Question HDD + case + eject windows

[nandobadam]

I use a 2.5" HDD + USB 3.0 enclosure case, when the Windows eject function "safely remove hardware" is executed and finished and the letter "E:" disappears from Windows, after what is the situation of the magnetic plates and the read/write heads? Note: without disconnecting the USB cable from the PC/enclosure case after ejection

My 2.5″ HDDs are a bit old 2013 models WD10JPVX-08JC3T5 and HGST HTS541010A99E662 i other new HDD 2.5″ seagate ST500LM030

my enclosure cases 2.5″ HDDs + Kesu 2530 or Orico 25pw1 black

 

[Frick]

I use a 2.5" HDD + USB 3.0 enclosure case, when the Windows eject function "safely remove hardware" is executed and finished and the letter "E:" disappears from Windows, after what is the situation of the magnetic plates and the read/write heads? Note: without disconnecting the USB cable from the PC/enclosure case after ejection

My 2.5″ HDDs are a bit old 2013 models WD10JPVX-08JC3T5 and HGST HTS541010A99E662 i other new HDD 2.5″ seagate ST500LM030

my enclosure cases 2.5″ HDDs + Kesu 2530 or Orico 25pw1 black

I don't know, but you will hear it when the heads park.

 

[Harlow]

My 2.5″ HDDs are a bit old 2013

Why are you worried about head parking on 11-year old drives? They're well outside warranty and unless you have the contents backup up elsewhere, I'd start worrying now and start backing up.

Head parking is the least of your worries. Hard disks can die at any time.

I'd be inclined to run a long S.M.A.R.T. test on each drive (lasting several hours) and see what condition the platters are in.

I use Hard Disk Sentinel's read-only surface test:
https://www.hdsentinel.com/help/en/61_surfacetest.html

If the test result looks like this, chuck the drive in the nearest garbage bin. Any red squares mean bad blocks.

 

[nandobadam]

1) When the Windows "safely remove hardware" eject is invoked and the letter E: disappears from Windows, what type of command does Windows send to the 2.5" HDD and the HDD understands that it is time to park the heads?

2) Do the model, brand, chip of the USB3.0 enclosure case and Windows power settings have any relation to the parking of the heads of a 2.5" HDD after the Windows "safely remove hardware" eject command is completed and the letter E: disappears from the system?

3) In what year on 2.5" HDDs and in what version of Windows was parking the heads of 2.5" HDDs implemented after the Windows "safely remove hardware" eject command is completed and the letter E: disappears? even if the USB3.0 cable of the enclosure case remains connected to the PC/enclosure?

 

[nandobadam]

up

 

[nageme]

In my experience, some enclosures or drives (I think both affect it) do spin down, some don't.

No idea what Windows does to unmount them, and I don't think it's about the year.

Regardless of if the drive stops or not, once unmounted by Windows it should be safe to disconnect from USB.
I prefer enclosures with a power switch, but that's not always available in 3.5" ones, and as far as I can tell, practically never in 2.5".

 

[nandobadam]

In my experience, some enclosures or drives (I think both affect it) do spin down, some don't.

No idea what Windows does to unmount them, and I don't think it's about the year.

Regardless of if the drive stops or not, once unmounted by Windows it should be safe to disconnect from USB.
I prefer enclosures with a power switch, but that's not always available in 3.5" ones, and as far as I can tell, practically never in 2.5".

My 2.5″ HDDs are a bit old 2013 models WD10JPVX-08JC3T5 and HGST HTS541010A99E662 i other new HDD 2.5″ seagate ST500LM030

my enclosure cases 2.5″ HDDs are Kesu 2530 or Orico 25pw1 black

 

[nageme]

You already mentioned the models in the OP. I don't have a specific opinion on these drives or enclosure.

Spinning down drives isn't a new feature. It might have been possible since the mid-'90s, or at worst since the early 2000s.
I'd say all drives support it. In your case, I'm guessing it's the enclosures, or a combination of whatever Windows does (maybe controller/driver-related too) and the enclosures.

You can experiment with some tools if you're really curious:

Immediately spin down a HDD on Windows

I have 2 non-system SATA HDDs which are not mapped to a dir and normally kept 'offline' on my Windows 7 OS. Even this way they spin up from time to time, including but not limited to windows update...

superuser.com

 

[Hardcore Games]

I find CrystalDiskInfo to be useful and Seatools can wipe a disk clean when it needs to be cleaned up

 

[nandobadam]

up

what really happens after ejecting safely remove hardware in windows and without disconnecting the enclosure case usb3.0 cable and PC after ejection

 

[Onasi]

Same thing as with any external HDD - Windows unmounts the drive and removes it from its accessible hardware list. The drive itself shuts down in a safe manner (that’s carried out by the drive controller, not Windows). No data is sent over the USB connection after that until you either replug or force Windows to refresh the device list via the DM (may vary by the enclosure model if that second option works).

 

[nandobadam]

My 2.5″ HDDs are a bit old 2011-2013 models WD10JPVX-08JC3T5 and HGST HTS541010A99E662 i other new 2016 HDD 2.5″ seagate ST500LM030

my enclosure cases 2.5″ HDDs + Kesu 2530 or Orico 25pw1 black

 

[Onasi]

@nandobadam
I don’t think the HDD model matters in this case, they will all behave the same unless the controller is somehow faulty. Windows won’t eject the drive anyway until it is sure that no read/write operations are ongoing. Same goes for any modern OS, really.

May I ask why the question in the first place? Seems a bit of a random thing to be wondering about.

 

[nandobadam]

2.5" hdd + usb3.0 enclosure case after ejecting safely remove hardware from windows even without disconnecting the usb3.0 cable from the enclosure/pc does it have any resistance to moderate shocks so as not to scratch the disks due to friction of the heads? E: disappear in windows

 

[Onasi]

Unless you plan to instantly smash the enclosure against the wall right after ejecting it I wouldn’t worry. Millions of external HDDs work the same around the world and I’ve yet personally to hear any stories of Windows ejecting process physically damaging any.

 

[nandobadam]

2.5" hdd parks or does not park the heads after ejecting safely remove hardware in Windows but keeping the usb3.0 cable from the enclosure case USB3.0 connected to the pc/enclosure after ejection?

parking some cut power drive?

 

[Onasi]

Of course it does. It’s essentially inert fully at that point. Physical connection is irrelevant here.

 

[nageme]

Of course it does. It’s essentially inert fully at that point. Physical connection is irrelevant here.

Not necessarily. I think some drives may still be spinning, depending on the combo.
But one can just listen to see if that's the case.
As discussed above.

 

[theFOoL]

OP - Chill out with all the same words/sentences. I have plenty of HDDS on my Desk connected through a USB external port-4 and yes I can yes the Disk does spin ofc but it'll stop as said Here you just have to Hear for it but don't ever drop them

 

[Dr. Dro]

Once you "safely eject" the hardware, Windows will stop issuing commands to the drive which should cause it to power down and park. It is safe to unplug it then - no commands are being issued and there should be no risk of data loss.

 

[theFOoL]

Like... I don't bother with the icon I just unplug bc I know when it's not active

 

[nandobadam]

First I used the windows command eject "safely remove hardware the letter E: disappeared from Windows but the usb3.0 cable from the enclosure case remained connected to the enclosure and pc after that my hand hit the enclosure case and it moved a little on the table but it wasn't a very strong impact but I read that HDDs are very fragile to any impact in my case the heads scratched the platters?

 

[theFOoL]

Well HDDs are not meant to be dropped. As long as that not happens you are Safe

 

[nandobadam]

model, brand and chip of the USB3.0 enclosure case, does it interfere with the parking or non-parking of the 2.5" HDD heads after ejecting in Windows and keeping the USB cable connected to the PC/enclosure?

 

[theFOoL]

Far as with Mine LINK is hasn't effected