Do I have to 'Undock' my 505 from my PC each time?

Arcticnick · 03-14-2009, 07:09 AM

Is it absolutely necessary to undock my PRS-505 using the device manager, every time I disconnect the USB cable from my PC? When I try doing this it usually says I am 'not able to disconnect device', even if there is no information being currently transfered.

HarryT · 03-14-2009, 07:13 AM

It is absolutely essential. You risk corrupting the file system of the 505 if you don't.

igorsk · 03-14-2009, 07:26 AM

As long as the stop sign is not shown, it should be okay.

sigma8 · 03-14-2009, 07:28 AM

You should have a little icon in your tray that looks like a card with a green arrow near it. If you right-click or double-click it, it should give you an option to "stop" certain connected devices. The reader will most likely show up as a USB Mass Storage device of some kind (unless you've installed a special driver that might make it display a proper name).

I've unplugged usb storage devices dozens of times without remembering (or without being able to, do to system unresponsiveness) to properly disconnect them, and never has it resulted in corrupting a whole file system. So I wouldn't say it's "absolutely essential" in the literal sense, but it's true that you will run a small risk of some corruption if you don't--most often in the form of missing or incomplete files, but anything is possible.

Interestingly, the only time I had a file system go corrupt was after I properly disconnected an external firewire hard drive. None of the disk utility software that came with OS X could deal with the problem, and I had to purchase a third party disk repair utility. Luckily, I was able to recover all my data. Stranger still is that the drive has been stable since then, but that doesn't mean I trust it one-tenth as far as I can throw it (could probably throw it pretty far), so I'm using it only to transport data. (if it gives up the ghost, I'll only lose a transit-copy)

HarryT · 03-14-2009, 07:49 AM

I guess that I just regard it as something that's so easy to do, why take the chance of trouble by not doing it?

I don't know if the Sony suffers from the same vulnerability, but on the CyBook Gen3 a pretty common problem is a failure for books to store bookmarks or their current reading position, and the cause is pretty well always file system corruption, almost certainly caused by not dismounting the device before unplugging it.

Arcticnick · 03-14-2009, 07:52 AM

The problem is that when I try to safely remove the PSR-505 hardware in the device controler it tells me...with a yellow exclamation mark, 'The device 'Generic volume' cannot be stopped right now. Try stopping the device later.'
Therefore I have no choice but to just pull out the USB cable when I need to disconnect from my PC.
What else can I do?

Arcticnick · 03-14-2009, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arcticnick

The problem is that when I try to safely remove the PSR-505 hardware in the device controler it tells me...with a yellow exclamation mark, 'The device 'Generic volume' cannot be stopped right now. Try stopping the device later.'
Therefore I have no choice but to just pull out the USB cable when I need to disconnect from my PC.
What else can I do?

HarryT · 03-14-2009, 07:55 AM

Have you tried again? Very often you'll get "The device cannot be stopped now" message the first time, but it will work if you wait a few seconds and try again.

lilac_jive · 03-14-2009, 09:36 AM

All you need to do to disconnect your 505 is close the ebook library. Then it will be safe to remove from your computer.

sigma8 · 03-14-2009, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I guess that I just regard it as something that's so easy to do, why take the chance of trouble by not doing it?

... the CyBook Gen3 [has] a pretty common problem ... and the cause is pretty well always file system corruption ...

Yeah, I definitely agree. I always "eject" mine, too. Except, of course, when I forget and/or can't >.> Also, when I referred to file system corruption, I was thinking more along the lines of the whole system, i.e. you cannot read any files on your device without repair. That has happened to me, and it really sucks. If a small number of files are affected, I'd call that file corruption, and I've definitely experienced that after haphazard disconnects. Fortunately, filesystems are usually robust enough to contain the corruption to files that were being accessed during the disconnect.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arcticnick

The problem is that when I try to safely remove the PSR-505 hardware in the device controler it tells me...with a yellow exclamation mark, 'The device 'Generic volume' cannot be stopped right now. Try stopping the device later.'

Articnick, why are you using the device manager? That's several clicks deep into the OS. Here's steps on how to do it more simply in XP (not sure if the same applies when using Vista--probably not)
http://psy.swansea.ac.uk/staff/carte.../USBDrives.htm

Of course, that might not solve the problem you are having. You should make sure nothing on your system is accessing the device when you want to disconnect it, or it'll try to prevent you. Try quitting as much as you can, one thing at a time, until you're able to "safely remove" the device. Hopefully that will help you identify the culprit application.

Mr. Goodbar · 03-14-2009, 11:33 AM

I always eject mine in the library software. Running vista64 I can almost guarantee file system corruption on the reader if I don't. Not a big deal and it is certainly better than having to reload books and find all my bookmarks again.

Arcticnick · 03-14-2009, 01:15 PM

Sorry! I am sure it is a dumb question but how do I disconnect using the Library software, please?

Arcticnick · 03-14-2009, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sigma8

Yeah, I definitely agree. I always "eject" mine, too. Except, of course, when I forget and/or can't >.> Also, when I referred to file system corruption, I was thinking more along the lines of the whole system, i.e. you cannot read any files on your device without repair. That has happened to me, and it really sucks. If a small number of files are affected, I'd call that file corruption, and I've definitely experienced that after haphazard disconnects. Fortunately, filesystems are usually robust enough to contain the corruption to files that were being accessed during the disconnect.

Articnick, why are you using the device manager? That's several clicks deep into the OS. Here's steps on how to do it more simply in XP (not sure if the same applies when using Vista--probably not)
http://psy.swansea.ac.uk/staff/carte.../USBDrives.htm

Of course, that might not solve the problem you are having. You should make sure nothing on your system is accessing the device when you want to disconnect it, or it'll try to prevent you. Try quitting as much as you can, one thing at a time, until you're able to "safely remove" the device. Hopefully that will help you identify the culprit application.

Sorry! I did not mean the device manager, I meant the little icon in the task bar, as shown in you link.

pilotbob · 03-14-2009, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arcticnick

Sorry! I am sure it is a dumb question but how do I disconnect using the Library software, please?

Click the little ArrowHead glyph to the right of the device in the left listbar area.

BOb

Arcticnick · 03-14-2009, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Click the little ArrowHead glyph to the right of the device in the left listbar area.

BOb

Bingo! You are a star, Bob. Thank you. The little arrow to the right of the device, in the library software, worked fine. Now I will use that each time. I hope that I have not caused too many corrupted files already. Fingers crossed.

03-14-2009, 07:09 AM	#1
Arcticnick ArcticNick Posts: 29 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505/SC	Do I have to 'Undock' my 505 from my PC each time? Is it absolutely necessary to undock my PRS-505 using the device manager, every time I disconnect the USB cable from my PC? When I try doing this it usually says I am 'not able to disconnect device', even if there is no information being currently transfered.

03-14-2009, 07:52 AM	#6
Arcticnick ArcticNick Posts: 29 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505/SC	The problem is that when I try to safely remove the PSR-505 hardware in the device controler it tells me...with a yellow exclamation mark, 'The device 'Generic volume' cannot be stopped right now. Try stopping the device later.' Therefore I have no choice but to just pull out the USB cable when I need to disconnect from my PC. What else can I do? Last edited by Arcticnick; 03-14-2009 at 07:54 AM.

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03-14-2009, 07:13 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	It is absolutely essential. You risk corrupting the file system of the 505 if you don't.

03-14-2009, 07:26 AM	#3
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	As long as the stop sign is not shown, it should be okay.

03-14-2009, 07:28 AM	#4
sigma8 Zealot Posts: 107 Karma: 136 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505	You should have a little icon in your tray that looks like a card with a green arrow near it. If you right-click or double-click it, it should give you an option to "stop" certain connected devices. The reader will most likely show up as a USB Mass Storage device of some kind (unless you've installed a special driver that might make it display a proper name). I've unplugged usb storage devices dozens of times without remembering (or without being able to, do to system unresponsiveness) to properly disconnect them, and never has it resulted in corrupting a whole file system. So I wouldn't say it's "absolutely essential" in the literal sense, but it's true that you will run a small risk of some corruption if you don't--most often in the form of missing or incomplete files, but anything is possible. Interestingly, the only time I had a file system go corrupt was after I properly disconnected an external firewire hard drive. None of the disk utility software that came with OS X could deal with the problem, and I had to purchase a third party disk repair utility. Luckily, I was able to recover all my data. Stranger still is that the drive has been stable since then, but that doesn't mean I trust it one-tenth as far as I can throw it (could probably throw it pretty far), so I'm using it only to transport data. (if it gives up the ghost, I'll only lose a transit-copy)

03-14-2009, 07:49 AM	#5
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I guess that I just regard it as something that's so easy to do, why take the chance of trouble by not doing it? I don't know if the Sony suffers from the same vulnerability, but on the CyBook Gen3 a pretty common problem is a failure for books to store bookmarks or their current reading position, and the cause is pretty well always file system corruption, almost certainly caused by not dismounting the device before unplugging it.

03-14-2009, 07:55 AM	#8
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Have you tried again? Very often you'll get "The device cannot be stopped now" message the first time, but it will work if you wait a few seconds and try again.

03-14-2009, 09:36 AM	#9
lilac_jive Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,870 Karma: 27376 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Device: PRS-505	All you need to do to disconnect your 505 is close the ebook library. Then it will be safe to remove from your computer.

03-14-2009, 11:33 AM	#11
Mr. Goodbar Wizard Posts: 1,005 Karma: 98078 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Device: iPad Mini 4	I always eject mine in the library software. Running vista64 I can almost guarantee file system corruption on the reader if I don't. Not a big deal and it is certainly better than having to reload books and find all my bookmarks again.

03-14-2009, 01:15 PM	#12
Arcticnick ArcticNick Posts: 29 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505/SC	Sorry! I am sure it is a dumb question but how do I disconnect using the Library software, please?

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