Make the most of your USB drive

USB flash drives are great for backup copies, but there's no need to stop there--you can turn your drive into a complete backup solution using Tanagra Memeo.

To begin, download Memeo from CNET Download.com and run the installer. Once it's finished, a wizard opens to set up your initial backup. Choose Removable Storage Drive from the top drop-down menu, and Memeo will scan your PC for connected USB drives.

We used the Memorex M-Flyer USB 2.0 TravelDrive for its styling, speed, and roomy 2GB storage capacity. Select your drive from the next drop-down menu, then decide whether you want Memeo to encrypt your files. The M-Flyer comes with software to password-protect a partition on the drive, so we opted to keep files accessible.

Next, choose the folders and files you'd like backed up. Memeo quickly determines the total size of commonly backed-up file types, including the Personal Folder (PST) file Outlook creates for e-mail, appointments, contacts, and tasks. This file is accessible to only one app at a time, however, so if you want to save it, you need to completely shut down Outlook for Memeo to retrieve it. As you add data to your backup, a meter at the bottom of the interface keeps track of how many megabytes you're storing and the amount of storage space left on your drive.

Once you've chosen your files, click Next, then Done; Memeo starts the initial backup. After it's finished, the app will automatically track any changes to files you've backed up and update them as long as the drive's attached. If you remove the device, Memeo saves a list of all the files that have changed and backs them up the next time you plug in the drive. The software also allows for multiplexing, which lets you create multiple backup jobs for different destinations. You can save personal files to your USB key, for instance, while directing work files to a server.