USB drive, and always have your operating system in your pocket. That way, you can boot into your own computing environment regardless of what computer you're using.

You could go for a simple installation with one Linux distro ready to roll at a time, but for a more powerful setup, try using Ventoy to install multiple Linux ISOs at once. That gives you more options for whatever you need, whether that's Kali for some ethical hacking or Tails OS for keeping your privacy, well, private. The best part here is that you're using the system you're used to while not leaving any traces on the computer that you're plugged into.

You can never have too many recovery drives

Seriously, make a few and label them properly

Issues with computers can strike at any time, whether you're running Windows, Linux, or even macOS. While modern Macs have a solid recovery environment to reinstall from, the same can't be said about other options. If your old spare USB drives are at least 16GB in size, create a few Windows 11 or Linux recovery drives to keep around your house in case of an emergency. You'll be glad you did if your computer gets an issue that can't be solved easily.

Make an mp3 mixtape for someone

In the age of streaming media, take back some of the physicality

The move to streaming media is convenient but has lost some of the magic of how we used to discover new music. Instead of letting the algorithms pick playlists, put some mp3 files onto an old USB drive and make a digital playlist for your friends. Maybe you'll introduce them to a new band that they'll love, but whatever the outcome, it's the thought that counts. Picking tracks for a mixtape is a lost art; finding the tracks to fit the vibe and story you're after and also how the order of the tracks flows into each other takes some work. The best advice is to stick to around a dozen tracks, but you can go wild with genres if you want as long as they pass the vibe check.

Make a portable antivirus stick

Not every virus or malware can be removed from a running operating system

While modern antivirus programs do a good job of not letting your PC turn into a mini pandemic if you do download something unsavory, sometimes they can't delete all the malware while your operating system is still running. Modern malware and viruses are sophisticated pieces of software, and the best way to remove them is when your computer isn't doing anything else. Put a portable version of your favorite antivirus tools onto a spare USB drive, and boot into those the next time you suspect you've been infected.

Use it as a dead drop

This is a fun use case, but make sure to keep your devices safe just in case

Ever wanted to feel like you're in a spy movie? Dead Drops, the brainchild of Berlin-based artist Aram Bartholl, is a fun way to reuse an old USB drive while getting some exciting espionage practice in. Now, because these USB drives are out in public and who knows what could have put anything onto them, please don't try getting the data from these drops on your work laptop. Use a Chromebook or a sacrificial laptop that doesn't have anything on it, and you might find some interesting files. Or, maybe just granny's chocolate cookie recipe, but that would be cool too.

​​​​​​​Old USB drives still have some utility, even if they're limited in capacity

The price of USB storage has dropped drastically, leaving all of our older, lower-capacity drives unused and unloved in desk drawers across the world. But even if they're not large enough for storing your files anymore, those old USB drives can still get reused for projects so you can stay safe, have backup recovery drives, or even provide low-cost computing for charities.