Eject Vs Safely Remove

Hello Folks.
I mostly use Win XP, but using Vista at work.

When unplugging a USB pen drive today, I chose 'Safely remove' (which I have
done many times before) and then removed the pen drive. It then would not
work on any of 3 different machines. It kept asking if I wanted to format the
drive.
Have I done wrong? Should I have chosen 'Eject' instead? What is the
difference?
Also is there an easy way to retreive the info on the drive?

Your help is and always has been very much appreciated.
Thanking you in anticipation.
<-><-><-><->
Big Rick

If in Device Manager you have the pen drive set for "Better Performance"
(under Policies), then you must use the eject option. If you don't, you will
possibly pull the drive before all requisite data has been written to the
drive.

Can this cause the problem you now have? I really don't know. The file table
may have been screwed up by removing improperly.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"Big Rick" <> wrote in message
news:907F47F9-FFE7-427C-B4FE-...
> Hello Folks.
> I mostly use Win XP, but using Vista at work.
>
> When unplugging a USB pen drive today, I chose 'Safely remove' (which I
> have
> done many times before) and then removed the pen drive. It then would not
> work on any of 3 different machines. It kept asking if I wanted to format
> the
> drive.
> Have I done wrong? Should I have chosen 'Eject' instead? What is the
> difference?
> Also is there an easy way to retreive the info on the drive?
>
> Your help is and always has been very much appreciated.
> Thanking you in anticipation.
> <-><-><-><->
> Big Rick

"Big Rick" <> wrote in message
news:907F47F9-FFE7-427C-B4FE-...
> Hello Folks.
> I mostly use Win XP, but using Vista at work.
>
> When unplugging a USB pen drive today, I chose 'Safely remove' (which I
> have
> done many times before) and then removed the pen drive. It then would not
> work on any of 3 different machines. It kept asking if I wanted to format
> the
> drive.
> Have I done wrong? Should I have chosen 'Eject' instead? What is the
> difference?

You may not have waited long enough to let it finish before 'pulling' the
drive.

> Also is there an easy way to retreive the info on the drive?

This program might give you what you are looking for:

http://www.recuva.com/

Harry.

>
> Your help is and always has been very much appreciated.
> Thanking you in anticipation.
> <-><-><-><->
> Big Rick

Hello Richard, Webster and Alpha.

Thanks for all your help.
Just for further information purposes.

I used the stick on a laptop, not on a PC, so no card reader USB slots.

I plugged the stick in, dragged a file from it onto the desktop and then
emailed the file from the desktop. I then used the Safely Remove option and
waited a few seconds until the balloon pop up that read (It is now safe ...
etc), so there was no file writing to the stick for at least 5 mins anyway.

There was no other removable drives plugged in.

I will try the file recovery program in the morning. (Although I am writing
this at 1.45am anyway!)

Many thanks for all your help.
It is all very much appreciated.
<-><-><-><->
Big Rick


"Alpha" wrote:

> On Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:48:01 -0700, Big Rick <>
> wrote:
>
> >Hello Folks.
> >I mostly use Win XP, but using Vista at work.
> >
> >When unplugging a USB pen drive today, I chose 'Safely remove' (which I have
> >done many times before) and then removed the pen drive. It then would not
> >work on any of 3 different machines. It kept asking if I wanted to format the
> >drive.
> >Have I done wrong? Should I have chosen 'Eject' instead? What is the
> >difference?
>
> As far as I can tell the difference only matters if you have several
> removable drives on a single USB or you are using an internal USB to
> connect to a front-panel-mounted card reader. If you use 'safely remove'
> the USB drive is disconnected. So you can find that all the removables
> on that USB port have disappeared. And if it is an internal USB connection
> you then find that you can't get them back without a reboot. (or you
> could open the case and unplgu and replug the reader...)
>
> But if it is a pen drive I think either works fine. The important thing
> though is to wait until the machine confirms that it is OK to actually
> take the drive out. And sometimes it will refuse to do it if you have files
> open on the drive, or (say) an explorer window open displaying its contents.
>
> >Also is there an easy way to retreive the info on the drive?
> >
> >Your help is and always has been very much appreciated.
> >Thanking you in anticipation.
> ><-><-><-><->
> >Big Rick
>

Here's what Big Rick wrote on 8/20/09:
> I used the stick on a laptop, not on a PC, so no card reader USB slots.

These days some laptops (many, in fact) have card reader slots. Most
have an SD slot only; Sonys, not surprisingly, add a Memory Stick slot;
a few have additional card slots, CF or whatever.

--
Gene Bloch 650.366.4267 lettersatblochg.com

"Big Rick" <> wrote in message
news:EF996DBC-36A1-4993-A5DE-...
> Hello Richard, Webster and Alpha.
>
> Thanks for all your help.
> Just for further information purposes.
>
> I used the stick on a laptop, not on a PC, so no card reader USB slots.
>
> I plugged the stick in, dragged a file from it onto the desktop and then
> emailed the file from the desktop. I then used the Safely Remove option
> and
> waited a few seconds until the balloon pop up that read (It is now safe
> ...
> etc), so there was no file writing to the stick for at least 5 mins
> anyway.
>
> There was no other removable drives plugged in.
>
> I will try the file recovery program in the morning. (Although I am
> writing
> this at 1.45am anyway!)
>
> Many thanks for all your help.
> It is all very much appreciated.

You certainly are welcome
and your feedback also is appreciated, thank you.
Here's to your success....

Harry.

> <-><-><-><->
> Big Rick
>
>
> "Alpha" wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:48:01 -0700, Big Rick
>> <>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >Hello Folks.
>> >I mostly use Win XP, but using Vista at work.
>> >
>> >When unplugging a USB pen drive today, I chose 'Safely remove' (which I
>> >have
>> >done many times before) and then removed the pen drive. It then would
>> >not
>> >work on any of 3 different machines. It kept asking if I wanted to
>> >format the
>> >drive.
>> >Have I done wrong? Should I have chosen 'Eject' instead? What is the
>> >difference?
>>
>> As far as I can tell the difference only matters if you have several
>> removable drives on a single USB or you are using an internal USB to
>> connect to a front-panel-mounted card reader. If you use 'safely remove'
>> the USB drive is disconnected. So you can find that all the removables
>> on that USB port have disappeared. And if it is an internal USB
>> connection
>> you then find that you can't get them back without a reboot. (or you
>> could open the case and unplgu and replug the reader...)
>>
>> But if it is a pen drive I think either works fine. The important thing
>> though is to wait until the machine confirms that it is OK to actually
>> take the drive out. And sometimes it will refuse to do it if you have
>> files
>> open on the drive, or (say) an explorer window open displaying its
>> contents.
>>
>> >Also is there an easy way to retreive the info on the drive?
>> >
>> >Your help is and always has been very much appreciated.
>> >Thanking you in anticipation.
>> ><-><-><-><->
>> >Big Rick
>>