Recommendations for a USB Flash Drive?

[applekid]

I purchased a Cruzer Mini 512 MB many months ago. I thought it was cool and all, but I later found out if you don't eject the flash drive and just pull it out of the USB port, it will corrupt data.

I was wondering if there's any USB flash drives for the Mac that doesn't corrupt data when you pull it out of the USB port. I've had no trouble pulling flash drives (Cruzers and many other brands) out of PCs and worrying about corruption, but on the Mac, it seems to be have issues.

Any recommendations?

For now, I'll keep using the Cruzer Mini until it dies, but it's annoying that it corrupts data if I forget to eject it first.

BTW, go ahead and recommend the iPod Shuffle if it has no troubles. I wouldn't looking at purchasing one.

 

[iGary]

iPod Shuffle.

 

[grapes911]

It only corrupts data if it is writing that data when you pull it. Its like if you start recording a speech in a microphone and the power goes off in the middle of the speech. You now have an incomplete recording. A computer can't understand incomplete files. All other recordings you made on that tape are untouched. This is true for PCs as well.

No, there is no flash drive that won't do this. All drives of any type act this way.

Edit: Are talking about that warning when you pull it with out without ejecting it? That doesn't mean it is corrupt, it just says it may be corrupt. Windows just doesn't care enough to give you a warning.

 

[applekid]

It only corrupts data if it is writing that data when you pull it. Its like if you start recording a speech in a microphone and the power goes off in the middle of the speech. You now have an incomplete recording. A computer can't understand incomplete files. All other recordings you made on that tape are untouched. This is true for PCs as well.

No, there is no flash drive that won't do this. All drives of any type act this way.

No, my Cruzer corrupts data when it's not writing data, and I pull it out. For example, the time it corrupted my data, I pulled it out after I closed all of my files and kept the flash drive in its port for a couple of minutes. I pulled it out without ejecting, the Finder alerts me that data could be corrupt, and I didn't think much of it (since I've had plenty of USB devices warn me like that but done no harm). I plug in my flash drive again a couple of days later, I open some text files that I haven't opened in a while, and they appear blank because they were corrupted. I've have read a review on Amazon.com about a Mac user and his Cruzer corrupting data in a similar fashion, so I learned my lesson.

I understand data being corrupted when it's in the middle of writing, but it doesn't make sense when the flash drive is inactive and corrupts data just for pulling it out.

 

[grapes911]

Maybe your actual flash drive is corrupt. I forget to eject my Cruzer all the time and I've only corrupted data once because I was saving the file at the time (yeah I'm stupid, I know).

 

[applekid]

If the actual flash drive is corrupt, what am I supposed to do? Run Disk Utility?

 

[grapes911]

If the actual flash drive is corrupt, what am I supposed to do? Run Disk Utility?

Repair Permissions or Reformat it (assuming it's not a hardware problem).

 

[homerjward]

i like corsair's flash voyager. quite sturdy rubber, lightning fast, etc. i also have a cruzer mini but it's nothing to write home about. 128mb-2gig versions

 

[GilGrissom]

I use a Cruzer Titanium. Has a cool brushed metal titanium (obviously!) body and you can retract and extend the USB connection tip using a funky slider. Its 512Mb and I think SanDisk have now released a 1Gb version. Goes well with my PB. I have unplugged it a couple of times without ejecting and no damage appears to have been done, but I do try and eject at all times as requested! Still get the ".Trashes" folder though!

I haven't had any problems with this memory stick. Its even been through the wash and still works! Its one of the most funkiest memory sticks I've seen for a while.

http://sandisk.com/retail/cruzer-titanium.asp

 

[lisius_kent]

My ipod shuffle becomes practically unusable after I pull it out of the USB port before I unmount it sometimes. I just have a PC, and the only way I was able to make it usasble again was to reinstall Winblows XP onto another HD, and restore the shuffle apperently it corrupted the shuffle system software. I would not ever do this again!