I'm having trouble performing the "Safely Eject" operation on the external HDD.
I'm having trouble performing the "Safely Eject" operation on the external HDD.
Hello all,
I connected my external hard disk and only noticed several large files from multiple folders being deleted. Over time, I couldn't safely eject it from the tray. Here’s what I tried:
- Restarted Windows Explorer from Task Manager (didn't work ❌)
- Ended Windows Explorer and created a new one (didn't work ❌)
- Disabled Disk Write caching (didn't work ❌)
- Turned off the Indexing Option (none checked, didn't work ❌)
- Disabled file indexing on the drive (including subfolders, didn't work ❌)
- Disabled Microsoft Windows Defender and turned off the firewall (no antivirus installed, Bitdefender agent removed, didn't work ❌)
I then used Sysinternals Suite to grant direct access to the drives. I checked two drives and noticed one showing indexing info like “Disabled (unchecked) Allow file on this drive to have contents indexed in addition to file properties.” It might help to wait until the system finishes processing.
Later, I managed to turn off the system by disconnecting it from Disk Management, clicking the Safely Remove Hardware icon, and then shutting it down completely before unplugging the external hard drive.
My questions remain:
What should I do next in a similar situation?
Is it advisable to use third-party tools?
Thanks and regards
Hello everyone, I think this BSOD is connected to the action I took when removing the external hard drive safely. I looked at the forum thread here: https://forums. Should I proceed with booting into Safe Mode to check for logs? I’ve already performed SMART checks on both my internal and external drives, and they are all normal.
Following the two-hour delay, I powered the system back on and encountered a BSOD: I shared this link: https://forums.
Eventually, I couldn't safely remove the drive from the icon tray. Could you try right-clicking on the drive in This PC (assuming Windows 10 or newer) and ejecting it? When sharing a troubleshooting thread, it's good practice to provide your full system details. Please list the specifications as follows: CPU, CPU cooler, Motherboard, RAM, SSD/HDD, GPU, PSU, Chassis, OS, Monitor. Include the age of the power supply in addition to its make and model. Also mention the BIOS version for your motherboard at this time. Stick to one thread unless you're okay with a complicated situation.
Lockhunter is a reliable solution I've been using for a long time—possibly even since Windows XP. It consistently performs well, showing exactly which files are locked and allowing full drive access if needed. It's also effective in removing stubborn malware that won't delete on its own.
Very straightforward. After downloading or installing, a new menu option appears (right-click to access), labeled "What is locking this file?". Clicking it opens the Lochunter program (may prompt Yes/No based on your Windows security settings), then click Yes to see details about what's restricting access. From there, you can unlock the file or drive, delete it, or explore other options. Use the lockhuntersetup file. Another tool is designed to safely remove USB drives or restart them when connected. If your external HDD isn't using a USB connection, this program won't assist. However, if it does, you can try it as well.
It is linked through USB, and my issue is that I can't eject securely. If I have more than one drive (partition) and the remove safely button doesn't work and displays a warning message, should I try both drives or does this program provide a safe removal option similar to the Safe Remove icon in Windows?
After installing lockhunter, in the This PC section (showing your connected storage), you can choose the external drive and right-click it to access the context menu. For removable drives, select "Eject." If that fails, use the "What is locking this file?" option to launch lockhunter and investigate further.