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

 

[Paultx]

I'm having sort of the same problem of hugga26: I can eject my USB drive, but I get no balloon notification. After I eject it, I still see its icon. To make sure it's been ejected, I click on the icon, and if it goes away, then I pull the USB drive. Sometimes I forget to do that and open Explorer to see if the drive is still there.

How can I get the notification back?

 

[Dave76]

Are you using a USB memory stick, a storage device , or is it a wireless phone or wireless mouse USB dongle?

The wireless phone or wireless mouse USB dongle can be unplugged at any time.

 

[Paultx]

Are you using a USB memory stick, a storage device , or is it a wireless phone or wireless mouse USB dongle?

The wireless phone or wireless mouse USB dongle can be unplugged at any time.

It's a storage device. It happens only on my 7 Pro 64-bit PC, not on the other in my sig.

 

[Brink]

Hello Paul,

Double check to make sure that you have checked the Always show all icons and notifications on the taskbar box for the Notification Area icons to see if that may be why you are not getting the notice.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Paultx]

Hello Paul,

Double check to make sure that you have checked the Always show all icons and notifications on the taskbar box for the Notification Area icons to see if that may be why you are not getting the notice.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Thanks, Brink. To save time, I keep Always show all icons and notifications on the taskbar marked for USB storage pen drives. So I don't have to sometimes click that little up arrow to reach the icon.

I don't know what may be causing the notification pop-up not to show. Some conflict, I guess...

 

[Brink]

In Vista, this was sometimes caused by having the balloon tips disabled. Double check using the "manual" way in Method Two in OPTION TWO in the tutorial below to make sure that they are still enabled. It's the same in Windows 7.

Notification Area Balloon Tips - Enable or Disable - Vista Forums

 

[need4steer]

Brink, thanks a lot for another great tutorial!.

Hi all,

I realised my cruzer micro 4GB thumbdrive could not do safety remove using U3 as well as the safety remove icon. But strangely, I can go to "My Computer" and rightclick both my U3 drive and thumbdrive to do a Eject, the U3 and safety remove icon are still in my notication area.

I tried to update my U3 lanchpad version, it doesnt help at all.. any idea to help me fix this problem please? I have other thumbdrive without U3, I am able to eject them using the safety remove at notication area. I have dual boot of windows 7(default boot) as well as windows XP

Hi,
I'm having problem on my cruzer micro (8gb) flash drive. It seems that when I safely remove it, the light on the flash drive doesn't stop. On other pc it does when safely remove.

I've tried the different ways to safely remove as on the 1st page. I noticed on "Devices and Printers", when I eject the flash drive, a warning appears on the icon that means "It needs troubleshooting".

The same here.
I have SanDisk cruzer micro 8gb with u3.
I'm trying to safely eject it, but it claims that some program is still using it.

Here is the notorious window screenshot:


Here is the event in the system event log:
level: information
source: userpnp
event id: 20011
task category: (7006)
description:
Device action request for device 'USB\VID_0781&PID_5406\0000167EB7736603' was vetoed by 'USBSTOR\Disk&Ven_SanDisk&Prod_Cruzer&Rev_4.05\0000167EB7736603&0' with veto type 5.


However if I preform right click --> eject on the drive in "computer" it's working perfect.

Here SanDisk's reference to this issue:
http://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1168
http://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/308/related/1

 

[Paultx]

In Vista, this was sometimes caused by having the balloon tips disabled. Double check using the "manual" way in Method Two in OPTION TWO in the tutorial below to make sure that they are still enabled. It's the same in Windows 7.

Notification Area Balloon Tips - Enable or Disable - Vista Forums

Didn't work...

 

[Brink]

Paul,

I've also seen the refresh part of your issue with the drive icon still there when it's really not sometimes solved by resetting folder views to default.

 

[marsmimar]

In Vista, this was sometimes caused by having the balloon tips disabled. Double check using the "manual" way in Method Two in OPTION TWO in the tutorial below to make sure that they are still enabled. It's the same in Windows 7.

Notification Area Balloon Tips - Enable or Disable - Vista Forums

Didn't work...

Paul, depending on when this issue first began, you might try a System Restore to a date/time prior to the problem.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/700-system-restore.html

If you don't have a restore point (turned off, too far back, etc.) I'd try running System File Checker:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

 

[Paultx]

I tried every suggestion for my case here TNA–except system restore (too far back).
I'm gonna check on Microsoft Fix it, maybe there's some solution there. Thanks, guys.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Paul. Please keep us posted of your results.

 

[Paultx]

It couldn't be easier...

I found this:

When I eject media safe to remove hardware message does not appear

and simply changed the option to hide then back to show icons and notifications and... voilà! Everything back to normal!

But now I wonder what Windows thing might have done such a "corruption" of that feature...

Solved on my part. Thnx y'all!

 

[Brink]

Ah, thank you Paul.

 

[marsmimar]

It couldn't be easier...

I found this:

When I eject media safe to remove hardware message does not appear

and simply changed the option to hide then back to show icons and notifications and... voilà! Everything back to normal!

But now I wonder what Windows thing might have done such a "corruption" of that feature...

Solved on my part. Thnx y'all!

Paul, just for clarification... did you have to install that utility "Ultimate Windows Tweaker" in order to enable balloon tips?

 

[Paultx]

Paul, just for clarification... did you have to install that utility "Ultimate Windows Tweaker" in order to enable balloon tips?

No. I just set to always hide then show icons and notifications. Feels like Windows kind of reset the thing.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...ons-hide-show-system-icons-notifications.html

 

[killer bee]

Thanks!

 

[marsmimar]

Ditto. Thanks for the clarification Paul.

 

[Raees]

Not showing USB drive while ejecting

I tried to do the same thing but did not workout for me.
Everything happened same as u have mentioned but got the below message;
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to repair them.
I still did not get eject pendrive options. same thing what manoj was facing. Please help.

 

[Paultx]

I tried to do the same thing but did not workout for me.
Everything happened same as u have mentioned but got the below message;
Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to repair them.
I still did not get eject pendrive options. same thing what manoj was facing. Please help.

Raees, since it's about corrupt files, I suggest you try the System File Checker.