As you’re trying to eject a removable device from your Windows computer, the following error message rears its ugly face on the screen:

Don’t panic. Help is on the way.

In this post, we’ll discuss 6 effective solutions to this error. So, let’s dive right in.

Why does “This device is currently in use” error occur?

Typically, the error arises when you eject a removable device from the system while some files of the device are in use. However, it’s not uncommon to receive the error even when all files of the ejectable device are closed.

Like any other Windows error, the “This device is currently in use” error can occur due to many reasons. The two most common ones are:

• One or more programs are using some files in the removable device
• A program or software, like a third-party antivirus tool or Windows Defender, is accessing the device in the background

How to troubleshoot “This device is currently in use”?

Before we discuss the solutions, a few words of advice:

Do not forcibly unplug your device. If you do so, your computer may fail to recognize the device the next time you plug in. There’s also the risk of the device or its files getting damaged.

Solution #1 – Eject the device from “This PC”

• Press Win + E keys to launch File Explorer
• Double click This PC in the left-side pane

• Right-click the removable device and select Eject

Solution # 2 – Log off the computer

When you log off, all files and programs currently in use are closed. For this reason, it’s a good idea to give this basic solution a try.

Solution # 3 – Use Disk Management to eject the device

• Press Win + R keys to launch the Run dialog box
• Type diskmgmt.msc and hit Enter

• In the Disk Management window, locate the device you want to remove. Next, right-click it and select Eject

Solution #4 – Use Task Manager to eject the device

• Press Ctrl+Shift+Del (some users may need to press Ctrl+Alt+Del) to access the Task Manager window
• Locate the removable device in the Processes tab, right-click the device, and select End task

Solution #5 – Temporarily disable security software

It’s possible that your security software is accessing the files of your removable device in the background. Disable the security software and check if you’re able to eject the removable device.

Solution #6 – Use device manager to eject the device

• Type device manager in the Search bar in the taskbar and hit Enter
• In the Device Manager window, locate and expand the Disk drives entry
• Locate the device you want to remove, right-click it and select Uninstall

That’s it! We hope one of these solutions worked for you. Let us know if this blog post has helped you by leaving a comment below. Please share the post so that others can benefit from it.

Before signing off for the day, a pro tip to keep your Windows computer in top shape: Update your device drivers on a regular basis. How? Glad you asked. While you can update drivers manually, it’s far from easy. A better option is to use an advanced driver update tool such as Driver Updater.

Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:

• You can update device drivers automatically
• The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
• The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
• Automatic driver updates are 100% safe

Driver Updater is one of the best driver update tools out there. Outbyte Driver Updater will give you access to a database of over 1 million drivers. It will regularly scan your PC, suggesting new driver versions to install. Driver Updater contains drivers for a variety of Windows devices. With just one click, you can update drivers in your system.

Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app

Step 2
Scan all devices

Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically

 

Start Download