Why must I use the “safely remove hardware” application when removing USB memory stick from my computer

alphabravotango: Why must I use the “safely remove hardware” application when removing USB memory stick from my computer
Why should I go through all that tedious process…. I just can remove it directly… in which way doing this will affect my computer / USB memory stick?
I think that I found the answer:

USB devices are flooding the market. Digital cameras, media players, external drives—all of them use the USB port. Newer computers have a port or two right up front for removable devices.

Even though USB devices are Plug & Play—that is, they’re ready to go upon being plugged in—you shouldn’t just unplug them. A USB port has current running through it, so the power jolt caused by unplugging a “hot” connection can corrupt data on a storage device, camera, or mp3 player.

You can prevent such problems by clicking the “Safely Remove Hardware” button down in the system tray (by the clock). It looks like a rectangle with a green arrow pointing down at 8 o’clock.

You’ll be given a list of USB devices that are active. Highlight the one you want to remove and click. When the power shuts off Windows will tell you that it is safe to remove the device.

~ David
It’s related to the current… that makes sense.
But I would prefer a “one-button” solution, I mean, only one step. Currently, I have to
1-look for the “safely remove hardware” icon and click on it.
2-select the device I want to unplug
3-click on OK
4-close the box of the “safely remove hardware”
5-actually unplug the memory stick

For me, that’s TOO much!!!

Answers and Views:

Answer by emgee
Is it really tedious?! Man, you must be one impatient…

Answer by Todd V
If you don’t have XP, then it will always say that.

Answer by tw0cl0n3m3
It could have an effect (negatively) on either the computer memory or the memory stick if you just pull out without going through the process.

Answer by Danzil-Inayat-Kitano
It can erase your data off of your memory stick or make it useless.

Answer by tkquestion
It closes all open files and unmounts the filesystem.

The directory table is not guranteed to be in sync with the actual content of the filesystem until it is unmounted. Plus, unmounting a filesystem while files are open can result in corrupt file.

It won’t hurt your PC, but it may hurt the data in your USB drive.

Answer by AnswerGuy
if 2 clicks of the mouse is to tedious why even use a pc?

mainly you need to “safely remove hardware” so you don’t damage the usb memory. it makes sure windows is done reading/writing to the usb flash drive.

Answer by royal
USB is plug and play devices.
When ever you plug any USB device, those drives will be loaded and a USB port will be allocated to it. and those drives will be loaded in the memory.

So when you use “safely remove hardware” The USB drivers will be removed from the memory. and free up the USB port for any other device. else if you not used this option while removing USB device. the drivers will be loaded in the memory and will comsume memory with out any purpose. making other application no memory / less memory. Thus sys can slow or hangs.

Answer by dvfraz
You don’t have to if you don’t care about the data that you’ve just put onto it! You will lose the data, or corrupt it on the drive, or burn the flash drive up and completely destroy it! Is it really worth it?? I would say that this practice is like, pulling one of the spark plug wires off of your engine, sure it’ll run , but how well?