Is it OK to pull out IDE hard drives?

[azagahl]

I have some hard drive enclosures that let me pull IDE hard disks in and out easily while my PC is running.

When is it safe to do this? XP doesn't seem to complain but it is a bit scary.

Is there some kind of "stop using hard disk" choice like for USB drives?

[Shark007]

You've been lucky so far.

IDE was not designed for 'hot swap'

Not only are you risking corrupted data, but ...

there is a HIGH possibility to destroy your motherboard.

Heed this warning, or you will pay the price.

shark

[rikgale]

EEEKKK!!

NO

Probably not the best idea in the world. Stuff tends to break if you do that

[TheFlash428]

Is there some kind of "stop using hard disk" choice like for USB drives?

I believe you can click on the "Safely remove hardware" icon from the task bar in the bottom right and select the USB drive you want to stop--enabling you to disconnect it safely.

[InTheWayBoy]

Yeah but that would only work if the drive was USB...and IDE drive doesn't get that function.

Long story short:

IDE = NO HOT SWAPPING!

You can with SATA, but even that I question...

[gamehead200]

I have some hard drive enclosures that let me pull IDE hard disks in and out easily while my PC is running.

When is it safe to do this? XP doesn't seem to complain but it is a bit scary.

Is there some kind of "stop using hard disk" choice like for USB drives?

All I can say is...

YOU'RE NUTS!!!

Don't do that! You take a huge risk of corrupting your data and/or damaging any of your components (short circuiting/mobo problems) whenever you do that!

[sven]

whoa now, i dont disconnect anything from my computer while its running. part damange, power overload, data corruption, hard drive malfunction, too many problems.

just turn off the pc and everything will be fine lol

[Andromeda43]

The ONLY devices on a modern computer that can be safely removed with "Power ON" are USB devices.

They were designed for this.

Removing a hard drive, which is a heavy power user, causes a surge of power in the power supply which can scram the whole system. It could even cause power supply failure if the PSU is the least bit marginal.

Just DON'T do it!

Andromeda43

[EchoNoise]

lmao... best post ever

[Daemonforce]

The ONLY devices on a modern computer that can be safely removed with "Power ON" are USB devices.

They were designed for this.

Removing a hard drive, which is a heavy power user, causes a surge of power in the power supply which can scram the whole system. It could even cause power supply failure if the PSU is the least bit marginal.

Just DON'T do it!

Andromeda43

This is what bothers me about SATA devices. I didn't feel any safer about hot-pluggable until I noticed it on the exterior of a mainboard panel. Hot-swap or hot-kill?

USB doesn't bother me as much because the components ya know...Don't actually go inside of a computer.

O_o

[prathapml]

And what is this topic doing in "Windows XP" section?

Moving to hardware hangout.

[rikgale]

Don't know

I'm tempted to scrape about and dig out my old parts and put together a system just to see what happens when you rip out an IDE cable when it's on. See if I can't fuse the house like I did with the last system I built.

[rjz]

You can hot swap cipower with ide drives but, not the boot hd. That works unless you install stuff to the drive with active files/threads.

[NTD2885]

You've been lucky so far.

IDE was not designed for 'hot swap'

Not only are you risking corrupted data, but ...

there is a HIGH possibility to destroy your motherboard.

That's right, but mother board of server. I thinks it support hot swap.

[JoeMSFN]

I've never (well in recent memory ) removed an IDE HD while the PC was powered up.

I have managed to install an IDE HD with the computer on.

I then go into device manager and select "scan for changes". Depending on the computer, it has found it and brought it online! On some machines, (BIOS I'm assuming), it just doesn't see it, and requires a reboot before it'll see the drive.