Check for open file handles on the device that won't stop.   Use handle.exe
or Process Explorer from Sysinternals.  Some background programs will latch
onto any available drive given the chance and keep a file or folder open on
it.

Once you know what program is accessing the drive, you can then make the
decision whether to ignore the non-stoppage.  Usually it ends up being
something such as InCD, an antivirus program doing a scan, etc.

Carl

-----Original Message-----
From: Windows Home/SOHO [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of
Bernie Cosell
Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2006 7:52 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: What is the 'generic device'?

I realize that I'm probably the only person on the planet who actually 
does the "safely remove hardware" dance before I unplug one of my USB 
hard drives... but... much of the time [I'd say about half the time], 
when I go to turn-off the device, I get "generic device cannot be 
stopped" and it won't undo the device for me (and it advises for me to 
try again later, which seems never to work -- if it fails at first it 
just *wont* unmount the device).  I cannot correlate it with anything [of 
course I never have any programs running that have an open file or 
directory on the device, not running an 'explorer' or anything like 
that].  Generally, after I try two or three times to unmount the drive, I 
just decide to hell with it and unplug it... [and so far, no 
problems..:o)]

But it leaves me curious: what *IS* this generic device [one of three 
services that have to be stopped whenever I'm undoing a hard drive], why 
does it sometimes refuse to stop, and is there some way to "coax" it to 
stop [and/or, is just ignoring its non-stoppage OK].

Thanks!  /bernie\

-- 
Bernie Cosell                     Fantasy Farm Fibers
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]     Pearisburg, VA
    -->  Too many people, too few sheep  <--       

--
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