You will probably have many different portable storage devices scattered around your desk, whether it is USB memory sticks or optical discs such as CDs and DVDs. With the default Windows settings when you insert one of these you will automatically be presented with a selection of options allowing you access to its contents, but after this first pop-up has been implemented or dismissed, you will need to open up an Explorer window and navigate to find the device, before it is accessible once more. To bypass this slightly unwieldy process, you might want to check out Desk Drive 1.8.2.

Desk Drive is a simple piece of software which is free to download and use. Once you have installed it, which takes no time at all, it will reside in your system tray. When you pop in a CD or insert a USB memory stick, it will spring into action, automatically generating an icon on your desktop that can be used for speedy access to the contents of the storage device for as long as it is present in your computer. As soon as you eject it the icon will be cleanly removed by Desk Drive so there is no tidying to do. Compatibility extends into networked drives, removable storage and much more, so you are not limited to getting fast access to USB and DVD storage.

You can set Desk Drive to open up an explorer window for the storage as soon as it is detected. Once the icon is on your desktop a double click will jump you straight into its main directory and the icon will be easily identifiable, thanks to it being labelled with the appropriate letter. The clever thing about the icon is that when you right click it, you will not get the contextual menu for the shortcut but for actions which can be applied to the drive itself, saving you time and effort. When you are finished with your drive and you eject it, the icon will swiftly be removed from the desktop, making the whole experience very smooth and intuitive.

Desk Drive is able to handle encrypted USB drives complete with passwords as well as standard unencrypted devices, so if you are concerned about security it will still work just as well. The icon which represents Desk Drive in the system tray can bring up the options and settings with a right click and these are very easy to use because they are largely made up of check boxes which alter the way in which the program operates.

Desk Drive is compatible with both Windows XP and Vista and there is a 64 bit version designed for Windows 7 which also works just as well. This is not a particularly complex software tool but for people who regularly need access to removable storage it is definitely a worthwhile download to consider. The time saving may be relatively slim, but in the long term it will build up and make more sense.