Microsoft drops safe removal

 

Maybe others know about this but I just ran ran across this today.Microsoft drops safe removal of USB drives as the default option for Windows 10 1809. See https://betanews.com/2019/04/07/windows-10-safely-remove-usb... for info. I noticed this when removing my GPS from the computer.

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Charlie. Nuvi 265 WT and Nuvi 2597 LMT. MapFactor Navigator - Offline Maps & GPS.

I seen that article, or one

I seen that article, or one similar, It has to do with the way write caching is performed. From what I've read Safe removal is not really dropped. It is still an option you can select.

Better performance if writes are cached, meaning the cache will need to be cleared before removing drive.

No write caching means slower performance but safer for the average user.

Make the right choice.

One additional thought. This will affect your performance if you use a USB drive to backup your system on a regular basis. That's a lot of data being slowed down. I don't know how much time would be gained, or lost, if you were backing up 300 GB.

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I never get lost, but I do explore new territory every now and then.

Disconnect

Right, still there but no longer the default. This link shows way to change to Better performance https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4495263/windows-10-...

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Charlie. Nuvi 265 WT and Nuvi 2597 LMT. MapFactor Navigator - Offline Maps & GPS.

Confused

So does quick removal mean that some data that should have been written may not make it to the USB drive? I understand the Better Performance method but not quite following how quick removal would not eventually lead to a corrupt file.

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Garmin: GPSIII / StreetPilot / StreetPilot Color Map / StreetPilot III / StreetPilot 2610 / GPSMAP 60CSx / Nuvi 770 / Nuvi 765T / Nuvi 3490LMT / Drivesmart 55 / GPSMAP 66st * Pioneer: AVIC-80 / N3 / X950BH / W8600NEX

..

I am amazed how many people just pull the USB drive out of the USB port without going through the Eject Drive step, without being aware of the potential for data loss. I've also heard there is potential for damage to the USB drive from doing so.

something was different ...

Funny, I noticed a while back something was different but never looked into it or checked my settings. As is the case with most Windows settings there is more than one way to do something.

Sometimes I'm able to "right click" a drive and "eject" is a choice in a pop up menu. Sometimes it's not a choice, either way I can always get to the "Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media" icon down by my clock on the right lower side of the screen.

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. 2 Garmin DriveSmart 61 LMT-S, Nuvi 2689, 2 Nuvi 2460, Zumo 550, Zumo 450, Uniden R3 radar detector with GPS built in, includes RLC info. Uconnect 430N Garmin based, built into my Jeep. .

no

Preroll wrote:

So does quick removal mean that some data that should have been written may not make it to the USB drive? I understand the Better Performance method but not quite following how quick removal would not eventually lead to a corrupt file.

No file being cached for later writing, so when copy or whatever is done, system is done with usb.

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I never get lost, but I do explore new territory every now and then.

USB Removal

There is a certain mode a usb drive can be set up in so you don't have to wait until it tells you to remove but still you need to be sure the light most have is not blinking. I will see if i can find what mode it is...been awhile

USB Removal

Ok never mind i see there are still different opinions on what Microshaft has said

I have lots of USB drives

I have lots of USB drives that DON'T have flashing lights.
I think MS realizes that people have been pulling the USB drives out before the file cache has been written to the drive. Hence, the "lets remove the dummies from the equation" approach.

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I never get lost, but I do explore new territory every now and then.

I wondered why I didn't see

I wondered why I didn't see the usual option on one of my installs.

I See

KenSny wrote:
Preroll wrote:

So does quick removal mean that some data that should have been written may not make it to the USB drive? I understand the Better Performance method but not quite following how quick removal would not eventually lead to a corrupt file.

No file being cached for later writing, so when copy or whatever is done, system is done with usb.

Gotcha. Makes sense. Thx!

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Garmin: GPSIII / StreetPilot / StreetPilot Color Map / StreetPilot III / StreetPilot 2610 / GPSMAP 60CSx / Nuvi 770 / Nuvi 765T / Nuvi 3490LMT / Drivesmart 55 / GPSMAP 66st * Pioneer: AVIC-80 / N3 / X950BH / W8600NEX

"Dropped" is a poor choice of wording...

Microsoft is not really dropping anything, they are simply changing the default setting to something that is safer for many users that might be, shall we say, "PC challenged."

For many years two settings were available; one for "safe" removal and one for "performance". Performance referred to the actual PC performance in that writing to the device was cached (or held) for a period when the computer CPU was experiencing low activity. If you saved 2 GB of photos for instance, they might not be written at the exact moment you clicked the "save" button, but rather held until you went for that cup of coffee. But if writing to the device was still going on, and you detached the device, file corruption could occur, if fact it was likely. That's an over simplification, but hopefully those that are "PC Challenged" get the idea.

In contrast, the "safe" removal option writes the data you wish to save immediately to the external device. Thus you may experience a momentary slowdown of the PC. Since the vast majority of files are relatively small these days, this might not even be noticed. A fraction of a second might be all that is necessary depending on your PC hardware.

Personally, I prefer the "safe" setting, not because I'm "PC Challenged" but there are others in the household that are to varying degrees.

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John from PA

I love it, we are so PC

"PC" Challenged ? You mean PC Dummies, which I'm proud to say I am!

I don't like how Microsoft

I don't like how Microsoft feels they are doing us a favor every time they take something from the end user. Examples:

- Removing classic Start Menu

- Removing option to deny Windows Updates

Well,

john9871 wrote:

I don't like how Microsoft feels they are doing us a favor every time they take something from the end user. Examples:

- Removing classic Start Menu

- Removing option to deny Windows Updates

Did you even read the article?

MS did NOT take anything away here, in fact for most users it's probably a good default option that may actually save them some problems with USB sticks.

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I never get lost, but I do explore new territory every now and then.

Windows 10 vs Win7

Acknowledging the aspects of write caching well described above, I would guess the reason for changing this default setting might--at least in part--be driven by the faster write speeds of today's USB connected storage media (many with their own built-in write caching feature) compared to the state of technology way back when USB became a default external connector on PC and laptop systems.

From the perspective of one who chose for technical reasons to remain on Win7, another indicator whether to use the Eject option before disconnecting was driven by whether a drive letter was assigned to the removable device. In practice, my smartphone (w/ additional microSD card) appears as a single device w/o a drive letter and can simply be disconnected at any time. OTOH, each of my Garmins w/ additional storage appear as 2 individual drive letters which also generate an error message if not ejected in reverse order (higher letter first, storage before the GPS itself).

I'll be watching for changes to my own system, but presume for now this new default applies only to users on Win10.

Why not flush the cache after some reasonable time period?

Why don't they just cache the writes for performance but flush the cache after some reasonable time period, say 10-15 seconds? That way, as long as the drive hasn't been written to in the past 20 seconds or so.. the user, generally speaking, can safely remove the drive.

This would work especially well in the case mentioned above where a drive letter is not assigned and there would likely not be any "ghost writing" going on.

"Ghost writers in the sky..."

- Phil