How to Transfer Data From Word to a USB Flash Drive

Save a Word document to a flash drive via the Computer tab.
... Jeffrey Hamilton/Digital Vision/Getty Images

Unlike previous versions of Microsoft Word, the Save As section of Word 2013 has three tabs: SkyDrive, Computer and Add a Place. None of these tabs display your USB flash drive. The option to save your documents to a flash drive is present, but it's located in the Computer tab. If you've already saved the documents on your hard drive, you can transfer them to the flash drive using the File Explorer utility.

Insert the USB flash drive into a free USB port on your computer. Avoid USB hubs whenever possible.

Click "File" in Microsoft Office Word, choose "Save As" from the menu, and then click the "Computer" tab to see the Recent Folders section display in the right pane.

Click the "Browse" button below the Recent Folders section to open the Save As dialog box.

Type a name for your document into the File Name field, and then choose the format you want to save the document in from the "Save as type" drop-down box. The default format is DOCX, but you can alternatively choose to save your documents in the DOC format.

Select your USB flash drive from the left pane. It is usually listed near the bottom of the list of drives. If necessary, select a folder on the drive.

Click the "Save" button to transfer your document to the USB flash drive. The flash drive is automatically added to the Recent Folders section of the Save As menu.

  • USB flash drives are small and easy to lose; they are also easily damaged by shocks and water. Don't keep important documents only on flash drives. Instead, save copies of the documents on the hard drive.
  • To quickly transfer other documents to the USB flash drive, click the flash drive folder in the Recent Folders section.
  • To transfer documents saved on the hard drive, press "Windows-X," click "File Explorer," open the folder that contains the documents, and then select the files. Press "Ctrl-C" to copy the documents to the clipboard, select the USB flash drive from the left pane, and then press "Ctrl-V" to paste the documents into the drive.
  • To transfer just a portion of the document to the USB flash drive, select the text, press "Ctrl-C" to copy it to the clipboard, press "Ctrl-N" to create a new Word document, press "Ctrl-V" to paste the text into the document, and then save the new document on the flash drive.
  • Older versions of Microsoft Word cannot open DOCX files; newer Word versions can, however, open older DOC files.

Nick Peers has been writing technology-related articles since 2003. His articles have appeared in dozens of technical publications, including MSN UK, CNET, BBC Who Do You Think You Are, LifeHacker UK and TechRadar. He holds a Masters in information technology degree from the University of East London.

×