Turning Interface on while computer is running?

[bhefner88]

In the instruction manual it says that it's bad for the computer and the interface to, "hotfire," the interface, or power it on while the computer is running, but it seems like such a hassle to restart the computer each time I want to connect the interface.

It's a laptop that I use for school so it's not like I can leave it connected at all times.

Is it really a big deal or is this just something that they tell you on the off chance that something actually does happen?

 

[ranjam]

It gives me nothing but grief. Regardless, I learned that to use it with as little headache as possible, you have to disable the internal soundcard anyway. That forces me to have one laptop exclusively for recording, and the internal soundcard is never enabled. The interface is always the default input/output device, so it is always a matter of get them out, hook up the interface with the USB cable, and then power up. The power to the interface is always on as well.
I've had my laptop crash just pulling the USB cable out thinking I was done for the day. There is no easy out here. You will have to disable the internal soundcard, power the laptop off, connect the interface, then power up again.