Loading files (sales brochures, photos, prices lists, press releases, presentation slides etc.) is growing in popularity, which is hardly surprising given the money that can be saved, compared to printing the brochures etc. but should you “auto-run” this content:

The advantages of setting up your files to auto-run are:

• The recipient will see your content as soon as they plug in the USB stick – typically the first item they are
  

  USB Data Load

  presented with is a “landing” page which then directs them to other content of the USB stick – a bit like a web page.

• Using a USB stick with an autorun file on is easy and very intuitive (providing you spend some time on the file formats(s), the structure and you develop a navigation page)
• You can be sure that the information you pre-load on the USB stick is seen (even if it is only the initial landing page)

But, there are some things that need careful consideration before you decide you want to install auto-run files on your USB sticks:

• Nuisance factor. If one of your objectives is to ensure that your USB Memory Sticks are kept and used on a regular basis then bear in mind that every time the user wants to access or save a document they will have to wait for your auto-run to run. This is typically fine the first few times they use the stick, but pretty soon it’s going to get irritating and they’ll relegate the memory stick to a draw – bang goes any on-going brand exposure!
• They don’t work on old Operating Systems - Autoruns will not work on Win 98 or Win 2000 operating systems and you need to adapt any autorun if you want it to work on Macs.
• Corporate Firewalls – Some corporate firewalls and IT policies restrict autoruns because of worries about viruses. So, if you are targeting companies with your files lots of them might not be able to use the sticks if they have an auto-run on them.

There are alternatives to autoruns that are less intrusive but achieve the same sort of result without being a nuisance and these are:

• Click Here to Start – load your data onto the USB Stick with an icon labelled ‘Click Here To Start’ and allow the user to access the data when they want.  This data can be protected so it would not be deleted, but overcomes may of the issues detailed above.
• Print a QR Code (Quick Response) on the USB stick that takes the user directly to your web page (or landing page) when scanned – all new Smart phones, iPhones and iPads can scan QR codes and then dynamically open up a web page.

Our advice based on many years of selling millions of promotional USB sticks is to avoid autoruns if you can because people don’t like them, they get in the way of how they want to use the USB stick(s) and if you put them on the sticks will have a short life and you’re brand won’t get the exposure you’re paying for.

USB2U has always prided itself on being one of the few suppliers in the UK able to offer USB flash drives printed with a company logo and pre-laded data within 48hrs of the order being placed.

Unfortunately more complex data loading options such as “auto-runs”, the creation of two virtual drives on a USB drive

USB Data Services

and the ability to protect any data loaded on the drives so it cannot be erased, has not been possible within the timeframe. These complex data loading options have, up until now, only been possible during the manufacturing process and because all USB flash drives are manufactured in China this has meant a 2 week lead-time.

For many customers waiting 2 weeks for printed USB flash drives with an auto-run file or a protected file is not ideal so USB2U has been keen to find a solution that tackles this problem. Following much research and a significant investment in data loading hardware USB2U is delighted to announce that is can now offer an extended suite of data loading options including:

• Basic data pre-loading. This is the simple loading of any digital file onto the USB flash drives. Example files could include PDF’s Media Files, PowerPoint files, Spreadsheets and Word documents but any file can be loaded.
• Auto-runs. This as the name implied means that a pre-load file will run automatically when inserted into a USB port. Typically this would be used to start say an audio file or movie or to start a series of PowerPoint files. Auto runs are popular with the giver of USB flash drives because they force the user to view a specific piece of information but they can be a little annoying to the recipient if they cannot be deleted and they are forced to view the information every time they use the flash drive.
• Partitioned drives. This is the creation of two “virtual” drives on a single USB flash drive. One partition could be pre-loaded with data and the data “locked” so it cannot be erased whilst the other partition could be left “open” to allow the user free access to.
• Protected (locked) files. If you are paying for the USB flash drives that are being given away and you’ve going to the trouble to pre-load your data onto the drives its useful to know that the files you load can’t be simply erased the first time the USB drive is used.

All of the above data loading options are now available from USB2U on USB flash drives held in stock in the UK. The lead times (subject to stock being available) is 24 hrs for data-loading, 48hrs for printed USB flash drives and 72hrs for data-loading and printing. Interested? Just give the team at USB2U a call or complete the on-line enquiry form on their web site.

Many clients are faced with the dilemma of whether they should add an autorun facility to their Branded USB Memory Sticks.

An autorun facility allows users to insert a Branded Memory Stick and for the computer to automatically run a programme e.g. a movie file.

The advantages of this facility is that it ensures the user is presented with the information the client wants them to see, without having to find the information themselves. This makes is a very intuitive process and ensures the information on the USB Memory Stick is delivered. However there are some hidden pitfalls:

• Autoruns will not work on Win 98 or 2000 operating systems – beware there are still many users out there with these systems. You will also need to ensure that the appropriate code is written into any autorun for it to work on Mac operating systems.
• Some corporate firewalls restrict autoruns, so the danger is that the end user will never see the data.
• Nuisance factor. If one of the objectives is to ensure that the USB Branded Memory Stick is a keepsake that the end user will access on a regular basis then its worth bearing in mind that every time the user wants to access or save a document they will have to run through the dataload programme. Fine for the first few times, but thereafter they may find this an irritation and relegate the memory stick deep into a draw!

There is a middle way, why not consider loading the data onto the Branded USB Memory Stick with an icon labelled ‘Click Here To Start’ and allow the user to access the data when they want.  This data can be protected so it would not be deleted, but overcomes may of the issues detailed above.

If this is not an option, then it is highly recommended to produce a pre-production sample of the autorun. In this way you or your client can test the autorun in the environment it would be used. You do not need to have the final data file to complete this exercise.

Another option would be to load the same data as a non-autorun file on the unprotected part of the Branded Memory stick. In this way, if the autorun fails to work, the user still has the option to select information manually.

There is no doubt that autoruns are a great method to deliver information, but ensure you and/or your client are aware of the pitfalls and try to build in a safety net, as once produced it is extremely difficult to reload the data without returning to the manufacturing plant, which is usually based in China.

View Tip 1. Here.

An autorun facility allows users to insert a USB Branded Memory Stick and for the computer to automatically run a programme e.g. a movie file.

The advantages of this facility is that it ensures the user is presented with the information the client wants them to see, without having to find the information themselves. This makes is a very intuitive process and ensures the information on the USB Memory Stick is delivered. However there are some hidden pitfalls:

•    Nuisance factor. If one of the objectives is to ensure that the USB Promotional Memory Stick is a keepsake that the end user will access on a regular basis then its worth bearing in mind that every time the user wants to access or save a document they will have to run through the dataload programme. Fine for the first few times, but thereafter they may find this an irritation and relegate the memory stick deep into a draw!

•    Autoruns will not work on Win 98 or 2000 operating systems – beware there are still many users out there with these systems. You will also need to ensure that the appropriate code is written into any autorun for it to work on Mac operating systems.

•    Some corporate firewalls restrict autoruns, so the danger is that the end user will never see the data.

There is a middle way, why not consider loading the data onto the USB Branded Memory Stick with an icon labelled ‘Click Here To Start’ and allow the user to access the data when they want.  This data can be protected so it would not be deleted, but overcomes may of the issues detailed above.