Windows can't see external USB drive if it wasn't properly ejected

Hello everybody,

I have a very weird issue. I have an external USB drive (Elecgear enclosure + SATA SSD) that I use with my desktop and laptop PCs, both with Windows 11.

The problem is with my laptop (Surface Pro 10). If I connect my USB drive to the laptop, and the USB drive wasn't properly ejected (either on the same laptop or on another PC), the laptop fails to mount it. I need to connect the drive to the desktop PC, wait for it to be recognized, and then properly eject it. Only then will I be able to use the USB drive on my laptop.

I should add that this happens only when I use one of the native USB ports of my laptop. If I connect the USB drive to the laptop through a docking station, it works even if, previously, it wasn't properly ejected.

When the USB drive is not recognized, initially it doesn't appear in Disk Management; only after several minutes, it appears saying "Unknown" and "Not Initialised". I tried offlining it from Disk Management, but it fails with an error message. It never gets assigned a drive letter. It's not even listed in diskpart's "list disk".

This behavior is troubling because if I'm traveling with only my laptop and forget to properly eject my USB drive (or I can't because, as often happens, Windows refuses to eject it claiming some program is still using it), I'm locked out of it until I can connect it to another PC.

In light of the above, the problem seems to be related to some internal state of the disk having not been properly ejected, interacting in an ill manner with the laptop hardware. I searched the 'net for some technical info about how a disk "remembers" whether it was properly ejected or not to no avail; it's depressing how difficult it is to find technical info nowadays.

Is there anything I can try to reset the drive without having to resort to another PC?

Thanks in advance!

- Radio

Interesting, but odd issue.

I have no idea if this will help, but try checking this:

Open Disk Management. Right-click the area indicated in the screenshot below for the drive that you are having problems with and select Properties. Go to the policies tab and ensure that "Quick removal" is selected.





Let me know if that helps or if it makes no difference.

Thanks, hsehestedt, for your reply. The removal policy is already set on quick removal.

Best,
Radio

I've seen the same thing happen and have chalked it up to the quick removal doesn't remove the pointer to the drive properly from memory, the Safely Remove does do that. Putting the drive in a different USB port can help if needing to reread it right away.

Wow, I'm a bit stumped. The only other thought that I have is to check that USB enclosure. If you happen to have another of a different make or model, see if putting the drive in that enclosure changes anything. As an alternative, try another drive in that same enclosure to see if it too will behave that same way.

Ok, I unearthed another enclosure and another drive. Both enclosures are from Elecgear, one says EL-15C and the other (older) C2513-15. I also tried two drives: the Mushkin Source HC that's the one I'm having trouble with and a Samsung 870 QVO. Tried all four permutations, and the verdict is that the Mushkin drive exhibits the problem with both enclosures while the Samsung doesn't, so the problem is with the Mushkin.

In reply to Berton, changing the USB port doesn't help. The memory of the unproper removal seems to sit within the drive, NOT the computer. I can unsafely remove the drive from my desktop PC and it won't work with my laptop.

Best,
Radio

Try doing a low-level formatting of your drive.

please try.
with the external drives disconnected open the device manager.
in the device manager window, top bar click > view
check/tick 'show hidden devices'

then click 'disk drives'
remove all the > greyed out < entries in that menu

then
r/click the top entry and click 'scan for hardware changes'
please note. a restart may also be required.

then reconnect the external drive and see if the system can mount the drive.

best of luck, Steve ..

abactuon said:

Try doing a low-level formatting of your drive.

Click to expand...

Didn't think of that, may be worth a try but as last resort only (I hate the idea of moving all the files off and on the drive). How would you suggest I do that? Under Windows removing the "Quick format" tick? Or are there any low-level formatter programs that you can recommend?

Thanks,
Radio

XxXxX said:

please try.
...

Click to expand...

I tried and it didn't work

Best,
Radio

Try using Rufus to make a non-bootable USB.

How to do it:​

1. Open Rufus.
2. Select your USB drive under "Device."
3. Under "Boot selection," choose "Non-bootable" from the dropdown menu.
4. Select your File System (FAT32, NTFS, or exFAT, depending on your needs).
5. (Optional) Name the USB under "Volume label."
6. Click Start to format the drive.

This will erase the USB and set it up as a standard storage device.


When a USB drive becomes faulty or behaves inconsistently, a standard format via Windows might not fully reset it. Rufus can sometimes fix such issues because:

1. It writes a fresh partition table
   
   • Windows' built-in formatting tools often only erase the file system, leaving corrupted partition structures intact.
   • Rufus can completely rewrite the partition table (MBR or GPT), fixing corruption at a lower level.
2. It clears problematic boot sectors
   
   • If a USB was previously used as a bootable drive, it might have a corrupted or conflicting boot sector.
   • Setting the USB to "Non-bootable" in Rufus removes boot-related data, restoring it to a clean state.
3. It applies a more thorough formatting method
   
   • Rufus can fully wipe and reinitialize the USB drive, sometimes correcting bad sectors or logical errors that Windows formatting ignores.
4. It forces a consistent file system structure
   
   • Windows may fail to properly set up the file system due to lingering issues from previous formats.
   • Rufus ensures a clean file system, making the USB work properly again.

This is why Rufus can sometimes fix USB drives that appear "faulty" when other formatting tools fail.

Get Rufus here; Rufus - Create bootable USB drives the easy way

kelper said:

Get Rufus here; Rufus - Create bootable USB drives the easy way

Click to expand...

Thanks for your advice! I tried Rufus, but my USB drive doesn't appear in the Device drop-down menu. (To be sure, I did this on my desktop PC with the USB drive alive, kicking and lettered). I tried connecting a thumbdrive and Rufus sees it. Still can't see the USB SSD.

Best,
Radio

Radiorama said:

Under Windows removing the "Quick format" tick?

Click to expand...

Yes, unless you find another way to solve the problem (don't forget to make a copy of the data).
There's no guarantee it'll work.

Perhaps you can try chkdsk.

Rufus won't recognise my USB SSD or USB HDD, only the USB flash drives.

You can force Windows to completely rewrite the partition table on a USB disk using Diskpart, a built-in command-line tool. Here's how:

Steps to Wipe and Recreate the Partition Table​

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
   • Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open as admin.
2. Start Diskpart
   • Type: diskpart
   • Press Enter.
3. List Available Disks
   • Type: list disk
   • Press Enter.
   • Identify your USB drive by its size (e.g., Disk 2).
4. Select the USB Drive
   • Type: select disk X (replace X with your USB disk number).
   • Press Enter.
5. Wipe the Disk Completely (Destroys All Data)
   • Type: clean
   • Press Enter.
   • This removes all partitions and writes a fresh, empty partition table.
6. Create a New Partition Table
   • For MBR (Master Boot Record):
     • Type: convert mbr
   • For GPT (GUID Partition Table):
     • Type: convert gpt
   • Press Enter.
7. Create a New Partition
   • Type: create partition primary
   • Press Enter.
8. Format the USB Drive
   • For FAT32: format fs=fat32 quick
   • For NTFS: format fs=ntfs quick
   • For exFAT: format fs=exfat quick
   • Press Enter.
9. Assign a Drive Letter
   • Type: assign
   • Press Enter.
10. Exit Diskpart

• Type: exit
• Press Enter.

Why This Works​

• clean removes all partitions and boot records.
• convert forces Windows to write a fresh partition table.
• create partition primary ensures a clean, working partition.

This method is more thorough than a standard Windows format and fixes most USB corruption issues.