Hmm... so this is rather annoying. I use an external hard drive for my PortableApps, and have an annoyance that has existed for awhile, but now that I think about it, only exists Vista/7, and UP-TO-DATE XP (e.g. I didn't have this problem with XP when I first got it, but don't know when it started). After plugging in my USB HD, it shows up as a Local Disk under My Computer, not a Removable Disk. However, it does get listed under the "Eject Removable Devices" tray icon. If I try to eject it, it tells me it's not removable. Ok... so if it's not removable why is it even listed under Removable Devices that I can eject?
This issue stems from the subtle (and often overlooked) difference between "removable" devices and "hot-pluggable" devices. External/USB HDD's are hot-pluggable but not removable, whereas flash drives are both.
My questions are 1)why distinguish between USB flash drives and USB HDD's? and 2) is there any program/hack/patch to change this so I can properly eject my external HDD? This is just stupid and annoying. Yes, I can just yank the drive, but I don't like doing that. At least with a flash drive, it will stop me from ejecting if a program or file is open, so I remember to close that file/app. But not letting me eject at all leaves me the option of a) shutting down the whole computer just to dismount the drive and b)just yank the drive, leaving the possibility of corrupting an open file or frakking up one of my PortableApps that may have been idling in the tray and never got a chance to close.
/rant
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I had a flash drive that I couldn't remove on one system. It turned out to be the system's firewall. It was monitoring the drive and that made it "active" and non-removable. Stopping the fw, removing the flash drive then restarting the fw worked. Eventually the fw got a patch that resolved the problem.
You may have something similar. FW, AV, AS you need to check each one one at a time.
Ed
Explorer.exe may also be locking it up
Too many lonely hearts in the real world
Too many bridges you can burn
Too many tables you can't turn
Don't wanna live my life in the real world
No, it's not the "this drive cannot be removed right now" message. It literally says "this device is not removable" ...hence the "why is it in the removable devices" tray list comment... After looking it up the general consensus is that Windows does not treat USB hard drives as removable devices.
Quamquam omniam nescio, nec nihil scio.
how all was formated at first. are you using the original formating from the manufacturer or did you format the drive? How did you format it?
try to read little bit here:
http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbstick_e.html
you might find some answers there
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
According to the link above, the Removable Media Bit (RMB) is set on USB sticks, but not on HDD. Good link.
I am not my signature.
on all those things.
there is much more into it, all can be set and defined in the firmware of the particular controller.
External HD has number of them inside. It has to have an usb to sata or ide and then the controller of the drive itself which can contain lot of peculiar things in its firmware.
Then it also depends on what the controllers report to the windows (or other OS) driver as what to do and how to behave and also what the driver will really do or not.
So can xp driver behave differently then a vista one or some linux driver.
Few things can be recorded onto the media itself, therefore my question how the drive was formated initially.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
That link is a gold mine. Not sure if I'll be able to actually DO anything with the information, but it's worth a look
Quamquam omniam nescio, nec nihil scio.
I plug my external HD in, and it reads as a HD, but is ejectable, in Vista. Try "Safely Remove" or something like that, rather than "Eject". I believe "Eject" is used for disks, like SD cards, and CDs, because you can't go disconnecting the hardware they plug into.
Hey! Where'd it go?