Windows often advices to use the Safely Remove Hardware option before unplugging anyUSB devicefrom a PC.
We are happy to oblige because it takes only a few moments.
So what happens when the Safely Remove Hardware icon is missing?
How do we remove a USB machine?
How do we get the icon back to remove a USB machine safely?
You mustve tried that with a flash drive.
That doesnt mean you did the right thing.
Windows OS runs several processes in the background and some of them mayaccess the USB rig.
Or Windows might writing data on it even if you are not copying anything actively.
No one likes losing precious data.
But how do you get notified about removing a USB rig safely if the icon itself is missing?
Lets see how we can get that Safely Remove Hardware icon back now.
It is possible that the icon is hidden.
To find out, right-hit the Taskbar and select Taskbar parameters.
Under Notification heading, press Select which icons appear in the taskbar.
Scroll a little to find Windows Explorer Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media option and switch it on.
Check the Taskbar to see if the missing Safely Remove Hardware icon reappears.
Restart Windows Explorer
At times, the process responsible for displaying the Safely Remove Hardware icon malfunctions.
So restarting Windows Explorer may sort out the issue.
To do that, right-tap on the Taskbar and select Task Manager from the list.
You will see a list of all the active processes on your box.
Scroll a little to findWindows Explorer, right-select it, and select Restart.
Some of your active windows will close, so save everything before you attempt to restart Windows Explorer.
After a few moments, recheck the Taskbar to see if the icon is visible or not.
Third-Party Software
Some free third-party software can help you to remove hardware safely without worrying about data loss.
One is USB Disk Ejector, and the other is Hotswap.
For this post, I will be using USB Disk Ejector.
The software is small in size, and there is no need to install it.
Press Enter or double-click to choose the USB gear to remove it safely.
Download USB Disk Ejector
4.
To check that, press the Windows key+R button to initiate the Run prompt and typeservices.mscbefore hitting Enter.
Locate the Plug and Play option and double-press it to launch it.
Under the General tab, Service status should be Running.
If it is not, choose the Start button to manually start it.
On the same tab, you will notice that Startup jot down is set to Manual.
you might select Automatic from the dropdown menu there.
Now test whether the Safely Remove Hardware icon is visible.
Though the option is enabled by default, you could turn it off.
The drawback is that Windows will disable write caching which will reduce the performance of your connected devices.
Right-press the Taskbar and select rig Manager.
Locate your USB gear under Disk drives, right-tap on it, and select Properties.
Under the Policies tab, Select Quick removal and click OK.
If this option was already selected, then you know why the Safely Remove Hardware icon was missing.
To bring it back, select Better performance and click OK. Stop the Process Manually
you might stop the process manually and eject media or remove the USB equipment.
A new dialog box will pop up.
it’s possible for you to opt for USB machine and tap on Stop before removing it safely.
If you use the Safely Remove Hardware option often, then you cancreate a desktop shortcutfor it.
No need to mess with the notification tray icon anymore.
Copy the same command you entered earlier in the Run prompt above.
you might name it anything, but I would recommend to label it Safely Remove Hardware.
Now youve got a nifty shortcut on your desktop.
Its entirely possible that yourWindows 10 driversare not up to date or some of them are corrupt.
To update machine drivers, right-punch the Windows icon (Start button) and select machine Manager.
Find Universal Serial Bus controller, hit the arrow to reveal the branch, and right-tap on USB Controller.
That should initiate the processing of fetching the new driver and let you pick to install them automatically.
If the problem persists, go to the same menu again and select Uninstall gear.
After that reboot the Windows.
Windows 10 will automatically scan for missing drivers for the new components and reinstall them for you.
Recheck if the Safely Remove Hardware icon is visible now or not.
If the icon is missing or throwing an error, one of the above methods should solve it.
Next up: You connect an external drive but your PC is failing to recognize it?
Here are 3 ways to solve this USB problem.
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