5 Ways to Fix Unable to Eject a USB Drive on Windows 11

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

Fix 1: Eject Drive Using the Settings App

Windows provides several options for removing a USB drive. So, if you can’teject a USB drive from the system tray or File Explorer, use the Windows 11 Settings app instead.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Ito launch the Settings app and navigate toBluetooth & devices>Devices.

Step 2:Locate your USB drive on the list. Click thethree-dot menu iconnext to it and selectRemove device.

Step 3:SelectYesto confirm.

Fix 2: Use Safely Remove Hardware Utility

If the issue persists, you can also use the Safely Remove Hardware utility on Windows to eject a USB drive.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Rto open the Run dialog. Type the following command in the box and pressEnter:

Step 2:Select theUSB driveyou want to eject and click theStopbutton.

Step 3:Select your USB drive again and clickOKto confirm.

Fix 3: Configure Device Removal Policy

Windows 11 employs the quick removal policy for all USB devices by default. However, if you wish to eject your drives manually, you must configure its removal policy by following the steps below.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Sto open the search menu, typedevice manager, and pressEnter.

Step 2:ExpandDisk drives, right-click on yourUSB drive, and selectProperties.

Step 3:In the Device Properties window, navigate to thePoliciestab and selectBetter performance. Then, hitOK.

Windows will prompt you to restart your PC for the policy change to take effect. After that, you should see the eject option for your USB drive.

Fix 4: Run Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter

Windows has a dedicated Hardware and Devices troubleshooter that can come in handy in such situations. Running it will allow Windows to scan all the devices connected to the system, including your USB drive, and fix any issues affecting its removal.

Step 1:Open thesearch menu, typecommand prompt, and selectRun as administrator.

Step 2:In the console, type or copy and paste the following command and pressEnter:

Step 3:In the Hardware and Devices window, clickNextto run the troubleshooter.

If the automatic repair pops up, apply the suggested fixes. Try to eject the USB drive to see if it works.

Fix 5: Update USB Drivers

Windows 11 may not eject a USB drive due to faulty or corrupted drivers. You can try updating those drivers using theDevice Managerto see if that fixes the issue.

Step 1:OpenDevice Managerusing the search menu.

Step 2:Double-clickUniversal Serial Bus Controllersto expand it. If there’s a yellow exclamation mark next to an entry, right-click on it and selectUpdate driver.

From there, follow the on-screen prompts to finish updating the drivers. After that, you should eject USB drives as usual.

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Last updated on 25 April, 2024

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