USB memory stick operation

[Jeff Layman]

When I plug a USB memory stick into my XPH SP3 desktop, the memory stick
light comes on. When I "remove"(eject) it, the light goes off. But
although it comes on with my Win7x64 HP laptop when I plug it in, it remains
on even when I have "removed" it, and it is apparently safe to unplug. Is
this a function of Win7 or the laptop? Either way, it's a bit confusing -
pity it can't be like XP.

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

When I plug a USB memory stick into my XPH SP3 desktop, the memory stick
light comes on. When I "remove"(eject) it, the light goes off. But
although it comes on with my Win7x64 HP laptop when I plug it in, it
remains on even when I have "removed" it, and it is apparently safe to
unplug. Is this a function of Win7 or the laptop? Either way, it's a
bit confusing - pity it can't be like XP.

Can't really answer the question, but with my desktop Windows 7, the
light stays on.

 

[Trev]

Can't really answer the question, but with my desktop Windows 7, the light
stays on.
--
Crash

"Something there is that doesn't love a wall, that wants it down."
~ Robert Frost ~

What even after Removing it :¬) Yes i think the Op meant after ejecting. or
selecting safely remove. In My case the power light in the stick is on when
ever its receiving power

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

What even after Removing it :¬)

Yes! And it is growing legs and playing eerie background music!

Yes i think the Op meant after ejecting.
or selecting safely remove. In My case the power light in the stick is
on when ever its receiving power

Right. I know it is "ejected" because it is no longer shown as a drive
in Explorer.

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

When I plug a USB memory stick into my XPH SP3 desktop, the memory
stick light comes on. When I "remove"(eject) it, the light goes
off. But although it comes on with my Win7x64 HP laptop when I plug
it in, it remains on even when I have "removed" it, and it is
apparently safe to unplug. Is this a function of Win7 or the
laptop? Either way, it's a bit confusing - pity it can't be like
XP.

It appears to be a change introduced with Windows Vista. I liked the
way XP handled it (turning off the LED when instructed to eject the
device), but after upgrading to Vista (and then Windows 7), the light
stays on like you describe.

 

[Jeff Layman]

It appears to be a change introduced with Windows Vista. I liked the way
XP handled it (turning off the LED when instructed to eject the device),
but after upgrading to Vista (and then Windows 7), the light stays on like
you describe.

My thanks to all the responders. Yet another thing Microsoft fiddled with
for no good reason and ended up functionally worse than it was with XP.
Sigh...

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Jeff.

On my desktop and on my new netbook - which I've not learned much about
yet - there is no light indicating the presence of a USB flash drive. Some
models of the USB flash drive itself have lights that stay on whenever the
device is receiving power, as Trev said. When I "Eject" that model drive,
the light stays lit, blinking slowly. But there is no light on the
computer, neither a hardware light nor a light onscreen. (Perhaps I could
set an icon in the Notification Area, but I haven't tried this.)

In Disk Management, we can right-click on the Disk (not on one of the
partitions - also called volumes or drives - but in the far-left column of
the Graphical Display in the lower half of the Disk Management screen), then
click Properties and then the Policies tab. Here we can choose between
Optimize for either Quick removal (the default) or for Better performance.
I always leave this set at Quick removal - and then I never see the "Safely
remove..." light. All data is written to the device immediately, rather
than cached to be written later, so it is never unsafe to simply "pull the
plug" at any time.

Many other kinds of devices can be plugged into that USB port, and each of
them will react in a different way. We may remove the flash drive and plug
in a camera or a card reader or a Bluetooth dongle or something quite
different, like the 2.4 GHz transceiver for my mouse/keyboard.

Is this a function of Win7 or the laptop?

I'm no expert on this, but it seems to be a combination of Win7, the laptop
hardware, and the flash drive hardware/driver. And MANY combinations are
possible.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8089.0726) in Win7 Ultimate x64)

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

When I plug a USB memory stick into my XPH SP3 desktop, the memory stick
light comes on. When I "remove"(eject) it, the light goes off. But
although it comes on with my Win7x64 HP laptop when I plug it in, it remains
on even when I have "removed" it, and it is apparently safe to unplug. Is
this a function of Win7 or the laptop? Either way, it's a bit confusing -
pity it can't be like XP.

I've fond that different thumb drives behave differently. I just use the
Safely Remove Hardware icon in the System Tray and don't worry about the
lights.

OK, I do worry a bit...

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I've fond that different thumb drives behave differently. I just use the ^^^^
Safely Remove Hardware icon in the System Tray and don't worry about the
lights.

OK, I do worry a bit...

In English, "fond" originally meant "foolish" - but I meant "found"