Windows 11 Won’t Eject External Hard Drive? 7 Best Fixes

Microsoft’s new desktop operating system, Windows 11, is already out and running on most computers with compatible hardware. The new operating system is feature-rich but has a few flaws.

Since Windows 11 is still very new and still being tested, users may face problems while using certain features due to the presence of bugs. Recently, Windows 11 discovered a bug or glitch that prevents users from ejecting external hard drives or Pendrive.

While ejecting Pendrive from Windows 11, the computer freeze or restart automatically. Many users have also claimed that ejecting Pendrive shows an error that reads ‘Problem Ejecting USB Mass Storage Device’.

So, if you have just encountered the error message or can’t eject the Pendrive, you have landed on the right page. Below, we have shared a few simple steps that will let you fix the problem of ejecting Pendrive on Windows 11. Let’s get started.

Why did Windows 11 fail to eject the external hard drive/Pendrive?

Before diving into the solution, knowing why Windows 11 won’t eject the external hard drive is recommended. Below, we have shared a few possible reasons for the problem.

• The drive you are trying to eject is still in use.
• The USB drivers on your device are outdated.
• Corrupted device drivers.
• Malware preventing Windows 11 from ejecting the Pendrive.
• Corrupted system files.

So, these are some of the key reasons why Windows 11 won’t eject Pendrive.

Fix Windows 11 won’t eject the external hard drive/Pendrive

Now that you know the prominent reasons why Windows 11 fails to eject an external hard drive or Pendrive, you may look for the solutions. Below, we have shared a few best ways to resolve Windows 11 without ejecting the external hard drive.

1) Restart your computer

While you can remove the external drive without using the eject option, there’s a chance of data loss. To remain on the safe side, you can restart your computer.

Once your computer restarts, you can eject your external hard drive or Pendrive. Or else, you can shut down your computer and eject the connected drive since shutting down closes all applications and third-party processes.

2) Update the USB Drivers

If you often see the ‘Problem Ejecting USB Mass Storage Device’ error message on Windows 11, it’s best to update the USB Drivers.

Windows 11 may fail to eject USB devices because of outdated or corrupted USB drivers. In that case, you should update the USB drivers.

1. First, click on the Windows 11 search and type in ‘Device Manager‘. Next, open the Device Manager app from the list.

2. On the Device Manager, expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers section.

3. Right-click on every entry with a yellow exclamation mark and select ‘Update driver‘.

That’s it! Now you will be asked to pick where you want Windows 11 to search for the driver or add your own. You must select the first one and follow the on-screen instructions to finish the driver update process.

3) Run Windows Hardware and Device Troubleshooter

If you still can’t eject Pendrive on Windows 11, you need to try running the Windows Hardware and device troubleshooter. Follow some of the simple steps shared below.

1. First, click on the Windows search and type in CMD. Right-click on the CMD and select ‘Run as administrator‘.

2. On the Command Prompt, paste the following command and hit the Enter button.

msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic

3. This will launch the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter. Click on the Next button and follow the on-screen instructions.

That’s it! This is how you can run Hardware and Devices troubleshooter on Windows 11 to resolve can’t eject external hard drive error message.

4) Close Unnecessary Tasks

If you suspect an app is preventing your Pendrive or external hard drive from ejecting, you need to close the app and all its processes from the Task Manager. Here’s what you need to do.

1. First of all, click on the Windows 11 search and type in Task Manager. Next, open the Task Manager app from the list.

2. On the Task Manager, you need to find the app that you suspect. Right-click the entire branch and select ‘End Task‘.

That’s it! Repeat the steps to close every app that you feel is preventing the Windows 11 USB eject feature from functioning correctly.

5) Access the Safely Remove Hardware utility via CMD

Well, you can access the Safely Remove Hardware utility via CMD. This will open the Disk Management utility, where you can safely eject your external hard drive.

1. Click on Windows 11 search and type ‘CMD’. Right-click on the CMD and select ‘Run as administrator‘.

2. On the Command Prompt utility, execute the given command and hit Enter:

RunDll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL hotplug.dll

3. Now, you will see the safely remove hardware utility. Select the drive you want to eject and click on ‘Stop‘.

That’s it! This is how you can safely remove a USB drive from Windows 11 via Command Prompt.

6) Eject the USB Drive using Settings

There are many ways to eject a USB drive on Windows 11. You can use the Settings app if you can’t eject the drive from the system tray option. Here’s how to safely eject a USB drive using the Settings app.

1. First, click on the Windows 11 search and select Settings.

2. On Settings, switch to the Bluetooth & devices section.

3. On the right side, click on Devices.

4. Find your USB drive and click on the three dots beside it. Next, select ‘Remove device‘.

That’s it! This will immediately eject the USB drive from your Windows 11 computer.

7) Update Windows 11

If you cannot eject USB drive on Windows 11, try updating the Windows version. Beta and Dev builds of Windows 11 have a bug preventing USB drives from being ejected.

You can eliminate that bug by updating your Windows 11 computer. To update Windows 11, follow the steps shared below.

1. First, click on the Windows 11 Start button and select Settings.

2. On Settings, switch to the Windows Update tab.

3. On the right side, click the Check for Updates button.

That’s it! Now Windows 11 will search for all available updates. If any update is available, it will download & install automatically on your device.

Also read: 10 Best Bootable USB Tools For Windows 10/11

So, these are a few simple methods to fix can’t eject USB drive Windows 11. If you need more help safely ejecting a USB drive on Windows 11, let us know in the comments below. Also, if the article helped you, share it with your friends as well.

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