|
WA1GFZ
Member
Offline
Posts: 11151
|
|
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2011, 01:49:14 PM » |
|
I've worn out a few of them so I guess the trick is to load it once and save it. I've been meaning to store all my pictures on one. They have a limited number of write cycles. I back up stuff on my kids computers so if one dies I don't lose my stuff..
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
k4kyv
Contributing Member
Don
Member
Offline
Posts: 10037
|
|
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2011, 02:05:37 PM » |
|
They are supposed to be good for several thousand saves and plays. I have never had one to wear out and I use them all the time. Do you always go through the proper "safely remove disc" procedure before pulling it out of the USB receptacle? I suppose it's a good idea to always keep a back-up of the back-up.
|
|
|
Logged
|
Don, K4KYV AMI#5 Licensed since 1959 and not happy to be back on AM... Never got off AM in the first place.- - - This message was typed using the DVORAK keyboard layout. http://www.mwbrooks.com/dvorak
|
|
|
K1JJ
Contributing
Member
Offline
Posts: 8888
"Let's go kayaking, Tommy!" - Yaz
|
|
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2011, 02:37:58 PM » |
|
Don,
I didn't get any documentation with the drives, nor looked it up. What are the general precautions to removing one from the USB port?
T
|
|
|
Logged
|
Use an "AM Courtesy Filter" to limit transmit audio bandwidth +-4.5 KHz, +-6.0 KHz or +-8.0 KHz when needed. Easily done in DSP.
Wise Words : "I'm as old as I've ever been... and I'm as young as I'll ever be."
There's nothing like an old dog.
|
|
|
WA1GFZ
Member
Offline
Posts: 11151
|
|
« Reply #4 on: May 23, 2011, 02:43:57 PM » |
|
When you plug one in there is a little icon on the right side of the monitor that comes up. When you want to remove it click on the icon and select shut the drive down. it will tell you when it is safe to remove the drive. It won't shut down if any files are open. I just wore one out but I use it multiple times a day to move files around.
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Steve - K4HX
Guest
|
|
« Reply #5 on: May 23, 2011, 02:48:49 PM » |
|
When you plug the stick into the USB port, an icon should appear on the right-hand side of the Windows Task Bar. Clicking on the icon will invoke a procedure to "safely" remove the thumb drive. If you don't do this, some data may be deleted or corrupted. Basically, clicking on this icon ensures all writes to the thumb drive are completed and disk buffers are flushed before you physically remove it.
I think you can also right click on the icon for the thumb drive in Windows Explorer and do the same thing.
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Ralph W3GL
Contributing
Member
Offline
Posts: 748
|
|
« Reply #6 on: May 23, 2011, 03:32:16 PM » |
|
Yeah, that procedure works in XP as well...
I've yet to loose one here but then, they really don't get used that much...
|
|
|
Logged
|
73, Ralph W3GL
"Just because the microphone in front of you amplifies your voice around the world is no reason to think we have any more wisdom than we had when our voices could reach from one end of the bar to the other" Ed Morrow
|
|
|
n2bc
Contributing
Member
Offline
Posts: 289
|
|
« Reply #7 on: May 23, 2011, 03:33:54 PM » |
|
At times the response to clicking the "Safely remove..." icon in the taskbar can be confusing - mostly thanks to the way Windows handles USB devices.
A much more direct & sure approach is to use Windows Explorer, expand the Computer icon if it isn't expanded already and right click on the target thumb drive. Then left click on "Eject". You will get a "Safe to remove.." message.
Another use for thumb drives is to speed up your Vista or Win7 system. There is a function called ReadyBoost. If the thumb drive is fast enough (Windows will inform you), Windows stores disk information on it in a special format, kind of a pre-fetch for your hard drive. Makes quite a difference in responsiveness. Use Help to pull up info on ReadyBoost.
73, Bill N2BC
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
W2PFY
Contributing
Member
Offline
Posts: 13290
|
|
« Reply #8 on: May 23, 2011, 03:44:45 PM » |
|
They have a limited number of write cycles. I read somewhere that they are good for millions of cycles. Another thing to note is, they can be set up where you don't have to use that Safely Remove feature. I just pull mine out of the port and I have lost nothing so far.
|
|
|
Logged
|
The secrecy of my job prevents me from knowing what I am doing.
|
|
|
W1RKW
Contributing
Member
Offline
Posts: 4407
|
|
« Reply #9 on: May 23, 2011, 05:13:45 PM » |
|
There have been reports of some who thought it was safe to remove a USB thumb drive and trashed their OS. I figured I was immune to that but I managed to do it here. Still can't figure out how. Maybe it was luck of the draw.
|
|
|
Logged
|
Bob W1RKW Home of GORT.
|
|
|
WQ9E
Member
Offline
Posts: 3285
|
|
« Reply #10 on: May 23, 2011, 06:10:13 PM » |
|
I believe that most USB drives are set up to spread usage across the entire physical device memory to increase the life instead of constantly using the same area when you are only utilizing a small portion of its capacity. I know that the CF and SD cards for my Canon camera use this technique. The implication is that if you regular fill up the entire drive then the life will be greatly reduced, I imagine millions of cycles refers to a device that is generally used only for a small percentage of its overall capacity.
|
|
|
Logged
|
Rodger WQ9E
|
|
|
K1JJ
Contributing
Member
Offline
Posts: 8888
"Let's go kayaking, Tommy!" - Yaz
|
|
« Reply #11 on: May 23, 2011, 06:30:10 PM » |
|
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_flash_driveWiki has a pretty good summary about flash drives. It says that there are about 1500 cycles before the mechanical USB plug wears out, so this may be the longevity limitation if we plug it in and out for each use. I didn't see anything about the OS getting trashed yet. I will use the icon for removal as suggested - tnx. T
|
|
|
Logged
|
Use an "AM Courtesy Filter" to limit transmit audio bandwidth +-4.5 KHz, +-6.0 KHz or +-8.0 KHz when needed. Easily done in DSP.
Wise Words : "I'm as old as I've ever been... and I'm as young as I'll ever be."
There's nothing like an old dog.
|
|
|
KB2WIG
Contributing
Member
Offline
Posts: 4468
|
|
« Reply #12 on: May 23, 2011, 07:10:21 PM » |
|
I just wished there was something simular that works with USB1's.... none of the thumb drives will work on my WinDoza 98 lap top.
klc
|
|
|
Logged
|
What? Me worry?
|
|
|
Opcom
Patrick J. / KD5OEI
Contributing
Member
Offline
Posts: 8267
|
|
« Reply #13 on: May 23, 2011, 07:14:32 PM » |
|
you need the w98 and or w95 drivers for that. check the manufacturers page, they usually have something.
as for pulling the flash drive while hot, would you remove a floppy disc while the light is on?
|
|
|
Logged
|
Radio Candelstein - Flagship Station of the NRK Radio Network.
|
|
|
Sam KS2AM
Contributing
Member
Offline
Posts: 708
|
|
« Reply #14 on: May 23, 2011, 07:30:54 PM » |
|
"Safely remove hardware and eject media" is there to protect your data by making sure that you do not have files open on the device and that there is no pending I/O. If you don't use that function you may get a surprise someday when you find that the data you assumed was on the USB drive is not really there.
|
|
|
Logged
|
--- Post No Bills ---
|
|
|
W2PFY
Contributing
Member
Offline
Posts: 13290
|
|
« Reply #15 on: May 23, 2011, 07:40:00 PM » |
|
as for pulling the flash drive while hot, would you remove a floppy disc while the light is on? My point was to express that they can be safely removed hot. How anyone does it other than me, is their business. A person interested in doing so would go to my computer then find the drive and hit properties and there a choice can be made.
|
|
|
Logged
|
The secrecy of my job prevents me from knowing what I am doing.
|
|
|
flintstone mop
Contributing
Member
Offline
Posts: 5047
|
|
« Reply #16 on: May 23, 2011, 08:55:58 PM » |
|
I just wished there was something simular that works with USB1's.... none of the thumb drives will work on my WinDoza 98 lap top.
klc
Yes they will. Win98 is PITA, but you have to go out on the internet and manually download the drivers. And they will work. Laptops are generally USB 2.0 I am seeing the advantage and ease of using these dam things NOW to organize the thumbs, so I know what's on them Fred
|
|
|
Logged
|
Fred KC4MOP
|
|
|
k4kyv
Contributing Member
Don
Member
Offline
Posts: 10037
|
|
« Reply #17 on: May 24, 2011, 02:02:58 AM » |
|
I am seeing the advantage and ease of using these dam things NOW to organize the thumbs, so I know what's on them I purchased a card of those little ~1/2" X 3/4" adhesive stickers like they use in stores to indicate the price of merchandise, and stick them on the thumb drive and write some clue to what is in it, or at least a reference number that I can document elsewhere. Osama Bin Laden reportedly used thumb drives to communicate with the outside world via the WWW, avoiding a direct internet connection that could be traced to his location. He typed his e-mails and website posts onto the thumb drive, and the courier hand carried it to an internet café or other public wi-fi spot to post the message, and reversed the procedure to return with the reply.
|
|
|
Logged
|
Don, K4KYV AMI#5 Licensed since 1959 and not happy to be back on AM... Never got off AM in the first place.- - - This message was typed using the DVORAK keyboard layout. http://www.mwbrooks.com/dvorak
|
|
|
WA1LGQ
Contributing
Member
Offline
Posts: 396
|
|
« Reply #18 on: May 24, 2011, 06:26:08 AM » |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
W1DAN
Contributing
Member
Offline
Posts: 904
|
|
« Reply #19 on: May 24, 2011, 01:42:40 PM » |
|
Tom:
USB thumb drives are an excellent invention. I keep one in my back pocket all the time.
Keep in mind that they are not meant to be a backup medium I use two external hard drives for that.
Also many viruses exist that directly target USB thumb drives as a distribution medium. A brother of mine found one on one of his student's thumb drives that had a virus that survived formatting. He could not clean it. Luckily he was using a Mac computer. So scan often and deep. To me they are one of the largest security vulnerabilities out there.
Dan
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
W2PFY
Contributing
Member
Offline
Posts: 13290
|
|
« Reply #20 on: May 24, 2011, 01:43:23 PM » |
|
I was reading that second link and all the time thinking it was something brand new. Then I discovered the article was written in 2005.
A note in the article.........When you're done, you click an eject button on the menu to safely remove the device (although if no apps on the drive are open and you aren't copying any data onto the drive, you should be able to simply unplug it without problems). As promised, the drive left no traces of the applications on our test PC, apart from the device number that any USB drive leaves in the Windows Registry when plugged in.
|
|
|
Logged
|
The secrecy of my job prevents me from knowing what I am doing.
|
|
|
KB2WIG
Contributing
Member
Offline
Posts: 4468
|
|
« Reply #21 on: May 24, 2011, 04:36:42 PM » |
|
' check the manufacturers page, they usually have something. "
The something was, win98 aint suported.... ..
klc
|
|
|
Logged
|
What? Me worry?
|
|
|
Blaine N1GTU
Administrator
Member
Offline
Posts: 385
|
|
« Reply #22 on: May 24, 2011, 04:52:24 PM » |
|
here is the thing... USB drives are dirt cheap, buy a few. if one goes bad toss it out. i have had many, i had one that was in my jeans pocket when it went through the wash and still works, i had one my dog chewed and still works. I have also seen others just stop working. if you are still running Windows 98...well good luck to you, can find better stuff dumpster diving.
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Opcom
Patrick J. / KD5OEI
Contributing
Member
Offline
Posts: 8267
|
|
« Reply #23 on: May 25, 2011, 12:18:20 AM » |
|
' check the manufacturers page, they usually have something. "
The something was, win98 aint suported.... ..
klc
you may be able to find the old ones, 32/64/128MB with drivers, from those that have been there.. The drivers are usually saved somewhere. The sticks are pretty much giveaway in those old sizes.
|
|
|
Logged
|
Radio Candelstein - Flagship Station of the NRK Radio Network.
|
|
|
K5UJ
Contributing
Member
Offline
Posts: 2814
|
|
« Reply #24 on: May 25, 2011, 09:58:39 AM » |
|
Just out of curiosity Tom, what were you using prior to your recent thumb drive discovery? Floppies? Printing everything out on paper? Rob
|
|
|
Logged
|
"Not taking crap or giving it is a pretty good lifestyle."--Frank
|
|
|
|