If my laptop is closed, can I simply unplug a Time Machine USB backup drive, or must I open the laptop and "eject" the drive properly? I have been doing the latter just to be careful. Thanks.
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Can I safely unplug a USB hard drive while my laptop is closed?
- Thread starter bollweevil
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Definitely best to open and eject. It properly unmounts the drive so you don't have data errors, plus unplugging a drive while your computer is asleep will wake it up.
I agree. I learnt the hard way that that is safer: I lost about 400gb of movies stored on an external HD after doing this a couple times, and ruined a perfectly great WD drive.
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I understand if its asleep, but does it harm the hdd even if the pc is completely shut off?
I understand if its asleep, but does it harm the hdd even if the pc is completely shut off?
If a computer is shut down, doesn't it perform the similar "eject" command during the shut down routine?
Once it is off, the drive is already "ejected" and would be identical to unmounting it manually in the OS and then unplugging it.
In the case of sleep though, it will be more proper to wake and eject.
Btw unmounting errors are not serious enough to wipe a whole drive, it just means it may become less compatible with more sensitive devices -and this lasts only until it is properly remounted and unmounted again.
It's not that serious.
Once it is off, the drive is already "ejected" and would be identical to unmounting it manually in the OS and then unplugging it.
In the case of sleep though, it will be more proper to wake and eject.
Btw unmounting errors are not serious enough to wipe a whole drive, it just means it may become less compatible with more sensitive devices -and this lasts only until it is properly remounted and unmounted again.
It's not that serious.