Page 1 of 1
Leave external slim drive plugged in or unplugged?
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2024 6:07 am
by butyfigers
Is it better to leave an external slim drive plugged in or unplugged if it is not in use? I've been leaving it plugged in but I'm not sure if that's the best for the circuits or things along that line.
Re: Leave external slim drive plugged in or unplugged?
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2024 10:12 am
by Billycar11
probably not a big difference
if its used daily probably leave it in
if its used rarely unplug it
Re: Leave external slim drive plugged in or unplugged?
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2024 3:38 am
by gizmo4321
I agree with the "If it is used rarely unplug it" response.
I've had a couple external USB drives now go bad on me and cause intermittent problems with other stuff on the USB, including keyboard and mouse.
What seems to happen is that the device just starts spamming the USB and this causes CPU usage to skyrocket, which then makes it difficult for other USB devices to be serviced in a timely manner.
Re: Leave external slim drive plugged in or unplugged?
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2024 3:06 pm
by Epitaph
I have 3 desktop drives (in external enclosures) and 2 slim drives, all connected by USB 24/7 with no issues. Just my experience.
Re: Leave external slim drive plugged in or unplugged?
Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2025 6:28 am
by beh0lder
Epitaph wrote: ↑Tue Nov 26, 2024 3:06 pm
I have 3 desktop drives (in external enclosures) and 2 slim drives, all connected by USB 24/7 with no issues. Just my experience.
Not my case, unfortunately.
Power surges or sudden shutdowns can mess things up. Lesson learned the hard way.
Ever since then, I've made it a habit to unplug and safely store my external drives when they're not in use.