Can't Eject External Hard Drive in Windows 10

Some users have reported that they cannot safely eject their external hard drive like USB ones, etc. This problem is usually caused by other processes using the contents of the disk or by Windows USB drivers preventing the removal of the external disk.. Users have reported that they cannot eject their hard drive using the option $ 0027 Safely remove hardware and eject media $ 0027 found at the bottom left of the taskbar.

To ensure the security and integrity of your external hardware, it is always recommended to remove the drive only when no other process is using it. The drive will most likely be damaged or corrupted if you recklessly eject it. However, to help you solve your problem, you can follow the solutions below.

External hard drive ejection problem safely

What prevents users from safely ejecting their external drive in Windows 10?

If you cannot safely eject the external drive and the option “Safely remove hardware and eject media” is dimmed, the problem is usually due to the following factors:

• The contents of the drive are being used. . Whether the files stored on the external drive are used by background processes or applications, can cause the problem.
• Windows USB drivers . Sometimes, outdated or malfunctioning USB drivers on your system can cause mishaps.

To avoid your problem, follow the solutions listed below in the same order they were provided.

Solution 1: reboot system

The first step to solve your problem would be to reboot your machine. When you restart your machine, all current applications and third-party processes will be closed and, when the system reboots again, there will be no applications that use the files stored on the external hard drive. However, you can also finish these tasks using Task Manager, which takes a lot of time, and since rebooting is much faster and more efficient, you should reboot the system instead of ending tasks using Task Manager. Once the system has rebooted, try ejecting the external drive.

Solution 2: run the Windows Hardware and Devices troubleshooter

Built-in troubleshooters are there for a reason and should be used when needed. In this case, since you have problems with your external hardware, running the hardware and devices troubleshooter might fix your problem. Then, explains how to run the troubleshooter:

1. Press the Windows key + I to open Settings.

2. Go to Update and security.

3. Navigate to the troubleshooting panel.

4. Scroll down and find $ 0027 Hardware and Devices $ 0027.

5. Select it and click $ 0027 Run the troubleshooter for $ 0027. Run the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter

Solution 3: eject the drive using disk management

Disk Management is a utility built into Windows that allows you to manage all the disks or drives connected to the system. If you cannot eject the drive with the option “Safely remove hardware and eject media”, you can easily remove the drive safely with Disk Management tool. Here's how to do it:

1. Go to the Start menu, type Disk Management and press Enter.

2. Find the external hard drive you want to eject.

3. Right click on your external hard drive and select $ 0027 Expel $ 0027. Eject the external drive using disk management

Note:

It is important to note that once you eject the external hard drive, will appear as Offline. Therefore, next time you want to use the drive on your system, make sure to change the status to Online in Disk Management.

Solution 4: update USB drivers

The last step to solve this problem would be to check the USB drivers using Device Manager. To solve the problem, you will have to see if the drivers work properly or not. Here's how to do it:

1. Go to the start menu, type Device Manager and open it.

2. Expand the list of universal serial bus controllers.

3. Look for an entry with a yellow exclamation mark. If there is, right click on it and select $ 0027 Update driver software $ 0027.

4. If there are no exclamation marks, uninstall the driver and reboot the system so that it can be installed again automatically. Uninstall the USB driver