Windows 7 Can't remove USB device safely.

[InitialKev]

Okay so whenever I need to remove my USB flash drive after updating some excel files, it won't allow me to remove it safely. It tells me that the device is currently in use and that I should close all programs but there aren't any programs opened. I can only remove it by going into the library and right click on the drive and select "Eject".

This only happens if I modify a file on the drive.

Any help on fixing this issue would be appreciated.

 

[Saltgrass]

It must be something still has a handle on the drive. Perhaps when you modify a file, there is a temporary file set up watching it.

Maybe next time, move the file you want to modify to the primary or copy it there and modify the copy.

Have you tried different brands of flash drives? Does this one have any software already on it that might be controlling?

 

[InitialKev]

I haven't tried different brands of flash drives but this only happens when I use my laptop. It ejects fine with other PCs.

 

[Saltgrass]

If you plug the flash drive in then open Device Manager, then the properties and policies tab, what do you show for Removal Policy and is it the same as your other computers?

 

[Super Sarge]

If you have waited about 5 minutes or so, it should be safe to remove, just do not remove it immediately after using it or the files you were working on might not be saved and could come corruppted but if you have not done anything on the drive for 5 minutes ot greater it should I stress should be safe to remove. but like the previous poster said go to properties then hardware tab it will show all you devices then select device you want go to policies then select disable write to cache y disabling it you write directly to the device. If this is enabled this is what is causing you to see what you see the cache has not written to the drive that is why you must select eject the cache writes what is stored to the drive then it ejects. I have all my USB/portable devices set to disable Cache writing. By disabling it you write directly to the device

 

[InitialKev]

I changed the properties and it now ejects fine. Thanks for the help guys!

Edit: Problem started again. The default is the option on top and I changed it to the bottom one. It worked when I first did this but after working on my file again it decided that it doesn't want to be ejected...