Unable to remove thumbdrive

Question

I tried using the following methods:

Using a unlocker (to ensure that no files are being locked) http://www.emptyloop.com/unlocker/

Using the method Process Explorer (to find if there are any files currently being used) http://www.microsoftnow.com/2008/10/unlocking-files-that-are-in-use.html

but I still could not be able to remove my USB flash drive from my Windows.

Am I missing anything that prevent me from safety remove my USB flash drive? (such as Antivirus running background but scanning the files on the thumbdrive?)

Answer 1

USB drives that don't eject properly are one of my biggest hobbies! :P

In all seriousness though, one thing that often works for me if a drive just doesn't want to be "removed safely", is to eject it through Windows Explorer.

When viewing the "Computer" section where it lists all drives, you can right-click the device and select "Eject".
Usually this performs the same action (or so it seems) as the "Remove hardware safely" option. But it can go an extra step. If initial unmounting failed, it might ask you if you want to force ejection of the device. Sometimes this does work for me.