Tip of the Day - Windows

How to remove your USB drive safely when safely Remove Hardware icon disappears from the system tray:

Method 1:
To enable the safely remove hardware icon in the system tray

• Right click on the USB drive icon in My Computer.
• Select the Hardware tab.
• Select your USB drive and click on Properties.
• Now click on Policies tab.
• Select Optimize for performance option

Optimize for Quick removal:
This setting disables write caching on the disk so that you can disconnect this drive without using the Safely Remove Hardware icon.(Which will make the safely remove hardware icon disappears from the system tray)

Optimize for Performance:
This setting enables the write caching on the disk so as to improve disk performance. To disconnect this drive, you should use the Safely Remove Hardware icon so as not to hurt your USB drive.

Method 2:

Start > Run > Type in RunDll32.exe shell32.dll, Control_RunDLL hotplug.dll

This will bring up the same dialog box which comes when the icon in the system tray is clicked. Now you can safely stop your USB drive and get it out of the USB port.
OR
Right Click on Desktop > New >Shortcut> Type in RunDll32.exe shell32.dll, Control_RunDLL hotplug.dll (To create a shortcut for stopping the USB drives)

Method 3:

Right Click on My Computer.

• Select USB Mass Storage
• Device under the USB Controller.
• Right Click and Disable it.
• Remove your USB drive and Enable it again

(Note: If you forget to enable it again, then you won’t be able to use any of your USB drives unless you enable it again.)