What's happened to USB SAFE REMOVE?


V

verbal_666

Member
Local time
4:41 PM
Posts
7
OS
Windows 11
Hi.
After updating from W11/24H2 to 25H2, i can't use anymore the USB SAFE REMOVE for all my devices.
Previously, devices were detected as removable storage, now i see them as BDR, is this normal (F: is phycisal BDR, G: is an USB 256GB MEDIA) ?

1766398969886.webp

Let's try,

1766399043239.webp

Nope!

1766399052908.webp

Let's try another way,

1766399074154.webp

OK, is safety removed,

1766399099099.webp


Is this a (new) bug? In 24H2 i did not have this strange issue.
Thanks 👍👍👍
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11Ryzen 7 5800X32GBNvidia RTX 4060
OS
Windows 11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Assembled
CPU
Ryzen 7 5800X
Motherboard
Gigabyte B450 Gaming X
Memory
32GB
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia RTX 4060
Sound Card
Realtek
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 32"
Screen Resolution
QHD
Hard Drives
M.2 240GB
HDD 2TB
HDD 8TB
HDD 16TB
PSU
Corsair 650W
Case
ATX
verbal_666 said:
Previously, devices were detected as removable storage, now i see them as BDR, is this normal
Click to expand...

If the drive is a BD-ROM or BD-RE, then it is being detected correctly.

verbal_666 said:
After updating from W11/24H2 to 25H2, i can't use anymore the USB SAFE REMOVE for all my devices.
Click to expand...

I get the same error message on a USB external hard drive, but not on a USB stick. I'm using Windows 11 25H2.

"Windows can't stop your 'Volume' device because a program is still using it. Close any programs that might be using the device, and then try again later."

1.webp

2.webp

3.webp
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProAMD Ryzen 9 9950X3DKingston FURY Beast 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 6000MT/sASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 9070 OC Edition 16G...
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
    Motherboard
    ASRock B650E Taichi Lite
    Memory
    Kingston FURY Beast 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 6000MT/s
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 9070 OC Edition 16GB GDDR6
    Hard Drives
    Solidigm P44 Pro 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeIntel Core Ultra 9 275HX64GB (2x 32GB) DDR5-6400NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 16GB GDDR7 Laptop GPU
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 16"
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
    Memory
    64GB (2x 32GB) DDR5-6400
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 16GB GDDR7 Laptop GPU
    Hard Drives
    2x 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD (SK Hynix)
Celery said:
If the drive is a BD-ROM or BD-RE, then it is being detected correctly.
Click to expand...

I wrote it's not a BDR... but the icon seems to be...

1766412567745.webp

F: is the BDR, G: is 128GB USB STORAGE PEN... i previously wrote 256GB, my fault, but it's the same.

Celery said:
I get the same error message on a USB external hard drive, but not on a USB stick. I'm using Windows 11 25H2.
Click to expand...

Same with all my HDDs, i have 3. In 25H2 i can't safetly remove them anymore.

Celery said:
"Windows can't stop your 'Volume' device because a program is still using it. Close any programs that might be using the device, and then try again later."

View attachment 157721

View attachment 157722

View attachment 157723
Click to expand...

I think this is a bug!!! Luckily it's a side bug, not very important. But i'm asking if they know it 🙄🙄🙄

See if they fix it.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11Ryzen 7 5800X32GBNvidia RTX 4060
OS
Windows 11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Assembled
CPU
Ryzen 7 5800X
Motherboard
Gigabyte B450 Gaming X
Memory
32GB
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia RTX 4060
Sound Card
Realtek
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 32"
Screen Resolution
QHD
Hard Drives
M.2 240GB
HDD 2TB
HDD 8TB
HDD 16TB
PSU
Corsair 650W
Case
ATX
Safely Remove USB drives is always there even for my Windows 11 (25H2) that was once 24H2 and had been 23H2 before (upgraded, upgarded, upgraded).

Sometimes it takes too long for USB hard drives of large size to be allowed removal due to the fact, I believe, that Windows Defender starts checking the files/folders on the external drive and/or indexing them.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro build 26200.8524Intel i7-4790Teams DDR3-1600 4x4 GBMSI Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro build 26200.8524
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-4790
    Motherboard
    Asus H97 Pro Gamer with add-on TPM1.2 module
    Memory
    Teams DDR3-1600 4x4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1150
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell P2425D
    Screen Resolution
    2560 by 1440 pixels
    Hard Drives
    Corsair NVMe M.2 Core XT 1000 GB (Windows 11 v.25H2); Samsung SATA Evo 870 500 GB (Windows 11 v.25H2);
    PSU
    Corsair HX850
    Case
    Gigabyte Solo 210
    Cooling
    Zalman CNPS7X Tower
    Keyboard
    Microsoft AIO Wireless (includes touchpad)
    Mouse
    HP S1000 Plus Wireless
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb fiber optic
    Browser
    Chrome; MS Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender

  • At a glance

    MacOS 12 MontereyIntel Core i58 GBIntel integrated
    Operating System
    MacOS 12 Monterey
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Apple Macbook Air
    CPU
    Intel Core i5
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel integrated
    Screen Resolution
    1440 by 900 pixels
    Hard Drives
    128 GB
    Keyboard
    Built-in
    Mouse
    Microsoft Wireless
    Internet Speed
    802.11 ac
    Browser
    Chrome; Safari
    Antivirus
    N/A
Here is how USB “Safely Remove” (Safe Eject) works in Windows 11 25H2 and what actually happens under the hood:


1. Two possible removal policies for USB storage devices
Windows defines two policies for external USB storage devices (thumb drives, external SSDs/HDDs): Quick removal and Better performance. Microsoft Learn+1


  • Quick removal (default in modern Windows 10/11).
    • Write caching is disabled.
    • You can physically unplug the device at any time without using the Safely Remove option, provided no active operation is happening. Microsoft Learn+1
  • Better performance.
    • Write caching is enabled.
    • This gives better data throughput but means Windows may still have buffered (not yet physically written) data for the device.
    • In this case, you must use the Safely Remove process before unplugging or you risk losing or corrupting data. Microsoft Learn
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two Other systems

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8894AMD Ryzen 7 5825U with Radeon Graphics16GB
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8894
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acemagic LX15PRO
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5825U with Radeon Graphics
    Motherboard
    BIOS CT_BI_AMI_LX15PRO_AB8139_A-004
    Memory
    16GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD 2TB
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot SecureAnywhere Complete beta

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506Atom N450 1.66GHz2GB
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot
  • Acer Swift SF114-34 laptop
    OS Windows 11 Pro 26200.8894
    CPU Pentium Silver N6000
    RAM 4GB
    BIOS v1.17
    SSD Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD 2TB (an upgrade)

To enable write caching on a USB drive​


  1. Insert the USB drive
  2. Press Win + X → select Device Manager
  3. Expand Disk drives
  4. Right-click the USB drive (identify it carefully) → Properties
  5. Open the Policies tab
  6. Select Better performance
  7. Tick Enable write caching on the device
  8. Click OK

That enables write caching for that specific USB device.


Important consequences (non-negotiable)​


  • You must use “Safely remove hardware” before unplugging the drive.
  • Unplugging without safe removal risks data corruption.
  • Windows defaults to Quick removal precisely to avoid this risk.

If you do not see a “Policies” tab​


  • The device firmware may not support caching.
  • Some cheap flash drives deliberately disable it.
  • USB sticks formatted with certain removable-media flags may hide the option.

To verify it is active​


  • Reopen Device Manager → Disk drives → Properties → Policies
  • Confirm Better performance remains selected after a reboot.

Performance reality check​


  • Write caching mainly improves many small writes.
  • Large sequential copies often show little or no improvement.
  • On modern USB 3.x flash drives, gains are usually modest.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two Other systems

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8894AMD Ryzen 7 5825U with Radeon Graphics16GB
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8894
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acemagic LX15PRO
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5825U with Radeon Graphics
    Motherboard
    BIOS CT_BI_AMI_LX15PRO_AB8139_A-004
    Memory
    16GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD 2TB
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot SecureAnywhere Complete beta

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506Atom N450 1.66GHz2GB
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot
  • Acer Swift SF114-34 laptop
    OS Windows 11 Pro 26200.8894
    CPU Pentium Silver N6000
    RAM 4GB
    BIOS v1.17
    SSD Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD 2TB (an upgrade)
Celery said:
If the drive is a BD-ROM or BD-RE, then it is being detected correctly.



I get the same error message on a USB external hard drive, but not on a USB stick. I'm using Windows 11 25H2.

"Windows can't stop your 'Volume' device because a program is still using it. Close any programs that might be using the device, and then try again later."

View attachment 157721

View attachment 157722

View attachment 157723
Click to expand...
Things changed ages ago - you only need to safely eject usb flash drives these days.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ16 GB solderedIntegrated Intel Iris XE
OS
Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
ASUS Zenbook 14
CPU
I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ
Motherboard
Yep, Laptop has one.
Memory
16 GB soldered
Graphics Card(s)
Integrated Intel Iris XE
Sound Card
Realtek built in
Monitor(s) Displays
laptop OLED screen
Screen Resolution
2880x1800 touchscreen
Hard Drives
1 TB NVME SSD (only weakness is only one slot)
PSU
Internal + 65W thunderbolt USB4 charger
Case
Yep, got one
Cooling
Stella Artois (UK pint cans - 568 ml) - extra cost.
Keyboard
Built in UK keybd
Mouse
Bluetooth , wireless dongled, wired
Internet Speed
900 mbs (ethernet), wifi 6 typical 350-450 mb/s both up and down
Browser
Edge
Antivirus
Defender
Other Info
TPM 2.0, 2xUSB4 thunderbolt, 1xUsb3 (usb a), 1xUsb-c, hdmi out, 3.5 mm audio out/in combo, ASUS backlit trackpad (inc. switchable number pad)

Macrium Reflect Home V8
Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)
suatcini54 said:
Safely Remove USB drives is always there even for my Windows 11 (25H2) that was once 24H2 and had been 23H2 before (upgraded, upgarded, upgraded).

Sometimes it takes too long for USB hard drives of large size to be allowed removal due to the fact, I believe, that Windows Defender starts checking the files/folders on the external drive and/or indexing them.
Click to expand...

On 24H2 the remove was immediate, after few seconds. Now also waiting 5 minutes, it exits with error.

The only way on 25H2 is,

1766416322384.webp

🤷‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11Ryzen 7 5800X32GBNvidia RTX 4060
OS
Windows 11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Assembled
CPU
Ryzen 7 5800X
Motherboard
Gigabyte B450 Gaming X
Memory
32GB
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia RTX 4060
Sound Card
Realtek
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 32"
Screen Resolution
QHD
Hard Drives
M.2 240GB
HDD 2TB
HDD 8TB
HDD 16TB
PSU
Corsair 650W
Case
ATX
Fun! Now the SAFETY REMOVE works again. I did nothing. Insert pen drive, write some files, wait till led stops, remove,

1766418667370.webp

What a very very strange behavious. I swear it did not work from weeks!!! :boom:

Better so ;-)
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11Ryzen 7 5800X32GBNvidia RTX 4060
OS
Windows 11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Assembled
CPU
Ryzen 7 5800X
Motherboard
Gigabyte B450 Gaming X
Memory
32GB
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia RTX 4060
Sound Card
Realtek
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 32"
Screen Resolution
QHD
Hard Drives
M.2 240GB
HDD 2TB
HDD 8TB
HDD 16TB
PSU
Corsair 650W
Case
ATX
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Safe Mode - Something happened and your PIN isn't available
Replies
12
Views
46K
gunrunnerjohn
gunrunnerjohn
What's happened to the taskbar calendar app (click on time on taskbar)
Replies
4
Views
12K
LesFerch
LesFerch

Latest Support Threads

Latest Tutorials

Back
Top Bottom