[Thinkpad] USB drive write performance (RE: HD Recommendation -- Hitachi TravelStar?)

[Michael Geary]

> From: Tim Semen
> 
> I've been spinning the 120gb version of the Samsung Spinpoint 
> M series in this 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817155704
> external enclosure for about a year now for backups and 
> random storage.  It's attached all the time (yea, I should 
> probably consider swapping it with my CD drive since I use it 
> much more often).  
> 
> It's been flawless so far and seems to be very happy attached 
> via a single USB cable (just one plug of the double usb cable 
> the enclosure comes with) and being randomly shut down or unplugged.

If Windows doesn't complain when you unplug the drive without using "Safely
Remove Hardware" first, it means that the drive properties are set to
"Optimize for quick removal". This is fine if you want the convenience of
being able to unplug the drive whenever you want. However, it also means
that writing to the drive is slow because write caching is disabled.

You have the option of setting the drive to "Optimize for performance",
which makes writes to the drive go much faster, at the cost of having to use
Safely Remove Hardware before you unplug it.

To change this setting, right-click any drive letter in Windows Explorer and
select Properties. Go to the Hardware tab, find your USB drive in the list
and double-click it. This opens the hardware properties for the drive. Go to
the Policies tab and select one of the two options here.

-Mike