External SSD says it's in use and won't eject safely
A file from the drive is probably still open in another program, or your computer is still reading from it. Close all open files from the drive, then try ejecting again. If that doesn't work, restart your computer with the drive still plugged in — this forces everything to close.
Your computer keeps files from external drives open in memory even after you think you've closed them. When you try to eject, it says the drive is in use because something is still accessing it. The fix is to close all files and programs using the drive, then eject. If that doesn't work, restarting the computer forces everything to close.
- ✓Have the SSD plugged in and powered on
- ✓Save all your work on your computer before restarting
- ✓Close any browser windows that cache files from the drive
Fix-IT-Bot will walk you through each step, just tap, no typing needed.
Skip, I just want a technicianCommon mistakes to avoid
- Unplugging the drive without safely ejecting. This can corrupt files being written
- Closing one program but not realizing another background program still has the drive open
- Trying to force eject too quickly without giving programs time to close
Signs you need professional help
- If you've tried all these steps and it still won't eject, give us a call and we'll sort it out.
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