Unsafe Removal of Device

[Super Steve]

I've got a SanDisk Cruzer Micro thumb drive and I'm using it on a
Windows 2000 machine with Service Pack 4.

When I plug it into my W2K PC at home I get lots of messages saying:

"You have unplugged or ejected a device without stopping it."

I know all about stopping USB drives before unplugging them, but this
error will pop up while the drive is still plugged in!

I click on the OK button in the error message window and continue using
the drive, but quite often I'll get the same error message several
seconds later. I can be sitting here doing nothing and get the same
error 5 times within the space of a minute!

It's as if Windows thinks I've unplugged the device when I haven't.

Has anyone else encountered such a problem? Any suggestions on what to
try to fix this problem?

Also, I quite often have to try to stop the drive several times in a
row before it will actually stop. Each time I click on the system tray
icon to stop the drive the icon disapears and the light on the drive
goes out and then comes back on straight away and the icon reappears in
the system tray. Almost as if Windows is re-detecting the drive.
After several attempts it usually stays shut off so I can unplug it.

I don't think it's the thumb drive itself, as the same drive works fine
in my W2K machine at work (also on SP4).

Has anyone else encountered such a problem? Any suggestions on what to
try to fix this problem?

 

[Bob I]

I'd hazard a guess that there is a connection issue. Determine if it is
the PC or the device. Does the same thing happen with other hardware
when used on the same port? Does it do it on a different port or if
connected to a hub?

 

[Gary Chanson]

I've had a similar problem with one device. The problem was actually
bad solder connections inside the memory device, where the USB connector
connects to the PC board. Re-soldering those connections fixed the problem.
One symptom of this failure was that the connector move a little bit if you
wiggled it and wiggling the memory device while it was plugged in could
cause it to fail.

 

[Super Steve]

Thanks Bob & Gary, I'm beginning to think that you're right. I usually
plug the thumb drive into one of the two front USB ports, but I've just
tried plugging it into a back port and so far everthing has operated as
it's meant to. So maybe there's something physically wrong with the
front ports.

 

[Gary Chanson]

Thanks Bob & Gary, I'm beginning to think that you're right. I usually
plug the thumb drive into one of the two front USB ports, but I've just
tried plugging it into a back port and so far everthing has operated as
it's meant to. So maybe there's something physically wrong with the
front ports.

Another possibility is that the cables that go from the motherboard to
the from panel USB connectors might not be suitable for USB2.0. The rear
ones are either directly on the motherboard or add-on connectors which came
with the motherboard but the front panel cables are part of the case and
many cases are not what they should be.

 

[Bob I]

Maybe checking the wiring and connection to the motherboard will solve
the puzzle. Cheers!

 

[Bob I]

Please don't piggy-back your question in a thread as a reply. Start your
own thread, stating particulars, so someone may help you.