Always Eject USB Drive Safely from the Computer. Why?

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  • Published on
    April 16th, 2018
  • Updated on
    March 6, 2021
  • Read Time
    5 minutes

You must be familiar with the USB (Universal Service Bus) drive, a compact and lightweight storage media. Being a micro-portable data storage device, it can transfer files, documents, photos, and much more from a computer system to a USB drive and vice-versa. You can use the USB drives for different purposes, i.e. it depends on the usage, user characteristics, and needs. Though it’s very easy to use the USB drive, sometimes unsafe ejection may cause serious troubles. In this article, we’ll learn why we should safely eject USB drive from the computer system.

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Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media

Safely Eject USB Drive

Have you ever noticed that the computer displays a message to safely eject the USB drive? Whenever the message appears on the screen, this means something is wrong with the method you’re using to eject USB drive. It’s truly necessary to eject USB drive safely and correctly before unplugging it from the computer system. Because if you don’t eject USB drive safely and correctly, this may put your data at high risk of loss.

For example, you’re transferring the data from the USB drive to your computer system or vice-versa. You’re in a hurry and you remove the USB drive just like that, i.e. without clicking the “Safely to Remove” icon. Such an action of removing the USB drive while it’s being written or in use might be inappropriate for you. Sometimes it may result in data loss situation.

There’s no way to put valuable data at high risk of loss just to save a couple of seconds. But still many computer users do that. They don’t even realize that how harmful it could be in reality. There have been so many times I’ve seen people asking this question, “Is it really important to eject USB drive before removing it”. Yes, it’s really important. You should definitely learn the risks of removing the USB drive without proper ejection.

Risks due to Improper USB Drive Ejection

The following reasons will help you understand why and how an improper USB removal is harmful:

Data Corruption: As a result of USB drive being improperly removed, one of the worst things is data corruption. And that’s why you should always eject USB drive properly in order to prevent corruption. How does corruption occur due to improper USB drive ejection? Generally, the operating system uses a “write caching” process. During this process, the operating system doesn’t write the file to the drive immediately. Instead of that, it caches the file and waits for other read/write operations to be completed. And the real problem takes place when you improperly remove the USB drive but the cache is still in use. If you safely eject USB drive, it’ll clear the cache and other remaining data. Also, it’ll stop any process running in the background.

Logical Failure: Sometimes unsafe USB ejection may cause logical failure and damage the file system. It can damage three major types of cells: Single Layer Cell (SLC), Multi-Layer Cell (MLC), and Triple Layer Cell (TLC). These three cells contain the information of internal drive. And if the cells are damaged, the information becomes inaccessible. In order to prevent the logical failure in the file system of the USB drive, always eject USB drive safely.

Write Caching is Disabled: The “write caching” option provides an extra layer of security when the USB drive is abruptly removed from the computer. But it’s disabled by default in the Windows operating system. Make sure the “write caching” option is enabled. Follow these simple steps:

  • First, go to the Control Panel, and then select the Device Manager.
  • Now right-click the USB drive, and select Properties.
  • Click the Policies tab, and select the Better performance option.
  • Now enable the “write caching” on the device.
how to eject USB drive safely

Important note

It’s strictly advised not to remove the USB drive abruptly while the information is being read or written on the drive. Sometimes it might be harmful even the USB drive isn’t in use. Don’t forget about the “write caching” option of Windows. It doesn’t write the data on the drive immediately. The system’s RAM stores some of the information while it’s waiting for the requests. Therefore, corruption may take place if you remove the USB drive abruptly. But when you eject USB drive safely, it tells the operating system that the USB drive is being removed. And the operating system takes the appropriate action.

How to Safely Eject USB Drive?

It’s very easy. There are two ways to eject USB drive safely. Follow these simple steps:

  • Click the My Computer icon on the desktop.
  • You can see the USB drive. Right-click it, and select Eject.
  • Wait for the “Safe to Remove Hardware” message. And when it appears, you can remove the USB drive from the USB port.

Conclusion

If you’ve already faced corruption or data loss due to improper USB removal, you should now take the help of a professional recovery solution. SysInfoTools Removable Media Data Recovery software is one such smart solution that can recover files from USB drive and other removable media. It supports data recovery from the compact disc (CDs), digital versatile disc (DVDs), blue ray disc, external hard drivesUSB pen drives, SD memory cards, memory sticks, solid state drives (SSDs), etc. It can successfully restore almost all types of data, such as documents, pictures, audios, videos, database, emails, archive, multimedia, and much more from the corrupt storage media.

Download the demo version of Removable Media Data Recovery software for free evaluation before purchasing its licensed version. By using the demo version, you can check the preview of your data which you can actually recover. And if you’re satisfied with the results, then only you should purchase the software. Free Data Recovery Software for Removable Media

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