Unable to eject External hard drive safely…even after a reboot when nothing is accessing it, tried disabling Avast 5.0.545’s shields and still no go.
This operating system Windows Vista 32bit, External drive is a Seagate Freeagent 320gb
Any advice is appreciated
Use Unlocker to see what is blocking the media.
Run “No action” (i.e., does not delete) with “Unlock” every process.
Ok will give that a shot then, and that should work i’m sure
last night disconnected it without safely ejecting again, since didn’t wanna leave the external running 24 hours again, i did the night i have a backup in a few hours, but normally i dislike doing that
This will help out with that i’m sure
Me neither, I usually unplug my external HDD when I put the notebook to sleep, so it’s already flushed & parked.
Anyway, try Process Explorer tool (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx), execute it, press Ctrl+F, insert X: (assuming your external HDD is X:), press enter and see which processes have opened file handles on this volume.
Yeah unlocker was reported as infected according to download area, so scratch that one i guess, will try Process Explorer and when i goto eject the drive later tonight, i’ll see what it says–might hook it up with my second Desktop later that is runing another antivirus for testing purposes, and see if it allows ejection with that one just as a test lol
Unlocker? It’s clean…
http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/
Here is a screenshot i took with IE 8, when i clicked on that Link
Provided by Tech
Even a download thru Filehippo.com for Unlocker, came up with the same message…So didn’t grab the file, and left it alone
This portable hdd thing happens to me too. Will check today and post later.
Unlocker :It will detect the error when files are not deletable nothing else.
Try the process explorer as pk suggested. I too will try.
nmb
I have this in the past…and I couldn’t work out why…
On my vista machine, before I could attribute it occasionally to the File System Shield, but now I am not sure, I haven’t tested it in a while…
There was a similar thread: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=59401
On another note, Unlocker…I think the alert is wrong…
I find it weird that IE8 will load the page and then bring up this alert… (I see the page load briefly and then the alert… ::))
Page is clean. I won’t post a live link to malware…
Ok will give it another shot, does find it weird IE 8 would load the page, and pop up that red alert, may try to get the file on my second Desktop
though I use IE 8 on every PC here, so i guess i’ll see what i can do with it, as for using Process explorer that worked fine to disconnect the drive from both PC’s, haven’t tried it with the laptop yet though, but i may sometime soon
Ok On Second Desktop PC, Running Windows XP Sp3, and MSE–Page Loaded, then about less than 5 minutes, changed back to Red Page, and reported as unsafe message popped up–so thinking that fixed it was wrong, Perhaps an issue with IE 8.0
Main PC with Avast 5.0.545 kept popping up the red alert that i posted the screen shot of before.
Ok gonna grab the file if it lets me, and put it on flash drive, but so far can’t get past the red alert lol, but gonna keep trying to figure out why it’s happening
My IE is giving the same warning.
Seems to be Microsoft related… (phising filter?).
Just had this…
tried disabling avast, nothing happened…so don’t know…
Process Explorer showed nothing…Unlocker doesn’t work on 64bit… :
Eventually I opened up ‘Computer’, right clicked the drive and pressed eject…and it worked…
I wonder, why didn’t the safely remove thing in the tray work…
About the unlocker site, yes it is MS, it has previously been reported for some reason from what I gather…you can use another browser though…
I’m pretty sure the “eject” function within explorer is the same thing as the system tray, I guess it was just a coincidence that it worked.
Whenever I have this problem (and it’s pretty frequent for all windows machines) I just make sure no copies are taking place and that nothing is accessing it and I pull the drive. Hasn’t hurt anything yet, but I’m sure it might one day.
Well that is what I thought…same function, different location…I don’t know…
I normally shut the machine down…at least you know then that it is not being accessed…
I guess that works if you have the ability to shut it down.
Servers are another beast though… ;D
Guys,
I don’t think unlocker will show what is locking the usb drive. It only catches the errors when files are undeletable. :-\
nmb
Guys, let’s try Process Explorer, it will show you the opened handles on that USB volume…
Thanks
Process Explorer seemed to have to work this time when i tried it, so i guess will keep copy of that on a flash drive and if i need to use it on other PC’s i have it.
External is used for weekly backups, and Monthly Vista Backups from 2 PC’s, and misc download storage here
wonder if cause of mine has network shares for the Vista backups from 2 other Vista Pc’s in the household, thats why on mine maybe it said cannot eject
@ bikemanAMD
I am curios why you you do not go to PROFILE then Modify Profile then Forum Profile Information then select your country in Please select your country: then update your Signature: with information like my signature as this helps the helpers offer pertinent advice. ???