Computer thinks hardware is connected

[David]

I have no hardware connected to my laptop (no printers, flash drives, iPods,
etc.), but the computer keeps making the "safely remove hardware" beep every
few minutes. The icon to do this quickly appears on the bottom taskbar for a
second. I was able to catch it and open it, but it shows no hardware. How
can I stop the comoputer from thinking something is attached?

 

[Bob F.]

Anything show up in Device Manager?

 

[David]

I don't see anything unusual there. What should I be looking for?
David

 

[Bob F.]

Exclamation marks, red "x"'s. anything out of the ordinary. Did you ever
have a pen drive connected? Maybe it needs to be satisfied if you did.
Plug one in, then remove it. Any other USB device may also fool it.

 

[David]

I only had 2 flash drives connected and my iPod. I don't know what a pen
drive is nor what "needs to be satisfied" means. I did try to plug in the
flash drives and iPod since then. They both disconnected safely, but I'm
still getting the errors and sounds.

David

 

[Bob F.]

Pen drive is another name for a flash drive also sometimes called a thumb
drive...and others. "Needs to be satisfied" as the phrase implied mean "do
what it is asking". If it says "safely remove hardware" then do what it
takes to put in a state where you can do that, and do it. See what happens.
From here you might just find the right combination of plugging and
unplugging to stop your system from complaining.

 

[David]

I assumed that what both terms meant.....just wanted to be sure.
Thanks for the assistance. I'll keep plugging and unplugging. Something's
gotta give.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Unplug and reboot to clear everything.

I assumed that what both terms meant.....just wanted to be sure.
Thanks for the assistance. I'll keep plugging and unplugging. Something's
gotta give.

 

[David]

I plugged and unplugged my flash drives. It hasn't beeped much in the last
hour, but it did beep once or twice!

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

But did you reboot the machine after unplugging the problematic devices?

 

[Scott]

Same problem here also! Also a Dell Inspiron, 1525 to be exact.