"M.I.5¾" <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk> wrote in message news:...
>
> "PD43" <pauld1943@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:svpgu3d5kndbdqgbvrpe03e0flsh0uosuu@4ax.com...
>> adykes@panix.com (Al Dykes) wrote:
>>
>>>How do I get it back or otherwise dismount the disk?
>>
>> If it's not being written to, just unplug it.
>
> That is the most stupid piece of advice possible.
>
> If the drive requires to be stopped using 'Safely remove hardware' then
> write back caching is in use. Such a drive should never be unplugged
> before forcing a cache flush (thats what stopping the drive does). If you
> do then whatever data is in the cache does not get written. Whole file
> systems have been destroyed by not flushing the cache.
>
> For removable drives and unless you really need the extra speed that write
> back caching offers, I always suggest configuring the drive for optimize
> for quick removal (write-through caching). This side steps the whole
> problem*.
>
> *though I have become aware that Windows XP has a subtle bug that in some
> installations, optimize for quick removal only half works in that you
> can't flush the cache (because 'safely remove ...' is not offered), but
> nevertheless write back cacheing is in use.
>
>