Re: USB - Safely Remove Hardware utility

John Wunderlich wrote:
"JohnB" <jbrigan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:OS2zr$4DJHA.4436@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

"John Wunderlich" <jwunderlich@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:Xns9B107F4DA847wunderpsdrscray@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"JohnB" <jbrigan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:OUoVti4DJHA.2484@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

The "Safely Remove Hardware" utility that sits in the System
Tray.... does anyone use that?

I have never used it. But recently a couple things came up that
made me wonder if I should be using it. A couple weeks ago I
was at someone's laptop and I had plugged in and later removed
my USB pen drive. He commented that I should be using the SRH
utility "because he had burned up a USB pen drive by *not* using
it". I have several of those drives and have never had an
issue... and like I said, I've never used that utility to
disconnect a USB device before unplugging it.

But today I had unplugged a Maxtor OneTouch external USB drive -
and did not use the SRH utility. When I plugged a different
Maxtor OneTouch drive into the same machine, Windows didn't
recognize it. I tried several different USB ports... same
thing. So I used the SRH utility to *Stop* the USB mass storage
device in there. Then I plugged the drive in, and Windows
recognized it.

Just wondering what other people say about this utility, and if
you use it. I've always been under the impression USB devices
were hot-swappable and didn't require any user-intervention,
such as using that utility

TIA

With your USB drive inserted, double-click "My Computer" then
right- click on the USB Drive -> Properties -> "Hardware" Tab ->
[Select USB Drive] -> Properties -> "Policies" Tab.

If your drive is configured for "Optimize for Quick Removal",
then it seems that the SRH is not technically needed (although I
wouldn't pull it out while a write were in progress).

If it is set for "Optimize for Performance", then you should
probably use the SRH tool.

-- John

Huh, I didn't know about that setting. It was set to "Optimize
for Quick Removal". I'm guessing all USB devices default to that
setting. I also plugged in my pen drive and it was also set to
that.

*technically* I shouldn't have to use SRH, but apprently with this
device I do. I like Big Al's explanation. Another un-documented
*feature* that Microsoft added for us.

Good to know. Thanks.
I tend to always use SRH on the "ounce of prevention" principle anyway.

-- John

Supposedly also it flushes the write buffer too to make sure that all data is written. I would favor this rationale for using it more than anything else. Kinda keeps you honest. And considering I put some of my best data on the thumb drives / USB HDs, then I kinda like knowing I'm doing everything to protect the data.
.

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