You may now safely remove hardware ..

[gorilla]

I'm talking about a thumb/flash drive: memory stick, not another computer or hi-fi conceivably plugged in.

Why do we have to do this ?

Is is important , even mandatory.

If I don't what could happen ?

 

[Didgi]

If you don't what will happen?

Absolutely nothing to the hardware, but the hawkish library bitch staring over your shoulder will give you a verbal lashing about path access, unsaved storage and other useless pointless sh*t.

 

[Freak69]

You can lose data.

It's unlikely for that to happen, but it's possible.

 

[[furrycat]]

Pfft.

I've been using flash drives for 10 years. I've NEVER EVER done that... it makes no difference whatsoever in my book and I've never lost data, even after puttng them through the wash!

 

[Apey]

You can lose data.

It's unlikely for that to happen, but it's possible.

This.

However I rarely do it either. I do it when it feels like it's stuffing up a bit when in there, lol.

 

[forward pass]

Because your PC is actually supplying power to that drive. (That is why you can charge devices through your USB ports).

If you just remove them without shutting down the power (by ejecting) you risk corrupting the data. It doesn't always happen but eventually it will.

 

[Pierced Soul]

i only do it for certain things, i've yanked plenty out though without removing them and never lost naything. i only know of one person who's lost data by yanking it out

 

[simmo1]

As long as you don't do it while putting stuff onto the drive (you'd have to be geniused to do this), then you should be fine.

 

[Didgi]

A 'your device blah blah blah needs scanning to repair blah blah fix security threats' notice came up on my computer yesterday. Someone said it was because of this, I always thought it was just because I kept games on my USB.