USBView

USBDeview is small-sized, portable and practical software utility that lists all USB flash drives currently connected to the computer and shows thorough information about their abilities. The tool is very simple to use but, given its advanced nature, it is mostly geared toward experienced users.

Portability advantages

Since there is no installation involved, you can drop the program files in any part of the hard disk and immediately launch USBDeview by clicking its executable. Another possibility is to save the app to a USB flash disk or similar storage unit, in order to run it on any PC effortlessly and without previous installers. An important aspect worth taking into account is that the Windows registry and Start menu do not get updated with new entries.

Neatly organized interface

The GUI is not necessarily attractive but easy to navigate. Based a single window with an intuitive structure, USBDeview populates a list with all USB drives plugged into the computer.

View and export information

Shown details include the name, description, device type, connection status, drive letter, serial number, date of creation, last connection time, and other data pertaining to each pen drive. A search function is available. Selected entries or all data can be saved to file for closer examination (TXT, HTML, CSV, XML).

Perform speed tests, schedule program auto-launch, and other functions

It is possible to disconnect, uninstall, disable and re-enable devices, bring up their autoplay menu, open their location in Windows Explorer or Registry Editor, change drive letters, as well as to perform a read and write speed test. USBDeview is also capable to display USB hubs and devices without drivers, bring up its main window automatically when a device is connected, as well as to execute command lines automatically when inserting or unplugging a USB devices. You can also create a system tray icon for quick and easy access.

Evaluation and conclusion

There were no kind of issues in our tests, since USBDeview did not hang, crash or pop up error messages. It has a great response time and minimal impact on PC performance. The tool may not loo attractive but it's a great information utility for those who want to study the characteristics of their pen drives and monitor them.