uninstalling and reinstalling an external hard drive

Can you just unplug a usb HDD while the pc is on and power to it is on or should everything be turned off to install and uninstall? I have WD usb HDD and have done both on the fly but don't know if that is the right way to do it. Thank you

yes you can just un/plug it with the pc on or off and it will be fine. you shouldn't really unplug it tho if the pc is on before unmounting it because you might lose your data if it's in use. to unmount it you just click on the safely remove hardware icon on the taskbar, and when it says the device is safe to remove then just unplug it.

you shouldn't really unplug it tho if the pc is on before unmounting it because you might lose your data if it's in use.
to unmount it you just click on the safely remove hardware icon on the taskbar, and when it says the device is safe to remove then just unplug it.

Check your Write-caching policy. The default setting is "Quick removal" so you should not have to go through the hassle of clicking the Safely Remove Hardware icon. Check under Computer > Removable Disk > Properties > Hardware tab > Properties > Policies. Do note you take a performance hit with the quick removal, but you don't have to remember to click the Safely Remove icon every time, and risk data loss.

I have always click the safety removal . I find the write-caching policy interesting. I was told to disconnect the usb 1st then power and reverse to install but was unsure of the source. Thank you