Solved 'Safe to remove USB stick' pop up notification

My W10 computer provides the pop up notification which I find reassuring, my W11 computer does not.

Is there an easy way for my W11 computer to provide the pop up notification?

The notification appears by default in Windows 11 as well, so either you've disabled the notification somehow or the device hasn't responded to the eject request yet.

These links may be useful:

Workin here...

Is quiet Hours/Focus Assist enabled? This will prevent the pop up from showing.
If not then check here:
For safe eject notification missing:
• Press keyboard "win + R"
• Type "regedit"
• Search the value "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Notifications\Settings\Microsoft.Explorer.Notification.{...}"
• If you REG_DWORD 0x00000001(0) set "0" you can double click on value. Set the value data to "1"
• Click "OK"

The default removal policy for an SD card / UFD does not require that the "safely remove hardware and eject media" tool be used so there's no point in the message for that policy. It is always safe to remove the card unless you are actively using it.

To check the policy:

Right-click the device in File Explorer, select Properties, select the correct device in the hardware tab and select Properties again, on the General tab click on Change settings, go to the Policies tab.

check settings-system-notifications-notifications from other apps and senders-make use USB is toggled ON

On my W11 computer, I toggled settings in
Settings > System > Notifications > Notifications
and in
Settings > System > Notifications > Focus assist

and it works, i.e. I am getting the 'Safe to Remove Device' pop up notification. However, since I toggled several settings at the same time, I don't know which one of the settings (or setting combinations) solved the problem

I take this opportunity to toss up a related issue on my W10 computer.

Exit all apps and files > eject external USB SSD > sometimes (not always) a notification pops up 'device busy' > why? > I have to shut down the computer to remove the device

Any suggestions for my W10 computer?

Haydon said:

sometimes (not always) a notification pops up 'device busy'

Any suggestions for my W10 computer?

Click to expand...

Launch file explorer > identify the drive > right click eject > view pop up safe to remove

As noted earlier, if you use default settings for USB storage devices, there is no longer a need to perform a "safe removal" operation.

zbook said:

Launch file explorer > identify the drive > right click eject > view pop up safe to remove

Click to expand...

You are missing my exact point, in spite of no files open and all apps closed, sometimes (not always) file explorer pops up a 'device busy' notification (and hence the device, an external USB SSD as the case in point, cannot be safely removed) If that happens, my recourse is to shut down the (W10) computer to safely remove the device, but I think that there ought to be a better solution.

hsehestedt said:

As noted earlier, if you use default settings for USB storage devices, there is no longer a need to perform a "safe removal" operation.

Click to expand...

Well, see the above issue.

Haydon said:

My W10 computer provides the pop up notification which I find reassuring, my W11 computer does not.

Is there an easy way for my W11 computer to provide the pop up notification?

Click to expand...

Click on the little up arrow in the lower right corner, then on the "safely remove ..." icon. It works exactly the same in windows 11 as in Windows 10.

To find the cause of the block:

a) launch Event viewer > click system > filter for event 225

b) Process Explorer: Process Explorer - Windows Sysinternals

@Wynona The W11 issue has been solved in post #8

@zbook Thanks, I will be looking for 225 events on my W10 computer, it will take some time as the mysterious blocks don't always happen

Interesting that many are having problems with this. On all my Win 10 and 11 systems, I simply verify the setting as below and never, never, ever have to eject the media. Curious why any of you are still having difficulties with this.

Up to n blue moons ago, I did what you are doing, i.e. I always pulled out USB sticks without any further ado, and nothing bad has ever happened, I did not even check any settings at the time.

From (n-1) blue moons ago, I started using the eject feature (I can't even remember what triggered the n-1) and surprise, surprise, I started to see cautionary pop up notifications every now and then.

I am positive that if I nonetheless pull out the USB stick, then nothing bad will happen either. But now that I am seeing the occasional cautionary pop up notification, I don't just pull out the USB stick.

Rather, I close files and apps that engage the USB stick and in the vast majority of cases, the cautionary notification no longer pops up. But sometimes, the block persists and I wonder why.

It seems that I will have to hunt for 225 events to investigate.

Haydon said:

... a notification pops up 'device busy' > why? >

Click to expand...

Defender is scanning it..., Indexing is taking place..., who knows!

Haydon said:

Up to n blue moons ago, I did what you are doing, i.e. I always pulled out USB sticks without any further ado, and nothing bad has ever happened, I did not even check any settings at the time.

From (n-1) blue moons ago, I started using the eject feature (I can't even remember what triggered the n-1) and surprise, surprise, I started to see cautionary pop up notifications every now and then.

I am positive that if I nonetheless pull out the USB stick, then nothing bad will happen either. But now that I am seeing the occasional cautionary pop up notification, I don't just pull out the USB stick.

Rather, I close files and apps that engage the USB stick and in the vast majority of cases, the cautionary notification no longer pops up. But sometimes, the block persists and I wonder why.

It seems that I will have to hunt for 225 events to investigate.

Click to expand...

This doesn't directly address your issue, but I use USB Safely Remove to stop external drive activity. Is it a paid to use app, but they have a 30-day trial period. You can download it from the link below, if interested in testing it.

Haydon said:

My W10 computer provides the pop up notification which I find reassuring, my W11 computer does not.

Is there an easy way for my W11 computer to provide the pop up notification?

Click to expand...

Analog solution...
Make yourself a little sign, like this. Then every time you click... "Eject", just hold it up.

On one laptop, especially, it's Intel Driver & Support Assistant that causes it for some reason. Disabling the services allows safely remove again and then re-enable the services. I've even uninstalled and re-installed it but it still causes the issue more often than not.