USB Storage Access.
KB Article 733 · Device Security · Self Service
How to request temporary USB storage access on your company laptop. This guide covers the request process, what happens after you submit, the emails you’ll receive, and what to do if something doesn’t work.
How to Request Access
- Log in to the IT Self-Service Portal
- Navigate to Services & Products › Users and Services › Services › USB Enablement
- Fill in the reason for your request and how long you need access
- Click Submit — a ticket will be created automatically
An IT agent will review and approve your request. You don’t need to chase this up — you’ll receive an email at every step.
Portal form sent
Agent reviews ticket
Plug in and use
Ticket closes
What Happens After You Submit
Once your request is in, here’s what to expect at each stage of the process.
| Step | What is happening | Do you need to do anything? |
|---|---|---|
| Request submitted | Your ticket is waiting for IT approval. | No — wait for the approval email. |
| Approved — setting up access | IT has approved it. A script is running on your laptop in the background to enable USB access. | No — this takes up to 10 minutes. Keep your laptop on and connected. |
| Access confirmed | USB access is now active on your laptop. | Yes — you can now plug in your USB device and use it. |
| Warning: access expiring soon | Your access window is almost up. | Finish what you’re doing and safely remove your USB device. |
| Access revoked | Your approved time has ended. USB storage is blocked again automatically. | No — your ticket is now closed. |
Emails You’ll Receive
You’ll be kept in the loop by email at each stage. The table below summarises the messages you might see.
| What it means | |
|---|---|
| Enabled USB access enabled | Your USB device will now work. The email includes the exact date and time your access expires. |
| Offline Your laptop is offline | Your laptop wasn’t reachable when the request was approved. USB will be enabled automatically when your laptop comes back online (within 12 hours). No action needed. |
| Action USB access expiring in 20 minutes | Finish copying your files and safely remove your USB device before the time is up. |
| Closed USB access revoked | Your approved period has ended and USB storage is blocked again. Your ticket is now closed. |
Need to Finish Early?
If you’re done before your access expires, there’s nothing you need to do — USB access will be revoked automatically at the approved time.
Something Not Working?
Most requests complete without issue, but here’s how to handle the common scenarios.
Restart your laptop. The policy change sometimes needs a restart to take effect. If it still doesn’t work after restarting, contact the helpdesk with your ticket number.
Check your junk / spam folder. If nothing’s there, contact the helpdesk with your ticket number.
Wait 10 minutes after reconnecting. If USB still doesn’t work, contact the helpdesk — your request may have expired while offline.
Need More Help?
If this guide hasn’t resolved your issue, you have a few ways to reach us. Include your ticket number from the original request email whenever possible.
| Self-service portal | Raise a ticket via portal.mirrorsphere.com — the fastest route for non-urgent issues. |
| Phone support | +44 (0) 1295 595 444, Monday–Friday 08:30–17:30. For urgent issues outside these hours, leave a voicemail — the on-call team monitors it. |
| Existing ticket | Reply to any of the USB enablement emails you’ve received — the reply lands directly on your ticket. |