rcgldr said:
In the case of Windows, last access time does a write to the drive even when just reading a file. To stop that, open administrator DOS console window or use "Run" as administrator. Enter the following command:jedishrfu said:
I checked this on my Windows 10 PC and it was set to 1. I have never changed it, so the default may now be 1.rcgldr said:
mech-eng said:
No. It is not. I have the same issue (frequently) with a USB drive and on occasion I have waited for many hours and in one case even a couple of days, and the device continues to register as "in use" even though it very obviously is not. I just unplug it and have never had any ill effects. I DO always wait for at least 10 minutes or so after my last access of the device.StevieTNZ said:
When the system thinks an external drive is in use, the eject fails.Svein said:
Me too.phinds said:
Ah, I see. I should correct my post to relay that the device may, according to the OS, is still in use but is not.phinds said:
Yes. Once it goes wrong, it will never correct itself. I haven't done a scientific study, but is seems as though some external disks cause more frequent trouble than others.StevieTNZ said:
Seriously not necessary. See post #9symbolipoint said:
My worry is that I am never sure that some Windows utility is not doing something (scanning or cleaning up). I assume that they do not do that to external drives, but it still worries me. When in doubt, I watch the disk usage in the Task Manager/Performance to make sure that nothing is hitting the drive. If nothing is going on, I pull the drive.phinds said:
The proper way to safely remove an external disk is to first make sure that all files and applications on the disk are closed. Then, on a Windows computer, click on the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon in the system tray and select the external disk. On a Mac, click on the external disk icon and drag it to the trash, which will change to an eject symbol. Once the disk has been ejected, you can safely unplug it from the computer.
Safely removing an external disk ensures that all data and files on the disk are properly saved and closed before the disk is disconnected from the computer. This helps prevent data loss or corruption, which can occur if the disk is removed while files are still open or being accessed.
If an external disk is not safely removed, it can lead to data loss or corruption. This is because the disk may still be in use by the computer, and removing it without properly closing files or applications can cause those files to become corrupted or inaccessible.
No, it is not recommended to remove an external disk while it is transferring data. This can cause the data transfer to be interrupted, leading to potential data loss or corruption. It is best to wait until the data transfer is complete before safely removing the disk.
On a Mac, ejecting an external disk simply means closing any open files or applications and making sure they are saved before physically disconnecting the disk. On a Windows computer, safely removing a disk goes a step further by also flushing any pending writes to the disk, ensuring that all data has been properly saved before disconnecting it.
