The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    "NEED HELP" disconnecting external hard drives from usb hub?

    Discussion in 'Accessories' started by jpb82, Sep 10, 2008.

  1. jpb82

    jpb82 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    8
    Messages:
    85
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Hi

    Ive just brought a new powered usb hub to connect all of my external hard drives
    to and everything works absolutely fine, however im having a slight problem which is driving me mad.

    My usb hub has a red light which is the power indicator, and next to all four of the usb inputs
    there are green port LED lights, now whenever something is connected the green light
    is on and when i safely remove the hardware and unplug the usb device the light switches off.

    Now when i switch everything off and my laptop is turned off, the green lights on the hub
    where the hard drives are connected also switch off and a few seconds later my external hard drives turn off,
    however within about 10 seconds the hard drives seem to automatically turn themselves back on again
    but the port lights on the usb hub are inactive which i asume means that the devices are no longer connected to the laptop.

    What i would "REALLY" like to know is once the laptop has been turned off
    and the port lights on the hub where the external hard drives are connected are also off,
    would it be safe enough to unplug either the hub from the mains or unplug the usb cables from the hub,
    then when i come to use my laptop again plug the hub back in and switch the laptop on?

    P.S. Im a novice when it comes to powered usb hubs, so if anyone knows why the external hard drives
    would come back on again after shutdown i would be grateful.

    Thanks
     
    jpb82, Sep 10, 2008
    #1
  2. Manic Penguins

    Manic Penguins [+[ ]=]

    Reputations:
    777
    Messages:
    1,493
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    I would assume yes, the "safely remove hardware (usb)" is remnants from good ol' Windows 95/8 and since then, the option still exsist but it will not damage the computer/hub/extHDDs to unplug it without going through the safely remove hardware thingy.
    This is assuming that no data is actually being sent though it, but the computers off so it's OK.
    Hope this helps :)
     
    Manic Penguins, Sep 10, 2008
    #2
  3. TravisBean

    TravisBean Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    805
    Messages:
    508
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    31
    In a somewhat related scenario, if I remove my WD external HD even when I get " Unsafe to remove Mass Storaage device" it apparently doesnt corrupt any of the files or adverslly effect my Presario V6120us XP laptop or the Western Digital My essential 500 gb hard drive.( if I am not exchanging files at the time)
     
    TravisBean, Sep 10, 2008
    #3