Not being able to safely eject a USB storage device on Windows isn't all that uncommon amongst people who are actually using the feature correctly. Windows quite often refuses to eject a USB flash drive, external SSD, or hard drive even after you close all visible files and windows. Showing that the device is still in use. Luckily there are quite a few different things you can do to solve this problem so follow along as we guide you through them.

Takeaways:

  1. Learn how to fix USB drive ejection issues on Windows.
  2. What's causing the Eject feature not to work on Windows 11?

What is Causing USB Ejection Problems on Windows?

Just like a lot of similar system errors on Windows there could be a ton of different reasons this one is happening. Most of the time it is one of the following things though within each of these possible options there are plenty of reasons as well. Most of which you will probably never find an answer to.

  • Background file access
  • Open system handles
  • Write caching delays
  • Driver or USB controller issues
  • System or policy behavior

How to Fix USB Eject Problem Ejecting USB Mass Storage Device in Windows

If you aren't in the middle of doing anything important you can try restarting you computer to see if the problem stops. When windows Restarts it will close anything and everything that is using the USB device without damaging the data. Just dont't force shutdown your computer using the power button or anything.

Close all files and File Explorer windows

  • Close any file opened from the USB drive
  • Close all File Explorer windows showing the drive
  • Disable preview pane in File Explorer if enabled
  • Wait a few seconds and try eject again

End background processes

This might not be as simple as it sounds as there are plenty of random background processes that you might not be able to spot. But try to shut down any of the ones that you know could be using the drive directly. For example if you were editing photos from a USB stick with Photoshop. Make sure no Adobe or Photoshop stuff is running.

  • Open Task Manager
  • Look for apps that may use files from the drive
  • End related tasks such as media players, editors, or sync tools
  • Try ejecting again
  • Restart Windows

A restart clears hidden file locks and resets storage activity.

  • Save your work
  • Restart the computer
  • Reconnect the USB drive
  • Try ejecting again

Change removal policy

Switching to quick removal reduces caching delays. This reduces performance slightly but improves safe removal behavior. If you have issues regularly, this is worth doing.

  • Open Device Manager
  • Expand Disk drives
  • Right click your USB device
  • Open Properties
  • Find Removal Policy
  • Select Quick removal if available
  • Restart if prompted

Update USB and storage drivers

This probably won't be available for a lot of devices as they are usually generic and don't have specific drivers or anything. But for brand name stuff it's worth checking to see the manufacturers page to see if they have drivers available. I also suggest making sure you have updated your system BIOS as well.

  • Open Device Manager
  • Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers
  • Right click USB controller or device
  • Select Update driver
  • Choose automatic search
  • Restart after updates