Have you encountered USB device ejection problems with Windows? That frustrating message saying “The device ‘Generic volume’ cannot be stopped because a program is still accessing it” appears far too often. I decided to test a popular solution called USB Safely Remove to see if it could solve these common USB ejection issues.
Unfortunately, my experience with USB Safely Remove was disappointing. On my first attempt to safely eject my external hard drive, the program displayed: “Could not find any processes locking USB device!” So much for the software that markets itself as “an enhanced and hassle-free replacement for Windows safe removal tool.” It failed at its primary function.
After this unsuccessful attempt to solve my USB device ejection problems, I reverted to simply unplugging the drive directly—exactly what I was trying to avoid.
Why USB Device Ejection Problems Occur in Windows
USB device ejection problems typically happen because Windows can’t properly identify which processes are using your external drive. This can be caused by:
- Background file indexing services
- Open files in applications you forgot about
- Antivirus scans running in the background
- System processes accessing the drive
Alternative Solutions for USB Device Ejection Problems
If you’re experiencing similar USB device ejection problems, here are some alternatives worth trying:
| Solution | How it helps with USB device ejection |
| Process Explorer | Free tool from Microsoft that can identify which processes have handles to your USB device |
| Unlocker | Helps identify and unlock files that are preventing device ejection |
| Close all applications | Simple but effective approach to ensure no programs are using the drive |
Remember that forcibly unplugging USB devices without proper ejection can lead to data corruption or loss. Always try to safely remove devices first, even if software solutions like USB Safely Remove don’t work as advertised.
Understanding USB Device Ejection Best Practices
To minimize USB device ejection problems, follow these best practices:
- Close all files and applications using the device before attempting ejection
- Wait a few moments after finishing work with the device before trying to eject
- Consider using the Command Prompt to identify locking processes
- For persistent problems, try restarting Explorer.exe before ejection
// Simple PowerShell command to find processes accessing a drive
Get-Process | Where-Object {$_.Modules.FileName -like "E:\*"}Have you found a reliable solution for USB device ejection problems? Share your experiences in the comments below!