[WEB4LIB] USB Flash Drives

[Kevin Devine]

The Euclid Public Library allows the use of USB devices but does not 
allow access to the Taskbar icon.  So far, we have had no complaints 
from the patrons.  I have personally experienced data loss when copying 
large files to USB devices (CD images, etc.), but things such as Word 
documents and pictures have never been a problem.  I think the "Safely 
Remove Hardware" is a safety valve.  It is a good thing, but as long as 
a patron waits a few seconds before removing the device after saving 
their files, it should be ok.

Kevin Devine
Network Systems Administrator
http://www.euclidlibrary.org
(I am fixing the Firefox issue on our website today...)

Tom Gardner wrote:

>Hello.
>
>I did some quick research on this issue and could not find anything that
>directly related to it; so I figured I'd ask in these forums. Any
>insights you can offer would be appreciated. (Please excuse the
>cross-posting.)
>
>Currently, at our library, we do not allow patrons to use Flash drives
>on our public PCs because we have Fortres on all public PCs and Fortres
>is set to disallow access to the taskbar. Of course, to stop the USB
>device, you have to be able to access the little icon that appears on
>the taskbar. With Fortres, access to the taskbar is, as far as we can
>figure, an all-or-nothing proposition: we'd like to be able to allow
>patrons access to the "Stop USB Device" icon if doing so didn't give
>them access to everything else you can get to from the taskbar - which
>is virtually everything.
>
>My question: USB devices are supposedly hot-swappable, so taking them
>out without stopping them first should pose no risk to the PC. Assuming
>the patron has saved the document she is accessing on the USB device,
>and has closed the associated application, there *should*, as well, be
>no risk to the data or USB device itself when you remove it without
>stopping it first.
>
>That, at least, is my understanding.
>
>I know of one public library in our county - one that is not part of the
>county system - that disallows access to the taskbar on public PCs (as
>we do), but still allows the use of USB drives. In over a year, they
>have had no problems with data loss or equipment failure that could be
>attributed to failing to stop the USB drives before removing them.
>
>Does anybody else out there disable access to the "Stop USB Device" icon
>yet still allow the public to use Flash Drives/USB drives? 
>
>I would also be interested if anyone has any experiences of equipment
>damage - eith to the USB drive or the PC - from removing the USB drive
>from the port without first stopping it.
>
>Thanks in advance for any help.
>
>--
>Tom Gardner
>Mercer County Library
>Webmaster
>tgardner at mcl.org
>609-882-2134
>
>
>
>  
>