Connecting and disconnectin USB devices

[Ron Hirsch]

Normally, when I'm using external USB hard drives and the like, when I want
to disconnect of of them while Windows is running, I click on the "Safely
Remove Hardware" icon in the Taskbar, select the device involved, click on
it, and then proceed to unplug the device. Windows does not give me a
"bloop" when I do this - so far so good.

Many devices do not apparently consider themselves as "removable", such as
USB printers. If I want to shut down a printer whle I'm still on the
computer, I see no protocol to do this, other than to just power it off.
Windows XP then gives out its "bloop", implying that I've done something I
shouldn't have.

So, the questions are -

1. Are there any ramifications of just shutting down the printer as I do, or

2. Is there a "proper" way to shut it down, to not incur a "bloop"?

3. Or, should I just wait until the system is shut down to then shut down
the printer (or similar device) in question?

4. Or should I just overlook the bloop, and keep doing what I have been
doing?

Ron Hirsch

 

[Yves Leclerc]

USB hard drives, flash drive and floppy drive all "seem" to have some memory
reserved in XP to "buffer" data. The reason we need to click on "Safely
Remove Hardware" icon is the "clear" this "buffer" and allow all possible
files to be write onto/back to the drive.

If the printer does on "list" out in "Safely Remove Hardware" icon, you can
follow Step 4.

 

[Frank]

FWIW
When I first installed my USB printer, the it is safe to remove icon
was in the clock box. They then upgraded the drivers and now
nothing shows up and the bloop occurs. In my case it doesn't
really matter if the printer is on or off or whatever, XP SPW
handles the situation with no ill effects.

 

[Les Herrman]

Normally, when I'm using external USB hard drives and the like, when I want
to disconnect of of them while Windows is running, I click on the "Safely
Remove Hardware" icon in the Taskbar, select the device involved, click on
it, and then proceed to unplug the device. Windows does not give me a
"bloop" when I do this - so far so good.

Many devices do not apparently consider themselves as "removable", such as
USB printers. If I want to shut down a printer whle I'm still on the
computer, I see no protocol to do this, other than to just power it off.
Windows XP then gives out its "bloop", implying that I've done something I
shouldn't have.

So, the questions are -

1. Are there any ramifications of just shutting down the printer as I do, or

2. Is there a "proper" way to shut it down, to not incur a "bloop"?

3. Or, should I just wait until the system is shut down to then shut down
the printer (or similar device) in question?

4. Or should I just overlook the bloop, and keep doing what I have been
doing?

Ron Hirsch

The "bloop" is just Windows telling you that a USB device has either
been connected or disconnected. It is not a warning of any kind.
Just an informational sound telling you something happened with a USB
device.


Turning off the printer should not be a problem at all. Now for a
drive etc...Yes you should use the safely remove hardware routine.