Windows 7: Safely remove hardware and eject media - Does not detect new HDD

I have an internal "hot swap" bay for SATA drives. If I don't use Window's 'Safely remove hardware and eject media' to "eject" the HDD before removing it, I can reinsert the HDD or any other HDD and Windows will automatically find it and add it to 'My Computer'.

If I use Window's 'Safely remove hardware and eject media' before physically removing the drive, Windows does not recognize the HDD or any other HDD when I insert one in the bay. I have to go into the Device manager and scan for new hardware.

Is this normal? Is using Window's 'Safely remove hardware and eject media' necessary?

It does help prevent read/write errors if you are confident the drive is not in the process of reading or writing it should generally be safe to just yank it. However it does hold a small chance of causing problems which is why the feature is there in the first place.

If I knew which portion of rundll32 controls that function I could even make you a shortcut for 'scan for new hardware' unfortunately I don't have that info... nor does anyone else from a quick web search...

Thanks Maguscreed.

I found a solution that seems to work pretty well.

HotSwap!

Now if there was an easy way to remove and keep from loading the 'Safely remove hardware and eject media' icon from the systray. I found a couple of tuturials but I do not like the way they work.

did not know that worked with win 7.
good to know!