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Thread ID: 100340 2009-06-04 07:55:00 Removing portable hard-drive via USB Chikara (5139) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
779624 2009-06-04 07:55:00 Hi all

Might be a silly question, but I just wanted to make sure...

If I have a portable hard drive plugged in via a USB port, do I need to 'safely remove hardware' before I shut down or restart the PC?

Or, will the PC finish all writes etc automatically as part of it's shutdown process - and therefore I only need to use 'safely remove hardware' if I'm removing it while the PC is still turned on..?

Thanks!
Chikara (5139)
779625 2009-06-04 08:24:00 Provided its set to quick removal in device manager, and nothing is accessing the drive, you can just pull it out.

Safely remove does tell you if something is happening to be accessing it, so its always safe to use it if you're unsure.

Blam
Blam (54)
779626 2009-06-04 08:36:00 Provided its set to quick removal in device manager, and nothing is accessing the drive, you can just pull it out.

Safely remove does tell you if something is happening to be accessing it, so its always safe to use it if you're unsure.

Blam

Thanks, but what about shutting down the PC while it's still connected? Is that safe to do as well?
Chikara (5139)
779627 2009-06-04 08:46:00 Thanks, but what about shutting down the PC while it's still connected? Is that safe to do as well?

Yes, thats fine, but don't have programs accessing while you shutdown....common sense really:p
Blam (54)
779628 2009-06-05 00:41:00 It is safe to shut down the pc while it is still connected. Part of the shutdown process will include making sure all cached writes (if not already done) are written before shutdown. Or if you have quick remove enabled, they will already be written as the writes are not cached. utopian201 (6245)
779629 2009-06-05 01:01:00 If you have a USB drive connected and shut down, thats fine, just be aware though, if you leave it connected, make sure the PC is not set to boot from an external drive first.

Had it happen a few times where I have left a USB drive in, and the PC tries to boot from it first -- oops!
wainuitech (129)
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