Hello everyone, i'm new

I'd like to ask something about USB hardware removal, it's pretty general so i won't bore you with my system details.
I've recently bought an external HD drive, a LaCie 500 Gb by Porche model, and i've been wondering about something that happens when I disconnect it:
shouldn't the sound associated with the "Hardware removal" (which usually is the familiar "tuh-duh" sound called "Windows XP- hardware removal.wav") be played when i eject any USB hardware with the WinXP "Safe USB removal" utility, and not when I physically disconnect it **after having ejected it**? If the sound plays not when i eject it, but when i physically diconnect it from the computer after having ejected it, is it a symptom that the ejection itself was unsuccessful or not well performed?

Could you also give me some details about what the Safe removel utilty does? If it cuts power to the target USB plug, why do the LEDs of certain (eg. some pendrives) USB devices, stay on after the "safe" removal, where others turn off right after?

Safe Removal simply verifies that the drive is not engaged.

The .wav only occurs when inserting or removing the USB plug.

Thanks for your answer!
So this indeed is what *should* be happening? Thanks a lot :-) I was beginning to worry i was doing something wrong, and losing the data on that external would've been very *very* unpleasant

Yes this is normal.

Let us know if we can help further.