How to force-eject an external drive?

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  1. EdTittel
    Posts : 4,224
    Windows 10
       New #11

    I'm *totally* with Kari and Berton on this topic, FWIW: when all else fails, there's no harm in disconnecting a device when the parent PC is shut down.
    --Ed--
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  3. Callender
    Posts : 6,853
    22H2 64 Bit Pro
       New #12

    For me: I set policies to "quick removal"

    Enable or Disable Disk Write Caching in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials

    Even then the drive(s) can sometimes be locked when manually ejecting. Disable those drives from being scanned by your AV (add to exclusions) and check any third party explorer extensions that add a right click context menu entry when right clicking on a drive in file explorer.

    Sometimes it's explorer locking the drive and one method I use is to reopen any folder on the drive that I was viewing then exit out of each window before attempting to eject. If all else fails - power off and wait a minute or so before manually unplugging the drive.
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  4. battlezone
    Posts : 114
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       New #13

    Like I said, I'd really like to know how to temporarily disable Avast. I do not see a one-button option for disabling Avast. If I set all Core Shields to "off," does that do it?

    And as far as Quick Removal goes, it sure did mess up one of my drives, which needed then to be reformatted. Had I had any data on that drive...
    Last edited by battlezone; 15 Feb 2018 at 01:23.
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  6. dalchina
    Posts : 42,998
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       New #14

    Avast:
    How to force-eject an external drive?-untitled.png
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  7. battlezone
    Posts : 114
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       New #15

    Thanks. I had no idea the Avast icon in the System Tray could be right-clicked and more features accessed. I'm terrible at finding hidden features. I will try and see if disabling Avast before trying to eject a drive.
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  8. Bree
    Posts : 31,675
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       New #16

    battlezone said:
    I had no idea the Avast icon in the System Tray could be right-clicked and more features accessed. I'm terrible at finding hidden features...
    Not really hidden, it's long been a general design principle in Windows that a left-click selects or opens, while a right-click gives further options or controls. You can right-click on almost anything.
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  9. battlezone
    Posts : 114
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       New #17

    Hidden as in out of sight. After over 20 years on Mac computers, and just a bit over one month on the PC, I'm still getting used to the PC's idiosyncrasies.
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  10. dalchina
    Posts : 42,998
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       New #18

    Lots of those... suggest having coffee and paracetamol to hand.
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  12. battlezone
    Posts : 114
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       New #19

    It's not going to be a picnic!
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  13. battlezone
    Posts : 114
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       New #20

    If I try to shut down the computer so that I may safely remove the external drive, and if I get a pop-up that says the drive is currently in use, will that not mess up things if I shut the computer down? I'm not even sure I can shut the computer down under these conditions other than with a forced shutdown.
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