Simple clear advice in plain English

Manage external storage devices in Windows

We explain how to remove a USB storage device safely

how-to-remove-an-external-storage-device-image
Removing a USB storage device needs a little more care than plugging it in

USB storage devices are great for transferring files between PCs and connecting one is simple: just plug it in.

Removing them, however, needs a little more care. When a USB device is attached, a small icon displaying a USB connector will appear in the Notification Area. Double-click this icon and a list of all attached USB storage devices will be displayed.

In Windows 7 click the device you want to remove and click Stop.

In XP and Vista you need to highlight the appropriate drive from the list and then click Stop. After a short wait, Windows will say when it is safe to remove the USB device.

It’s important to follow this process. If you remove a storage device while it’s in use, the data on the device could be corrupted or lost.

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Reader Comments

Storage devices

Hi I have a seagate expansion 250gb external storage device, which is great for storing anything,but the only way to remove it is when the pc is switched off,otherwise theres no way to remove it,try removing it from the icon in the task bar area and it wont work that way,as the drive is always live when the pc is on

Posted by Edgar Mills, 29 Jul 2010

   

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