Why do I have to eject my iPod and USB drives. I've taken them out of the computer before without pressing the 'eject button' (if that's what it's called) and everything was fine.
2007-08-25 07:00:42 · 4 answers · asked by mbolling09 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Other - Hardware
The danger in removing devices without "ejecting" them is fragmenting the data on the device.
The term "eject" means to let all programs running know that you're about to pull it out, so that the ones accessing the drive (iTunes?) can react by stopping whatever transfers are running, thus preventing half-written files, bad I/O, etc.
"Eject" is only a safety precaution. And some people will argue that they never "eject" their iPod and it works fine. (Myself included :P)
2007-08-25 07:13:22 · answer #1 · answered by Max 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You have to do this in Windows because of Write caching. This is a process where when you send a file (or the OS thinks you can) to the removable storage, it goes into a section of cache memory before being written to the device. This lets the OS write the data to the device 'when it gets a chance'. You can disable this feature and force all data being written to the device to actually write straight to it, bypassing the cache.
To do this, insert the device>
Open My computer>
Alt-click on the drive>
Select Properties>
Select the Hardware tab>
Select the device>
Press the Properties button>
Select the 'Optimize for Quick Removal' radio button>
Click OK>
Click Apply
2007-08-25 16:27:34 · answer #2 · answered by Jason C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the operating system, or Windows, is currently writing to the drive and you pull it out, the data on the drive may be corrupt. Also, the OS may be currently reading from the drive, and if you pull it out, your system may do unexpected things because it was expecting data from the drive.
In the end, it is a best practice to always use the "Safely Remove Hardware" feature in Windows, or "Eject" or "Unmount" in other Operating Systems.
2007-08-25 14:07:36 · answer #3 · answered by Matt 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is makes sure ALL data is safely written and then SAFELY disconnects the software links to the drive, and while you CAN unplug them "on the fly" it's NOT advised to do so as it WILL increase risk of data loss,
2007-08-25 14:08:18 · answer #4 · answered by stu_the_kilted_scot 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋