Forums | MacLife
You are not logged in.
#2 2009-06-20 8:56 am
Re: connecting/disconnecting external devices
There is always the obvious, "always eject/unmount drives or shut down computer before disconnecting them no matter what OS you are running".
Offline
#4 2009-06-20 10:44 am
- Nefarious
- Snowbelt Tailor
- Moderator
- From: 45°22"N 84°57"W
- Registered: 2002-09-30
- Posts: 8182
Re: connecting/disconnecting external devices
Good question. Loosely speaking for this thread, we will say that disconnect can be of these flavors: Cutting power to the external drive, either by yanking the power cord or by the power switch.
Dismounting is the key part for safety. In Finder, eject the external disk drive and wait a few seconds. Then you can cut the power.
Once in a while, cutting the power without dismounting does cause some problems. And sometimes, Disk Warrior or Disk Utility is required to "find" the external drive.
Team Folding: Most Intel Mac users can upgrade to Folding@Home version 6.26.1
Offline
#6 2009-06-20 11:10 am
- Nefarious
- Snowbelt Tailor
- Moderator
- From: 45°22"N 84°57"W
- Registered: 2002-09-30
- Posts: 8182
Re: connecting/disconnecting external devices
oh sorry..
No need to unplug.
Team Folding: Most Intel Mac users can upgrade to Folding@Home version 6.26.1
Offline
#7 2009-06-20 12:17 pm
Re: connecting/disconnecting external devices
Any safety rules connecting/disconnecting external devices
The OP said devices.
A device can be a mouse, a keyboard, a card reader, a GPS unit, a monitor, a projector . . . etc.
Computers never do what you want them to do; only what you tell them to do.
Offline
#8 2009-06-20 12:35 pm
- Nefarious
- Snowbelt Tailor
- Moderator
- From: 45°22"N 84°57"W
- Registered: 2002-09-30
- Posts: 8182
Re: connecting/disconnecting external devices
Basil takes things to a new level. I bail out. 
Team Folding: Most Intel Mac users can upgrade to Folding@Home version 6.26.1
Offline
#9 2009-06-20 2:10 pm
Re: connecting/disconnecting external devices
mitstoshi wrote:
By disconnecting, does it mean unplugging the firewire or USB cable from its port on the computer after shutdown?
That or powering them down. Mounted drives can screw up one's contents if the data signal or power are interrupted in the middle of an operation.
Offline
#10 2009-06-21 9:52 am
Re: connecting/disconnecting external devices
So far we are talking about "unplugging". How about plugging the new FW HD to the computer the very first time: do we do it before the computer is on or after? Or, either is fine? Please bear with me that I hope it is my final question. Thanks
<BR>
Offline
#11 2009-06-21 10:47 am
- Nefarious
- Snowbelt Tailor
- Moderator
- From: 45°22"N 84°57"W
- Registered: 2002-09-30
- Posts: 8182
Re: connecting/disconnecting external devices
Either is fine.
If the new disk is unreadable, then you should get an error message asking if you want to format.
Team Folding: Most Intel Mac users can upgrade to Folding@Home version 6.26.1
Offline
#12 2009-06-21 10:56 am
- Dunkin'
- Mom Bo'
- From: Over the hills and far away
- Registered: 1999-10-15
- Posts: 3302
Re: connecting/disconnecting external devices
To sum it up:
BEFORE the drive is mounted you can connect or disconnect any cord or cable. Whatever you connect last (power or data) will power up the drive and your computer will mount the drive.
AFTER the drive is dismounted, ejected, put away you can connect or disconnect any cord or cable.
Un-plugging the power cord from the wall
Un-plugging the power cord from the drive
Switching the drive off
Disconnecting the DATA cable before dismounting, ejecting, putting away the drive
all do the same thing and you risk data loss.
1/φ = φ-1
Dron't dink and dive.
Offline
#14 2009-06-22 7:51 am
- Dunkin'
- Mom Bo'
- From: Over the hills and far away
- Registered: 1999-10-15
- Posts: 3302
Re: connecting/disconnecting external devices
Computer OFF:
The drive and cables can be connected or disconnected in any order. Since the computer is not powered on it is not accessing data on the drive. Therefore data cannot be corrupted.
Computer ON:
Follow my "sum it up" post.
The last connection initiates data access. By "last connection" I mean plugging in power, using the power switch, or connecting the data cable.
The computer does not know the drive exists (no data is accessed) until:
1. the drive has power
2. the data cable is connected to the drive and computer
3. the computer is powered on AND fully booted.
Al three conditions must be met or the drive is not accessible by the computer.
The order of these three conditions is not important when connecting the drive.
After the drive is dismounted, ejected, or put away the order of these three conditions is no longer important.
1/φ = φ-1
Dron't dink and dive.
Offline
