Permanently using a flash drive

Hi,
Please excuse what might seem an obvious question, but ... I am using PersonalBackup to automatically back up my manuscript - I'm a writer - to a USB flash drive whenever I log on. So can I leave the memory stick in permanently without any damage? I appreciate I need to go through the correct removal routine, but sometimes it's just easier to leave it there when I close down.

 

You can, but the whole point of a back-up is that if your house burns down, the stick with the back-up wasn't in there next to the computer.

Less drastically put: If you're going to keep them next to each other in the same room, at least unplug the drive. By going through the correct removal steps and unplugging it, you reduce the risks of corrupting what's on the drive.

 

Thanks,
I appreciate that, but this isn't my major back-up. That goes with me everywhere!
This particular back-up stick is so that I don't lose yesterday's work by some stupid mistake [don't go there!].