U3 Portable Software Info

Imagine carrying your software on the same flash drive that carries your files. That's what you can do with a U3 smart drive. You can plug it into any PC and work, play a game, message friends, send email, edit photos and more. A U3 smart drive makes any PC your own PC. And when you unplug it, it leaves no personal data behind.

• Lets you run portable applications without installing them on the computer
• Applications clean up their traces so your personal data is not stored on the computer
• Settings and customizations are stored on the flash drive, so your personalized settings come with you regardless of which computer you use
• U3 "smart drives" come pre-installed with the convenient U3 Launchpad

Portability

Software can be taken with all its personalized settings to any computer running a compatible version of Microsoft Windows, with no need to install the software if not already there, or to use different settings and options, and no need for administrator access privileges.

Software support

Software is available from the U3 site, including amongst others Trillian (instant messaging client), OpenOffice.org, FileZilla, Mozilla Firefox, and Skype.

Ease of use

Programs are run from the Launchpad, functionally similar to the Windows Start menu familiar to most users of Windows XP.

No need for admin rights

New software can be downloaded to a U3 flash drive without the requirement for administrative privileges on the host computer. However, removal of the U3 launchpad requires administrative rights.

Virus protection

Many U3 drives come with virus protection software which gives protection against being infected by or spreading computer viruses.

Security

The U3 Launchpad features a built-in password protection feature, denying access to your files to anyone who does not know your password.

3rd Party Support

Some popular free portable application programs available at PortableApps.com for non-U3 flash drives have been adapted for use with U3 drives. They are available at the web sites of U3 and PortableApps.com.