Lost Video Island

Im1oftheOceanic6 · Expert Vidder Joined: 23 Jun 2008 Posts: 3705

I use my flash drives quite a lot when I write stories and I use my external drive for pictures and clips. I've always just when I'm finished using it closed out of all the programs and pulled the device or device cable from the USB. I've never had a problem.

So I was wondering by doing this am I potentially going to damage my devices? I've heard you can corrupt the files, but I've yet to have such a problem.
Should I be using the "safely eject hardware" button? Is that safer?

Or does it really make any difference as long as you've closed all open files and programs before removing the device?

Macaila

tjmack1986 · Expert Vidder Joined: 30 Mar 2008 Posts: 3436

Technically you can damage you're files doing it that way. (though sometimes it cannot be helped.) It would be better to do the "safely eject hardware" thing then to just pull it out.

Jemmz · Council Member Joined: 21 Oct 2006 Posts: 21154

I'd say your very lucky that your external hard drive hasn't become damaged yet. I'm not 100% sure, but I'd say it's risky unplugging it while the hard drive is still on. At the very least, turn your external off or unplug it from the power supply before you unplug it from the computer. Often my laptop tells me it can't eject because it's in use (even though it's not), so I have to unplug it from the power supply instead.

Im1oftheOceanic6 · Expert Vidder Joined: 23 Jun 2008 Posts: 3705

Thanks Tammy and Jemma for the advice.

I'm going to try and make it a habit to start using the "safely eject" button.

Yeah, I think I have gotten lucky with the hard drive. I use a portable one so I don't have to plug it into a power source, just the computer. Thinking back I did have one that went crazy on me, it turned itself on and off while in use. I thought it was just old or the computer I had at the time acting up. But I probably did damage it and didn't even realize it.

I'm going to try and be a lot more careful with them going forward so I can stop any further damage.

Macaila

scarlett_106 · Advanced Vidder Joined: 20 Mar 2011 Posts: 169

I'm thinking of getting an external drive for my photos and for my Lost clips/vids, so I'm glad to see this...I wouldn't have known! I hope your drive remains safe, Macaila.

Im1oftheOceanic6 · Expert Vidder Joined: 23 Jun 2008 Posts: 3705

scarlett_106 wrote:

I'm thinking of getting an external drive for my photos and for my Lost clips/vids, so I'm glad to see this...I wouldn't have known! I hope your drive remains safe, Macaila.

I find these work really well for holding all your media. It keeps your computer cleaner and therefore keeps it running faster. I still think it is a good idea to have a back -up of your media like on a CD or DVD. I have most of the stuff that's on my drives on those as a back-up. It just gives you a little added security if you do like I had been and keep ripping the drive out or if it falls/gets dropped. I use the portable drives which are getting more affordable, so I usually replace them every couple years just to be safe.

Macaila