Problem Ejecting USB Mass Storage Device "This device is currently in use. Close any programs or windows that might be using the device, and then try again."

Anonymous
2011-03-23T03:39:03+00:00

Original title:Problem Ejecting USB Mass Storage Device

When I try to safely eject my external hard drive safely I get an error message with this title telling me that "This device is currently in use. Close any programs or windows that might be using the device, and then try again." I have done this. I have also tried closing every program running on the computer and it does not help. I have also tried restarting the computer and this also does nothing. If anyone has any ideas that would be helpful please let me know.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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Anonymous
2011-03-24T03:24:11+00:00

Hi A. Cook,

1)       How long have you been facing this issue?

2)       Is this issue confined to any specific USB device?

This behavior can occur if there are open handles with any files in the USB (Universal Serial Bus) Mass Storage Device are in use by another program.

Method 1:

a)       Download Process Explorer from the link below

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653

b)       Click Find, Find Handle or DLL (Dynamic Link Library) in the tool menu.

c)       Type the drive letter of the USB device in the Handle or DLL substring textbox, and press Search Button.

d)       Find the process and its PID (Process Identifier) in the following box.

e)       In system process tree view, find the process according to the Find Handle or DLL dialog box.

f)        Press Ctrl + H to show Handles in Lower Pane View.

g)       Find the File according with the drive letter, and right click it, choose Close Handle.

Reference:

Problem Ejecting USB Mass Storage Devicehttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/555665

Note: Using Third Party Software, including hardware drivers can cause serious problems that may prevent your computer from booting properly. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Third Party Software can be solved. Using Third Party Software is at your own risk.

**Method 2:**You may refer the steps provided by Diana D in the link below

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows\_vista-hardware/problem-ejecting-usb-mass-storage-deviceits-in-use/fd56805c-ed8e-491f-8a2b-39ed1c988a71

Method 3: Run an online scan for any threat and try to fix them

**http://onecare.live.com/site/en-Us/center/cleanup.htm**

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-04-08T21:30:15+00:00

    The Process Explorer showed me that Real Downloader was the one using the E drive where my USB device was connected.  Killing the Real Downloader was enough for me to eject it successfully.  Real Downloader is that embedded application that allows to download videos from within a browser. I guess the people from Real Networks are the ones who should fix this problem since I was not explicitly using it so there was no reason for it to be locking the drive.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-04-24T04:58:33+00:00

    Thank you very much,

    I used Method 1, That is very good method.

    Thank you.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-06-16T12:49:48+00:00

    I've been having this problem intermittently for several months.  In my case searching in process explorer returned no results matching the drive letter.  

    Today I discovered something remarkable.  If I select "Computer" from the start menu, then right-click "Eject" from the USB drive in this location, it ejects properly without issue.

    This implies (in my experience as a developer) that I have installed something that integrates with Windows Explorer to offer a right-click option.  The process is short-lived while the right-click menu is open, but is no longer running by the time I attempt to search for it in process explorer.

    I try not to be jaded with my replies, but it seems to me that Microsoft should put the priority of "fixing things that are truly annoying" higher than the priority of "completely reinventing the user experience so that everybody is forced to relearn everything about their operating system."  Why WOULDN'T the dialog box for this error tell the user what process is blocking the requested action?

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-07-12T10:57:49+00:00

    It's clear to me that the problem is caused by numerous things, and that what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. Here is what worked for me:

    I was using Acronis True Image to explore a previously-saved disk image and to retrieve some files. When I was done, I tried to eject the external disk but had the usual problem. Amazingly, it seems that Acronis somehow hijacks my router (not for the first time!), so it also gets in the way of downloading emails or anything else. Of course, restarting the PC will work, but much quicker is to restart the router - switch it of and on again. Problem solved!

    So how did I find that solution? I'll tell you if you can define exactly how long is a piece of string ...

    Maybe that would work for others: try it anyway.

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