When you encounter the prompt "The external hard disk cannot be ejected, this device is currently in use", a program or system process usually occupies the device; 2. You can open the "Resource Monitor" by pressing Ctrl R, entering resmon, switch to the "CPU" tab, find the "associated handle" and enter the hard disk letter (for example: E:). The system will list all processes and file paths that access the disk. Right-click the relevant process and select "End Process" to solve the problem, but be careful to avoid ending the critical system process.

If you try to eject external hard drive when using Windows, but encounter the prompt "The external hard drive cannot be ejected, this device is currently in use", don't worry. This problem is actually very common, usually because a program or system process occupies the device.

1. Close the resource-occupying program

This is the most direct and common solution. Windows will prevent you from popping up the device you are still using, so you need to find out which program is accessing it.

• Open Task Manager (Ctrl Shift Esc)
• Check the "Process" tab and check whether there are any programs related to storage and file management running, such as resource manager, backup software, antivirus software, etc.
• If you find a suspicious program, right-click and select "End Task"

Sometimes, even if you can't see any open window, some background services may still be reading hard disk content, such as thumbnail cache generation or indexing services.

2. Use "Resource Monitor" to find specific occupied files

If you are not sure which program is causing trouble, you can use the "Resource Monitor" that comes with Windows.

• Press Ctrl R, enter resmon , and enter
• Switch to the "CPU" tab and scroll to the bottom to find the "Associated Handle"
• Enter your hard drive letter in the search box (for example: E:)
• The system lists all processes and file paths that are accessing the disk.
• Right-click these processes and select "End Process" (be careful not to end the system key processes at will)

Although this step is a little more complicated, it can help you accurately locate the source of the problem.

3. Restart the Explorer or PC

If the above method is a bit troublesome and you are not in a hurry to pull out the plate, you can try it directly:

• Press Ctrl Shift Esc to open Task Manager
• Find "Windows Explorer", right-click and select "Restart"

Doing this can allow the system to release a lot of hidden resource occupations, and it will pop up smoothly in many cases.

Of course, if you really don’t work, restart the computer. This is the safest way to do it, but it’s a little less efficient.

4. Tips to avoid frequent occurrence of this problem in the future

• Do not run programs directly on hard disk : Some users are used to putting programs on external disks, which can easily lead to pop-up failures.
• Turn off the auto-play/auto-import function : For example, automatically opening the Explorer window when inserting the hard disk may cause temporary occupation.
• Clean backend processes regularly : Especially for people who often connect multiple peripherals, keeping the system clean can reduce conflicts

Basically these are the methods. The problem is not complicated, but it is indeed easy to make people anxious. As long as you find the source of occupancy, it can be easily solved most of the time.

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