is it possible to make MACBOOK... less terrible?

[tester_v]

Hi everyone,
Not trying to start a fight — just wondering if there’s a group of users focused on making macOS a bit more practical.
For example: is there any way to disconnect an external HD without getting the “not ejected properly” message?
It’s 2025, not 1995.


I’m just looking for people who appreciate that on most systems, the “X” means close, not minimize.
Thanks for understanding — just looking for some realism, not worship.

 

[Bigwaff]

For example: is there any way to disconnect an external HD without getting the “not ejected properly” message?
It’s 2025, not 1995.

Yes. Right-click on the drive icon and select "Eject" before you pull the plug.

 

[sgtaylor5]

Out of curiosity: how do you expect a drive to be disconnected?

macOS and most UNIX derivatives (and Linux) have the concept of logically unmounting a drive, but leaving it physically connected. Also, macOS reports the media as mounted, not the physical device.

Closing application: command Q

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

Not trying to start a fight, just experiencing PEBKAC that isn't my fault because I said so

 

[arogge]

Something that's still causing problems is when the operating system insists that the USB device is "in use" by something that shouldn't be touching it. Sometimes the operating system acts like the USB device has been disconnected, but then after the plug has been pulled it insists that the USB device wasn't disconnected properly. Some USB devices can refuse to be disconnected, necessitating a reboot. We apparently haven't figured out how to make all USB devices hot-swappable so that we don't have to keep doing the ritual of convincing the operating systems that they should release a USB device immediately.

 

[GMShadow]

Hi everyone,
Not trying to start a fight — just wondering if there’s a group of users focused on making macOS a bit more practical.
For example: is there any way to disconnect an external HD without getting the “not ejected properly” message?
It’s 2025, not 1995.


I’m just looking for people who appreciate that on most systems, the “X” means close, not minimize.
Thanks for understanding — just looking for some realism, not worship.

Saying "Just make it Windows" is not 'making it a bit more practical'.

 

[whatnot]

Saying "Just make it Windows" is not 'making it a bit more practical'.

OS Vaseline Vista begs to differ.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

Not ejecting properly can and will happen with various drives. Admittedly it hasn't happened with my backup DAS SSD's.

If right clicking the drive isn't your thing then perhaps add the eject icon in the top menu bar and you'll get a choice of mounted drives you'd like to eject.

 

[PotentPeas]

If right clicking the drive isn't your thing

There's also an eject button/icon next to each external drive on the Finder left sidebar.

Eject before disconnect is necessary to make sure that you don't disconnect the drive while something is actively being written to it. You're "supposed" to do this in Windows too (using the remove media icon in the system tray), it just doesn't complain as much if you don't.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

There's also an eject button/icon next to each external drive on the Finder left sidebar.

Eject before disconnect is necessary to make sure that you don't disconnect the drive while something is actively being written to it.

I know. Much of a muchness but I don't have to open Finder.

 

[MBAir2010]

what I did staring in 2019 was to
make sure nothing was highlighted or moused on the ED external drive.
then eject from the desktop or on the higher level finder.
took 20 years to figure that out.


Im realizing that the early Intels are easier to compute and use than the new MacBooks.

 

[dmccloud]

Hi everyone,
Not trying to start a fight — just wondering if there’s a group of users focused on making macOS a bit more practical.
For example: is there any way to disconnect an external HD without getting the “not ejected properly” message?
It’s 2025, not 1995.


I’m just looking for people who appreciate that on most systems, the “X” means close, not minimize.
Thanks for understanding — just looking for some realism, not worship.

Clicking on the X does close the window. The app itself does not quit. It's no different from Windows apps minimizing to the system tray instead of closing when clicking on the X in the top right corner. If you're just unplugging the drive without ejecting it first, that's a bad practice on ANY OS, including Windows, which is why there is the "Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media" option in the system tray on Windows systems.