Flash drive removal question

[ShadowArmy]

Whenever a flash drive is inserted into a computer's USB slot, a little tray icon appears where you can select it and "safely remove hardware" and then there's a message that says its safe to remove the external drive. I always click through it because I've assumed that's what your are supposed to do before removing a flash drive. But I know some people don't bother. What would happen if you simply pulled out the drive without clicking through that tray icon? Any hardware/software damage?

 

[Qonfused]

I've never done that. I always just yank it out. I've never had a problem.

 

[Vegeta897]

I read Qonf's post before the OP, and I wasn't paying attention to the thread title.

Yeah.

But seriously, what Qonf said. I just ignore that.

 

[Adabiviak]

On rare occasions, you may get a 'delayed write fail' message, but I probably only see like three of those a year.

 

[Unfocused]

I never bother though I've seen people use that "safe" method. I don't really understand what's the point.

 

[No Limit]

Before you yank it be sure nothing is being written to it as that can lead to data loss (though usually a chkdsk scan will fix it). That's the point behind the tray icon. If any thing is being written to the drive when you try to eject it will tell you.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

I always do the safely remove too. Mainly due to the fact in the past I've pulled out a flash drive which was being used without any indication at all. You end up with corrupted files and fragments of files all over the place. You can do a scan after to repair them but you will sometimes lose files.

A building surveyor sent me his after he corrupted it doing the very same thing and I couldn't save some of his word doc templates. Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Raziaar]

Doesn't Windows 7 implement some special new safety features for the ability to remove a drive without doing the safe remove?

 

[morgs]

I think just pulling it out can scatter data and corrupt it like Glenn said. Usually that only happens when it's transferring.

 

[CyberPitz]

Doesn't Windows 7 implement some special new safety features for the ability to remove a drive without doing the safe remove?

Let's find out.

*pulls out Hard drive*
*Computer explodes*