Removing USB devices.

Priapus · 17 Mar 2006 at 08:01

Howzit,

I was wondering, is it wrong to remove a USB device eg: Flash drive, with out going to the safely remove hardware in Windows XP?

I've alays just pull the USB device out once I'm sure there is no data being transmited, then just pull it out. I've been doing this for the past 5 years, and no problems. However speaking my my old man last night, he says that it ca cause it to blow the flash drive as when you pull it out it can ark (short spark between USB port and Flash drive's port) thus poping the Flash drive and it never working again.

Is there any truth in that?

tzang · 17 Mar 2006 at 08:06

Highly unlikely unless you remove it at high speeds to cause a spark

Using "Safely Remove Hardware" won't prevent that spark either.

Priapus · 17 Mar 2006 at 08:09

That's what I thought.

I don't remove the USB that fast. So that's the end of that.

So just pulling it out is just fine? (Obviously only when I'm not using it)

tzang · 17 Mar 2006 at 08:10

AFAIK, as long as there is no data transfer between the flash drive and the PC, nothing will be lost/corrupted. I've never heard of a flash drive blowing from being pulled out of a USB port either. Sounds like a myth though I could be wrong.

Priapus · 17 Mar 2006 at 08:23

Same here.

And what about other devices, USB Keyboards and USB Mouses ect?

Again I've always just pulled them out.

tzang · 17 Mar 2006 at 08:26

Perhaps someone should shed some light on this (seems like two people sharing opinions

). USB is suppose to be a plug and play port so it shouldn't matter what you want to hot-swap on the port.

Priapus · 17 Mar 2006 at 08:29

Ya, we'll wait for someone else as well.

well I definitely don't think there is any problem with just pulling a USB device out. Then again, I started this thread, so I could be wrong...

Thanks for the help anyay, Tzang.

Dutch Guy · 17 Mar 2006 at 08:40

When you properly shut down the removable device the power to the device is stopped.

I guess in a extreme situation it is possble for the devie to fail when you pull it out but I don't think anything will happen if the devicwe is working as it should.

Main thing is that you can get corruption when you pull it out when it is transferring.

Simian · 17 Mar 2006 at 08:42

Only time I use 'Safely Remove Hardware' thinngy is for my Maxtor Onetouch!... Everything else I just pull out!!

Priapus · 17 Mar 2006 at 08:42

Hi,

Ya, I never pull the Flash Drive out while it's transferring data across, as that's just stupid.