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If you are a Mac user, you must have come across a situation where you cannot eject an external disk or USB drive properly. The message "Disk Not Ejected Properly" is common when trying to remove a drive from your Mac. This can be frustrating and worrying, especially if you have important data on the drive. This blog will provide you with helpful methods to fix this problem and safely eject the drive from your Mac.
Video Tutorial:
What’s Needed
To resolve the issue of "Disk Not Ejected Properly" on your Mac, you don’t need much. You just need your Mac computer, the external disk or USB drive that cannot be ejected, and a few minutes of your time.
What Requires Your Focus?
Before getting started with the methods, it’s essential to focus on these things:
– Make sure you have saved any important data on the external drive or USB.
– Force ejecting the drive can cause data loss or corruption. Therefore, before ejecting the drive, it’s important to unmount the drive correctly.
– If the drive still cannot be ejected using the methods described in this blog, it may be a sign that the drive is faulty. In that case, visit an expert to fix the drive.
Different Methods to Fix Disk Not Ejected Properly Mac
Method 1: Eject Using Finder
Ejecting the drive using Finder is the simplest and most recommended method. This technique involves following these simple steps:
1. Go to the Finder and locate the external drive or USB that you want to eject.
2. Click once on the drive or USB to select it.
3. Click on "File" at the top of the screen.
4. Hover your mouse over "Eject [drive name]."
5. Click on "Eject [drive name]."
Pros:
– Simple and faster method.
– Safely ejects the drive with one click.
Cons:
– Sometimes Finder may not respond, forcing you to try another method.
Method 2: Use the Terminal
Using the Terminal is another effective method for ejecting the drive or USB. Follow these steps to eject the drive using the Terminal:
1. Open Spotlight Search by pressing "Command + Spacebar."
2. Type "Terminal" and hit "Enter" to open the Terminal app.
3. Type "diskutil list" and press "Enter."
4. Locate the name of the problematic external drive or USB that you want to eject.
5. Type "diskutil unmount /dev/disk2s1" and hit "Enter." (Replace "disk2s1" with the name of your drive)
6. Type "diskutil eject /dev/disk2" and hit "Enter." (Replace "disk2" with the name of your drive)
Pros:
– Terminal responds quickly and always ejects the drive.
Cons:
– The method is complicated for novice users.
Method 3: Force Quit Process
When all methods fail to eject the drive or USB, you can force quit the process that is causing the problem. Here are the steps:
1. Press "Command + Option + Esc" to bring up the Force Quit Applications window.
2. Select "Finder" from the list of applications.
3. Click on "Relaunch."
4. Press "Shift" and try ejecting the drive or USB using the methods described in Method 1.
Pros:
– Solves the "Disk Not Ejected Properly" problem when all other methods fail.
– Forces the Mac to close any processes that are causing the problem.
Cons:
– Force quitting can cause data loss or corruption, especially if you have unsaved data.
– This method is not recommended except in extreme cases.
Why Can’t I Eject My Disk?
Here are some reasons why you may not be able to eject your disk and the fixes:
1. The drive is in use: When the Mac is using the drive, you cannot eject it until the process is complete. To fix this, close any applications that may be using the drive, like video players or image editors.
2. The drive icon is missing: If the drive icon is missing from the desktop and Finder, then the drive may have become unmounted. To fix this, try restarting your Mac and re-plugging the drive.
3. Indexing or scanning is in progress: The Mac periodically indexes and scans disks, making it impossible to eject the drive during these processes. Wait for the indexing or scanning process to complete before ejecting the drive.
Implications and Recommendations
Remember to always unmount the external drive or USB correctly before ejecting it. Also, it’s important to make sure that there are no processes or applications using the drive when you want to eject it. This will help you avoid data loss and corruption.
If none of the methods described above works, it could be a sign that the drive is faulty. In that case, visit an expert to fix the drive.
5 FAQs about Fixing Disk Not Ejected Properly Mac
Q1: Can’t I just force eject the disk?
A: Force ejecting the disk can cause data loss or corruption and is not recommended unless all other methods fail.
Q2: Why is my Mac taking too long to eject the external USB?
A: Your Mac may be scanning the external USB or performing background disk activities. Wait for the processes to complete before trying to eject the USB.
Q3: What do I do if the Terminal command isn’t working?
A: Make sure you have entered the disk name correctly. If the disk name is correct and the command still does not work, try another method.
Q4: Why do I keep seeing the error message "Disk Not Ejected Properly"?
A: This message appears when the drive is not unmounted correctly. Be sure to unmount the drive correctly before attempting to eject it.
Q5: What should I do if my Mac isn’t responding when ejecting an external drive?
A: If your Mac is not responding or freezing when you try to eject an external drive, try restarting the computer and ejecting the drive again.
Final Words
The methods above will help you fix the problem of "Disk Not Ejected Properly" on your Mac. However, always remember to unmount the external drive or USB correctly and avoid force ejecting it. If none of the methods described above work, visit an expert to fix the drive.