Can't remove USB external hard drive

[Ed Y]

I just purchased a USB hard drive to use for backup purposes. Ran complete
image backups on the internal hard drive, no problems. Now when I try to use
the "safely remove hardware" icon in the system tray, it keeps telling me
that the device is in use. I checked Device Manager and the option "optimize
for quick removal" is checked. Indexing is turned off. I can't figure out
what's using it.

What can I do????

Ed

 

[Gilgamesh]

I just purchased a USB hard drive to use for backup purposes. Ran complete
image backups on the internal hard drive, no problems. Now when I try to
use the "safely remove hardware" icon in the system tray, it keeps telling
me that the device is in use. I checked Device Manager and the option
"optimize for quick removal" is checked. Indexing is turned off. I can't
figure out what's using it.

What can I do????

Is System Restore active for the device?
Do you have any other disk utilities that would access it (e.g. Norton
Protected Recycle Bin).

These have caused problems for me with USB drives

 

[Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM]

I just purchased a USB hard drive to use for backup purposes. Ran complete
image backups on the internal hard drive, no problems. Now when I try to
use the "safely remove hardware" icon in the system tray, it keeps telling
me that the device is in use. I checked Device Manager and the option
"optimize for quick removal" is checked. Indexing is turned off. I can't
figure out what's using it.

Do you have a Windows Explorer window open to the drive?
Or any file on the drive open in any program?

 

[Ed Y]

Is System Restore active for the device?
Do you have any other disk utilities that would access it (e.g. Norton
Protected Recycle Bin).

These have caused problems for me with USB drives

No, system restore is not active for the disk. Can't think of anything else
I have that might be using it.

Ed

 

[V Green]

No, system restore is not active for the disk. Can't think of anything else
I have that might be using it.

Ed

Could be antivirus.

Try this:

Close all open programs.
Open Task Manager and get a list of all running processes.
Log off. (NOT restart)
Log back on.
See if you can disconnect the drive. If you can disconnect,
get a list of running processes from Task Manager again.
Compare the two lists and try to find any "missing" processes.
(hopefully only one)
They would be what is using the drive.

 

[the wharf rat]

What can I do????

Pick up the PC and shake it. That little USB drive will fall right
out if you shake it hard enough!

All kidding aside, just make sure all the (My) Computer windows
and all the Word windows and all the Notepad windows and etc. are closed
then click remove 2 or 3 times in a row. Bet it works.

 

[Ed Y]

Pick up the PC and shake it. That little USB drive will fall right
out if you shake it hard enough!

All kidding aside, just make sure all the (My) Computer windows
and all the Word windows and all the Notepad windows and etc. are closed
then click remove 2 or 3 times in a row. Bet it works.

No windows open at all. Tried to remove it 5-6 times in a row. Event Viewer
shows "thread ID 4" in the error message but that might be the guy that's
issuing the message. Guess I need to figure out in "process explorer" how to
try and track it down.

 

[Nial]

I just purchased a USB hard drive to use for backup purposes. Ran complete
image backups on the internal hard drive, no problems. Now when I try to use
the "safely remove hardware" icon in the system tray, it keeps telling me
that the device is in use. I checked Device Manager and the option "optimize
for quick removal" is checked. Indexing is turned off. I can't figure out
what's using it.

What can I do????

Ed

In my experience, it is Vista's indexing service which is using your usb
hard disk. the same thing happened to me a while back. the moment i
attached the usb hard disk, the light started blinking, even tho i
hadn't done anything yet. when i tried to stop it, i got the same error.

Some time later, while on another housekeeping chore, i was browsing
through the indexing service properties -- forget where i saw them and
noticed that there was an option to exclude external usb devices, or
something to that effect ... ticked that and the problem went away.

hope this helps.

 

[Ed Y]

In my experience, it is Vista's indexing service which is using your usb
hard disk. the same thing happened to me a while back. the moment i
attached the usb hard disk, the light started blinking, even tho i hadn't
done anything yet. when i tried to stop it, i got the same error.

Some time later, while on another housekeeping chore, i was browsing
through the indexing service properties -- forget where i saw them and
noticed that there was an option to exclude external usb devices, or
something to that effect ... ticked that and the problem went away.

hope this helps.

Read my 1st post. Indexing was turned off for the drive.

Ed

 

[Nial]

Read my 1st post. Indexing was turned off for the drive.

Ed

Yes I _did_ notice that. Just gave you my experience, because I didn't
remember whether _my_ indexing was off or not for my drive. Sorry I
wasn't able to be of much help...

 

[Ed Y]

Goto index service exclude, click on more locations, un-select
"Off-line Files" That should do it.

I don't understand what you're referring to. Can you expand on "index
service exclude"??

 

[Ed Y]

Control Panel > Indexing Options > Modify

There you need to un-check the Offline Files Box

There is no Offline Files Box. I have indexing turned off anyway.