<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" Q: I lost the top cap to my USB thumb drive. Do I need one? A: Not really. Dozens of USB drives have been floating around my drawers for years without caps, and if they&amp;#039;ve suffered any damage, I haven&amp;#039;t noticed it. The fact is, USB connectors are made entirely of metal and stiff plastic. That&amp;#039;s tough stuff, and there&amp;#039;s not much that can really damage them, short of being crushed. Still, if you do go without a cap, it can&amp;#039;t hurt to give the drive a quick once-over for dirt before plugging it in. There&amp;#039;s a very slim chance that lodged dirt can cause a computer-killing short. If you spot something, it&amp;#039;s nothing a shot of compressed air (or a simple blow from your lungs) can&amp;#039;t handle. However, if you really want to be careful, you can just use the cap from a cheap USB cable. In any case, all USB connectors are the same size.  RELATED STORIES \u2022 TECH TEST: ShareCentral Helps Peripherals Reach More Than One Computer  \u2022 ABUSIVE LAB TEST: 4 New Portable Hard Drives (With Video)  \u2022 PLUS: 10 Awesome Gadgets You Should Grab for 2008  \u2022 EARLIER: USB Flash Drives Put Through the Wash  \u2022 UPGRADE: All of Our New Gadget Reviews in One Place   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/how-to/a12137/4276732/>