Removable media

In computing, a removable media is a data storage media that is designed to be readily inserted and removed from a system. Most early removable media, such as floppy disks and optical discs, require a dedicated read/write device (i.e. a drive) to be installed in the computer, while others, such as USB flash drives, are plug-and-play with all the hardware required to read them built into the device, so only need a driver software to be installed in order to communicate with the device. Some removable media readers/drives are integrated into the computer case, while others are standalone devices that need to be additionally installed or connected.

Examples of removable media that require a dedicated reader drive include:

• Optical discs, e.g. Blu-rays (both standard and UHD versions), DVDs, CDs
• Flash memory-based memory cards, e.g. CompactFlash, Secure Digital, Memory Stick
• Magnetic storage media
  • Floppy and Zip disks (now obsolete)
  • Disk packs (now obsolete)
  • Magnetic tapes (now obsolete)
• Paper data storage, e.g. punched cards, punched tapes (now obsolete)

Examples of removable media that are standalone plug-and-play devices that carry their own reader hardwares include:

• USB flash drives
• Portable storage devices
  • Dedicated external solid state drives (SSD)
  • Enclosured mass storage drives, i.e. modified hard disk drives (HDD)/internal SSDs
• Peripheral devices that have integrated data storage capability
  • Digital cameras
  • Mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and handheld game consoles
  • Portable media players
• Other external or dockable peripherals that have expandable removable media capabilities, usually via a USB port or memory card reader
  • USB hubs
  • Wired or wireless printers
  • Network routers, access points and switches

Using removable media can pose some computer security risks, including viruses, data theft and the introduction of malware.