RemoveDrive V2.8.5.0 - prepares removable drives for safe removal
Freeware by Uwe Sieber - www.uwe-sieber.de

Win32 version works on Windows XP and higher including x64 version of Windows.
x64 version works on x64 versions Windows only.

Homepage: http://www.uwe-sieber.de/drivetools_e.html


Usage:
RemoveDrive DriveSpec [-v][-d][-l][-h][-a][-b][-i][-s][-w:nnnn]
                     
DriveSpec  is the drive to remove, e.g. U: or an NTFS mountpoint as "C:\CardReader\Multi Reader SD"
           or . for the current drive
           or \ for the drive of the RemoveDrive.exe
           or a volume name like \\?\Volume{433619ed-c6ea-11d9-a3b2-806d6172696f}
           or a kernel name like \Device\HarddiskVolume2 (Volume)
           or a kernel name like \Device\Harddisk2\DR0 (Disk)
           or a partition name like \Device\Harddisk2\Partition1
           or a device ID
           or a friendly name like 'Corsair Voyager'
           Wildcards can be used.
[-47]      perform safe removal resulting in problem code 47
[-v]       remove the volume only instead of the drive or whole device
[-d]       remove the drive only instead of the whole device
[-L]       loop until success
[-t]       'eject' TrueCrypt volumes hosted by the drive to remove
[-e]       try to dismount and eject if the removal fails
[-h]       show open handles (admin rights required, exprimental, may freeze!)
[-h:X]     show open handles on a different drive (e.g. a TrueCrypt volume whose container is on the drive to remove)
[-a]       activates Windows of applications owning the open handles
[-w:nnnn]  wait nnnn milliseconds before close
[-s]       self delete removedrive.exe
[-b]       let Windows show the "Safe To Remove Hardware" balloon tip or a messagebox (depends on Win version)
[-i]       stop Windows indexing service (CiSvc) for a moment if required (admins)
[-dbg]     show debug information


Only one drive or device is prepared for safe removal.


Sample:

removedrive U: -L -H -A -W:1000



Returns Errorlevels:

0 - successfully removed a device
1 - device identified but not removed
2 - device not found or parameters are invalid

4 - RemoveDrive.exe located on the drive to remove -> temporary copy 
    created and executed

If the removal fails then someone still accesses the drive. This can be
something banal like an open Word document, a mounted TrueCrypt container
or some kind of monitoring tool like a virus scanner.

By means of SysInternals ProcessExplorer you may discover which program
holds an open handle to the drive.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/ProcessExplorer.html

After starting it go to 'Find' -> 'Find Handle or DLL', enter a part of the
volume's or the drive's DOS device name (as volume12 or disk5) and search.
Searching for the drive's drive letter may give a hit too.

When a TrueCrypt volume is found which is hosted by the drive to remove and
the -L parameter is set then RemoveDrive tries to 'eject' the TrueCrypt
volume in a loop. By pressing the F key this can be forced. Open file handles
on the TrueCrypt volume become invalid and the TrueCrypt container is released.
The preparation or 'safe removal' of a device cannot be forced.
Since V2.7 this works with VeraCrypt too.




If started with admin previleges or the USBDLM command interface available,
then a removed USB drive ends up with problem code 21 and can be reactivated
by means of RestartSrDev:
http://www.uwe-sieber.de/drivetools_e.html#restart

On some USB3 controllers the USB device completely disappears after safe
removal instead staying present with a problem code.
Here you can use the parameter -d to remove the drive only which then gets
problem code 21 and can be reactivated.



About open handles

Removedrive does no use a driver for gaterhing handle information. Therefore
when hitting the handle of a waiting object as a mutex then the function for
getting the handle name does not return, the thread freezes and the RemoveDrive
process will not end until this waiting object stops waiting or is closed.
Each handle request is done in its own thread, so the rest will keep going.

If this happens then RemoveDrive will
- write the name of the process which hold this handle into the RemoveDrive.ini
  and never touch this process again
- when supposed to end then it tries to hide its console window because the
  RemoveDrive process will not end because of the waiting threads





Licence


RemoveDrive is Freeware.

Allowed:
- usage in any environment, including commercial
- include in software products, including commercial
- include on CD/DVD of computer magazines
- making available for download by means of package managers

Not allowed:
- changing any of the files
- offer for download by means of a 'Downloader' software




Uwe Sieber
April 2017