Stupid Device currently in use can't eject!!

Have run into this more and more lately and apart from logging out it seems like it's way too complicated to try to find whatever hidden program is using the disk. Ran one game off of the external drive, closed it that's it! but it still won't eject and I'm not risking 1tb of data to just unplug it. Why can't windows just tell me what is in use, is that so hard to put in the notification for M$? GRRRRRRR!!!!

 

I think you got more problems then just windows doing the "Safe to Remove" option going on. If it isn't doing that you got something corrupted either driver or the O/S so it can't identify the unplugged device.

 

It does work most of the time but I've noticed it not working properly more lately and it's a bit unconventional since it's usually when I use a usb3 to sata cable to a 2.5" hdd. I can always get it to work logging off/on. The largest complaint is that it's very hard to find out which process it is because the single game I was using was exited out normally so it's something else. The can't eject message gives no details as to what is blocking it.

 

I too get that can't eject message when using a drive connected to a powered hub. But only sometimes. Can never figure out what causes it. So I just wait till night time when I shut the computer off. Then I unplug the drive from the hub.

 

Power HUB are problematic hardware in themselves. If this isn't connected directly to computer then you would have to check with the manufacture on how to safely remove the device itself.

 

Yeah when it does that I'll just have to logout, what a pain. You would think M$ would have made it so it tells you what is running so you can kill it or even better just kill it when I want to eject, makes too much sense though lol

 

That's not a Microsoft fault. You should complain to the PowerHub support instead.

 

it could be windows search and indexing. I notice this happening more often in external media with bigger storage.

 

Uh does windows EVER say what is being used if it won't safely eject? NOPE.

 

Turned off indexing for that disk and other fixes found online etc etc

 

One thing that I would check is the removable drive properties in Device Manager. Be sure it is set for "Quick removal" (not "Better performance" mode). The problem might be less likely to happen if it is configured that way. But, the drive performance will be slower. Not enough decrease in speed to matter that much with an SSD, but enough that you can feel it with a mechanical HDD.

 

Well that was it Mr Fox. My external drive had Write Caching checked.

 

Yeah did all that already, found that online as one of the fixes. This 1tb 2.5 hdd is mostly for gaming use. I have that set to performance for other externals because when running video to external from it the video is stuttery sometimes. This eject problem happens after using it for gaming on SOME of the games on there not all of them.

 

It's that good old Windoze locking files nonsense. Sometimes the OS gets confused and thinks files are still in use even when they are not. What I have found to work sometimes is to logoff and wait a few seconds, then logon again. That will frequently get the OS to turn loose of the files it mistakenly thinks are still in use.

 

yeah that's what I did do before, the settings with quick removal work too though since you don't have to use safe removal(just confirmed btw) at all just unplug it, problem solved.