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After years struggling with safely removing USB external hard drives, and getting the famous "Windows can't stop your device because a program is still using it. Close any programs that might be using the device, and then try again later", I've finally found out what was holding it.

I've read issues and tried every possible solution suggested all over superuser and the web, nothing worked. (such as all answers in this: How to safely remove a USB drive when "Windows can't stop your 'Generic volume' device because a program is still using it."?)

Mokubai
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Renato Chencinski
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2 Answers2

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If nothing else works, try checking if Task Manager is open, and closing it.

So finally today I've found out, thanks to this post in another forum:

It was Task Manager! (which I always keep open to observe CPU usage)

Also found out that Event Viewer can be of help to get more specific information at what's keeping safe remove from working. Got it from this superuser post, which informs that in event viewer, System, there's a message information the program that prevents the remove from happening:

The application \Device\HarddiskVolume5\Windows\System32\Taskmgr.exe with process id 3708 stopped the removal or ejection for the device USB\VID_0480&PID_A00C\20150207045837.

Mokubai
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Renato Chencinski
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1

Restarting Windows Explorer from task manager solved the problem for me. Maybe that's overkill if simply close task manager releases the drive.

dan
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