Part 1: Write the SD card
You'll need Raspberry Pi Imager installed on your Windows, Mac, or Linux computer. Download it free from raspberrypi.com/software. Insert your SD card before you start.
Select your Raspberry Pi model
Open Raspberry Pi Imager and click Choose Device. Select your Pi model from the list. Pi 3, Pi 4, and Pi 5 are all supported.
Choose the myUSBdrive image
Click Choose OS. Scroll to the bottom of the list and select Use custom, then browse to the myUSBdrive zip file you downloaded.
Select your SD card
Click Choose Storage and select your SD card from the list. Raspberry Pi Imager will only show removable drives, so your computer's own drives are not at risk.
Start writing
Click Next. Raspberry Pi Imager will warn you that all data on the SD card will be erased. This is permanent. Click I Understand, Erase and Write to continue.
Done. Your SD card is ready
When you see Write complete!, your SD card is ready. Click Finish, remove the SD card, insert it into your Raspberry Pi, connect an ethernet cable and a USB drive, and switch it on.
Part 2: First-time setup
Open a browser on any computer connected to the same network as your Pi and go to http://myusb.local. You should see the myUSBdrive setup screens below.
Read the full licence agreement
The first page you'll see is the End User Licence Agreement. Scroll down to read it in full.
Tick both boxes to confirm you accept the licence and understand that you are responsible for your own hardware and data, then click I Accept — Continue to Setup.
Set your password
Choose a strong password for your myUSBdrive. This protects access to your files both on the local network and, if you add remote access, from the internet. Keep it somewhere safe.
You're in
After setting your password you'll land on the myUSBdrive dashboard. Your files are already available on the local network. If myUSBdrive detects a newer version of the software, an update prompt will appear at the bottom of the screen (see Part 3 below).
Part 3: Installing updates
myUSBdrive checks for updates automatically. When a new version is available you'll see a notification bar at the bottom of the dashboard. Updates are applied through the browser, with no SSH or command line required.
Install the update
Click Install update in the notification bar. You'll be asked to confirm before anything is changed.
Update in progress
myUSBdrive downloads and verifies the update package, then installs it. The Pi will restart automatically when it's done. This typically takes about two minutes.
Sign in again
After the Pi restarts, refresh the page and sign in with your password. The version number in the bottom right confirms the update was successful.
