How to Safely Remove a USB Drive on Windows 11

What you need: A Windows 11 computer with a USB flash drive or external drive connected.

Before you begin: Wait for copying or moving files to finish. Save and close any documents opened from the drive.

1. Click Start (the Windows logo) on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen.
2. Type File Explorer, then click File Explorer in the search results to open it.
3. Click This PC on the left. Under Devices and drives, find your USB drive and remember its name and letter, such as USB Drive (E:).
4. Close File Explorer by clicking the X in its upper-right corner.
5. Near the clock at the bottom-right of the screen, find the small USB symbol. If it is hidden, click the upward arrow near the clock to show the hidden symbols.
6. Move the pointer over the USB symbol to check that its label says Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media. Right-click it by clicking once with the right mouse button.
7. Click Eject followed by the name of your drive.
8. Wait for Windows to say Safe To Remove Hardware, then unplug the drive. If Windows says the drive is still in use, leave it connected.

Expected result: Your USB drive is safely disconnected from the computer.