Can you download images directly to flash drive?

[hoptownracer1]

Is it possible to download images directly from the internet to the flash drive (if you insert the flash drive before downloading) without having to store it on your harddrive? Ex.. Save picture As, and then dropdown menu to whatever drive is listed as the flash drive? Our computer is getting slower, so I hate using up so much memory.
If this is possible, can you reinsert the flash drive stick to add more to it each time, or do you have to format it in some way to prevent it from deleting previous files?

[lylacfey]

Yes, you can download directly to your flash drive. Just save the file to that flash drive. Make sure and this is important that you remove the flash drive correctly from the computer when you are done. I know a lot of people think this is an old wives tail and just completely stupid but those little flash drives do corrupt data if not properly removed. I can't even tell you how many people ask me to help them recover a file that was lost when they did not remove their flash drive properly.

To your other question yes you can just put the flash drive stick on your computer and add more files. You do not need to format.

Flash drives do not have a long shelf life. Don't worry they last a long time. I have one that is going on six years and she's still strong. A Solid State portable hard drive is a better option plus you get more space. You can get a Terrabyte portable hard drive for around $60 now. With X-mas season upon us you might be able to find one even cheaper. February will be another great month to look for a drive. I just found one on Ebay brand new for $28. Digital images add up quick once you start downloading and you have ran out of space before you know it.

[MelDeLlanos]

Just to add... if you watch, you can probably pick up an external hard drive at a REALLY good price on Black Friday. I got one last year for about $30.

[stampencamper]

I have been using this method to save digital images the last year; even save to a couple of USB drives, because one will fail eventually. Each of my USB are numbered; and the printed,
resized image is put into a binder,done alphabetically by company name.

[hoptownracer1]

Thanks for the responses. So much to consider. Thank you!

[Catrick]

Just a piece of advice...my daughter saved all her photos to an external hard drive and now has lost them all.

Hard drives, whether they be thumb drives or external hard drives all have mechanical components which degrade over time. The hard drive motor siezed and the quote to try to get her photos off (no guarantee that they are even recoverable) is $500.00 to $1000.00.

The safest method of saving photos, data etc. is to burn to DVD! I plan on doing that over Christmas. I have too many photos and digital images to risk losing them.

Cathy

[hoptownracer1]

Thank you so much for posting about that. I had wondered about that also. I don't have a dvd burner, just a cd burner, but using that. So sorry your daughter lost her photos. Guess I'll just keep burning to cds. Thanks for your post!