USB devices are plug-and-play, meaning you should be able to plug them in and remove them whenever you please. This remains the case, however this is a caviat. The USB device receives power from the USB port and if that current is suddenly shut off, the jolt of removing the “hot” connection could result in possible data loss. To get around this problem, Microsoft put in a “Safely Remove Hardware” icon down in the XP system tray. When you click it, you will see a list of USB devices which are connected. Highlight the one you wish to remove and click. It will then tell you it is safe to remove the hardware.

We’ll call this the “correct” way to remove a USB device.