Now, there's no need to 'safely remove' USB drives: Microsoft
What's the story
If you're a regular computer user, you've definitely been schooled about ejecting a USB flash drive 'safely' from the system tray before actually ripping it out. While the task takes a little more than two seconds, most of us find it tedious and tend to ignore it. Thankfully, Microsoft now says it is no longer a requirement to eject a drive 'safely'. Here's why.
Feature
Microsoft's Quick Removal feature
Since the release of Windows 10 October 2018 update (Version 1809), Microsoft has been offering a feature called 'Quick Removal'. It remains enabled by default and prevents Windows from actively trying to write onto the drive (in the background), which ultimately allows the user to plug it out directly and not risk losing the data it holds.
Impact
Setting is useful, but there's something you should know
While Quick Removal can save you from hitting the eject button time and again, it slows down writing speeds. Essentially, there's no caching of files when you use this option, which might result in wasting more time to transfer files into the drive. Yes, Microsoft offers a 'Better Performance' mode, but you will have to 'Safely Remove Hardware' while using this option.
Steps
How to enable Better Performance mode
Quick Removal mode is enabled by default, which means you can directly unplug USB drives anytime you want to (not when data is being copied actively). However, if you want faster transfer speeds, head over to the properties of the drive in question from Disk Management and then switch to 'Better Performance' mode from the 'Policies' tab.
Upgrades
Microsoft has been working to evolve Windows 10
The handy options from Microsoft come just as the company continues to evolve Windows 10 with a particular focus on end-users' needs. Just a few days back, it was reported that the upcoming Windows 10 19H1 update won't force updates automatically. Plus, a light theme and the integration of Xbox games have also been indicated in the past.