How to fix the 'Problem ejecting mass storage device' message on Windows 10

How to Fix Problem Ejecting USB Mass Storage Device Windows 10/8/7

1. Close All Opened Files and Programs.
2. Run an Anti-virus Scan.
3. Disable Computer Security Software for Now.
4. Use Task Manager to Eject USB.
5. Eject USB Device via Device Manager.
6. Remove USB with Disk Management.
7. Eject USB in This PC.
8. Log Off and On Computer.

1. How do I remove USB mass storage device?
2. How do I force eject a drive in Windows 10?
3. Why can't I eject my external hard drive Windows 10?
4. Why won't my computer let me eject my USB?
5. Is it safe to remove USB without ejecting?
6. What happens if you remove USB without ejecting?
7. Can't eject hard drive says in use?
8. Is it bad to force eject external hard drive?
9. Can't remove this device while it's in use?
10. How do I disconnect external hard drive when computer doesn't allow it?
11. How do I safely eject an external hard drive?
12. How can I tell what program is using my flash drive?

How do I remove USB mass storage device?

Right click My Computer and click Manage. Then select Disk Management under Storage from the left panel. Step 2 Locate and right click the drive that you want to remove safely and click Eject. If you want to eject external hard drive, you would see the option Offline instead of Eject.

How do I force eject a drive in Windows 10?

Here's how to do it:

1. Go to the Start Menu, type in Disk Management and hit Enter.
2. Locate the external hard drive that you want to eject.
3. Right-click on your external hard drive and select 'Eject'. Ejecting External Drive using Disk Management.

Why can't I eject my external hard drive Windows 10?

If you can't eject the external hard drive, you can reboot or turn off your computer, and this will close all programs and processes to make sure no programs are using the files on the external hard drive. After your computer restarts or turns off, you can try to eject the external hard drive.

Why won't my computer let me eject my USB?

Make sure no USB file is in use

Your computer won't eject USB drives if there is any file, folder or app in use. ... Also, make sure that your antivirus is not currently scanning your USB device for malware and virus infections as this may also prevent you from removing the USB device.

Is it safe to remove USB without ejecting?

Ultimately, no matter which option you use, you should use the Safely Remove Hardware icon and eject your device before unplugging it. You can also right-click it in the Computer window and select Eject. Windows will tell you when it's safe to remove the device, eliminating any changes of data corruption.

What happens if you remove USB without ejecting?

When you remove a flash drive without warning the computer first, it might not have finished writing to the drive." This means that pulling your external drive out without warning could result in the file you just saved being lost forever - even if you saved it hours ago.

Can't eject hard drive says in use?

Eject the USB in Device Manager

Navigate to Start -> Control Panel -> Hardware and Sound -> Device Manager. Click Disk Drives. All the storage devices that are connected to your PC will be displayed. Right-click the device that has the problem to eject, and then select Uninstall.

Is it bad to force eject external hard drive?

The biggest problem would be if you were to corrupt the USB drive itself—the file system metadata could be ruined, meaning the drive wouldn't know where things are stored. ... “Failure to safely eject the drive may potentially damage the data due to processes happening in the system background that are unseen to the user.”

Can't remove this device while it's in use?

Re-eject the device with the taskbar

Eject and re-eject the device with the taskbar if the device is currently in use issue. By double-clicking on this PC in the pop-up window, select the external device with the right mouse button. You will see the line “Safely remove the device”; click on it.

How do I disconnect external hard drive when computer doesn't allow it?

Double-click on Computer to open it, then right-click on the external drive's drive letter (for example, E:) and select Properties. Uncheck the Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed in addition to file properties box. Then retry the Safe Removal.

How do I safely eject an external hard drive?

How to safely eject an external USB hard drive on Windows

1. Navigate to the bottom right corner of the bottom toolbar.
2. If the USB icon is hidden, click the Up arrow.
3. Locate the USB icon and find your external hard drive.
4. Click Eject, and wait for a message stating it's safe to disconnect. A bell noise should also play.

How can I tell what program is using my flash drive?

For me (Windows 7).

1. Hit Windows key.
2. In "search programs and files: type: diskmgmt.msc.
3. In search list find entry and right click - select run as administrator.
4. Enter admin credentials to run "Disk Management" (if required)
5. Find offending usb drive that won't eject in disk list.
6. Left hand panel, right click select "Eject"