Windows remove hardware safely

The policy continues to remain in effect until you disconnect the device and then connect it again to the same computer port. Quick Removal, as the name suggests, allows you to safely eject a USB or Thunderbolt-enabled external drive at any time by bypassing Safely Remove Hardware process.

However, to do this, Windows cannot cache disk write operations. This may even lower the performance of the system. On the other hand, Better performance policy manages storage operations in a manner that improves system performance. In this process, Windows can cache write operations to the external device.

However, you must use the Safely Remove Hardware process to remove the external drive, or else you risk losing data.

If you select Better performance, it is recommended that you also select Enable to write caching on the device, adds Microsoft support page. How do we get the icon back to remove a USB device safely? Some people will argue here that yanking out a USB peripheral without waiting for the Safely Remove Hardware pop-up has worked fine for them. You must've tried that with a flash drive. That doesn't mean you did the right thing. Or Windows might writing data on it even if you are not copying anything actively.

So when you remove a USB flash drive or hard disk without safely removing it first, there is a risk that the data might get corrupt.

No one likes losing precious data. By default, you should be able to see the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the notification area. Like this. It is possible that the icon is hidden.

To find out, right-click on the Taskbar and select Taskbar Settings. At times, the process responsible for displaying the Safely Remove Hardware icon malfunctions. So restarting Windows Explorer may resolve the issue. To do that, right-click on the Taskbar and select Task Manager from the list. You will see a list of all the active processes on your computer. Scroll a little to find Windows Explorer , right-click on it, and select Restart. Some of your active windows will close, so save everything before you attempt to restart Windows Explorer.

Some free third-party software can help you to remove hardware safely without worrying about data loss. The software is small in size, and there is no need to install it. Just double-click to launch and it will detect all the USB devices connected to your computer and offer to eject remove them.

Plug and Play is the service responsible for running the Safely Remove Hardware option, and it's possible that it may have stopped working. Under the General tab, Service status should be Running. If it is not, click on the Start button to manually start it.

A few weeks ago I wrote to say that I had no icon for safely removing hardware. I got a response telling me how to make a shortcut. I tried the first way. When I tried to use it to eject my thumb drive, it said, "it's not removable and can't be ejected or unplugged" so I tried the second way and it did the same thing.

Is the any other way to safely remove hardware or is there anyway to fix the shortcut? I plug hardware in all the time, I'd hate to think I'm going to have to stop doing it because I have no way to remove it safely.

This thread is locked. You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread. I have the same question 3. Report abuse. Details required :. Cancel Submit. AnthonyLabramonte Independent Advisor. Hi and thanks for reaching out.

My name is Anthony. I'm Independent Advisor and I'm happy to assist you. I understand how difficult it is, when the device or app won't work in the way it should. Please check the different solutions indicated in the link below that can address this certain issue.

Hope it will help. Please let me know if you need any further assistance. Thank you and Keep Safe. How satisfied are you with this reply? Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site. In reply to AnthonyLabramonte's post on June 16, Thanks for getting back so quickly.

Unfortunately, after reading the page you sent, I'm no better off. When I went to settings, devices, and clicked on the USB there was no "remove device" to click on. This will open the Run window.