USB Thumb Drives unable to Eject Safely

After inserting a USB Thumb drive and transferring files or copying files, the Eject Mass Storage Device Safely pop-up window does nothing(no waiting message) and the USB Drive disappears from the pop-up window as well as the File Explorer list making it impossible to eject the device. If I restart the PC, the USB Thumb Drive reappears in the File Explorer List and the Eject Safely pop-up window as if all is now normal. However, the same exact behavior occurs when I attempt to eject the device as before.

Actions Taken:
1) Restart the PC.
2) Stop the device in Task Manager if it is in the apps or background list.
3) Disable the USB Select Suspend setting in Advanced Power Settings under Power Options in the Control Panel.
4) Change the Removal Policy from fast to Better Performance in Disk Management for the USB Storage Device.
5) Change USB Thumb Drive and scan for viruses.
6) Run the hotplug utility from the command prompt as admin using the following command;
>RunDLL32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL hotplug.dll

Then Select the Storage Device and click STOP. See the screenshot of the error message stating that the device is not
Removable. I followed each step with a restart. I hope someone can give me better advice than what AI has provided, thanks.
Optimxr

I've never used the eject applet to remove a usb thumb drive. I wait until I'm certain the files are copied and just yank it. Never had any issues.

allan said:

I've never used the eject applet to remove a usb thumb drive. I wait until I'm certain the files are copied and just yank it. Never had any issues.

Click to expand...

Same here...

optimxr said:

the USB Drive disappears from the pop-up window as well as the File Explorer list

Click to expand...

If you don't see in file explorer, take it out.

There are various ways to eject a USB device:


Also:

Thanks all for the replies. Just to be clear, I have had several instances when I removed a flash drive and a external USB drive where the data on the drive was corrupted or disappeared all together as well as the removable drive itself became unusable. This is why I prefer to follow the Microsoft protocol when removing USB drives. I also have 3 other Windows 11 PCs that operate just fine with the same USB drive, so I am inclined to believe there is a issue with this particular PC and the problem has persisted through several Microsoft updates. Yes, I did change the removal policy in the disk Management advanced options but it did not seem to correct the problem either as quick removal or better Performance settings. Maybe I should try disabling my Bitdefender anti-virus as a test or bypass the startup apps. Did I mention that I also recently updated my Asus motherboard BIOS. Any other suggestions are welcomed.
Optimxr

It sounds like there is something that is still accessing the device. If something is writing to the drive as you remove it, the data will be corrupted. Close any programs that could be using it, including File Explorer. Use the task manager to end any process that could be accessing the drive. Also temporarily stop any real time malware protection you have running as it could be getting in the way. Ive seen anti-malware programs cause some pretty interesting issues. You said you updated your BIOS? Did this issue exist before updating the BIOS or after?

Other things to consider:
Try the same thing with a different USB drive and see if it gives you the same issues.
Updating your drivers.
Updating any malware scanners you use.
If this occured after updating the BIOS, it may be worth going through all the settings in the BIOS to see if anything pertaining to the USB ports was added or changed. Make a note of any setting you change incase you need to revert the change. If you have questions about any settings, take a picture of the screen and upload it here. Someone may be able to help. It may come down to downgrading the BIOS to fix the issue.

@optimxr ,

Personally I use the USB Safely Remove program for my two computers. It will tell you what is blocking safe ejection. I much prefer it to the Windows safely eject app.

I have no connection with the company, other than as a very satisfied customer for many years. I have lifetime licenses with free upgrades. I have even purchased copies for friends.

Have a great day.

Regards,
Phil