Problem Ejecting USB Mass Storage Device

[Robert M. Lincoln]

I've recently had a problem clicking on the icon (system tray I believe its
called) that ejects a USB hard drive.

The error message says, "The device 'Generic volume' cannot be stopped right
now. Try stopping the device again later."

Well, it never happens after waiting. This use to work all the time. It
may have started after I updated to SP2. I don't remember. To eject the
drive (safely), I turn off my system.

Any fix?

Thanks

 

[Ian Hoare]

Salut/Hi Robert M. Lincoln,

le/on Sun, 30 Jan 2005 06:22:50 -0800, tu disais/you said:-

I've recently had a problem clicking on the icon (system tray I believe its
called) that ejects a USB hard drive.

The error message says, "The device 'Generic volume' cannot be stopped right
now. Try stopping the device again later."

Well, it never happens after waiting. This use to work all the time. It
may have started after I updated to SP2. I don't remember. To eject the
drive (safely), I turn off my system.

Any fix?

Yup, that happens to me from time to time. Don't worry. _Right (context)_
click on the icon, you get a little window. Click on that and it gives
another (no, I don't know why it happens like that either). Click on "stop"
and you'll find it had already done so, and you can remove the drive. Nope,
it's not a bug, it's a "feature".

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Do any of the devices showing in the Device Manager have a question or
exclamation point on them?

 

[Robert M. Lincoln]

No, and in fact, when I check device manager, under Properties|Policies for
the drive, the setting is for "Optimize for quick removal", so that
theoretically, I shouldn't have to use the "Safe Removal" icon. But I
always have and would like to in the future.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

I take it that you do not have any problem with access to the drive.
Describe the drive. Is it a one-touch drive? Is it usb1.1 or usb2? What
happens in My Computer if you simply unplug the usb connector? What happens
in My Computer when you plug it back in?

 

[Robert M. Lincoln]

Doesn't work. I get the same message:

"The device 'Generic volume' cannot be stopped right now. Try stopping the
device again later."

 

[Robert M. Lincoln]

I take it that you do not have any problem with access to the drive.

That's correct, it works fine.

Describe the drive. Is it a one-touch drive? Is it usb1.1 or usb2?

It is a 30 GB USB 2.0 hard drive device (SimpleTech SimpleDrive)

What happens in My Computer if you simply unplug the usb connector? What
happens in My Computer when you plug it back in?

When I unplug the drive, the icon goes away in "My Computer". No error
message.

When I plug it back in, the drive icon reappears in "My Computer".

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

I thought so. It is not necessary to use the Safely Remove Hardware. It's
function with regards to a drive is to flush the writes out to the drive
before releasing it. It is probably the fault of the controller. The SRH
task may actually be working but is not getting the right signal back from
the drive. Other than being observant of the drive activity light, there
may not be anything more you can do. I have a drive like that.

 

[Ian Hoare]

Salut/Hi Robert M. Lincoln,

le/on Sun, 30 Jan 2005 21:44:35 -0800, tu disais/you said:-

Doesn't work. I get the same message:

"The device 'Generic volume' cannot be stopped right now. Try stopping the
device again later."

Really? How odd. Click it again. I've never had the message repeated.

What kind of drive are you running? Maybe the manufacturer can answer you.
My Freecom always gives in after one attempt!

 

[Guest]

I have been having a similar problem that I thought I had fixed, but I've
upgraded to SP2, installed Norton System Works, Vmware virtual PC, Drive
Image...

Now I can NEVER get "Safely Remove Hardware" to find the device not "busy" as
to allow logical dismount.

The purpose of using Safely Remove Hardware is the combination of stopping
all future activity (writes in particular) after flushing any cached data.
This is to insure that pulling the USB/Firewire plug or turning off power
does not damage the data believed to be on that device.

Unfortuneately all the new services that are there for backup and security
seem to notice a "New Device" and start monitoring it, protecting it or such,
grabbing a handle and never letting go. Device is permanently in use. (The
V2i service monitors disk traffic to allow backup of the boot (system) device
in WINDOWS instead of having to boot "Dos", Norton tries to PROTECT the
Recycle Bin, XP has _RECOVER stuff going on, ...). There is a good reason
they tell the XP that something is open, they may want to write something to
the device if they notice activity from which they are PROTECTING you.

My problem is that I don't know ALL of the services that do this. I used to
be able to Safely Remove after stopping the Norton Protected Recycle and the
V2i protector.
I can see these two services access the USB drive by using FILEMON utility
(not from MS). If I wait a while I now see a process (about which there is no
available information) "System 4", which occassionally does IRP_MU_WRITE* to
root of drive.

What service is "System 4"? Part of SP2? I think if I can STOP this service,
I can safely rmove again.