23H2 -> 25H2 and HBS

[garioch7]

@JayDee,

There is a simple way to find out what is blocking safe ejection of an external USB drive: USB Safely Remove, by Crystal Rich (Google it).

Years ago, I got tired of the Windows Safely Eject component.  It was unreliable, and caused problems.  I invested in two lifetime licenses of the product for my laptop and desktop.  I have also gifted a friend with a lifetime license, who was also experiencing difficulties.  It turned out that the culprit in his case was Dropbox.  Interestingly, after my friend used that program, Dropbox stopped interfering.  Go figure?

Frequently, Windows Indexing will temporarily delay safe ejections, but the program I mentioned will identify each and every process that is blocking safe ejection.  There is a 30-day free trial.

I have NO affiliation with the product, other than being a satisfied user.  I have had zero problems ejecting external USB drives since I started to use it, back in 2019.

Personally, I would hesitant to blame Hasleo for the issue, but if it is the culprit, you will know.

Just a suggestion.  Have a great day.

Regards,
Phil

[al3x]

You can also use the built-in Resource Monitor from Windows or Process Explorer, both available for free from Microsoft, to quickly find blocking processes.

Have a look at this tutorial from Microsoft:
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog...ws/4432635

Identify Which Process Is Blocking a File in Windows | Microsoft Community Hub
When you see the error "The process cannot access the file because it is being…

[admin]

@JayDee,

As @garioch7 and @al3x mentioned, the most important thing right now is to determine which application is currently accessing the USB drive.

Best regards,