I can't find a solid answer on the risks of unplugging an external hard drive without ejecting first. very often i cannot eject due to the drive being 'in use' (when it isn't) but have given up. Can I lose files or cause corruptions or other problems by unplugging willy nilly?

edit: i've made a total hash of the title, its 5am.... i know it isn't written well

no foreground programs using the drive when i try to eject and windows indexing for the drive disabled. it's a western digital 2 or 4tb usb 3 external hard drive with a windows 10 pro laptop (2015 macbook pro, bootcamp windows)

shutting down to eject is what i used to do but it's taking its toll on me, even with pretty fast boot times

edit: i've made a total hash of the title, its 5am.... i know it isn't written wellno foreground programs using the drive when i try to eject and windows indexing for the drive disabled. it's a western digital 2 or 4tb usb 3 external hard drive with a windows 10 pro laptop (2015 macbook pro, bootcamp windows)shutting down to eject is what i used to do but it's taking its toll on me, even with pretty fast boot times http://ift.tt/eA8V8J
http://ift.tt/2zUE6V2