Microsoft confirms you really, really don’t need to ‘safely remove’ USB flash drives anymore

[zoran]

You know how every tech expert in your life told you how crucially important it was to safely eject a flash drive before ripping it out of your PC? Have you been that tech expert yourself?

 

Well, Microsoft is confirming once and for all that — in Windows 10 — it’s no longer a thing you need to worry about. Windows 10 has a feature called “quick removal” that lets you yank a drive anytime (so long as you’re not actively writing files to it), and it’s now the default setting for each new drive you plug in as of Windows 10 version 1809, according to Microsoft’s own support guidance. Basically, “quick removal” keeps Windows from continuously trying to write to a flash drive, which could help in the event you disconnect it.

 

Technically, Microsoft flipped this switch back in October when version 1809 first started rolling out, so this won’t be a revelation for every reader. It just so happens to be making the rounds now that the company’s notifying IT professionals that the update is being deployed more broadly. Plus, the company’s had protections to keep your flash drives safe since Windows 7, according to my Microsoft-expert colleague Tom Warren.

 

But it’s also true that Microsoft has been sending mixed messages about the need to safely remove drives for a while, and the operating system definitely still features a vestigial “Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media” feature. (I just checked my System Tray, and it’s totally still there.)

 

So now, the process of safely ejecting a flash drive can be one of those things you tell your kids about, one of those “Do you remember this thing that olds used to do?”, like adjusting the tracking on a VHS tape or screaming at your family not to pick up the telephone while you’re downloading a new webpage.

source

[DKT27]

Topic moved to Software News. As this is not a tutorial or a how to, it suits better here.

[straycat19]

7 hours ago, zoran said:

Basically, “quick removal” keeps Windows from continuously trying to write to a flash drive, which could help in the event you disconnect it.

 

Does this mean that data you were trying to write to your drive isn't written and therefore lost?  Only Microsoft knows.  And if you believe everything Microsoft tells you, I have a lakeside chalet in Death Valley I will sell you. Or better yet, build the minimum recommended system for any version of Windows and then really try to run it.

[Kalju]

8 hours ago, zoran said:

“Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media” feature. (I just checked my System Tray, and it’s totally still there.)

Yes, it is there and has been there for very long time, ie many-many years, but it has been always useless.

[Karlston]

2 hours ago, straycat19 said:

Does this mean that data you were trying to write to your drive isn't written and therefore lost?

 

The article is confusing, a few sentences earlier it seems to say the opposite. From Windows 10 1809: Quick Removal new default for external storage devices ...

 

"Two removal policies are supported for external storage devices in Microsoft's Windows operating system: quick removal and better performance.

 

Quick removal is the safer option as it ensures that devices can be disconnected from the Windows PC directly. Better performance improves performance but requires that users need to use the "Safely remove hardware" option before they unplug external storage devices. Failure to do so may lead to data loss."

 

I'll keep safely ejecting drives, better safe than sorry. And old habits die hard

[Ryrynz]

51 minutes ago, Karlston said:

requires that users need to use the "Safely remove hardware" option before they unplug external storage devices. Failure to do so may lead to data loss."

It's not a requirement if you wait long enough for the cache to write out.

[Karlston]

3 minutes ago, Ryrynz said:

It's not a requirement if you wait long enough for the cache to write out.

 

True. The tricky part is knowing how long to wait, and how to be sure the cache has been written out.

[Ryrynz]

1 minute ago, Karlston said:

 

True. The tricky part is knowing how long to wait

 

Give it a couple of mins before you pull out 😂