Re: USB Drive - Ties Up Vista - Can't Safely Remove


"garywi" <garywi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:D584633A-4AD3-4B6A-B948-79BD71E5DFCF@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thanks Everyone. I made the change to 'optimise for quick removal' . Can I
really unplug the USB cable while the drive is spinning?

Also, as a test, I still go in to try to safely remove hardware, or Eject
the drive and Vista still says the drive is in use, when the drive is
spinning or when not spinning. Its always in use according to vista.
--
Thanks


"Andrew Wong" wrote:

Try going to the 'Device Manager' (right click on my computer -> properties
-> Device manager) and underr disk drives find your Western Digital drive (WD
2500... External USB Device).
Open up the properties (double click or right click) and goto the 'policies'
tab. Select the top one 'optimise for quick removal' and you should be able
to just disconnect the drive without safe removal (as it says in the
description).

Hope this helps


"garywi" wrote:

> I went into Performance Manager. I see C:\ activity but nothing for my > USB
> drive while it sit's and runs.
> -- > Thanks
>
>
> "Rob" wrote:
>
> > "garywi" <garywi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> > news:F53E1CF2-1C17-4968-91D2-E42F027D9A31@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > Hi, Thanks. On the general tab for this drive, there is no check > > > box for
> > > indexing. I checked all the tabs, there is no box. The only > > > button on the
> > > general tab is for degragmenting.
> > >
> > > ?
> > >
> > > -- > > > Thanks
> > >
> > >
> > > "Cari (MS-MVP)" wrote:
> > >
> > >> In Windows Explorer, right click on the drive and select > > >> Properties. On the
> > >> firsr tab, General, right at the bottom, ensure Index this drive > > >> for faster
> > >> searching is NOT checked. If it is, each time you connect it, > > >> Windows will
> > >> check to see which files have changed, been added, deleted etc.
> > >> -- > > >> Cari (MS-MVP) Printing & Imaging
> > >> www.coribright.com/windows
> > >>
> > >> "garywi" <garywi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> > >> news:3364D2DC-8BBB-48EE-B1E6-F44419F2F4FB@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > >> > Hi,
> > >> >
> > >> > My WD2500 250G USB drive does things with Vista that annoy me:
> > >> >
> > >> > -the drive starts spooling up/spinning even if I have not made > > >> > any
> > >> > read/write requests from it
> > >> > -while it's spooling up, is slows down Vista severely, causing > > >> > me to want
> > >> > to
> > >> > Eject it
> > >> > -while the drive is spinning, I can't safely eject, error, drive > > >> > is in use
> > >> > by another program, even when I have no programs running, or > > >> > files open.
> > >> >
> > >> > Can you help?
> > >> > -- > > >> > Thanks
> > >>
> >
> > Run task manager, goto performance, click resource monitor, in there > > choose disk, and sort by
> > highest->lowest read/write and find out which application is doing > > all the reading and/or
> > writing to ur usb drive. Once you know the application, u can perhaps > > disable it, or adjust its
> > settings depending on what it is.
> >
> > -- > > Q9450 OC'd 3.8GHz
> > 4x 2GB 1066Mhz RAM 1:1
> > 9800GX2 1GB OC'd 680core/1060mem
> > 1TB SpinPoint HDD
> > 350GB secondary HDD
> > 2x 22" HP w2207h
> > TrackIR
> > G15 keyboard
> > Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
> > MS ForceFeedBack 2 Joystick
> >

Yes you can. USB drives can be hot swapped, but if Vista is reporting it in use, you really do need to run down what is using it before unplugging. Otherwise you could damage the drive, at least what is written on it. You could go to Device Manager, and adjust it's properties to be "quickly removable." But if a program is holding it open you need to stop that. I would bet it's Windows Media Player. It seems to want to grab everything you plug into the machine. Make sure it is shut down in Process Manager.
Good luck.

.