Docking and Undocking with USB hard drives

Rebop

Senior Member
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Apr 23, 2016
Messages
91
Seems to be several opinions on this as I Google, so thought to ask you all here as well for your thoughts.

Lenovo P51S with Ultradock. Two USB hard drives attached to the dock. Both set for "Quick Removal" in Device Manager.

Do I need to "safely remove" these drives before hot undocking and docking?

Update: I am finding even a bit stranger. Unless i am missing something, to safely remove when docked you still need to disconnect the USB 3.0 cable and do one at a time. Its not as easy as a direct connection to the computer. If I could "safely remove" without physically detaching cables I would try. For now, I think I have to test an undock and redock without and hope I don't lose any data. Drives are usually idle and I am aware when they are being used.

Appreciate your thoughts.
 
Solution
As long as the activity light is not blinking you can remove it. Typical scenario is when you write data to an external drive is Windows does what's called lazy writing. Which means even after the copy file dialog is gone Windows may not have completed writing. Supposedly quick removal makes Windows write data immediately.
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As long as the activity light is not blinking you can remove it. Typical scenario is when you write data to an external drive is Windows does what's called lazy writing. Which means even after the copy file dialog is gone Windows may not have completed writing. Supposedly quick removal makes Windows write data immediately.
 
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Solution
Did not quite work as hoped.

Undock, no issues. Both drives were idle. Redocking found only the second drive and Windows said a "USB device could not be recognized". I unplugged it, replugged and it was found and working.

Any idea why that would happen?
 
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Seems the USB Root Controller may have powered down on battery. Changed setting and checking that now. Makes sense if so.
 
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