Get those tiny USB flash drives labeled quickly and effectively for about a penny

Posted by Paul Braren on Jun 10 2015 (updated on Feb 6 2016) in
  • Productivity
  • Storage
    • SanDiskUltraAngleViewLarge

    This is one of those "why didn't I think of this earlier" ideas.

    When tinkering with various USB drives I use in my home office, finding labels that can stick to them can be a challenge, especially if I'd rather not obscure the drive's capacity label or activity LED. I'm also not a fan of the gooey mess stickers leave behind.

    Why not just use a USB flash drive (thumb drive, flash drive, memory stick, etc.) that has a lanyard loop hole, then use that hole to attach very affordable labels? Makes misplacing them a bit more difficult.

    How does about a penny per drive label sound?

    SanDisk-Ultra-Fit-with-label
    It's not like I leave these sorts of drive in there forever, so why not make it easy to know what's on it, at-a-glance?

    I can save even more by using a pencil to erase and change the label text. Or just cut the label off and toss it in the recycle bin, then install a replacement in just seconds.

    My own home lab's examples for USB media tend to be bootable, such as:

    Problem solved:

    MarkingTags
    Available at Amazon.

    1) Get a box of 1000 labels for about $10 USD:

    OR

    2) Get some USB 3.0 drives with lanyard holes

    such as this model I've been using many purposes including ESXi 6.0 that's also widely available:

    B00LLER2CS
    Available at Amazon.

    OR

    OR

    Feb 06 2016 Update

    Now that 16GB and 32GB models are about the same cost, I've revised the article to instead highlight the 32GB model. Shopping links allow you to choose any sizes avaialble, up to 128GB!

    See also

    Avery-12204-Marking-Tags-box

    See also at TinkerTry

    TinkerTry - PCs, EVs, home tech, efficiency and more, including virtualization. My opinions here, not my employer's.

    Paul Braren, MCSE in 1998, VCP #2681 in 2005, vExpert 2014 to 2024, Veeam Vanguard Emeritus, 2015 to 2019.

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