I often simply unplug my memory stick without any ceremony, but I know this
is frowned on. What is the problem with doing this?

Also, when I try to use 'Safely remove hardware' it tells me that it cannot
be removed 'at this time, try again later'. Assuming I've waited until all
files have finished being saved, why is it that such a message is generated?

Rob Graham

robgraham wrote:
> I often simply unplug my memory stick without any ceremony, but I
> know this is frowned on. What is the problem with doing this?
>
> Also, when I try to use 'Safely remove hardware' it tells me that
> it cannot be removed 'at this time, try again later'. Assuming I've
> waited until all files have finished being saved, why is it that
> such a message is generated?

The removal of the USB stick can be sangerous because there is a read/write
cache that Windows uses that may still contain unwritten data not yet
written (as you may have asked it to be) on the USB stick. If you remove
the memory stick without the proper procedure, there is a risk that
unwritten data will be lost and the copy you have will be incomplete or
corrupted.

Make sure all windows even 'showing' the files are closed and that anything
you started running from the memory stick is closed (may have to look at
task manager.)

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

On Jul 2, 12:27*pm, "robgraham" <rttgraham...@btinternet.com> wrote:
> I often simply unplug my memory stick without any ceremony, but I know this
> is frowned on. What is the problem with doing this?
>
> Also, when I try to use 'Safely remove hardware' it tells me that it cannot
> be removed 'at this time, try again later'. Assuming I've waited until all
> files have finished being saved, why is it that such a message is generated?
>
> Rob Graham

Removing the memory with out "Safely Remove" you can completely
"erase" the stick or rendering "unusable" / "unformatable."

You may see that "Safely Remove" message when:

Anti-virus is set to "scan" removable "devices."
Roxio's Drag to Disk "takes" it over
Nero's InCD believes it is a DVD / CD RW media

On Jul 2, 6:27*am, "robgraham" <rttgraham...@btinternet.com> wrote:
> I often simply unplug my memory stick without any ceremony, but I know this
> is frowned on. What is the problem with doing this?
>
> Also, when I try to use 'Safely remove hardware' it tells me that it cannot
> be removed 'at this time, try again later'. Assuming I've waited until all
> files have finished being saved, why is it that such a message is generated?
>
> Rob Graham

I have taken out thumb drives a number of times without "Safely
removing the hardware."
And not a single byte of info was corrupted.

I just make sure that nothing is being written to the disk when I
remove it.

I wonder if there is a script that can be written to automate the
process of safely removing hardware?

Andy

"WhiteTea77581" <andrewkennedy3@peoplepc.com> wrote in message
news:bf0688e7-a627-4a46-a97f-1bb046aae6ca@p18g2000pra.googlegroups.com...
On Jul 2, 6:27 am, "robgraham" <rttgraham...@btinternet.com> wrote:
> I often simply unplug my memory stick without any ceremony, but I know
> this
> is frowned on. What is the problem with doing this?
>
> Also, when I try to use 'Safely remove hardware' it tells me that it
> cannot
> be removed 'at this time, try again later'. Assuming I've waited until all
> files have finished being saved, why is it that such a message is
> generated?
>
> Rob Graham

I have taken out thumb drives a number of times without "Safely
removing the hardware."
And not a single byte of info was corrupted.

Me too. It's just that when I was about to do this on a friend's computer he
warned me not to.

Is this rather like suggesting to someone that if they travel in a car they
might die? It's true, but not very likely.

Rob

> I have taken out thumb drives a number of times without "Safely
> removing the hardware."
> And not a single byte of info was corrupted.
>
> Me too. It's just that when I was about to do this on a friend's computer he
> warned me not to.
>
> Is this rather like suggesting to someone that if they travel in a car they
> might die? It's true, but not very likely.
>
> Rob

There is a freeware program called removedrive that you can get at
http://www.uwe-sieber.de/drivetools_e.html#removedrive

I have a batch file with this in it.

c:\backup\removedrive I: -L -H -W:1000

This would remove H: drive, loop until sucess, show open handles, and
waits 1000 milliseconds before closing.

Have a good week,
Andy

<snipped>

robgraham wrote:
> I have taken out thumb drives a number of times without "Safely
> removing the hardware."
> And not a single byte of info was corrupted.
>
> Me too. It's just that when I was about to do this on a friend's
> computer he warned me not to.
>
> Is this rather like suggesting to someone that if they travel in a
> car they might die? It's true, but not very likely.

Yes. I guess you could say that. Your example is a bit extreme though.

It is technically proper procedure. You could do it a million times and
likely see no negative affects - but the one out of a million could be the
time that the data you have on there was the most important to you and (for
whatever bad reason) you also did not have backups of. ;-)

Backups are not required either - but people push them because it is the
*wise* thing to do.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

"robgraham" <rttgrahamwow@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:h9ydnfSwjOApBNHXnZ2dnUVZ8rKdnZ2d@bt.com...
>I often simply unplug my memory stick without any ceremony, but I know this
>is frowned on. What is the problem with doing this?
>
> Also, when I try to use 'Safely remove hardware' it tells me that it
> cannot be removed 'at this time, try again later'. Assuming I've waited
> until all files have finished being saved, why is it that such a message
> is generated?
>

Provided your memory stick is configured for 'Optimise for fast removal'
(which it seems that it is), you can remove it as soon as the activity light
is not showing/flashing.

Safely remove hardware will give the response you report because there is no
write cache to flush.

"robgraham" <rttgrahamwow@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:h9ydnfSwjOApBNHXnZ2dnUVZ8rKdnZ2d@bt.com...
>I often simply unplug my memory stick without any ceremony, but I know this
>is frowned on. What is the problem with doing this?
>
> Also, when I try to use 'Safely remove hardware' it tells me that it
> cannot be removed 'at this time, try again later'. Assuming I've waited
> until all files have finished being saved, why is it that such a message
> is generated?
>
> Rob Graham
>

Depends on XP and how its setup, and any 3rd party apps installed. Some, or
XP itself, may be working in the background waiting for the previous app or
XP itself to be done with it. There may be a lapse in time between these
things were no indication of access of the drive is visible. The user,
thinking the PC is done with it, then reaches to remove, and at that moment
the waiting app or XP itself also accesses it at that same moment. That is
where the danger lies.
--
Dave

"Lil' Dave" <spamyourself@virus.net> wrote in message
news:eamuna8%23JHA.4984@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> "robgraham" <rttgrahamwow@btinternet.com> wrote in message
> news:h9ydnfSwjOApBNHXnZ2dnUVZ8rKdnZ2d@bt.com...
>>I often simply unplug my memory stick without any ceremony, but I know
>>this is frowned on. What is the problem with doing this?
>>
>> Also, when I try to use 'Safely remove hardware' it tells me that it
>> cannot be removed 'at this time, try again later'. Assuming I've waited
>> until all files have finished being saved, why is it that such a message
>> is generated?
>>
>> Rob Graham
>>
>
> Depends on XP and how its setup, and any 3rd party apps installed. Some,
> or XP itself, may be working in the background waiting for the previous
> app or XP itself to be done with it. There may be a lapse in time between
> these things were no indication of access of the drive is visible. The
> user, thinking the PC is done with it, then reaches to remove, and at that
> moment the waiting app or XP itself also accesses it at that same moment.
> That is where the danger lies.
> --
> Dave
>
>

How does this stack up with M.I.5's reply above? He implies - no, states -
that if the stick is configured for fast removal (don't remember doing that
but maybe I did) it's OK to remove it when the activity light goes out.
You're suggesting that this ain't necessarily so.

Rob

On Fri, 3 Jul 2009 10:48:46 +0100, "M.I.5¾"
<no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk> wrote:

>
>"robgraham" <rttgrahamwow@btinternet.com> wrote in message
>news:h9ydnfSwjOApBNHXnZ2dnUVZ8rKdnZ2d@bt.com...
>>I often simply unplug my memory stick without any ceremony, but I know this
>>is frowned on. What is the problem with doing this?
>>
>> Also, when I try to use 'Safely remove hardware' it tells me that it
>> cannot be removed 'at this time, try again later'. Assuming I've waited
>> until all files have finished being saved, why is it that such a message
>> is generated?
>>
>
>Provided your memory stick is configured for 'Optimise for fast removal'
>(which it seems that it is), you can remove it as soon as the activity light
>is not showing/flashing.
>
>Safely remove hardware will give the response you report because there is no
>write cache to flush.

I have seen this response when a file from the stick is still open
even it has been saved or is read only.

I have also seen this response when an xls file from the stick has
been closed but Excel 2003 is still active.

--
Remove del for email

"robgraham" <rttgrahamwow@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:arKdna5twqiBe9DXnZ2dnUVZ8i6dnZ2d@bt.com...
>
> "Lil' Dave" <spamyourself@virus.net> wrote in message
> news:eamuna8%23JHA.4984@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>> "robgraham" <rttgrahamwow@btinternet.com> wrote in message
>> news:h9ydnfSwjOApBNHXnZ2dnUVZ8rKdnZ2d@bt.com...
>>>I often simply unplug my memory stick without any ceremony, but I know
>>>this is frowned on. What is the problem with doing this?
>>>
>>> Also, when I try to use 'Safely remove hardware' it tells me that it
>>> cannot be removed 'at this time, try again later'. Assuming I've waited
>>> until all files have finished being saved, why is it that such a message
>>> is generated?
>>>
>>> Rob Graham
>>>
>>
>> Depends on XP and how its setup, and any 3rd party apps installed. Some,
>> or XP itself, may be working in the background waiting for the previous
>> app or XP itself to be done with it. There may be a lapse in time
>> between these things were no indication of access of the drive is
>> visible. The user, thinking the PC is done with it, then reaches to
>> remove, and at that moment the waiting app or XP itself also accesses it
>> at that same moment. That is where the danger lies.
>> --
>> Dave
>>
>>
>
> How does this stack up with M.I.5's reply above? He implies - no, states -
> that if the stick is configured for fast removal (don't remember doing
> that but maybe I did) it's OK to remove it when the activity light goes
> out. You're suggesting that this ain't necessarily so.
>
> Rob
>

Nope. I'm agreeing with that premise, AND, being a bit more specific in the
mechanics behind it. And that the safely remove asset is sensitive in the
background for both waits for data writes and possible read checks of those
writes, and, XP itself or antivirus waitng to subsequently access that
drive.
--
Dave

"Barry Schwarz" <schwarzb@dqel.com> wrote in message
news:jjfs45hntmfjgdb1fbjtbl0sj4povaetqv@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 3 Jul 2009 10:48:46 +0100, "M.I.5¾"
> <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>
>>"robgraham" <rttgrahamwow@btinternet.com> wrote in message
>>news:h9ydnfSwjOApBNHXnZ2dnUVZ8rKdnZ2d@bt.com.. .
>>>I often simply unplug my memory stick without any ceremony, but I know
>>>this
>>>is frowned on. What is the problem with doing this?
>>>
>>> Also, when I try to use 'Safely remove hardware' it tells me that it
>>> cannot be removed 'at this time, try again later'. Assuming I've waited
>>> until all files have finished being saved, why is it that such a message
>>> is generated?
>>>
>>
>>Provided your memory stick is configured for 'Optimise for fast removal'
>>(which it seems that it is), you can remove it as soon as the activity
>>light
>>is not showing/flashing.
>>
>>Safely remove hardware will give the response you report because there is
>>no
>>write cache to flush.
>
> I have seen this response when a file from the stick is still open
> even it has been saved or is read only.
>
> I have also seen this response when an xls file from the stick has
> been closed but Excel 2003 is still active.
>

A fair point.

Thanks for all your help here.

Rob