7 brilliant uses for old USB sticks

It’s easy to end up with a collection of USB sticks gathering dust in your home from promotional giveaways, hand-me-downs, or old sticks you ditched in favour of newer ones with more storage.

You’re probably tempted to ignore them, or even throw them away. But don’t be too quick to write them off – with a bit of know-how, unused USB sticks can be repurposed into genuinely useful tools. Some can even help you protect your data or rescue a failing PC.

From handy rescue tools to portable media libraries, there are plenty of brilliant ways to give your old sticks a second life. Keep scrolling for the details.

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1. Play music in your car

At a glance: Load MP3s onto a USB stick, plug it into your car’s USB port and play your music without using cables or Bluetooth.

USB sticks provide a neat way to enjoy music on the road, without having to faff around with phone cables or Bluetooth connections. Simply load a USB stick full of your favourite tracks, then plug it into the USB port on your car’s dashboard or infotainment system.

MP3 files are the safest bet, as almost every system can play them, but it’s worth checking your car’s manual to see which audio file types it supports. If your music is all still on CDs, you can ‘rip’ (convert) tracks to MP3 using free software, such as iTunes for Windows PCs or Apple Music for Macs.

Your stick can be any size - the higher the capacity, the more songs it can hold. But you’ll need to make sure it’s formatted using a compatible system (as many cars can’t read NTFS).

What you need to do

To reformat a USB stick, connect it to your computer, then follow these steps:

• On Windows – open File Explorer, click This PC, then right-click the USB drive, choose Format, select FAT32 or exFAT (for wider compatibility) for the file system, then click Start.
• On a Mac – launch Disk Utility (from Applications > Utilities), select your USB drive, click Erase, choose MS-DOS (FAT) under Format and Master Boot Record under Scheme, and then click Erase.

Once formatted correctly, simply drag your chosen tracks onto the stick, then safely eject it (right-click > Eject) and plug it into your car.

2. Create a Windows recovery drive

At a glance: This lets you boot a broken Windows PC to repair startup problems or, if necessary, reinstall Windows as a last resort.

A recovery drive can be a lifesaver when your Windows computer runs into trouble. It’s a USB stick that contains tools to enable you to repair startup problems or even perform a complete reinstall of Windows.

To create one, plug in a USB drive with at least 16GB of space. Not got one? Make sure you buy one of the best USB sticks, as revealed by our tests. 

1. Click Start, type recovery drive, and click Create a recovery drive. 
2. Make sure Back up system files to the recovery drive is ticked, then click Next. 
3. Choose your USB stick from the list, click Next > Create. 

Once complete, eject the drive, label it ‘recovery’ (your future self will thank you) and keep it somewhere safe.

3. Create a portable suite of apps

At a glance: Carry and use your favourite programs on different Windows PCs.

Portable apps are programs that can run directly from a USB stick without being installed on a Windows PC first. They’re ideal for when you’re working between different PCs, or for keeping your favourite tools handy wherever you go.

Many popular free programs offer portable editions, including LibreOffice (a full office suite), VLC (a media player), GIMP (a photo editor) and Google Chrome (web browser).

You’ll find a huge range of great portable programs, games and utilities to download at portableapps.com/apps – a website dedicated to curating a trusted catalogue of secure, portable software.

Apps you download from the site will have a .paf.exe extension. These are installers that copy the program files directly to your USB stick. Run each one and click Browse when you’re prompted for a Destination Folder, then navigate to your USB drive and continue with the installation steps. 

The apps themselves don’t take up much room, but it’s worth choosing a USB stick with enough space to store your documents, photos and media files so you can take them with you, too.

Find out how to get Microsoft Office for free

4. View photos and videos on your TV

At a glance: By formatting your USB stick, you can use it to view media directly on your TV.

For photos, even a small-capacity stick will do. For videos, however, you may need something roomier. You’ll need to make sure your USB stick is formatted using a file system your TV can read. As with cars, most TVs support FAT32 or exFAT, but not NTFS.

Most TVs can display JPEG photos without any issues, but they can be fussier about video formats. Check your TV’s manual or the manufacturer's website to see which video file types it supports.

If your clips are compatible, you can convert them using a free tool, such as HandBrake (its website is handbrake.fr) – open your file, select a suitable Preset, such as ‘Fast 1080p30’, and click Start.

For more details on enjoying content on a bigger screen, see our advice on how to cast content from your phone or laptop to a TV.

5. Run Linux

At a glance: You can try Linux risk-free by running Linux Mint directly from a USB stick.

Perhaps your PC is currently running Windows 10, and you want to see whether Linux could be a good, cost-free way to keep your computer going after Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates (ESU) end in October 2026. (If this is news to you, see Windows 10 is ending security support.)

Whatever your reasons, you can try Linux without installing anything or touching your main system by running it directly from a USB stick. It’s an easy, risk-free way to explore the operating system and see whether it suits you before committing to a full installation. We recommend a USB stick with at least 8GB of space for this.

Do this first

There are lots of Linux variants (called ‘distros’) to choose from, but we’ve gone with Linux Mint here, as it’s lightweight and feels very Windows-like. 

• Start by visiting linuxmint.com and select Download to go through to a page that lets you download the latest Linux Mint Cinnamon Edition ISO file (it’s around 3GB). 
• Next, go to rufus.ie and download a tool called Rufus – this will enable you to install Linux Mint to your USB stick.

What you need to do next

Then work through these steps:

1. Plug in your USB drive, then run Rufus.
2. Under Device, choose your USB stick, then click Select next to Disk or ISO image, browse for the Linux Mint ISO file you downloaded, and click Open. You can drag the slider under Persistent partition size to around 4–8GB (depending on the size of your USB stick) to create storage space for saving files, installing apps and so on.
3. Leave the other settings as they are and click Start.

When it’s done, restart your computer to boot from the USB drive. Linux Mint will load directly from the stick. To return to Windows, shut down your PC from the Linux Mint menu, unplug the USB stick and boot your computer as normal.

Find out how to turn your Windows 10 PC into a free gaming PC

6. Create an emergency antivirus tool

At a glance: A bootable antivirus USB stick lets you start an infected Windows PC and remove malware.

If your Windows computer ever becomes so badly infected with malware that it won’t work properly (or even start up), a bootable USB rescue stick can help you remove the infection and get your PC back up and running. (Mac owners, skip this section as you will likely never need a tool like this because of the way macOS works.)

Several antivirus makers offer rescue tools free in emergencies, but we’ve chosen Avira Rescue System here, as it’s free and can be used completely independently of the security software already installed on your computer. You’ll need a USB stick with 4GB or more space.

What you need to do

When you’re ready to set it up, follow these steps:

1. Download the Avira Rescue System ISO file. 
2. You’ll need Rufus again (see tip 5, above). With the tool open, choose your USB stick under Device, click Select next to Disk or ISO image, browse for the Avira Rescue System ISO file you downloaded, and click Open.
3. Leave the default settings as they are, and click Start.
4. Once the process is finished, eject your rescue stick and keep it safe.

Hopefully you’ll never need to use it. But if disaster strikes and your PC refuses to work normally, grab your drive and boot from USB (scroll back up to 2 - Windows Recovery Drive if you're not sure how). The Avira interface will load automatically, update its virus definitions and let you scan, quarantine or delete infected files, restoring your PC to working order.

See our pick of the best antivirus software that will keep you safe from viruses, ransomware and phishing attacks

7. Back up sensitive documents

At a glance: Encrypting a USB stick lets you securely store sensitive documents.

A USB stick is a convenient place to keep sensitive documents: tax or financial records, wills or legal contracts, for example. The trouble is that someone finding your stick could potentially read your files unless you encrypt it. This effectively prevents anyone from accessing the drive or its contents, unless they have the right password.

A word of warning: when you encrypt a USB stick, it’s essential to keep your password safe. If you lose it, your encrypted files will become permanently unrecoverable (see also: How to create secure passwords).

Mac users can use Apple’s built-in Disk Utility for this, while Windows users can download a free tool called VeraCrypt.

With VeraCrypt installed, try this:

1. Run the program, then click Create Volume.
2. Click Encrypt a non-system partition/drive > Next > Standard VeraCrypt volume > Next > Select Device.
3. Pick your USB stick from the list and click OK > Next.
4. Follow the remaining steps, leaving the default settings at their defaults and setting a strong password when prompted.
5. Click Format to encrypt your USB stick.

How to safely dispose of old USB sticks

Before you get rid of an old USB stick, it’s essential to make sure any personal data on it is completely erased. First, delete all the files on it. However, doing this alone isn’t enough, as data could still be retrieved with recovery tools. You’ll also need to securely wipe the empty drive to overwrite any data traces, making them unreadable.

• On Windows – note down your USB stick's drive letter. Click Start, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator. At the prompt, type cipher /w:E (where your USB stick's drive letter is 'E'), then press Enter on your keyboard.
• On a Mac – open Disk Utility, select your USB drive and click Erase. Under Scheme, choose GUID Partition Map, then under Format, select an encrypted option, such as APFS (Encrypted). Set a temporary password, then click Erase. When the process finishes, erase the drive again – this time choosing exFAT under Format to remove the password protection.

Once your USB sticks are wiped, you can take them to a local recycling centre or an electronics retailer that offers e-waste disposal.

Whether you're getting rid of a broken laptop or a bulky washing machine, make sure you dispose of the product correctly – see how to recycle electrical items.

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