[WEB4LIB] USB Flash Drives

[bert coenen]

I have had problems unplugging flash drives in windows 2000, though.not 
very consistently.
I haven't really taken the time to find any pattern, all I know is 
sometimes I lose data, sometimes I don't.
I've saved files, listed the contents of the flash drive in windows 
explorer to check whether they were actually there, and lost those files 
after unplugging the drive (without stopping it). So I'd say you'd 
better allow your users access to the unplug usb icon.
bert

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
>
>
>
>  
>