• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
TechEngage

TechEngage

Technology news and opinions

  • Tech News
  • Reviews
  • How-to
  • Science
    • Energy
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Space
  • Apps
  • More
    • Opinion
    • Noteworthy
    • Roundups
    • Culture
    • Blockchain
      • Cryptocurrency
    • Events
    • Deals
    • Startups
      • Startup Submissions
  • Videos
  • Login
Laptops, OS

Microsoft: “You don’t need to safely remove USB drives anymore”

Avatar for Rizwan Anwar Rizwan Anwar Updated: January 13, 2020

A photo of a USB about to plug in the laptop
Photo Credits: @abdugeek / TechEngage

A feature that was first introduced in Windows XP and has since then been practiced as a precaution might be at its end. In Windows 10 version 1809, Microsoft added the policy that allows you to quickly remove a USB device without needing to safely remove it first.

According to their new support page, all you have to do is navigate to a series of steps and enable Quick removal. You will have to do this manually the first time as the current policy favors high-performance.

Keep in mind that this can only be done on systems that are on Windows 1809 and above. You can check this by right-clicking on the start button and clicking on System. Scroll down in the system until you see Windows specifications and look at the Version.

Windows specifications setting showing about information of Windows version, edition, and OS build

All you have to do is right-click on your start button and choose Disk Management. Choose the letter that your USB device is assigned. In this case, the USB device has been given the letter (D:). Right-click on (D:) in the lower section of Disk Management window and choose Properties.

A screenshot of Disk Management showing properties of different storage devices
Image Courtesy of Microsoft Support

From here, click on the Policies tab, and choose Quick Removal.

A screenshot of Quick USB Removal option in new Windows version
Image Courtesy of Microsoft Support

Windows keeps it to Quick removal by default. You can select the policy that you want to use. You can either change to Better performance or keep the default option.

While Microsoft still has to roll out 1809 after having minor issues with the update in late 2018, the feature is definitely going to be very useful for people who are tech savvy and want to save time in copying data.

Albeit the difference between both policies is insignificant, it is always handy to save an extra step in ejecting an external medium, especially if you are in a hurry.

Safely removing a storage medium is a time-honored practice that dates back to the days of Windows XP, this stemmed with how horrendously slow Windows XP handled copying operations, but considering the modern state of fast data transmission, that is no longer a worry.

This post was orginally published on: April 9, 2019 and was updated on: January 13, 2020.

Related Tags: Microsoft Microsoft Windows USBDrive Windows 10

Related Stories

  • HP unveils Chromebook with AMD processor at CES 2019

    HP unveils Chromebook with AMD processor at CES 2019

  • Surface Laptop 2 and Surface Pro 6; No USB-C Ports

    Surface Laptop 2 and Surface Pro 6; No USB-C Ports

  • Alienware’s M15 is the slimmest gaming Laptop till date

    Alienware’s M15 is the slimmest gaming Laptop till date

Avatar for Rizwan Anwar

Rizwan Anwar

Tech Reporter

Actively following the world of smartphones and tech. When not writing I like to indulge in Rainbow Six Siege, Apex Legends and Fortnite. Don't worry, I already deleted your friend request!

Reader Interactions

Join The Discussion: Cancel reply

Please read our comment policy before submitting your comment. Your email address will not be used or publish anywhere. You will only receive comment notifications if you opt to subscribe below.

Primary Sidebar

Become a contributor

We are accepting contributor applications. All applications will be decided in 3 days after applying. To learn more click here.
TechEngage-Apple-News
TechEngage-Google-News

Recent Stories

  • Samsung S21 series is here and we’ve got everything you need to know
  • Best laptop cooling pads for 2021 on Amazon
  • Best standing desks on Amazon for 2021
  • 14 best educational apps of 2021
  • Best long-range outdoor WiFi extender for 2021
Data Transfers

5 Ways of Securing Data Transfer

Lumia series

Nokia Lumia Series – The Champion Of Generations!

A woman using a smartphone

How smartphones help mental health from BetterHelp

how to sync Google drive and OneDrive

How to sync Google Drive with OneDrive

Footer

About Us

  • Advertise
  • Send us a tip
  • Startup Submission Questionnaire
  • Community Guidelines
  • Corrections Policy & Practice
  • Contact us

Discover

  • About
  • Newsroom
  • Advertise
  • Brand Kit
  • Partners
  • Staff
  • Our Ethics
  • Publication Principles
  • Contact us

Legal Pages

  • Reviews Guarantee
  • Community Guidelines
  • Cookies Policy
  • Comments Policy
  • Our Ethics
  • Disclaimer
  • GDPR Compliance
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Download our apps

TechEngage-app-google-play-store

Copyright © 2021 · All Rights Reserved · TechEngage® is a Project of TechAbout LLC.
TechEngage® is a registered trademark in United Kingdom under Trademark Number UK00003417167 and is ISSN protected under the ISSN 2690-3776 and OCLC Number 1139335774.