USB Drive left in "permanently" OK ???

Mike The Old Fart · Feb 28, 2013

Probably a 'Newbie' question this, (Well, I AM), but I have an 'Older' Laptop with (pretty full) 40GB HD, and also two (good quality) 32MB USB Drives I'd like to use for "Expansion" ...

I'm just wondering if it is known whether leaving one, or both, plugged in PERMANENTLY is likely to cause damage, (either to the media itself, or saved content on them) ?!?...

/Both Drives ARE Backed-Up, of course, but when I've left another old USB stick in for "Hours" it got 'slightly warm', so ... well, better check with the Experts mebbe, first :confused:

jsfitz54 · Feb 28, 2013

You should be fine. Keep an eye on heat, warm vs. hot. All electrical components are going to give off heat as byproduct.

Windows Vista used usb drives for "readyboost", aimed at creating faster startups:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/readyboost
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReadyBoost
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ff356869.aspx.

At the top of this page in the dark grey band find "UserCP", click link, and fill out area for "edit system specs". This helps everyone know what equipment you are dealing with.

It's great that you are keeping secondary backups. When flash drives fail, you will not be able to recover any media. I would not leave secondary backups plugged in. (trying to qualify expansion drive vs. backup drive.)

Welcome to TPU.

natr0n · Feb 28, 2013

I leave memory stick in all the time nothing to worry about.

They wont get hot as long as not they aren't frequently accessed for long periods without rest.

Mike The Old Fart · Mar 1, 2013

Thanks ..

Thanks guys :toast:

.... I'll sort out the Laptop details later when at home

Geofrancis · Mar 4, 2013

you will be fine leaving them in all the time just watch that you dont catch them on something and destroy the flash drive or the usb port its in.

Mike The Old Fart · Mar 4, 2013

Yup

Already (nearly) done that. :ohwell:

Have since made a little wooden "Base" for the Laptop, (raising it up about 3cms to aid cooling beneath as it can get 'quite warm' sometimes), and got the USB stick(s) stored on a small 'extension' cable beneath the Laptop, left out of harms way on the 'cold' side of the "Base" of course :toast:

....

silkstone · Mar 4, 2013

I have a USB 3.0 16gb I use for torrents, so it is always plugged in and quite often in use for a long period of time. It hasn't caught on fire yet, should I be worried?

I'm not really worried about the drive failing as it has a 5 year warranty and contains nothing of importance.

btarunr · Mar 4, 2013

Quite a few people use USB drives plugged in as a required DRM measure for certain expensive software tools.

brandonwh64 · Mar 4, 2013

btarunr said:
Quite a few people use USB drives plugged in as a required DRM measure for certain expensive software tools.

Yep, Like Olympus NDT software is by USB key license only. Without the USB key you are not using the software.

Geofrancis · Mar 4, 2013

brandonwh64 said:
Yep, Like Olympus NDT software is by USB key license only. Without the USB key you are not using the software.

Yea my unraid NAS operating system on my esxi Server uses the flash drive as the licence if it breaks you have to buy it again.

de.das.dude · Mar 4, 2013

dont do this. i used to do this and the USB drive slowed down significantly. to 1mbps. i had it plugged for more than 3months.

TheMailMan78 · Mar 4, 2013

btarunr said:
Quite a few people use USB drives plugged in as a required DRM measure for certain expensive software tools.

All day. I have some separation software that does this.

erixx · Mar 4, 2013

MM, Trying to divorce?

My whole family use permanent pendrives for backups. No heat when not in use (99& of the time)

TheMailMan78 · Mar 4, 2013

erixx said:
MM, Trying to divorce?

My whole family use permanent pendrives for backups. No heat when not in use (99& of the time)

Let me clarify. Color separation software for Photoshop. :laugh:

erixx · Mar 4, 2013

No wonder i didn't get it, never heard about that, but dealing a lot with (others) divorces! :pimp:

When the occasion is right I got to return to Photosoap :toast:

remixedcat · Mar 4, 2013

There's people that use wireless LAN USB adapters all the time so you're good to go

terrastrife · Mar 11, 2013

As mentioned no problems having it plugged in, but de.das.dude has found the only real issue.

flash drives have significantly limited write life cycles (they use the cheapest nand possible or parts that failed qc testing for ssds). as nand wears out and become unusable, the usb will start to get really sloww and in the end fail. in the case of normal ssds they have smart attributes which will warn you of impending doom but not on a usb stick.

my sandisk extreme usb gets heavy use, it has lost about 20MB/sec of its write performance since new (still over 150MB), my 4 year old ssd has gone back to patriot for rma as its throwing smart failire for write cycles remaining, and write speeds have dropped from 200MB+ to less than 18MB.

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USB Drive left in "permanently" OK ???

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