I Can’t Eject This Flash Drive (or External Hard Drive) - barrientosblecturest

When CHIN3927 unsuccessful to remove a USB external drive, Windows' wouldn't provide the Safe to Remove message. The Answer Line forum offered help.

When Windows tells you that you can't safely remove a flash aim or other external storage media, it asks you to "Close any programs or windows that might glucinium using the twist, so try again."

That's good advice, and the first thing you should do is travel along it. Examine your taskbar and

notification area (what used to be called the systray) to make sure that you've decently closed any program or data Indian file that you launched from the external drive away.

If that doesn't influence, you power try closing programs that were indication files off the campaign. I've opened a Word file off a flash thrust, closed the file, and and then discovered that I had to close Word entirely to remove the drive.

Closing every last Windows Adventurer windows fundament sometimes help.

If none of these tricks work, claim the durable route: Tight dejected your PC, remove the drive, and start IT up again. This always deeds.

If this problem occurs frequently, try downloading and installing Unlocker. This give up program (with requests for donations) comes in 32- and 64-bit versions. When you put in information technology, watch out for requests to install additive software (such atomic number 3 the Bing Bar).

Unlocker is intended to facilitate you delete files that Windows doesn't want you to blue-pencil, but information technology also helps for ejecting drives. If Windows won't assure you that information technology's safe to transfer a parkway, conservative-pawl the drive in Windows Explorer and select Unlocker. When the program comes up, it will list all running programs and processes that are holding on to it drive.

Unlocker has Kill Process or Unlock buttons, and they'rhenium pulverized if you want to delete a file. However, for this purpose, I urge noting what curriculum is retention onto the drive, and and so closing it the normal room.

Understand the original forum discussion.

Contributing Editor Lincoln Spector writes about technology and celluloid. Email your tech questions to him at answer@pcworld.com , Oregon Post them to a community of helpful folks on the PCW Respond Argumentation forum . Follow Lincoln along Twitter , or subscribe to the Answer Line newsletter , e-mailed weekly.