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    Properly remove external HDD

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by kuksul08, Aug 8, 2011.

  1. kuksul08

    kuksul08 Notebook Consultant

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    First off, I honestly cannot figure out how to search on this site. I tried using the Google method but it was not working.


    Anyway, I have two external harddrives: a 3.5" in a powered enclosure that connects with eSATA, and a 2.5" in a USB powered enclosure that connects with USB 2.0. If I "Safely remove media" on either drive, it says okay, but does not actually stop and spin down the drives.

    I cannot make it work on the 2.5" drive no matter what, hence when I disconnect it, it makes an audible *click* and *beep* sound and shuts off. Ugh.

    On the 3.5" drive I can make it spin down two ways: Uninstall it through the device manager, or connect it via an Expresscard-eSATA adapter that I have and then safely remove media, which then spins down the drive.



    I don't want to keep unplugging these devices manually because they make nasty sounds. What is the best way to deal with this? My research has led me only to this: Easy Workaround : Safely Remove an external hard disk/USB Thumb drive in Windows 7 and Windows Vista Sekhar Padikkal's blogÂ…. but there must be something else.

    I also know that putting the computer to sleep will spin down the drives nicely, but that isn't practical either.
     
    kuksul08, Aug 8, 2011
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  2. Tsunade_Hime

    Tsunade_Hime such bacon. wow

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    Have you tried a different enclosure?

    Also next time use the edit button..
     
    Tsunade_Hime, Aug 8, 2011
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  3. kuksul08

    kuksul08 Notebook Consultant

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    I have not used another enclosure. Sorry about the Edit button, I got lazy.
     
    kuksul08, Aug 8, 2011
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  4. dredd1893

    dredd1893 Notebook Consultant

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    I suspect you have certain background programs that still accessing your externals. I did have such problems with transcend 320 GB ext. in my case it was windows indexing (I was sloppy to index the external drive). Afer I turn indexing options, the external spin down properly when I safely removed it.

    one more thing, what type of policy of the removable media did you set on (in the storage management-properties tab?
     
    dredd1893, Aug 8, 2011
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  5. kuksul08

    kuksul08 Notebook Consultant

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    I do not believe any programs are accessing the drive, since Windows lets me 'safely remove media'.

    I had not changed any of the removable storage policies though. It is currently set to Better Performance (default) for the policy, and Enable Write Caching on the device is checked for the write caching policy.
     
    kuksul08, Aug 8, 2011
    #5