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Topic: Disconnecting USB External Drive |
Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 8 Feb 2008 4:32 pm |
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Just for the fun of it, I use the utility on my taskbar for "safely removing hardware" when disconnecting my Simpletech external drive. Right now, after loading a couple of gigs of media files I'm trying to stop the drive via this utility and I'm getting the message:
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" the device 'Generic volume' cannot be stopped right now. Try stopping the device again later." |
I have deleted the media files from my hard drive (space concerns) so I'm wary about just yanking the cable on the Simpletech. I have no media programs running--none of the files in question are playing, paused, or anything like that.
Wassup? |
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Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 8 Feb 2008 7:18 pm
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| Well--never got any clue as to the problem but I got tired of the situation and just shut the damned thing off. Fired it back up and checked the drive and it seems that there are no ill affects. Whatevs. |
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Dave Potter
From:
Texas
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Posted 9 Feb 2008 5:37 am
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Sometimes explanations for issues such as this can vary, depending on the operating system in question.
Generically, the situation you describe occurs if the OS is using the device. Even if you were not actively reading or writing to it through an application, the OS periodically conducts various housekeeping tasks, indexing, and write caching, for example, that also are read/write operations. When you get the message the device can't be stopped, the best course is probably to leave it alone, and try to stop it again later. The risk is possible corrupt files.
Depending on what version of Windows you are using, if you examine the "Policies" tab inside "Properties" for the drive, you might find two modes of operation you can choose from. They relate to the issue you bring up. |
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Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 9 Feb 2008 6:10 am
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Yeah--I know better than that----XP home. Somewhere in my flailing around yesterday I found an options choice that was something like allowing or not allowing what may have been an indexing system---the default option that was in place was not allowing it, which, it said, made it unnecessary to shut down via the 'stop drive to safely remove it' utility. This contradiction (supposedly being in the mode that didn't need this precaution while at the same time having this precaution program telling me 'danger, danger Dr. Smith') pleased me no end. I took my screw-it action after around an hour of nothing happening. It seemed to be telling me that it could wait longer than me--all night if it had to. I believed it.
Everything seems ok. Hope it is. |
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John Roche
From:
England
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Posted 9 Feb 2008 6:25 am
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| Jon, if your hard drive has a on and off switch just switch it off and unplug it... |
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Michael Maddex
From:
Northern New Mexico, USA
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Posted 9 Feb 2008 8:59 am
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Jon, just a guess here: If you had Windows Explorer open to show the file listing for that drive when you tried "safely removing hardware", that's enough for the system to declare the device busy. You don't have to close Explorer, just switch the view to another drive. Doing a proper shutdown will also safely unmount the volume. Switching the drive off or unplugging it without using the appropriate utility or command is not a good idea. As Dave said, the risk is file system corruption.
HTH. |
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Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 9 Feb 2008 9:27 am
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That is reasonable. I had been doing some drag & drop operations from Explorer earlier.
My system has been getting more than a little buggy over the last year and sometimes I cut to "show desk top" and find something running that isn't showing on the taskbar. Also, this morning I had the same issue come up and I closed everything (email & multiple FF browsers) and then I got the all-clear to stop the drive.
There are some people who throw bad advice around like it doesn't matter. You learn to disregard them after you learn to recognize their tendencies.
For the knowledgeable advice I am most grateful. |
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John Roche
From:
England
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John Roche
From:
England
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Dave Potter
From:
Texas
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Posted 10 Feb 2008 8:19 am
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| Jon Light wrote: |
| There are some people who throw bad advice around like it doesn't matter. You learn to disregard them after you learn to recognize their tendencies. |
Yes, agree. Hence my signature line.
One more piece of "bad advice" - from the way you describe the long term behavior of your system, it actually does sound to me like it has some issues.
Of course, it's pretty hard to make any solid prognostications without the opportunity of poking around with it in person, but there are a few things I'd do promptly if I were in your position (and of course rebooting between each item):
1) In "Start/Run", type sfc /scannow. This will initiate file checking of all your system files for integrity. You may need your XP system install disc handy if files are needed.
2) After 1) has finished, run the chkdsk utility on your root drive with the "fix errors" box checked.
3) Run all the anti-virus/anti-spyware/anti-malware programs you have.
4) Get JV16 Power Tools ($29.95) and run the registry cleaner. I know, I know, you love 'em or you hate 'em. Some people think they're all bogus. Some registry cleaners are; this one isn't. I've owned and used it for several years. My position is that over time, things go on in the registry beyond the capacity of mere mortals to rectify by manual registry editing, thus the need for periodic prophylactic treatment with a good registry hygiene application. If you've never used one, and decide to do it, don't be at all surprised if it finds several hundred problems that need to be fixed. You are given the option to select all or any combination to "fix", and also the option to save the "fix" for restoral if anything goes wrong. It won't, but the process is elegant and well-designed. And the dirty little secret is, there's just no need for the OS to have to keep track of all the settings and other details of old hardware and software you no longer have on your system, remnants of poorly coded application uninstall routines, yada, yada. A good registry cleaner addresses these things.
Prolly a day's work, but those are the minimum I'd do if it were my system having the issues you describe, and then see if things improve. If not, the problems might be more serious, but basic system hygiene is not a bad thing. |
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Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 10 Feb 2008 3:28 pm
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| Thanks for taking the time, Dave. I had a long post written out but it bored me and I didn't want to inflict it on anyone else. Yes, this computer has problems but I have never messed with a computer where I didn't end up over my head with HAL asking me if I'm sure I want to do that and me saying of course I'm not! So I'm not real eager to get started. But I have for sure saved your suggestions. |
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Dave Potter
From:
Texas
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Posted 10 Feb 2008 5:11 pm
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| Jon Light wrote: |
| Thanks for taking the time, Dave. I had a long post written out but it bored me and I didn't want to inflict it on anyone else. |
No problem, Jon. Been there, done that. Best of luck with the issues. |
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