Solved Windows 11 wont eject any external HDD used by Explorer.exe and no search History Save

hello please help i am unable to eject external HDD i tried all 4 i have, works fine on my old win 10 and 7.

1. Not able to eject External HDD no ejection option when right clicking on drive

2. If i tell it to eject using Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media icon ( in Notification Area), it says being used by other program when its not and if i try again it hangs system.

3. Win Restart does not work for me to solve this HDD issue it still remains in same state with Win 11 saying its being used by some program.. " Explore.exe " if i look in using program 'Filelocksmith ' only way out is shutdown or sleep i think.

4. I have tried changing policy to performance from quick removal did not work either.

5. Why no file search history showing ? its just dazzling/appalling how broken win 11 is. It seems the most import tasks they have given to Noobs, even for look more options when right click we have edit register to see all options all the time.

6. Antivirus is Dr Web ( dont have it on any other system than this new one) but i don't think its likely the issue.

7. HDD has nothing open but i can hear it spin. This was case with 10 and 7 too but when i use to give to command to eject it would stop spinning and eject. Here they keep spinning. I tired the drives in old system no problem. win 7 and win 10.

Specs:
Mobo: MAG B650 TOMAHAWK WIFI
CPU: 7800x3d
GPU: 1650 Super
Ram: 16gb
Keyboard/mouse: Wireless USB Logitech
HDD: NVME Samsung 990 PRO

Don't have an answer for #4 but for ejecting I have an icon in the Notification Area for the Safely Remove, looks like a thumb drive.



To get icons right-click the Taskbar then click Taskbar settings to get more choices, turn On or Off.

Berton said:

Don't have an answer for #4 but for ejecting I have an icon in the Notification Area for the Safely Remove, looks like a thumb drive.

View attachment 88614

To get icons right-click the Taskbar then click Taskbar settings to get more choices, turn On or Off.

View attachment 88619

Click to expand...

yes i got that only too. my point 2. but it hangs my system instead if i try 1 time and then try again even if i wait for like 10 min plus between 2.

If the drive is still in use, even just open in File Explorer, any programs using it need to be closed. If not wanting to reboot try Task Manager, Restart File Explorer/Windows Explorer [not all names got changed in Win11].

no nothing is open, i even restarted system with HDD connected nothing still wont disconnect it even after restart. Then i tried to connect HDD after restart and and without opening anything tried to remove HDD did not work. I have tried with like 5 different WD external HDD none work and hangs if i try again, after i get can't eject its being used by some program error...

Only thing works is either shutdown or log off that too without clicking on safety remove HDD otherwise system hangs and have to reset instead.

anant1001 said:

1. Not able to eject External HDD no ejection option when right clicking on drive

Click to expand...

Only USB flash drives can be ejected from File Explorer, as they are classed as Removable media. A USB HDD is not.

anant1001 said:

2. If i tell it to eject using Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media icon, it says being used by other program when its not and if i try again it hangs system

Click to expand...

I see that sometimes. I find that it can help to sign out, then back in again. That usually closes any processes that may be using the USB HDD.

Restart [not reset or log off] will work but have to be watchful so as to pull the drive cable out while the screen is totally black, before the computer logo shows. I have 4 USB HDD drives connected but they are on a self-powered USB 3 Hub with individual switches for controlling them, don't have to unplug.

restart does not work for me HDD still remains in same state with Win 11 saying its being used by some program.. explore.exe if i look in using program 'Filelocksmith ' only way out is shutdown or sleep i think.

anant1001 said:

I have tried with like 5 different WD external HDD....

Click to expand...

That is a very big clue. There is a driver for WD USB HDDs that you may have had installed on your system as an optional update. This may be what's keeping you WD drives in use.

wdcsam64_prewin8.sys gets installed by Windows Update as an optional driver update if you have ever used a WD external usb HDD on your system. It is only ever needed if you want to use the WD encryption software that WD supply with their external usb drives. You can uninstall the driver by uninstalling the WD SES Device in Device Manager.

The WD SES Device only shows in Device Manager while a WD usb drive is plugged in. To see (and be able to uninstall it along with its driver) at any other time you need to tell Device Manager to 'View > Show hidden devices'.

I will give that a try, ty in morning today. I had tried with a HP pen drive too, only was able to remove it once that too after long wait of about 2 min when i did even open the USB drive. Earlier 4 attempts it hanged the system when trying to remove it.

Drive was bootable Win 7 drive. Again no issue with it on my win 7 laptop and my old PC win 10 it disconnects instantly.

That WD SES device has 2 entries in my Device Manager but they have never been enabled/installed.

1. I am yet to replug and uninstall if any drivers on elements WD SES . But i was wondering why Nvidia installed their USB drivers too, this board MSI B650 does have 2, USB C ports. My graphic card 1650 super is connected to DVI has no USB ports. Audio is via USB port using Creative sound blaster play 3.







2. I got a new USB drive ( HP ) 3.2 today. it works fine ejecting by right clicking instantly, going in This PC. I checked all ports with on the mobo. Its on FAT 32, all my other Drives ( WD Elements) are on NTFS.

The other old HP Pen drive i tried is USB 2 on NTFS (but that should not be the problem i think.), where Win 11 again wont eject it and hanged my system atleast 2 times.

i still don't know why right click option is not coming for WD Elements in file explorer by going in This Device, idk why MS even changed name for My computer to This Device. Jeez. ! i am getting both option in both win 10 and win 7 and have no problem with the drivers there. Even here a user says his passport does give option of eject in file explorer of Eject.
This device is currently in use @mackie

Bree said:

That is a very big clue. There is a driver for WD USB HDDs that you may have had installed on your system as an optional update. This may be what's keeping you WD drives in use.

wdcsam64_prewin8.sys gets installed by Windows Update as an optional driver update if you have ever used a WD external usb HDD on your system. It is only ever needed if you want to use the WD encryption software that WD supply with their external usb drives. You can uninstall the driver by uninstalling the WD SES Device in Device Manager.

The WD SES Device only shows in Device Manager while a WD usb drive is plugged in. To see (and be able to uninstall it along with its driver) at any other time you need to tell Device Manager to 'View > Show hidden devices'.

Click to expand...

hey this with this with WD elements plugged in no such driver i think its for passport only mine is elements

if run command RunDll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL hotplug.dll i get the drive is non removeable lol Win 11 screw up ? , looks like windows is thinking it as internal HDD.

A follow-up to my reply at #11, I transferred 1.5TB of data to the WD 2TB drive in a drive dock that I had started at the time of that post. It finished early this A.M., I closed File Explorer, waited a few moments then removed the drive from the dock, no issues.

Update: Had to do fresh win install form Microsoft which was pre updated using USB stick and problem solved took 18 plus hours though to get this resolved !

ty to all who tried to help :)