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Safely Removing Reluctant Hardware
Question :
Why is it that my Windows computer sometimes will not
let me unplug my U.S.B. flash drive? When I go to the
Safely Remove Hardware icon and go through the steps to
stop the device, I often get the message that “the
device cannot be stopped right now, try later.”
Answer : Portable U.S.B.
drives are wonderfully convenient because they can hold
many megabytes of data, are small enough for a pocket or
purse, and plug right into the computer’s U.S.B. port.
Once plugged in, the drive shows up in the My Computer
area of Windows, just like any other external hard drive
or disk.
When it’s time to go, the Safely Remove Hardware
utility in the Windows taskbar area is supposed to let
you unplug the drive properly. Yanking the drive out
without warning might corrupt data if your files were
still copying to or from the computer.
There could be a number of reasons for the message
you are getting. If you are copying a large file, it
might still be transferring between the drive and PC.
Make sure all files and programs stored on the U.S.B.
drive are closed before you try to unplug it, as these
may prevent you from dismounting the drive if they are
open. Also check to see if your computer’s antivirus
software or any antispyware programs are scanning the
U.S.B. drive in the background when you try to remove
it. |
