Troubleshooting and fixing the issue of not being able to disconnect a USB device from Windows.

After using a USB drive, you want to safely disconnect it from your computer using Windows' default 'Safely remove hardware' feature, but you're unable to do so. TipsMake will guide you on how to handle this error in the article below.

USB drives are a compact and widely used means of storing and transferring data. However, errors can sometimes occur: inability to format the USB drive, inability to safely eject the USB drive from the computer, etc. Below, TipsMake will guide you on how to fix the problem of not being able to disconnect a USB drive from Windows.

Picture 1 of Troubleshooting and fixing the issue of not being able to disconnect a USB device from Windows.

Instructions on how to fix the issue of USB disconnection with Windows.

Case 1:

This error might be caused by a program still running on the USB drive, preventing you from disconnecting it from Windows. Check if any programs or tasks are running on the USB drive and close them to be able to disconnect it from Windows.

Case 2:

If you're certain that no programs or tasks are running on your USB drive, but you still can't disconnect it from Windows, it's very likely your USB drive is infected with a virus. In this case, it's recommended that you copy all important data from the USB drive and format it to avoid any potential data loss. After formatting, your USB drive should work normally again.

Tip: If you are unable to format the USB drive, you can refer to Troubleshooting USB Formatting Errors.

If that doesn't work, you can use Unlocker software to quickly and easily disconnect the USB drive from your computer. Simply right-click on the USB drive and select Unlocker, then close all running processes and select Quit .

Picture 2 of Troubleshooting and fixing the issue of not being able to disconnect a USB device from Windows.

You can download the latest version of Unlocker here.


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