Safely removing external HDD that system says is in use by another program

When I try to remove Drive F at the Computer window, or from the taskbar, it
says "can't remove, in use by another program".

This became an issue after I ran Windows Backup for the first time. Earlier
backup was the Acer version. Acer's version backs up C partition and
records on D. Windows backed up C and D and recorded on external drive F.

How do I determine which program is preventing me from safely removing Drive
F?
Should I delete the Windows backup and use Acer's backup program
exclusively?
How do I delete the Windows backup?

------------------------------------
Acer 5735 4GB RAM, 2GHZ proc
Windows 64 bit Vista Home Premium

Do you have any shared folders on the external drive? If yes, then you'll
have to "unshare" them before you can safely remove the drive.

--
Kerry Brown
MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/


"popalong" <allornufin@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:5DC95B7D-AEA9-4E01-994D-F3FDD7C87966@microsoft.com...
> When I try to remove Drive F at the Computer window, or from the taskbar,
> it says "can't remove, in use by another program".
>
> This became an issue after I ran Windows Backup for the first time.
> Earlier backup was the Acer version. Acer's version backs up C partition
> and records on D. Windows backed up C and D and recorded on external
> drive F.
>
> How do I determine which program is preventing me from safely removing
> Drive F?
> Should I delete the Windows backup and use Acer's backup program
> exclusively?
> How do I delete the Windows backup?
>
> ------------------------------------
> Acer 5735 4GB RAM, 2GHZ proc
> Windows 64 bit Vista Home Premium

Please let me know how to identify these. I did a search for "shared
folders" on drive F and came up blank. --thanks--

"Kerry Brown" <kerry@kdbNOSPAMsys-tems.c*a*m> wrote in message
news:e7yxKRAJKHA.4236@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Do you have any shared folders on the external drive? If yes, then you'll
> have to "unshare" them before you can safely remove the drive.
>
> --
> Kerry Brown
> MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
> http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/
>
>
> "popalong" <allornufin@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:5DC95B7D-AEA9-4E01-994D-F3FDD7C87966@microsoft.com...
>> When I try to remove Drive F at the Computer window, or from the taskbar,
>> it says "can't remove, in use by another program".
>>
>> This became an issue after I ran Windows Backup for the first time.
>> Earlier backup was the Acer version. Acer's version backs up C partition
>> and records on D. Windows backed up C and D and recorded on external
>> drive F.
>>
>> How do I determine which program is preventing me from safely removing
>> Drive F?
>> Should I delete the Windows backup and use Acer's backup program
>> exclusively?
>> How do I delete the Windows backup?
>>
>> ------------------------------------
>> Acer 5735 4GB RAM, 2GHZ proc
>> Windows 64 bit Vista Home Premium
>

In the Start search box type

manage

Click on Computer Management. Expand Shared Folders then click on Shares. If
you see any shared folders on the external drive right click and pick Stop
sharing.

This is unlikely to be the cause though. If you had shared folders on the
drive you would already know about them.

--
Kerry Brown
MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/

"popalong" <allornufin@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:BD161475-C8C9-499F-93F3-DB8768E50A2D@microsoft.com...
> Please let me know how to identify these. I did a search for "shared
> folders" on drive F and came up blank. --thanks--
>
> "Kerry Brown" <kerry@kdbNOSPAMsys-tems.c*a*m> wrote in message
> news:e7yxKRAJKHA.4236@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>> Do you have any shared folders on the external drive? If yes, then you'll
>> have to "unshare" them before you can safely remove the drive.
>>
>> --
>> Kerry Brown
>> MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
>> http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/
>>
>>
>> "popalong" <allornufin@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:5DC95B7D-AEA9-4E01-994D-F3FDD7C87966@microsoft.com...
>>> When I try to remove Drive F at the Computer window, or from the
>>> taskbar, it says "can't remove, in use by another program".
>>>
>>> This became an issue after I ran Windows Backup for the first time.
>>> Earlier backup was the Acer version. Acer's version backs up C
>>> partition and records on D. Windows backed up C and D and recorded on
>>> external drive F.
>>>
>>> How do I determine which program is preventing me from safely removing
>>> Drive F?
>>> Should I delete the Windows backup and use Acer's backup program
>>> exclusively?
>>> How do I delete the Windows backup?
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------
>>> Acer 5735 4GB RAM, 2GHZ proc
>>> Windows 64 bit Vista Home Premium
>>

Here's the shared folders contents:

Share Name Folder Path Type # Client Connections Description
ADMIN$ C:\Windows Windows 0 Remote Admin
C$ C:\ Windows 0 Default share
D$ D:\ Windows 0 Default share
F$ F:\ Windows 0 Default share
IPC$ Windows 0 Remote IPC

Did not see a stop option when I right clicked on F.

"Kerry Brown" <kerry@kdbNOSPAMsys-tems.c*a*m> wrote in message
news:##TEsXEJKHA.4232@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> In the Start search box type
>
> manage
>
> Click on Computer Management. Expand Shared Folders then click on Shares.
> If you see any shared folders on the external drive right click and pick
> Stop sharing.
>
> This is unlikely to be the cause though. If you had shared folders on the
> drive you would already know about them.
>
> --
> Kerry Brown
> MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
> http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/
>
> "popalong" <allornufin@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:BD161475-C8C9-499F-93F3-DB8768E50A2D@microsoft.com...
>> Please let me know how to identify these. I did a search for "shared
>> folders" on drive F and came up blank. --thanks--
>>
>> "Kerry Brown" <kerry@kdbNOSPAMsys-tems.c*a*m> wrote in message
>> news:e7yxKRAJKHA.4236@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>> Do you have any shared folders on the external drive? If yes, then
>>> you'll have to "unshare" them before you can safely remove the drive.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Kerry Brown
>>> MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
>>> http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/
>>>
>>>
>>> "popalong" <allornufin@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:5DC95B7D-AEA9-4E01-994D-F3FDD7C87966@microsoft.com...
>>>> When I try to remove Drive F at the Computer window, or from the
>>>> taskbar, it says "can't remove, in use by another program".
>>>>
>>>> This became an issue after I ran Windows Backup for the first time.
>>>> Earlier backup was the Acer version. Acer's version backs up C
>>>> partition and records on D. Windows backed up C and D and recorded on
>>>> external drive F.
>>>>
>>>> How do I determine which program is preventing me from safely removing
>>>> Drive F?
>>>> Should I delete the Windows backup and use Acer's backup program
>>>> exclusively?
>>>> How do I delete the Windows backup?
>>>>
>>>> ------------------------------------
>>>> Acer 5735 4GB RAM, 2GHZ proc
>>>> Windows 64 bit Vista Home Premium
>>>

If you want to remove device and you get that message I've found out it's
easiest to just click shutdown computer and then remove the device and then
turn computer back on.

Walt

"popalong" <allornufin@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:5DC95B7D-AEA9-4E01-994D-F3FDD7C87966@microsoft.com...
> When I try to remove Drive F at the Computer window, or from the taskbar,
> it says "can't remove, in use by another program".
>
> This became an issue after I ran Windows Backup for the first time.
> Earlier> backup was the Acer version. Acer's version backs up C partition
> and records on D. Windows backed up C and D and recorded on external
> drive F.
>
> How do I determine which program is preventing me from safely removing
> Drive F?
> Should I delete the Windows backup and use Acer's backup program
> exclusively?
> How do I delete the Windows backup?
>
> ------------------------------------
> Acer 5735 4GB RAM, 2GHZ proc
> Windows 64 bit Vista Home Premium