Re: USB - Safely Remove Hardware utility

The elusive and mysterious explanation of SRH has been found!!

Thanks for posting that.


"John John (MVP)" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:ga3rlh$ddg$1@xxxxxxxxxxx
No, it ensures that all the data is flushed to the disk.

[Quote]

When removing a device from a bus that supports hot plugging, if the Safely Remove Hardware icon appears in the notification area, use the Safely Remove Hardware application as explained later to ensure a safe removal of hardware from the system. The Safely Remove Hardware application informs Windows that the user intends to remove a device. This gives Windows an opportunity to prepare for the removal by taking steps such as halting data transfers to the device and unloading device drivers.

When hardware is removed from a running system without using the Safely Remove Hardware application, it is often referred to as surprise removal because the operating system is not notified in advance of the removal. Surprise removal is particularly a concern for storage devices for which write caching is enabled, because when such devices are surprise removed, data loss or corruption might occur. To reduce the likelihood of data loss or corruption as a result of surprise removal of consumer-oriented storage devices, Windows XP Professional disables write caching by default for these devices (such as cameras that include IEEE 1394 or USB storage, small form factor storage devices such as compact flash, and so on). While write caching policy addresses this particular issue, it is recommended that users continue to use the Safely Remove Hardware application when it appears in the notification area. Also, disabling write caching might slow the performance of consumer-oriented storage devices.

[end quote]

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457107.aspx



Unknown wrote:

That is precisely what SRH does, makes sure heads are retracted. .
"Bob I" <birelan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:eQ7tvmdEJHA.1272@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Same place they are after power fails, retracted.

Unknown wrote:


Where are heads when HD is being shipped? Parked???
"Bob I" <birelan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:e5vSMzcEJHA.5004@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Probably flushing the cache. Parking heads isn't a "command" that I believe applies to voice coil head actuators.

Unknown wrote:



You run SRH BEFORE powering off the external drive.
"JohnB" <jbrigan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:OMP4rBcEJHA.5732@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



I don't buy the "parking heads" thing either. Parking the heads is an "old school" thing. Modern drives park the head when powered off. Sounds like urban legend to me.


"Lil' Dave" <spamyourself@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:eiDVDRMEJHA.3288@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



"JohnB" <jbrigan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:OUoVti4DJHA.2484@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



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

Concur with most responses, except the parking heads response.

While using SRH, I've noticed that sometimes something must be occurring even though the activity light is off on the external enclosure. SRH says something is still accessing, to try again later. Usually, an immediate retry of SRH allows removal. Seen this with both Firewire and USB2 enclosures for ide hard drives.

An oddity I've noticed about the policies tab for the hard drive within the enclosure. An old Firewire only enclosure I have uses the non-cache type selection per windows installation of same. The newer USB/Firewire combo enclosure for ide drives use the cached type that requires SRH. Don't matter if USB or Firewire connected.
--
Dave








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  • Re: USB - Safely Remove Hardware utility
    ... I click SRH and the HD sounds as though the heads are retracting. ... Safely Remove Hardware application as explained later to ensure a safe removal of hardware from the system. ... To reduce the likelihood of data loss or corruption as a result of surprise removal of consumer-oriented storage devices, Windows XP Professional disables write caching by default for these devices (such as cameras that include IEEE 1394 or USB storage, small form factor storage devices such as compact flash, and so on). ... I have several of those drives and have never had an issue... ...
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