U3 (standard)

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U3 Launchpad - example with installed U3 programs

U3 is a by SanDisk and M-Systems developed hardware - and software - standard order under Windows suitable programs without prior installation from a USB flash drive to perform. U3 is no longer supported since June 2010.

On the so-called U3 sticks there is software, called U3 Launchpad, for managing U3-certified or U3-compatible applications. Password protection for the USB stick can also be activated with the U3 launchpad.

history

U3 was first presented on January 7, 2005 at CES in Las Vegas . The name should stand for the three basic ideas of the standard, "Simplified for You", "Smarter about You" and "As mobile as You".

U3-compliant storage media and programs have been available since autumn 2005. The typical capacities of U3 sticks are 1 to 64 GB.

The website of the U3 consortium www.u3.com was shut down in June 2010 after the end of life period. The last version 1.6.3.9 of the Windows 7-capable launcher is currently only available from the respective manufacturers via the update function of the launcher; for drives from the manufacturer SanDisk, the update can only be obtained from their website.

System requirement

Windows 2000 (with Service Pack 4), XP , Vista (from U3 Launchpad v1.4) and Windows 7 (from U3 Launchpad v1.6.3.9, only 32-bit version).

Possible uses

U3 enables a U3 USB stick to be plugged into a suitable public computer (in the office, in the Internet café , work rooms at universities, etc.) and to run a U3-compatible program directly without prior installation. After the stick has been removed again, no private data remains on the host computer.

For example, on a computer in an Internet café with only a web browser installed, you can edit documents with OpenOffice.org and write and receive e-mails with Thunderbird without leaving any data on the hard drive.

However, a system administrator has a wide range of options, for example through a corresponding system policy, to prevent programs from being executed from a USB stick. In addition, the U3 software only works under Windows. This means that when encryption is used, the U3 stick can only be used with 3rd party tools under other operating systems.

The U3 software can be removed from the USB stick using programs that can be downloaded from the manufacturer's website. These remove the ROM partition of the USB stick, as a result of which U3 is also completely deleted. However, the U3 software can be restored using the manufacturer's update software.

By exchanging the U3 software, the USB stick can be used like a USB CD drive on which any program can be located. This means that when the autorun function is activated , simply plugging in the USB stick without using a keyboard or mouse , e.g. B. to copy passwords, favorites or documents saved on the computer to the memory stick (see pod slurping ).

Alternatives

  • PortableApps - Open source alternative that does not require any special hardware.
  • Portable software installed on a regular USB stick , i. H. Programs that can be run without a local installation.
  • Programs that emulate an installation, whereby any program can be run from a USB stick.
  • The commercial program package Carry It Easy offers a. Folder synchronization and partition encryption.
  • The commercial software Ceedo makes it possible to start programs in your own Windows environment without administrator rights (e.g. in an internet café).
  • The free MojoPac software enables any software to be installed on removable USB storage media and started in an independent, simulated Windows environment.
  • QEMU -Puppy, a mini-Linux operating system, which can be started as a program under Windows, which then provides all settings and programs in its own Puppy-Linux environment.
  • USB Starter from odium is a small tool with which, similar to U3, you can create a drive-independent USB start menu on any USB stick in connection with portable programs.
  • SecureAccess comes on USB memory sticks from SanDisk , can quickly encrypt files and move them to the vault and vice versa, but can only show the files in the vault sorted by name (not by date or size), and there seems to be no program , with which files in the vault can be compared ("synchronized") with unencrypted files on hard drives so that this portable software can only be used for backup copies, but not as main memory for on the go with later synchronization at home.

Compatible programs

(Selection - only available and free programs)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ U3 Launchpad End Of Life Notice. SanDisk , accessed December 1, 2014 .
  2. ↑ CES: Starting programs from USB sticks - article at heise online , from January 8, 2005