Disconnect even if message appears: This device is currently in use!?
User question:
Now I am looking for a program that disconnects my external, USB connected HD or stick, although the message "This device is currently in use..."-I am of the opinion: "No. I'm not using you anymore right now!"
I know the problem! Often it is because the operating system (OS) is still scanning the USB stick or a virus scanner is accessing it in the background. But how can you prevent this and still remove the stick safely?
- Press `Ctrl + Shift + Esc`, find the explorer.exe process, end it and restart it via File → New Task → explorer.exe.
2. End monitoring processes
- Open Task Manager (`Ctrl + Shift + Esc`) and look for programs that may be using the stick (e.g. Explorer, antivirus programs, backup or sync services).
- End these processes and try to safely remove the stick again.
3. Use USB security tools
- "USB Safely Remove" or "USB Disk Ejector" help to safely remove USB devices even if Windows says they are still in use.
- If your virus scanner is scanning the stick, it can help to pause it for a short time and then safely remove the device.
5. Use "Unlocker"
- This tool shows you which processes are blocking the stick and gives you the option to end or bypass them.
2.) Last resort: simply remove the stick
If no writing processes are active, manually removing the USB stick is not a problem in most cases. Modern file systems are robust enough to cope with this.
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