External USB Hard Drive Eject Problem

I have an external 120 GB USB hard drive. When I plug it in to my Windows
Vista machine and then want to remove it by clicking on the safely remove
hardware button it does not let me. If I wait a long time (many minutes) it
will let me do this. I am assuming that Vista is trying to index this drive
but I don't want this to happen as it is an external drive. How do I make
this work the way that I want?

Also, when I try to change the USB drive properties to "optimize for quick
removal" that option is grayed out. How can I change this?

Thanks,

Mike

Make/Model?

"Mike McCollister" <Mike_McCollister@msn.com> wrote in message
news:#pLHzqIrHHA.1380@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>I have an external 120 GB USB hard drive. When I plug it in to my Windows
>Vista machine and then want to remove it by clicking on the safely remove
>hardware button it does not let me. If I wait a long time (many minutes) it
>will let me do this. I am assuming that Vista is trying to index this drive
>but I don't want this to happen as it is an external drive. How do I make
>this work the way that I want?
>
> Also, when I try to change the USB drive properties to "optimize for quick
> removal" that option is grayed out. How can I change this?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike
>

By default Vista doesn't index an external drive?
Did you add it to the Search Index ?
...winston

"Mike McCollister" <Mike_McCollister@msn.com> wrote in message news:%23pLHzqIrHHA.1380@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
:I have an external 120 GB USB hard drive. When I plug it in to my Windows
: Vista machine and then want to remove it by clicking on the safely remove
: hardware button it does not let me. If I wait a long time (many minutes) it
: will let me do this. I am assuming that Vista is trying to index this drive
: but I don't want this to happen as it is an external drive. How do I make
: this work the way that I want?
:
: Also, when I try to change the USB drive properties to "optimize for quick
: removal" that option is grayed out. How can I change this?
:
: Thanks,
:
: Mike
:

Seagate Momentus 5400.2 120 GB with OK gear extern USB 2.0 external
enclosure.

This drive has Windows XP on it from my computer and I am using it to
transfer data from the old drive.

Could it be that Vista sees that there is an OS on it and it wants to index
it?

Mike

"Mac" <mac@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:843E21EE-3343-4929-8008-55E8C1E66DD3@microsoft.com...
> Make/Model?
>
> "Mike McCollister" <Mike_McCollister@msn.com> wrote in message
> news:#pLHzqIrHHA.1380@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>I have an external 120 GB USB hard drive. When I plug it in to my Windows
>>Vista machine and then want to remove it by clicking on the safely remove
>>hardware button it does not let me. If I wait a long time (many minutes)
>>it will let me do this. I am assuming that Vista is trying to index this
>>drive but I don't want this to happen as it is an external drive. How do I
>>make this work the way that I want?
>>
>> Also, when I try to change the USB drive properties to "optimize for
>> quick removal" that option is grayed out. How can I change this?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Mike
>>