Windows 11 is said to be a brilliant upgrade in terms of security, user experience, and performance. This newest Operating System (OS) offers several great features and functionality. However, a new bug has found its place in this OS, causing multiple issues. Several users have been posting lately about having issues disconnecting their USB drives from Windows 11 22H2 system when Task Manager is running.
Windows 11 New Bug: Overview
The newest OS version is preventing its users from removing their USB devices. The issue occurs when the Task Manager is running. Annoyed by this bug, when users disconnect the device forcefully, it makes Windows 11 unresponsive for a couple of minutes. It then leads to an error message that says, "Windows can't stop your device because a program is still using it. Close any programs using the device, and then try again later."
This problem usually occurs when your USB drive is already in use. Additionally, the system throws this error even though the USB is in use or not, which might further cause other problems.
What Could Go Wrong?
This issue may seem a little less problematic than other Windows 11 problems, as it occurs when Task Manager is open. Still, ignoring it may cost you big time. How? Other than making your Windows 11 unresponsive, when you disconnect the USB abruptly, it can lead to the USB drive corruption. In addition, several other issues may arise. For example, when you reinsert the drive again, it may show you the USB drive empty even when the data exists, or you may encounter a USB drive with a 0-byte error.
How to Fix Windows 11 Holding USB Drive Hostage issue?
There could be many possible reasons behind this issue. However, sometimes, the problem may arise due to some hardware and software combinations. Whenever such a thing happens, you may get different notifications. You can refer to the Microsoft page to fix USB-C problems in Windows 11.
What to Avoid?
Many times people plug out the USB device from their system. Whether due to some rush or out of practice, removing the USB in an instance without ejecting it safely from Windows 11 is the one thing you should avoid. When USB is currently in use, and you plug it out without ejecting, there is a good chance your data on the device may corrupt. Or worse! This practice may even make your USB device inaccessible, which will certainly be a nightmare for you if there is a good amount of important data on the USB. However, you can recover USB data with a free data recovery software.
The Best Practices to Follow
Whenever you connect a storage device such as a USB drive to your system, it's always advised to safely remove it with ensuring it's not in use at that moment. With Windows 11, you can go to the connected devices in File Explorer, right-click on the USB device and choose to 'EJECT' it. Also, when using a USB device on Windows 11, ensure you don't download any software or application from any unreliable site. Doing so will make your system vulnerable to virus attacks and put your important data at risk.
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