Do you have to use the “safely remove hardware” function when taking a flash drive off your computer?

GisherJohn: Do you have to use the “safely remove hardware” function when taking a flash drive off your computer?
It’s a new laptop from IBM. Is this required to remove flash drive safely from the system or can I just pull the flash drive out?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Aaron
No, but it is very suggested. I have seen some hardware get fried by not using it.

Answer by Hacker Boy
its better that u safty remove it.becoz of pulling out, i make my 16gb use dead. now its in Raw type, now its useless.

Answer by Connor
Its not required, as long as you dont unplug a drive while you are copying things to it you shouldnt need to use it.

Just be aware it is possible to corrupt data on the drive if you dont use it, but i dont normally use it and ive never had problems.

Answer by redheart419
it’s always not required but it’s recommended

Answer by Kevin L
If you have windows 2000, XP or the dreaded Vista, you are fine to remove it without doing the safe removal. Keep in mind that a safe removal turns off the USB port to eliminate accidental glitches. While it is ok to remove the drive without turning the port off, there is no guarantee that nothing bad will happen. Know the risk and decide for yourself if the data is worth the little extra effort.

Answer by melf17
You could just pull it off since you’re using a new laptop. But just to be safe, use the Safely Remove Hardware option.