Safely remove USB device - mouse and printer

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Level 1

8 points

Safely remove USB device - mouse and printer

Do I have to "safely" remove my wired USB connected MOUSE and my wired USB connected PRINTER or can I just "pull the plug" out with no previous steps?

When I plug my external harddrive into the USB port, my MacBook Pro recognizes that it is plugged in and I have to go through the steps to remove the icon from the desktop or eject it from the finder like many forums teach.

However, I can not find any icon or way to disconnect the MOUSE or PRINTER. Both mouse and printer are functioning fine when plugged in, I just don't see any official icon anywhere. So is it ok to just pull them out when I want to disconnect or is there a formal method?

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Jan 30, 2013 5:49 AM

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Answer 1

CT

Level 7

24,251 points

Jan 30, 2013 6:05 AM in response to flapeedap

It is ok and normal to just plug and unplug these devices (mouse, printer) as needed.

Storage devices (e.g., external disk drives) should be unmounted before disconnecting.

Rule of thumb: if plugging in a device makes an icon appear on your desktop or Finder sidebar (assuming you have preferences set to show it) you should eject/unmount it before disconnecting the cable.

charlie

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Answer 2

Jan 30, 2013 6:01 AM in response to flapeedap

• So is it ok to just pull them out when I want to disconnect or is there a formal method?

You may disconnect your mouse or your printer by pulling the plug. No problem.

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