Shared USB drive.

[trollsoft]

Goal: I want to have a file sharing connection between my work computer and a personal computer right next to it.
Problem: I cannot install anything on the work computer, or change settings.
(Reason, not that it matters but, my work computer is painfully slow and I'm willing to buy my own but there are certain things my work computer can do that a personal computer could not, so I'm going to set up a dual monitor personal computer and KVM switch the second monitor as my work computer primary monitor).

Solution: The work computer recognizes USB drives, so I envision a USB drive with a cable connecting it to the personal computer. (Essentially, I could use a USB drive to transfer by moving it back and forth, so I'm looking for a way to share the USB drive between the two computers so I don't have to physically move it back and forth). Seems like they might make some kind of driverless memory device (e.g., usb drive) that can be shared simultaneously between two computers, but I can't find one.

Any ideas or other solutions?

 

[GhislainG]

You can't have 2 distinct systems accessing the same hard disk at the same time. Even if you could, you'd probably end up losing your data. Look into an inexpensive NAS solution if you don't want to swap the USB drive between computers.

 

[trollsoft]

I am unfamiliar with any NAS solution that wouldn't require software installed on both computers.
As for the USB drive, it can definitely be done, I just wasn't sure if anyone has bothered to do it, and sell it. It's just one small step away from a USB interconnect of two machines, but those currently require some light software on both ends because they don't include a solid state memory in the device. Anway, thanks for the advice.

 

[GhislainG]

It can definitely be done, but only one system should control the device, not both. Can't you connect it to one system and share it?