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Microsoft removes safe removal of USB drives as the default option
You know, ever since the beginning of windows and USB you'd always get that message that the USB drive needs to be "safely removed" using the correct method in Windows, rather than just pulled out, this is changing.
With Windows 10 1809, Microsoft is changing the default setting that's applied to USB drives and other removable media. The change means that the default policy applied to removable storage devices is Quick Removal rather than Better Performance -- so you can now just pull it out without a second thought. If you would rather use the Better Performance option -- which can be enabled and disabled on a device by device basis -- Microsoft explains how to enable this:
- Connect the device to the computer.
- Right-click Start, and then select File Explorer.
- In File Explorer, identify the letter or label that is associated with the device (for example, USB Drive (D:)).
- Right-click Start, and then select Disk Management.
- In the lower section of the Disk Management window, right-click the label of the device, and then click Properties.
- Select Policies, and then select the policy you want to use.
Microsoft suggests that if you select the "Better performance" option you should also select "Enable write caching on the device". The company also notes:
If you use the "Better performance" policy, you must use the Safely Remove Hardware process to remove the device. If you remove or disconnect the device without following the safe removal instructions, you risk losing data.
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fantaskarsef
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#5657952 Posted on: 04/08/2019 10:10 AM
So... a performance boost? That's why this was "necessary"? Never heard of that.
So... a performance boost? That's why this was "necessary"? Never heard of that.
Glottiz
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#5657965 Posted on: 04/08/2019 11:06 AM
Why are you so proud of your ignorance? Disk write caching is very important and necessary thing to have, especially if you have USB3 drive which is intended for speed like fast HDD or SSD.
So... a performance boost? That's why this was "necessary"? Never heard of that.
Why are you so proud of your ignorance? Disk write caching is very important and necessary thing to have, especially if you have USB3 drive which is intended for speed like fast HDD or SSD.
sverek
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#5657966 Posted on: 04/08/2019 11:08 AM
This looks better!
Disk write caching is very important and necessary thing to have, especially if you have USB3 drive which is intended for speed like fast HDD or SSD.
This looks better!
Fox2232
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#5657969 Posted on: 04/08/2019 11:18 AM
Wrong mate. Difference is in caching. Disabling caching means that data are written directly to drive instead to cache (system memory) and then to drive at available speed.
Time to get data to drive will not change at all. Only thing which will suffer is simultaneous reading and writing, or doing multiple writes at same time. (Basically messing around which people don't do in general... unless they are as you wrote "ignorant" of fact that USB flash drives have pretty bad random access even if they are USB3+.)
Why are you so proud of your ignorance? Disk write caching is very important and necessary thing to have, especially if you have USB3 drive which is intended for speed like fast HDD or SSD.
Wrong mate. Difference is in caching. Disabling caching means that data are written directly to drive instead to cache (system memory) and then to drive at available speed.
Time to get data to drive will not change at all. Only thing which will suffer is simultaneous reading and writing, or doing multiple writes at same time. (Basically messing around which people don't do in general... unless they are as you wrote "ignorant" of fact that USB flash drives have pretty bad random access even if they are USB3+.)
fantaskarsef
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#5657973 Posted on: 04/08/2019 11:41 AM
And where did I act "proudly" or "ignorant" by stating I have never heard of it before? But yeah... have a nice day as well.
Why are you so proud of your ignorance? Disk write caching is very important and necessary thing to have, especially if you have USB3 drive which is intended for speed like fast HDD or SSD.
And where did I act "proudly" or "ignorant" by stating I have never heard of it before? But yeah... have a nice day as well.
Glottiz
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#5657978 Posted on: 04/08/2019 11:58 AM
Wrong mate. Difference is in caching. Disabling caching means that data are written directly to drive instead to cache (system memory) and then to drive at available speed.
Time to get data to drive will not change at all. Only thing which will suffer is simultaneous reading and writing, or doing multiple writes at same time. (Basically messing around which people don't do in general... unless they are as you wrote "ignorant" of fact that USB flash drives have pretty bad random access even if they are USB3+.)
Write cache disabled ~30MB/s speed
Write cache enabled ~120MB/s speed (max for 5400 RPM USB3 HDD)
Wrong mate. Difference is in caching. Disabling caching means that data are written directly to drive instead to cache (system memory) and then to drive at available speed.
Time to get data to drive will not change at all. Only thing which will suffer is simultaneous reading and writing, or doing multiple writes at same time. (Basically messing around which people don't do in general... unless they are as you wrote "ignorant" of fact that USB flash drives have pretty bad random access even if they are USB3+.)
Write cache disabled ~30MB/s speed
Write cache enabled ~120MB/s speed (max for 5400 RPM USB3 HDD)
E^vol
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#5657979 Posted on: 04/08/2019 11:59 AM
LOL, I've never "safely Removed" any USB devices.
I've always just unplugged and go.
LOL, I've never "safely Removed" any USB devices.
I've always just unplugged and go.
Undying
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#5657980 Posted on: 04/08/2019 12:00 PM
Same here, never used it anyway.
Same here, never used it anyway.
mbk1969
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#5657981 Posted on: 04/08/2019 12:04 PM
I bet "Safe removal" is default option for Win10 (and Win8) since the beginning
Win10 1803 here:
I bet "Safe removal" is default option for Win10 (and Win8) since the beginning
Win10 1803 here:
Fox2232
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#5657987 Posted on: 04/08/2019 12:36 PM
Write cache disabled ~30MB/s speed
Write cache enabled ~120MB/s speed (max for 5400 RPM USB3 HDD)
PICNIC
Write cache disabled ~30MB/s speed
Write cache enabled ~120MB/s speed (max for 5400 RPM USB3 HDD)
PICNIC
Koniakki
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#5658012 Posted on: 04/08/2019 01:51 PM
I thought this was the default option for usb sticks tbh. I do use the safe remove anyway.
Tested multiple scenarios with a DT HyperX 128GB and saw virtually no difference testing with a 3.6GB multiple small/big files rar and a 3GB mp4 video. Copy was from 8TB Seagate.
Only difference was that I manually selected "Better performance" for the first copy when I first plugged it in and speed was about ~110-115MB) but afterwards it was 215-220MB for both options.
Edit: I also extracted the rar to an SSD and it was ~7.2GB(3.2K files) and tested with "Better performance". Copy time was 1:55mins the first copy and 1:53mins the second.
I then selected "Safe removal" in Policies and rebooted and tested again. 1:50mins first copy and 1:54mins second copy.
Edit 2: Just checked. It was the default option(safe removal). Using Win10 RS4 17134(1804).
I thought this was the default option for usb sticks tbh. I do use the safe remove anyway.
Tested multiple scenarios with a DT HyperX 128GB and saw virtually no difference testing with a 3.6GB multiple small/big files rar and a 3GB mp4 video. Copy was from 8TB Seagate.
Only difference was that I manually selected "Better performance" for the first copy when I first plugged it in and speed was about ~110-115MB) but afterwards it was 215-220MB for both options.
Edit: I also extracted the rar to an SSD and it was ~7.2GB(3.2K files) and tested with "Better performance". Copy time was 1:55mins the first copy and 1:53mins the second.
I then selected "Safe removal" in Policies and rebooted and tested again. 1:50mins first copy and 1:54mins second copy.
Edit 2: Just checked. It was the default option(safe removal). Using Win10 RS4 17134(1804).
schmidtbag
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#5658064 Posted on: 04/08/2019 03:59 PM
I don't understand.... how exactly is it supposed to be safe to remove the drive if some of the data is cached and hasn't been written to the drive yet?
Anyway, if there's one thing about Windows I like more than most other OSes, it's that it handles unplugging USB drives much more elegantly. There's no second-guessing if it's actually done writing to the drive or not; once your transfer reaches 100% or the drive stops blinking, you know it's done. I never used the "safely remove" feature in Windows because I never needed to. In most other OSes though, I don't dare risk it.
Now... if only MS could figure out how to bring NTFS to modern times and stop horrendously fragmenting files that it writes to the drives, that'd be great.
I don't understand.... how exactly is it supposed to be safe to remove the drive if some of the data is cached and hasn't been written to the drive yet?
Anyway, if there's one thing about Windows I like more than most other OSes, it's that it handles unplugging USB drives much more elegantly. There's no second-guessing if it's actually done writing to the drive or not; once your transfer reaches 100% or the drive stops blinking, you know it's done. I never used the "safely remove" feature in Windows because I never needed to. In most other OSes though, I don't dare risk it.
Now... if only MS could figure out how to bring NTFS to modern times and stop horrendously fragmenting files that it writes to the drives, that'd be great.
D3M1G0D
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#5658107 Posted on: 04/08/2019 06:21 PM
Eh? I thought safe removal was the default option before? Was I seeing things this whole time? Oo
It may have only written incomplete data to the drive so data corruption can occur. Not sure on the exact details but it apparently works. I became aware of this option when I was encountering frequent blackouts at home - my BOINC tasks would get corrupted every time there was a blackout and I wanted to find a way to prevent it. I found some info that suggested turning off write caching, and it did indeed prevent data corruption. I later got a UPS but I still disable write caching on my BOINC drive, just in case.
Eh? I thought safe removal was the default option before? Was I seeing things this whole time? Oo
I don't understand.... how exactly is it supposed to be safe to remove the drive if some of the data is cached and hasn't been written to the drive yet?
It may have only written incomplete data to the drive so data corruption can occur. Not sure on the exact details but it apparently works. I became aware of this option when I was encountering frequent blackouts at home - my BOINC tasks would get corrupted every time there was a blackout and I wanted to find a way to prevent it. I found some info that suggested turning off write caching, and it did indeed prevent data corruption. I later got a UPS but I still disable write caching on my BOINC drive, just in case.
Venix
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#5658108 Posted on: 04/08/2019 06:26 PM
I always just pull my own usb drives with out safety remove . But! When i am handling usb drives that are not my own and especially from less tech savy people i always do safety remove when they are present ...i just don't want em to blame me if their precious flash drive kicks the bucket or having to explain em as far the there is no activity you are fine to pull.
I always just pull my own usb drives with out safety remove . But! When i am handling usb drives that are not my own and especially from less tech savy people i always do safety remove when they are present ...i just don't want em to blame me if their precious flash drive kicks the bucket or having to explain em as far the there is no activity you are fine to pull.
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The article is from this month so was this changed in a CU or was 1809 shipped with this change?