How does one determine why the Windows 'Safely Remove Hardware' utility often fails w/alert popup saying "The device 'Generic volume' cannot be stopped because a program is still accessing it."?

The EHD's I see this happening on are NTSC formatted, System Restore is turned completely off, no programs are visibly seen as running off the EHD, the desktop recycle bin's empty, even shut down my AV, plus I haven't found any shortcut's leading to an EHD.

I use a lot of shortcuts, could such a remise shortcut cause this issue?

I just downloaded Process Monitor, but refuse to install it as nowhere am I finding it comes with an unistaller, plus no means to verify the file's validity (file size, date, or MDS).

I'm so wary now, I won't install & use that utility because I refuse to install anything that doesn't up front disclose it can be uninstalled and moreover can be proven as a legitimate, unadulterated and intact installer (a really annoying software producer marketing oversight)).

And seems the only one's users can ask about Process Monitor (v7) is that site's supposed forum, but gee, that site's is down, ref...

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/...

and

http://forum.sysinternals.com/forum...

Regards and hap-e-trails, Steve Hopper

Give this a try. http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/

Thanks for the reply and link.

I'd forgotten about that utility, even had it's v1.8.5 ini on file, just never got around to installing/using it.

Seems w/a little digging, it might be useful towards determining what's up with the EHD by denoting the program file(s) that are indicated as accessing the EHD.

Maybe also requiring me to use ProcessExplorer in conjunction w/any such program's PID?

As for the persnickety EHD, just now I used unlocker, but it reported no unlocker. Understandably to some degree, 'safely remove device' worked on the EHD.

When I run into this issue again, I hope to report back with what the resolution was.

Regards and hap-e-trails, Steve Hopper