Windows requires you to "safely remove" USB sticks

On Windows, at least, the era of marginality by ripping your USB devices recklessly seems to end.

Windows 10 version 1809 has updated the operating system default settings for USB and Thunderbolt compatible external devices. In earlier versions of Windows, the default setting was "Best Performance", which allowed write caching on external devices, but required the "Safely Remove Hardware" process before ejecting them. The latest version of Windows has replaced the default setting with "Quick Delete", which means that you can extract this thing from your computer without attempting the gods of the computer.

In the past, Microsoft had stated that to avoid losing or corrupting potentially sensitive data, it was imperative to eject the device and wait for the "Safe to Remove Hardware" message. This is usually a good practice. But if you prefer, the new default setting keeps the device ready to be removed quickly.

The disadvantage, according to Microsoft, is that "fast deletion" can "degrade system performance" by not allowing write caching. As ZDNet noted, overwriting the new default setting and returning to "Best Performance" may still be the way forward for people who move large or large files on a drive. According to Microsoft, here's how:

1. Connect the device to the computer.

2. Right-click Start, and select File Explorer.

3. In File Explorer, identify the letter or tag associated with the device (for example, USB flash drive (D :)).

4. Right-click Start and select Disk Management.

5. In the lower section of the Disk Management window, right-click the device label, and then click Properties.

6. Select Policies, and then select the policy to use.

Digital Trends noted that the 1809 version should be updated automatically. However, if this is not the case, you must make sure that you are using the latest version and that the setting has been changed before you start using USB flash drives.

[Microsoft via ZDNet]