USB Drive Can Not be stopped with Safely Remove Hardware

I’m using a Windows XP SP3 desktop since past 4 years and never had any major problem with the same. I usually carry my all data on a Pen drive. Since last week whenever I attach any USB drive to this system and after completing my work when I click the icon in system tray saying “Safely Remove Hardware”, it says “the removable device cannot be stopped right know, try again later.”

No matter how many times I click it to stop the mass storage, it says the same thing. I’m sure the problem is with computer itself because when I click the same pen drive on other computers I wont get that message. Any idea how can I get rid of this problem? Please help.

Even I was facing (infact still facing) the same problem. After struggling lot finally I came to know that, though I close all notepad, doc or excel files opened from my USB storage, but if there is still Windows Explorer running, it will not stop the USB and I will get the same error. So I always need to first close everything including Windows Explorer as well then only I can eject it successfully.

So check if it is not the same in your case as well. Close windows explorer as well before attempting to stop the storage.

As far as I know it is safe to directly oull the USB Flash Drives without using safely remove hardware unless and until the drive is not being written to. We need to stop it only when we are writing something on it.