This question was asked three years ago and the suggested Unlocker has since (March 2015) been described by HowToGeek as only available with malware wrappers.
I need a methodology described to do it manually if there is no safe way to obtain a good utility. The Sysinternals tool seems too complicated, if I don't understand at all, how to use it. Logoff/Logon does not work. Even disabling antivirus (Malwarebytes Pro and Microsoft Security Essentials) does not help. This is both using an external hub and using the onboard USB ports.
This with SD Card Adapter, USB sticks, USB-HDD, etc. Help!
I am using Windows 7 Professional 32-bit. Should I pull it out while logged off? How would I know it has been dismounted/ejected? But it is grabbed immediately after I log back in.
Responses to comments:
@fixer1234: I have corrupted USB flash drives by just pulling it out anyway. If terminating a process has the same effect, then how does Win7 actually ever make USB obey the request to eject (which it also has done in the past)? If it's been there for hours, and after refusing to "eject" I close ALL apps and close the AVs, and Log Off, then Log On, it still refuses.
As said in OP: several devices. If ALL apps are down, how can a service or process still be stopping eject?
To your question "Is there a particular situation you're trying to fix or do you need a general purpose way to terminate any active process, release the device and eject it?": The whole point is to right click on the USB in SysTray or Devices & Printers or even Explorer, to just eject it properly.
If a process is holding it and terminating that process is no better than just yanking it out or turning off the computer, then that is an OS bad design. Why doesn't whatever process finish?
It is NOT like I am in the middle of a multi-GB transfer. I think I have the caching option turned off anyway, to prevent this in the first place.
@DavidP: main drive is SSD and Sleep and Hibernate both disabled. This is a desktop. I said in OP: ALL apps were shut down etc.
@Richard: since the whole malware wrapper thing is spreading and sometimes by the site and sometimes by the dev themselves, I have had problems long ago with conduit and other sites. If I try Unlocker I will be needing to back up and make a comparison after, of the differences in the Reg and Temp files, and everywhere else I can think of. To just go ahead and trust them like I'm their puppy can be fine, or can cost me dearly.
@Nasreddine: I will try that, thanks, it was ProcessExplorer I was talking about. Guess I gotta to learn it after all.
Best Answer
You can use Process Explorer to close handles that might be preventing you from ejecting the drive. The easiest way is to search for the assigned letter to your drive then right click and close the handle(s).
Example: