Don't use "Flash" or "Thumb" drives for backup.

These devices connect to your USB port and provide anywhere from a few megabytes to several gigabytes of storage. Even though they are referred to as "drives," these devices do not contain disk drives but rather provide storage using non-volatile RAM. They are sensitive to static charges and electrical impulses when connecting or disconnecting the device and can lose ALL of their data suddenly and without warning. Flash drives are a great way to move data from one computer to another but should only be used when the data is easily replaced because they aren't a safe method of backup. Better backup solutions are CDs, tapes, and external hard drives.