This time, we will introduce the causes and solutions for when you cannot remove an external HDD or USB memory stick using "Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media" in a Windows 11 environment because it is in use.
Causes and solutions for when you cannot safely remove hardware (USB)
1. The app is in use
In most cases, the reason you cannot safely remove hardware is because an application is currently using the external hard drive or USB memory.
When removing the device, an error dialog appears saying "This device is currently in use. Close any programs or windows that are using the device and then try again."
For example, if an app on the USB memory stick is running, you cannot remove it as follows:
In this case, you will be able to remove the device after a while after closing any running apps.
*It may not be possible to remove it immediately after closing the app.
If you don't know which app is causing the problem, here's how to identify it:
Check the Event Viewer to identify the app causing the issue.
1.Start buttonRight-click > Event Viewer.
2. Expand (double-click) "Windows Logs" on the left and click "System."
3. Then, many events will be displayed on the right side.
Among these, event ID 225 (223) is a warning log when the hardware could not be safely removed.
Each log is dated and timed, so select it to see what's displayed in the "General" tab below.
If the name of the app causing the problem is displayed to the right of "Process command line:", you can safely remove the app by closing it.
Event ID 225 (223) is recorded every time a removal error occurs, so try removing the drive with the Event Viewer open, and if an error occurs, try opening the Event Viewer.Activeand press F5 on your keyboard to see the latest events.
Event ID 225 (223) is usually logged twice: one for the application causing the error, and the other for "Application System with Process ID 4."
2. Task Manager
In Windows 11 23H2, it is unclear whether this is a bug, but if you have any tab other than "Performance" open in Task Manager, you will not be able to safely remove hardware.
If you open anything other than the "Performance" tab in Task Manager, it seems that there is some access to the currently connected USB mass storage device.
At this time, only one event ID 225 (223) is recorded, as shown in the image below.
3. Fast Startup
Windows 11 has a feature called "Fast Startup" enabled by default, which allows your computer to start up faster than normal.
Fast Startup writes the current contents of memory to the hibernation file (Hiberfil.sys) when the computer is shut down, and then reads the entire hibernation file (Hiberfil.sys) into memory the next time the computer is started, restoring the computer to the state it was in before shutdown.
However, this function is the source of many problems, and may cause various problems, such as not being able to safely remove some external hard drives or USB memory sticks.
Therefore, we recommend that you disable it.
1. Press Windows Key + R to open Run, type the following command and press Enter:
powercfg.cpl2. "Power Options" will open, so click "Choose what the power buttons do."
3. Click "Change settings that are currently unavailable."
4. Uncheck "Turn on fast startup (recommended)" at the bottom, click Save changes and exit Power Options.
Now that "Fast Startup" is disabled, restart your PC and check if you can safely remove the device.
4. Remove from "Settings"
If you can't safely remove the device from the taskbar, you may be able to remove it from Settings > Bluetooth and Devices > Devices.
1. Press Windows Key + I to open Settings.
2. Select "Bluetooth and Devices" on the left and click "Devices" in the red box on the right.
3. Scroll down on the right side and find the problem device under "Other devices".deviceClick "..." to the right of (External HDD or USB memory).
There may be multiple devices listed here, so if you don't know the name of the device you're using, start up your PC without connecting the external hard drive or USB memory, open "Other devices," and note the device name that is displayed.
If you then connect an external HDD or USB memory, the name of the connected device will be added.
4. Click "Remove device".
5. Once the removed device is no longer listed under "Other devices," remove the problematic device from your PC.
5. Reinstall Windows 11
Recently, a new feature was added to Windows 11 that allows you to reinstall Windows 11 through Windows Update.
Please try the following page if the above method does not resolve the issue.
New feature in Win11: "Fix problems with Windows Update"
6. Service (Additional Information)
We received an inquiry from a user and introduced the above solution, but it did not resolve the issue.
Therefore, I just tried it on an old external HDD that I own and found that the exact same symptoms occurred.
If you start Windows 11 with an external hard drive connected, you will not be able to safely remove it.
If you check the Event Viewer at this time, you will see that only one Event ID 225 (223) is recorded, and it is for "Application System with Process ID 4."
I've looked at the logs but I can't figure out what the cause is.
I can't delete it from "Other devices" in "Settings" because it's in use.
We are currently investigating the issue and will update you as soon as we know the cause.
2024 / 04 / 08:
I found the cause.
The reason why you cannot safely remove an external hard drive when starting Windows 11 with the hard drive connected is due to a service called "Distributed Link Tracking Client."
This service manages the links between NTFS volumes in a network or on a computer.
Distributed Link Tracking Overview(Microsoft)
If you are using your PC at home, it is fine to disable it.
Disable the "Distributed Link Tracking Client" service
1. Press Windows Key + R to open Run, type the following command and press Enter:
services.msc2. The Services window will open, so double-click "Distributed Link Tracking Client" to open it.
3. ① Change the startup type to "Disabled" and ② click "Stop".
4. Once the service has stopped, click OK.
5. If the "Startup type" is displayed as "Disabled" as shown in the image below, the "Distributed Link Tracking Client" service has been disabled.
At this point, the external HDDTask tray (notification area)You can now safely remove it by clicking "Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media".
Also, you will be able to remove the external HDD even if it is still connected during startup.
2024 / 04 / 08:
Bug that prevents external hard drive from being ejected in Win10/Win11: Cause and how to fix it
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