With modern USB Devices, can you really damage the device/information by not "Safely Removing" it?

Question

I understand that you don’t want to remove anything that the computer is actively talking to, but if it's just connected, receiving enough power to light the lights on it, removing it without "Safely Removing" shouldn’t mess it up, right?

Answer 1

XP, no... win2k, yes. Win2k doesn't write the data until you stop the device - stupid... they fixed the problem in XP, and now you'll have the data whether you "stop" the device or not.

You don't need to worry about physical damage in any event.

Answer 2

I think you mean USB flash drives.

If you are sure that your computer is currently NOT communicating with your device (copying a file/ playing a media clip on it/ running a program on it), then you actually do not need to "Safe Remove " it.

Let us do a simple experiment.
1. Connect your device to the computer.
2. Copy a large file onto it. (A one that takes some time)
3. While the file is being copied, try SAFE REMOVING the device.
* You can't do it.

Now,
After copying the file, try SAFE REMOVING the device.
* Now it is possible.

If you accidentally remove the device while the computer is communicating with it, it will get damaged. That's' why they recommend the Safe Remove feature.

Another thing,
Connect your device to the computer.
Open My Computer
Right click on the flash drive's icon.
Click Properties.
Click Properties on the Hardware tab.
Go to the Policies tab.
What do you see?
Now click on the Default button.
What do you see?
* If it is set to Optimize for Quick Removal by default, that means Safe Remove is not necessary.

If you do not know much more about computers, you may always use the Safe Remove feature.
========================

However, if you use Linux, make sure you dismount the device before you remove it.
In Ubuntu, right click on the drive's icon and click Eject.

- Shaakunthala.

Answer 3

It all depends on whether the computer is finished yet. If you interrupt a write process it might corrupt the information on the thumb drive. On some models this could (possibly) make the device unusable. But in general it's pretty safe. So your right you can remove it safely with out the "device eject" or whatever, but there is always a chance that you interrupted something. Usually a very small chance tho.

Answer 4

I always remove other peoples USB devices the correct way, but for my own I just yank them out when the status light stops flashing. Ive never had a problem although I wouldnt recommend doing it that way to anyone.

Answer 5

various the time, this would not do any injury yet you ought to remember to click the "accurately eliminate hardware" icon purely in case. Plug your USB force right into a working laptop or computer and spot if any data are lacking or corrupted.

Answer 6

Depends on what your useing regular usb drives sould show up in the right side of the screen and can be takin off the device list to be removed you can wipe these drives by removeing thim like that and you can demage the female port by removing it without taking it off the list to

Answer 7

You can damage the data because when you copy a file to it, it is first cached and then copied while the computer isn't busy.

If you remove it before its actually finished copying, then the data can be damaged.

Answer 8

nope

-removing the device before it's "READY" may destroy the device.
-it is also possible to destroy a USB device by attaching it before installing its drivers

this is from witnessing the destruction of several flash disks and a canon usb scanner and an hp officejet printer.

Answer 9

maybe not damage the usb device, but make sure all your files have actually closed first. I have damaged word files because of that.
but why take the risk?

Answer 10

U needn't "safely removing...", I always do that but nothing happend.
sorr about grammar and vocabulary. have fun