I've got a USB drive that contains some files I need to transfer to my computer, but I want to make sure there are no signs that these files were copied. The original owners want the USB back since they sent the wrong information, and now I need some way to prove it was sent without leaving behind any evidence on the drive that the files were copied. Is there a way to do this?
4 Answers
You might not need to worry too much unless the files have DRM. Just copying them should be safe unless there’s a special alert set up. Just be aware that some files can have little tracking pixels or links that can notify someone if the files are accessed, so it’s good to double-check what you’re dealing with.
Simply insert the USB, select the files you want to copy, right click to copy them, paste them where you want on your computer, wait for the transfer to finish, then eject the USB. Easy peasy—there won't be any traces left on the USB itself that show you copied anything.
If you're super concerned, you could always just reformat the USB after copying the files. That way, any indication they were on there is wiped clean! Just make sure you've got everything before you do it, though.
Honestly, files don't really know if they've been copied. The only record might be in your computer's event log when you insert the USB. So, unless the owners are looking at that in detail, you should be fine.
Right? This is a pretty straightforward operation!