Forum Discussion
Whose bright idea was it to hide the "Safely Remove Hardware" option in Windows 11?
You do not need the desktop right-click menu to eject a USB drive safely. Save your work and close applications using the device, then open the taskbar's hidden-icons menu if necessary and select Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media. Choose the correct device and wait for Windows to confirm that removal is safe before unplugging it. Microsoft also documents removing devices through Settings, Bluetooth and devices, Devices; use the option available for that device rather than assuming every connected item has the same eject control. If Windows says the drive is in use, do not repeatedly force removal. Close File Explorer windows and any application that might be reading or writing there, then retry. Avoid disconnecting during an active transfer even if the icon is hard to find. If no removal option appears, provide the device type and whether Windows identifies it as removable storage.