Submission details
Can't eject disk because of program in use but which program?
When trying to eject a disk if a file or folder is in use, the user is given the following generic warning:
"The disk ... can't be ejected because one or more programs may be using it"
The problem is that it doesn't specify what program is using the disk image. The user has to guess, and sometimes quit everything in order to eject disk.
Force eject is an option, but there is the risk of disk damage.
Note that this happens in Snow Leopard 10.6.2.
Specify which program/s or file/s are in use so that the user may take proper action.
Low
Low
Not fixed
Discussion (2 comments)
Changed problem description.
There's an old work-around for this issue, although I do agree that while Snow Leopard will generally tell you what's up when one app is busy with a drive it's not perfect yet.
The work-around is to open Terminal and run the command:
$ lsof | grep Volumes
The command "lsof" simply lists open files. The vertical bar "pipes" the output of the first command into the second. The command "grep" does a line-by-line search for the desired text "Volumes" and will write the results in the Terminal window.
This is already more of a solution. A force eject usually shouldn't damage data, because usually it's not really using your external hard drive or any data on it, it is just retaining a connection. When you have no files open, no files actually get damaged. (This is the same reason why on Windows most users just pull out their USB when they're done: it doesn't harm anything, but on mac, users get a dangerous dialogue with an exclamation mark, scaring people about the consequences more often than not).
Not really a big problem and Snow Leopard at least improves the situation a lot with the possibility of forcefully ejecting it.
migueld wrote on January 12, 2010, 10:43pm
Changed problem description.