A method of provisioning a peripheral portable desktop device comprising: pre-provisioning a plurality of peripheral portable desktop devices by a method comprising: providing the plurality of peripheral portable desktop devices, comprising a housing, a port for coupling with a host computer, and a data storage medium having portable desktop data stored therein; providing a data file relating to an image for being stored within the peripheral portable desktop devices, wherein an image of a pre-provisioned operating system and applications with virtual user data is provided for storage, the image including secured data that is other than accessible absent user authorization data of the virtual user; and storing in parallel within each of the plurality of peripheral portable desktop devices approximately the same data reflective of the image, wherein the image is then stored within all of the devices in parallel; the method further comprising: receiving a pre-provisioned peripheral portable desktop device, the peripheral portable desktop device having the secured data stored therein within an account of the virtual user; authorizing a first user to the peripheral portable desktop device by first user authorization data; creating a first user account for the first user, the first user account secured based on the first user authorization data; accessing the account of the virtual user via the first user account; configuring the first user account to access the account of the virtual user upon access to the first user account, wherein data for accessing the account of the virtual user is stored within the first user account and secured by the first authentication data; and changing the authorization data of the virtual user to second user authorization data. pre-provisioning a plurality of peripheral portable desktop devices by a method comprising: providing the plurality of peripheral portable desktop devices, comprising a housing, a port for coupling with a host computer, and a data storage medium having portable desktop data stored therein; providing a data file relating to an image for being stored within the peripheral portable desktop devices, wherein an image of a pre-provisioned operating system and applications with virtual user data is provided for storage, the image including secured data that is other than accessible absent user authorization data of the virtual user; and storing in parallel within each of the plurality of peripheral portable desktop devices approximately the same data reflective of the image, wherein the image is then stored within all of the devices in parallel; providing the plurality of peripheral portable desktop devices, comprising a housing, a port for coupling with a host computer, and a data storage medium having portable desktop data stored therein; providing a data file relating to an image for being stored within the peripheral portable desktop devices, wherein an image of a pre-provisioned operating system and applications with virtual user data is provided for storage, the image including secured data that is other than accessible absent user authorization data of the virtual user; and storing in parallel within each of the plurality of peripheral portable desktop devices approximately the same data reflective of the image, wherein the image is then stored within all of the devices in parallel; the method further comprising: receiving a pre-provisioned peripheral portable desktop device, the peripheral portable desktop device having the secured data stored therein within an account of the virtual user; authorizing a first user to the peripheral portable desktop device by first user authorization data; creating a first user account for the first user, the first user account secured based on the first user authorization data; accessing the account of the virtual user via the first user account; configuring the first user account to access the account of the virtual user upon access to the first user account, wherein data for accessing the account of the virtual user is stored within the first user account and secured by the first authentication data; and changing the authorization data of the virtual user to second user authorization data. receiving a pre-provisioned peripheral portable desktop device, the peripheral portable desktop device having the secured data stored therein within an account of the virtual user; authorizing a first user to the peripheral portable desktop device by first user authorization data; creating a first user account for the first user, the first user account secured based on the first user authorization data; accessing the account of the virtual user via the first user account; configuring the first user account to access the account of the virtual user upon access to the first user account, wherein data for accessing the account of the virtual user is stored within the first user account and secured by the first authentication data; and changing the authorization data of the virtual user to second user authorization data.