Unable to safely eject usb flash drive


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win11freak

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Windows 11 Pro 22H2
Every time I insert my usb flash drive into my laptop and make slight changes to a text file for example I am unable to safely eject it after when I completed modifications in the usb drive.

This isn't normal. Especially after inserting it for a even a few minutes.

My system is clean from malware.

The only resolution that I always need to do is shut down the laptop then take out the usb.

No other programs or apps running in the background. Nothing at all. Only the File Explorer when I open the contents from the usb flash drive.

Any ideas?

1752691991631.webp
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro 22H2
OS
Windows 11 Pro 22H2
I get that with a 256GB drive that is formatted as NTFS. With smaller drives, no.

I just remove the drive from the PC, without shutting down Windows. I make sure to do it when files are not being written or read. It has caused no issues so far. YMMV.
 

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    Windows 11 26200.8728Amd Threadripper 7970X128GB (4 X 32) G.Skill DDR5 6400 (RDIMM)Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    OS
    Windows 11 26200.8728
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
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    Amd Threadripper 7970X
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    Gigabyte TRX50 Aero D Rev. 1.0
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    Innocn 32" OLED
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    3840 X 2160 @ 60Hz
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    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo XL
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    xFinity gateway

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    windows 11 26200.8728Intel I9-13900K64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Operating System
    windows 11 26200.8728
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Intel I9-13900K
    Motherboard
    Asus RoG Strix Z690-E
    Memory
    64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000
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    Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
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    built in Realtek
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    Philips 27E1N8900 27" OLED
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    WDC SN850 1TB
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    4TB Seagate Ironwolf
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    eVGA SuperNOVA 1300 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Cherry Streaming (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
Try a simple fix first, open a administrative command prompt and run SFC /SCANNOW.

If you want to find what process or program is holding on to the drive, here's what Google AI says, and it works for me.

Use Sysinternals Process Explorer:
  1. Download and Install Process Explorer: Download Process Explorer from the Microsoft website.
  2. Open Process Explorer: Launch the application.
  3. Find Handles or DLLs: Go to the "Find" menu and select "Find Handle or DLL".
  4. Enter the drive letter: Type the drive letter of the USB drive into the search box (e.g., "E:").
  5. View results: The search results will display all files and folders open on the USB drive, along with the process using them.
I tried it for my G: drive...

1752698380540.webp
 

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System One System Two Other systems

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8894Intel Core i5 1450064GB DDR4GeForce RTX 4060
    OS
    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8894
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14500
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M G P WIFI
    Memory
    64GB DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060
    Sound Card
    Chipset Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 45" Ultragear, Acer 24" 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    5120x1440, 1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD (O/S)
    Silicon Power 2TB US75 NVMe PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 SSD (backup)
    Crucial BX500 2TB 3D NAND (2nd backup)
    Seagate 4TB Ironwolf, rotating HDD archive files
    External off-line backup Drives: 2 NVMe 4TB drives in external enclosures
    PSU
    Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 750W
    Case
    LIAN LI LANCOOL 216 E-ATX PC Case
    Cooling
    Lots of fans!
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Defender Security

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8894Intel Core i5 1440032GB DDR5Intel 700 Embedded GPU
    Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8894
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14400
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel 700 Embedded GPU
    Sound Card
    Realtek Embedded
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27" HP 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 eD NAND PCIe SSD
    Samsung EVO 990 2TB NVMe Gen4 SSD
    Samsung 2TB SATA SSD
    PSU
    Thermaltake Smart BM3 650W
    Case
    Okinos Micro ATX Case
    Cooling
    Fans
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Defender Security
  • Nimo N171 17" Laptop, (Intel i3-1215U, 16GB RAM, 2TB NVMe, Win11 Pro)
    Acemagic Vista Mini PC V1 (Intel N150, 16GB RAM, 1TB NVMe, Win11 Pro)
    HP ENVY h8-1540t, (24GB RAM, 2TB SSD, 2TB HDD, Win11 Pro)
Even easier: By default, USB flash drives require no eject operation. Check the removal policy to verify this:

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.

If you have "Quick removal" selected, then there is no need for an Eject operation. I NEVER use eject and I plug in and remove flash drives at least 20 times a day.

Image1.webp
 

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  • At a glance

    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)Intel i7-14650HX32 GBNo GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    OS
    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acemagic
    CPU
    Intel i7-14650HX
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Varies as machine will often be moved to locations with different monitors
    Screen Resolution
    Varies
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB Gen 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    120W Power Brick
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 Max RGB Magnetic Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender

  • At a glance

    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)Intel i7-1255U16 GBIntel Iris Xe Graphics
    Operating System
    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
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    Edge
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    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
If you click on the date, bottom right of your computer screen, and look at the top where it says notifications - in the right corner is a little bell icon - is that on or off? That is "do not disturb". If it's on - it doesn't tell you you can remove the device safely. If it's off, it does!
 

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  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Home 25H2Core i5-1035G132gb
    OS
    Windows 11 Home 25H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion 14-ce3606sa
    CPU
    Core i5-1035G1
    Memory
    32gb
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 870 evo sata ssd
    Cooling
    Could be better
    Internet Speed
    50 mbps Starlink
    Browser
    Firefox
    Other Info
    Originally came installed with a 500gb H10 Optane ssd

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeIntel Core i5-1035G116gb
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion ce3606sa
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-1035G1
    Memory
    16gb
    Hard Drives
    Hynix Gold P31 2TB
    Internet Speed
    200mbps Starlink
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
Depends what’s running in the background. I, for example have the Everything service running. This it scans drives when connected. You can use the portable app HotSwap to eject anything.

Safely remove hardware not working

This took me awhile to figure out. Thought this would help other people. Open event viewer. Select Windows Logs on the left. Select system also on the left. You are likely to have a lot error messages. Select filter current log on the right. On the line above task category type 225 for the...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro
OS
Windows 11 Pro
If you have Samsung Magician installed, disable the “CMigrationService” service. This service is only for cloning SSD content with the Samsung Magician app, but it causes problems with the extraction of the drives.
 

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Win 11 Pro 23H213700K32GB DDR5 Kingston Fury Renegade @6400MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Gaming X Slim White 12G
OS
Win 11 Pro 23H2
Computer type
PC/Desktop
CPU
13700K
Motherboard
MAG Z790 TOMAHAWK WIFI (7D91vHH - 0x12F)
Memory
32GB DDR5 Kingston Fury Renegade @6400
Graphics Card(s)
MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Gaming X Slim White 12G
Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster Z SE
Monitor(s) Displays
ASUS VA24DQ
Hard Drives
WD Black SN850X 2TB (main)
SAMSUNG SSD 990 Pro 2TB
WD Blue 1TB 7200rpm
PSU
Corsair RM1000x SHIFT
Case
DeepCool CH560 WH
Cooling
Noctua NH-D15S
Keyboard
Ducky One 3 Pro Nazca Line
Mouse
Logitech G403 HERO
dacrone said:
Depends what’s running in the background. I, for example have the Everything service running. This it scans drives when connected. You can use the portable app HotSwap to eject anything.

Safely remove hardware not working

This took me awhile to figure out. Thought this would help other people. Open event viewer. Select Windows Logs on the left. Select system also on the left. You are likely to have a lot error messages. Select filter current log on the right. On the line above task category type 225 for the...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
Click to expand...
The Everything service only scans removable drives if you configure it to. I've never felt the need to have it scanning removable drives, so that doesn't affect my use. However, I do have to say, Everything is a must-have utility on my systems! :-)
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two Other systems

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8894Intel Core i5 1450064GB DDR4GeForce RTX 4060
    OS
    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8894
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14500
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M G P WIFI
    Memory
    64GB DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060
    Sound Card
    Chipset Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 45" Ultragear, Acer 24" 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    5120x1440, 1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD (O/S)
    Silicon Power 2TB US75 NVMe PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 SSD (backup)
    Crucial BX500 2TB 3D NAND (2nd backup)
    Seagate 4TB Ironwolf, rotating HDD archive files
    External off-line backup Drives: 2 NVMe 4TB drives in external enclosures
    PSU
    Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 750W
    Case
    LIAN LI LANCOOL 216 E-ATX PC Case
    Cooling
    Lots of fans!
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Defender Security

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8894Intel Core i5 1440032GB DDR5Intel 700 Embedded GPU
    Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8894
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14400
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel 700 Embedded GPU
    Sound Card
    Realtek Embedded
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27" HP 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 eD NAND PCIe SSD
    Samsung EVO 990 2TB NVMe Gen4 SSD
    Samsung 2TB SATA SSD
    PSU
    Thermaltake Smart BM3 650W
    Case
    Okinos Micro ATX Case
    Cooling
    Fans
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Defender Security
  • Nimo N171 17" Laptop, (Intel i3-1215U, 16GB RAM, 2TB NVMe, Win11 Pro)
    Acemagic Vista Mini PC V1 (Intel N150, 16GB RAM, 1TB NVMe, Win11 Pro)
    HP ENVY h8-1540t, (24GB RAM, 2TB SSD, 2TB HDD, Win11 Pro)
Try RemoveDrive


Flash drive with Rufus:
RemoveDrive.exe 'CCSA_X64FRE_EN-US_DV9' -dbg

USB HDD
RemoveDrive\RemoveDrive.exe '\Device\HarddiskVolume7'
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Microsoft Windows 11 HomeIntel Core i5-13490F2 x 16 Patriot Memory (PDP Systems) PSD516G56...GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 WINDFORCE OC 12G (G...
OS
Microsoft Windows 11 Home
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
MSI MS-7D98
CPU
Intel Core i5-13490F
Motherboard
MSI B760 GAMING PLUS WIFI
Memory
2 x 16 Patriot Memory (PDP Systems) PSD516G560081 6400MT (32-37-37-74); 1.35V)
Graphics Card(s)
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 WINDFORCE OC 12G (GV-N4070WF3OC-12GD)
Sound Card
Bluetooth Аудио
Monitor(s) Displays
INNOCN 15K1F
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD_BLACK SN770 250GB
KINGSTON SNV2S1000G (ELFK0S.6)
PSU
Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1000W
Case
CG560 - DeepCool
Cooling
ID-COOLING SE-224-XTS / 2 x 140Mm Fan - rear and top; 3 x 120Mm - front
Keyboard
Corsair K70 RGB TKL
Mouse
Corsair KATAR PRO XT
Internet Speed
100 Mbps
Browser
Firefox
Antivirus
Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Other Info
https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/66553205
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