Safely Remove Hardware - Eject Device

How to Use Safely Remove Hardware to Eject a Device in Windows 7 and Windows 8​

   Information

This tutorial will show you how to use Safely Remove Hardware in Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, and Windows RT to safely shutdown and eject a storage device before just unplugging or disconnecting it to help prevent accidental data loss if data were still being copied or saved to or from the device. For example, if you have write caching enable on the device.

   Tip

To have access to an external drive (ex: USB key) again after you have already ejected it using Safely Remove Hardware, you will just need to unplug it and plug it back in, or restart the PC.


Available Hotfix:

• USB Port Remains Active for Disabled or Safely Removed USB Device

   Warning

It is not recommended to eject an internal drive. If you do, then restarting the computer will allow you to have access to it again.

Here's How:
1. Make sure that anything that is being copied or saved to or from the storage device that you want to eject has finished.

2. Click/tap on the Safely Remove Hardware notification area icon, and click/tap on the Eject drive option for the listed drive that you want to eject, and go to step 4 below. (see screenshot below)

OR

3. Open Devices and Printers.
A) Right click or press and hold on the storage device that you want to eject, then click/tap on Eject. (see screenshot below)

OR

B) Right click or press and hold on your computer device (ex: WINDOWS7-PC), select Eject, then click/tap on a listed storage device that you want to eject. (see screenshot below)

C) You will notice that your device will have a warning/alert overlay icon it now. This only indicates that you will not be able to use this device again unless you unplug it and then plug it in again. (see screenshot below)

4. When you see this notification message below, you can now safely remove the device from the computer. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: Some devices (ex: USB flash drives) may still have their light on even after you ejected it. As long as you got this Safe to remove hardware message below, it will be safe to disconnect your device even though the light is still on.

   Tip

If you do not get the Safe to remove hardware notification message above, then for next time uncheck Always show all icons and notifications on the taskbar (click on link) box and click on OK. Afterwards check the Always show all icons and notifications on the taskbar box and click on OK. This will toggle these settings off an on to have it work again.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Enable or Disable Write-Caching for a Storage Device in Windows 7
• How to Open Devices and Printers in Windows 7
• How to Create a "Safely Remove Hardware" Shortcut in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Add "Safely Remove Hardware" to the Desktop Context Menu
• How to Disable "Do you want to scan and fix Removable Drive" Prompt in Windows
• How to Uninstall a Device in Windows 7 and Windows 8

 

[manoj]

Hi Shawn
i am surprised that in my windows 7 professional i am not able to safely remove my external hdd or pen drive. in the safely remove and eject media icon i am getting only open device and printers. not any other things which i alrady conected to my usb. what could be the issue??? can u suggest me something pl???

 

[Brink]

Hello Manoj, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If you have previously ejected them, then it may take a restart of the computer for them to show back up in "Safely Remove Hardware". Is it connected to a USB hub or to a USB port on the back if the computer? If to the computer, then you might try a differen USB port to see if that may be the issue.

If you open "Devices and Printers", do you have it's drive icon listed there, and can you right click on it and click on Eject?

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[manoj]

hi
i tried all the usb ports. it opens the contents, but it is not showing the icon in safely remove hardware. whether it is external hdd, pen drive, mobile or anything. i dont know what is the actual reason for this.

 

[Brink]

Manoj,

How about in "Devices and Printers" as described above?

I'm not sure why they are not showing up in "Safely Remove Hardware". You might see if running a sfc /scannow command may help. If not, then perhaps a repair install may.

 

[simonbt]

sfc /scannow worked for me

Manoj, you probably fixed it by now. I had the exact same issue right now (only "Open Devices and Printers" showed up. What worked for me was the sfc /scannow, as Brink pointed to.

Below a printout of running that command:
C:\Windows\system32>sfc /scannow
Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.
Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired
them. Details are included in the CBS.Log windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For
example C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log

I didn't bother looking at the details in CBS.log, but those might hold the answer.

thanks Brink! and thanks manoj for posting so detailed making it easy to search for this resolution.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Simon, and welcome to Seven Forums.

 

[nate42nd]

I have found something odd.

I did a CLEAN install of Windows 7 Pro (I have done many)

On one of them the icon is like the old XP icon to "safely remove hardware" I cannot figure out why it would not be the same as all the rest of the installs I have done. Let me know why this particular install would have a different icon?

 

[Brink]

Hello Nate,

Could you post a screenshot of this?

Strange, are you using a Aero theme, or a classic theme?

 

[nate42nd]

Aero, it's on my Mom's machine. I set it up the same as all the rest of my installs. I have never seen it before. I will get a screenshot of it, but it may take a couple of days. It's the same icon as XP as I remember. Very odd. Everything works fine, but it looks funny.

 

[Brink]

You might reset the notification icons and the icon cache to see if it may help in case it may just be a icon glitch.

 

[nate42nd]

You might reset the notification icons and the icon cache to see if it may help in case it may just be a icon glitch.

I will try that Brink. What's funny is it's a NEW machine. XP was never on it and all components are new and it's always been that way. When I put my flash drive in when it was new to install drivers, it was the same way. I have never seen it on another 7 machine. I'll try to post back if that works.

 

[snuffed]

One thing I don't get though, is that on Windows 7 (at least for me) it is no longer turning my devices off after the "safely remove hardware" bubble pops up, when it used to on my old XP. As in - after using the eject function on XP my MP3's LCD message will change from "USB connected" to "USB disconnected" and the lights on my USB thumbdrives and SD card readers etc will turn off. Now nothing happens except the icons disappear from My Computer and I still need to unplug and replug to access them again. Is this normal?

 

[Brink]

Hello Snuffed,

It appears to be normal. I get the same thing for my USB key drive as well.

 

[sunil31]

Hi All,

I am new to this forum. I landed here to search same question.

I am not able to Eject USB drive (Reliance Broadband++ USB Data Card). I see something different notification from you people have posted here. See attached image. In the notification HUAWEI Mobile is grey and Eject CD Drive (K Reliance Dark. I see vice versa notification what you have posted here.

Is there any problem in this type of notification? How can I remove USD this USB device safely as I have already lost (corrupted) one drive. Please help me.

Regards,

Sunil

 

[Brink]

Hello Sunil, and welcome to Seven Forums.

What does it eject when you click on the "Eject CD Drive (K: ) Reliance" option? Is this your data card?

 

[sunil31]

Hi Brink,

Thanks.

Yes, this is Data Card and nothing ejects. One thing is there, if I use USB pen drive, it ejects successfully. But this is not the case with Data Card.

Regards,

Sunil

 

[Brink]

Sunil,

I have not used one before, but I would imaging that the data card is tied to the HUAWEI mobile broadband card acting as one device. This may be why it will not eject it. If available, do you have the latest driver installed for it?

 

[sunil31]

Hi Brink,

Sorry for late reply as I was out of station.

No I don't have latest driver for that. I am using Windows 7 operating system and as per my knowledge HUAWEI have not released driver for the same. If you have any information about that, please let me know.

Thanks

Sunil

 

[Dragor1]

Hey Sunil!

Try seeing in Devices and Printers.

The problem is that the data cards contain a small amount of flash memory that hold the drivers and they are set to be emulated as CD drives.

Since they emulate CD drive, they autorun the driver installation without user input.

That is the reason why Sunil's screenie shows The CD Drive under his mobile.

Hope this helps.

P.S.: Post the screen of devices and printers and also take a screen shot with right click menu of your mobile.