What kind of flash drive is ok to use with my MacBook Pro with MS Word installed when I want to use it to back up a novel I am writing? I know some are just plug in and go and others need to have installation software installed from the maker's web site.
xvigauge

Any flash drive should be suitable. None should require any manufacturer-software to be installed, though your OS might need to install/configure one of its own drivers for it. Some may, though, entitle you to use backup software and the like from the manufacturer's site.

The important thing to remember is to be very careful when editing files on flash drives; if you don't go through the safe removal process, you're liable to corrupt the files (Word documents are especially prone to this and files thus corrupted are typically unrecoverable by any means). Cheap flash drives might also not last very long.

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Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]