Fixed! Problem Ejecting USB Mass Storage Device

Sue Wayne

Jul 21, 2026 • Filed to: USB Recovery • Proven solutions

TL;DR:

To fix the "Problem Ejecting USB Mass Storage Device" error and prevent data corruption, you must safely sever the connection between the USB drive and any active Windows applications, background processes, or security software currently using it.
    ● If closing visible files or using the standard Taskbar ejection fails, force the ejection by uninstalling the drive via Device Manager (ensuring you do not delete driver software) or by right-clicking the drive in Windows Disk Management.
    ● Terminate hidden system locks by ending specific USB-related tasks in Task Manager, temporarily disabling computer security software, or logging out of your Windows account to automatically close hanging user processes.
    ● As a final system-level fix, you can format the drive from NTFS to FAT32 with the Quick Format option disabled, but you must first extract existing files using a tool like Recoverit Data Recovery if previous forceful removals already corrupted your data.

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USB flash drives have aided the storage and transfer of data since they were first introduced. Today it is hard to imagine life without them as they have become indispensable. As effective as USB drives have become, we often encounter difficulties with their use. The error "Problem ejecting USB mass storage device" rare their heads from time to time. Does this mean that you should stop using USB drives altogether? You don't have to stop its use for any reason. There are ways to address the issue and we will show you how in this article.

Part 1: Overview of the Error

The Problem Ejecting USB Mass Storage Device message usually appears when Windows cannot safely stop a removable drive because something is still using it. The open item may be obvious, such as a Word document, video, ZIP file, File Explorer window, or copy progress dialog. It may also be hidden, such as antivirus scanning, Windows indexing, backup software, cloud sync, photo viewer, media player, Command Prompt, or another background process.

Part 2: 12 Ways to Fix the Problem Ejecting USB Storage Device

Solution 1-5: Try Normal Safe Eject Methods First

Start with the safest fixes. These steps do not format the USB drive or change its file system.

1. Close open files and folders: Save and close documents, photos, videos, installers, ZIP files, File Explorer windows, Command Prompt windows, and apps that opened files from the USB drive.
2. Wait for file activity to finish: Make sure copy, move, download, sync, backup, antivirus scan, or indexing activity has stopped.
3. Eject from the taskbar: Click Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media, then choose the USB drive.
4. Eject from This PC: Open This PC, right-click the USB drive, and choose Eject.

5. Eject from Disk Management: Right-click Start, open Disk Management, locate the removable drive carefully, and use the available eject or offline option if Windows provides it.
6. Use Device Manager only when needed: If normal eject fails, open Device Manager, expand disk drives, identify the USB drive, and use device removal only when you are sure you selected the correct removable device.

Solution 6-11: Find and Close the Program Using the USB Drive

If normal eject still fails, identify what is holding the USB drive open.

1. Check Task Manager: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, review open apps, and close programs that may be using the USB drive.
2. Restart Windows Explorer: In Task Manager, select Windows Explorer and choose Restart if File Explorer is holding the USB path.
3. Use Resource Monitor: Press Windows + R, type resmon, open the CPU tab, and search the USB drive letter in Associated Handles if available.
4. Use Process Explorer for advanced checks: In Microsoft Sysinternals Process Explorer, use Find Handle or DLL and search the USB drive letter, such as E:\.
5. Pause scans safely: If antivirus, backup, or sync software is actively scanning the drive, wait for it to finish or pause it temporarily from its own interface.
6. Sign out: If you cannot identify the process, sign out of Windows and sign back in to close user-level apps.
7. Restart Windows: If the eject error persists, restart the computer and remove the USB drive only after Windows fully shuts down or after it restarts and the drive is no longer busy.

Solution 12: Format the USB Drive Only as a Last Resort

Formatting should not be the first fix for the eject error. It erases the USB drive and should be used only when the drive is corrupted, inaccessible, repeatedly asks to be formatted, or has file system errors that cannot be repaired after files are backed up or recovered.

1. Recover or back up important files first.
2. Open This PC.
3. Right-click the USB drive and choose Format.
4. Select the file system that fits your device use case.
5. Start the format only after confirming that the correct USB drive is selected.

As can be seen from this article, there are so many ways to fix the problem ejecting USB mass storage device error. All the methods and steps listed are effective but you can stick to anyone that works well for you.

Part 3: Recover Data from a Damaged or Improperly Removed USB Flash Drive

If you unplugged the USB drive without safely ejecting it, or the USB drive becomes corrupted, inaccessible, empty, RAW, or asks to be formatted, recover important files before trying format or repair operations.

Recover Files from USB Drive with Recoverit

1. Connect the USB drive: Plug the affected USB flash drive into the computer. Avoid opening, copying, or saving new files to it.
2. Select the USB drive: Launch Recoverit and choose the USB drive as the scan location.

3. Scan for lost files: Start scanning and filter by file type, file path, date, or size if the result list is large.

4. Preview recoverable files: Preview documents, photos, videos, audio, archives, and other files when preview is available.

5. Recover to another location: Save recovered files to your computer or another external drive, not back to the same damaged USB drive.
6. Format only after recovery: After verifying recovered files, format the USB drive if it is still corrupted or unusable.

Video tutorial: How to Easily Recover Lost Files from Corrupted USB Drive?

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