# USB Flash Drives



## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Just wondering who here takes the time to "Safely Remove Hardware" and "Stop" the drive before yanking it out... :grin:


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

90% of the time I do safely remove. If I haven't written to the drive I'm less careful.


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## sideswipe (Dec 4, 2008)

maybe twice in 8yrs have I did this & only then because of the the massive backups did @ that time w/irreplaceable material (family pics/movies)


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Haven't done that in a few years.


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## braven (Apr 9, 2007)

I always do. It's just a couple extra mouse clicks. Big deal.


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

Always do, have had to reciver the directory structure on a couple of flash drives that the end users pulled out without following the proper proceedures


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## Milkman (Dec 6, 2006)

I was looking for the option marked "Most of the time", but didn't see one. Instead voted on Sometimes.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Heck no...defeats the purpose of being convenient.


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## Hansen (Jan 1, 2006)

Never realized you need to do that until seeing your post. Always wondered what that little icon was for in system tray. Good know.


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## Spanky_Partain (Dec 7, 2006)

Greg Alsobrook said:


> Just wondering who here takes the time to "Safely Remove Hardware" and "Stop" the drive before yanking it out... :grin:


Only with older versions of Linux that do not auto remove the mount after pulling the *FLASH* drive.


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## JcT21 (Nov 30, 2004)

sometimes is what i voted. but most of the time i usually dont safely remove it.


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## Steve Mehs (Mar 21, 2002)

I've been using flash drives since '03, and I've never done it. Never hand any problems either.


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## Ira Lacher (Apr 24, 2002)

Yanked it once on a Windows XP PC and corrupted the Word doc I spent 3 hours writing. Never again. Happened on a Mac too.


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## Canis Lupus (Oct 16, 2006)

Get a Mac will ya?



Greg Alsobrook said:


> Just wondering who here takes the time to "Safely Remove Hardware" and "Stop" the drive before yanking it out... :grin:


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## Thaedron (Jun 29, 2007)

Maybe I voted incorrectly. I most always 'eject' the drive. I don't think I've ever done the safely remove hardware thing for USB drives.


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## Thaedron (Jun 29, 2007)

Milkman said:


> I was looking for the option marked "Most of the time", but didn't see one. Instead voted on Sometimes.


I would have voted 'most of the time' as well, but opted for yes.


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## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

Depends on the OS.

OSX I do as if I dont it screws up the drive for the next time I try to put it in a Windows machine. XP I dont, Vista I dont, 2000 I do as it sometimes can corrupt the drive if you dont. On XP/Vista if the disk is set as portable it should be fine to yank it out as long as it is done reading/writing (you can tell by the status light on the flash drive itself).

I do properly eject my backup hard disks though, that way I know they have completed writing everything properly and securely.


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## Sirshagg (Dec 30, 2006)

Work - 99% of the time
Personal - 5% of the time


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## Caddo-Miller (May 17, 2007)

I do not, after using my Windows XP USB Drive Hardware properties option to set Policies > Write Caching and Safe Removal > Optimize for Quick Removal (See Attachment).


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## Charise (Jan 25, 2004)

I don't know enough NOT to "safely remove" them. I haven't had problems, so I just continue to do it.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Charise said:


> I don't know enough NOT to "safely remove" them. I haven't had problems, so I just continue to do it.


I...must...obey...I...must...obey.

:sure:


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Absolutely yes, and I'll tell you why.

My first PC had a caching SCSI controller. Really cool and super fast, BUT I had some faulty RAM and found out in a hurry just what happens if you think you saved something but the cache was never purged so the data never was actually written to the hard drive.

Flash (pun intended) to the present... I don't even want to introduce the possibility that something I thought I saved wasn't actually written yet because I yanked the flash drive before it flushed everything... so I always make sure I software-eject before physically ejecting the drive.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Caddo-Miller said:


> I do not, after using my Windows XP USB Drive Hardware properties option to set Policies > Write Caching and Safe Removal > Optimize for Quick Removal (See Attachment).


What he said. 

Cheers,
Tom


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## Groundhog45 (Nov 10, 2005)

I always remove "safely". However, I'm glad to read about the setting above and will try that now. 

Edited to add: It was already set to optimize. I'll be durned.


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## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

Groundhog45 said:


> Edited to add: It was already set to optimize. I'll be durned.


Yup, most of the time with flash drives it knows they are flash drives and sets it as such


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

Caddo-Miller said:


> I do not, after using my Windows XP USB Drive Hardware properties option to set Policies > Write Caching and Safe Removal > Optimize for Quick Removal (See Attachment).


does this have to be set for each USB flash drive?


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

This parameter set by default, ie no caching writing data at all and USB ready to removal instantly.


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## Sharkie_Fan (Sep 26, 2006)

On my Macs, at home and at work, I do it 'right' 99% of the time.

On the PCs.... rarely.

I don't know why, but that's how I am...


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## Caddo-Miller (May 17, 2007)

wingrider01 said:


> does this have to be set for each USB flash drive?


Yes, the setting is USB Drive specific.


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## vankai (Jan 22, 2007)

I want the users I support to know about this option, so Yes for me as a habit and as an example to others.


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

Caddo-Miller said:


> Yes, the setting is USB Drive specific.


Given the number of USB flash drives I use it is not worth setting this for every one of them. Will just keep right clicking the icon for safely remove


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

The wording of the poll is somewhat biased. The word "properly" should not be there. Since Windows XP, the need to stop USB drives before removing has not existed.
Just make sure that you give the system to complete the last write and you're fine.


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## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

Caddo-Miller said:


> Yes, the setting is USB Drive specific.


It actually automatically sets it for most drives though, as it knows they are removable flash drives.


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Marlin Guy said:


> The wording of the poll is somewhat biased. The word "properly" should not be there.


What exactly is that showing a bias towards?


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## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

Greg Alsobrook said:


> What exactly is that showing a bias towards?


Bias towards stopping it, since you say "properly "Stop" a USB flash drive" which would imply that not stopping it would be the improper way. It is a nit pick of grammar though, I didnt even notice it before anyone had said anything 

We are on the internet, its fine in my book :lol:


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## smiddy (Apr 5, 2006)

I voted sometimes. It depends on the situation, I have had to yank them because the OS was unable to stop it and I've had to yank them because of time. But if I am not in a hurry, and things go right, I will stop it and then remove it.


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## ncxcstud (Apr 22, 2007)

I never 'safely removed' a flash drive 

But, i haven't used a USB flash drive on my PC since I installed the Windows Office Live beta on my laptop and desktop 

I have no need for flash drives anymore 

Most of the stuff i used them for were for papers so i could print them off at the school library...now I just go to my office live account on the net and print it from there.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

I have several from CES and other gift, rarely used them until recently. Good for BIOS updates on some devices, and I have a Win98 bootable (DOS only) one with memtest.

Next project might be an XP bootable one since flashing my phone works much better under XP.

Cheers,
Tom


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

I try to do it every time. Every once and a while I forget. I'd say >95% of the time I do it right.

Mike


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## Hansen (Jan 1, 2006)

It seems that one does not have to remove a USB drive from one's jeans' pocket before running them through the wash. Remarkably, had one go through the wash and it worked perfectly afterwards. No need to safely remove before washing.


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## Charise (Jan 25, 2004)

Nick said:


> I...must...obey...I...must...obey.
> 
> :sure:


:lol:


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