Safely Remove Hardware
Posted By On August 18, 2006 @ 3:17 PM In File & Disk Management | Comments Disabled
If you work a lot with different USB devices, you probably use the “safely remove hardware” icon quite a bit. Am I right? See, even though USB devices are labeled as “Plug & Play”—that is, they’re ready to go upon being plugged in—you shouldn’t just unplug them. A USB port has current running through it, so the power jolt caused by unplugging a “hot” connection can corrupt data on a storage device, camera, or mp3 player.
In other words, don’t just yank your USB device out, use the Safely Remove Hardware icon, Instead. It shows up down near the clock on your task bar.
In Windows Vista and 7 it looks like this:
So, next time you’re ready to remove your USB device from your system, just click the icon and select to “Eject” the device. Here’s an example:
Windows will let you know when it’s safe to proceed.
It only takes a second and could save potential headaches later!
Side Note: If you’re still using Windows XP and your Safely Remove Hardware icon has gone missing, check this tip out to get it back.
~Andrew
Safely Remove Hardware
Posted By On May 7, 2005 @ 1:32 PM In Hardware & Peripherals | No Comments
USB devices are flooding the market. Digital cameras, media players, external drives—all of them use the USB port. Newer computers have a port or two right up front for removable devices.
Even though USB devices are Plug & Play—that is, they’re ready to go upon being plugged in—you shouldn’t just unplug them. A USB port has current running through it, so the power jolt caused by unplugging a “hot” connection can corrupt data on a storage device, camera, or mp3 player.
You can prevent such problems by clicking the “Safely Remove Hardware” button down in the system tray (by the clock). It looks like a rectangle with a green arrow pointing down at 8 o’clock.
You’ll be given a list of USB devices that are active. Highlight the one you want to remove and click. When the power shuts off Windows will tell you that it is safe to remove the device.
~ David
David Samuel Thomas
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