"Stopping" USB devices

[Doug Kanter]

When a USB device is plugged in, Windows shows an icon which allows me to
stop the USB device before unplugging it. I can understand why this would be
important for a motorized device, but is it really necessary for something
like a SanDisk thumb drive?

 

[beenthere]

When a USB device is plugged in, Windows shows an icon which allows me to
stop the USB device before unplugging it. I can understand why this would
be important for a motorized device, but is it really necessary for
something like a SanDisk thumb drive?

Good to use, it ensures all data has been written to the drive.
The way I see it, M$ provided it for a reason.

 

[~misfit~]

Good to use, it ensures all data has been written to the drive.
The way I see it, M$ provided it for a reason.

Yes. Using Windows you might think that the data you just sent to the "thumb
drive" (I hate that expression, it's not a thunb and it's not a drive) is
actually on it. Whereas, in reality, Windows may have it cached in RAM in
case you decide to change it before removing the device. Those devices only
have so many read/write cycles in their life-time so Windows does it's best
to try to minimise them.

Therefore, if you unplug it without 'stopping' it, it might not actually
contain the data that you thought you'd sent to it, windows might have still
been holding it in system RAM.

Of course, this might only happen now and then. However, if it *does* happen
and that was the only copy of the data that you had you have probably lost
it forever as Windows won't keep it in RAM if it has nowhere to go and will
flush it's caches. Also, there's a chance that, if you remove the device
before 'stopping' it, the MFT (Master File Table) could be corrupted
rendering the device useless.

 

[answers]

I had unfortunately lost all my files on USB Flash Drive when removing
it without stopping it first. Very annoying. It had corrupted it
somehow. I now stop it first and then remove it. I suppose it is a
good habit. I then tried the same with a couple of external hard disks
that I use as well. Had some old redundant data on one of my hard
disks. I plugged it in used it and then removed it without stopping.

Yes, everything was wiped clean. I tried plugging the disk back in
after restarting the PC and even tried it on another PC. Everything
was gone.

In conclusion STOP BEFORE REMOVING, better safe than sorry.

Battery Wizard
http://www.ComputerBatteries.co.uk

 

[Doug Kanter]

I had unfortunately lost all my files on USB Flash Drive when removing
it without stopping it first. Very annoying. It had corrupted it
somehow. I now stop it first and then remove it. I suppose it is a
good habit. I then tried the same with a couple of external hard disks
that I use as well. Had some old redundant data on one of my hard
disks. I plugged it in used it and then removed it without stopping.

Yes, everything was wiped clean. I tried plugging the disk back in
after restarting the PC and even tried it on another PC. Everything
was gone.

In conclusion STOP BEFORE REMOVING, better safe than sorry.

Battery Wizard
http://www.ComputerBatteries.co.uk

OK. I'm convinced.

 

[Jamie]

thumbdrives, mounting, unmounting. Then you have the groups of people trying
to ban Master and Slave from being used when talking about drives lol I'm
sure they will try and get the first three words banned as well lol