How you can keep away from power ejecting mounted volumes in macOS

When utilizing macOS, you actually know should you’ve opened a Pages file or are modifying an e-mail. However, under the floor are information that macOS makes use of that you simply don’t see–all of the exercise required for background processes, Time Machine backups, Highlight indexing, and different system wants. If you need to eject a mounted quantity, like a quantity on an exterior SSD or exhausting drive, you’ll be able to run afoul of macOS’s hidden wants.

(If you happen to don’t see the amount within the Finder, both select Go > Pc or press Command-Shift-C, or select Finder > Settings > Common and examine all of the objects underneath “Present these things on the desktop.”)

If you happen to’re fortunate, whenever you attempt to eject a quantity, you see a message with particular particulars, resembling this one which got here up after I examined ejecting the exterior drive that homes my essential Pictures library:

Foundry

Quitting these two apps did let me eject “Pictures SSD 2TB.” If there’s one thing taking place at a system degree, nevertheless, you will notice a message worded like this: “The disk [name] wasn’t ejected as a result of a number of packages could also be utilizing it. You may attempt to eject the disk once more or click on Drive Eject to eject it instantly.” Cancel and Drive Eject buttons are a part of the dialog, and a progress spinner seems subsequent to the phrase “Making an attempt to eject.”

That doesn’t assist resolve the scenario. Right here’s what you are able to do to slender down the issue. (And observe that Apple makes use of the time period “disk” regardless of that, within the Finder, you’re at all times ejecting a quantity, as some disks might have a number of mountable volumes on them.)

Shut Finder home windows

As odd because it appears, typically merely having a window open within the Finder that reveals the contents of the amount or a folder on it could make the Finder consider {that a} “program” is utilizing that mounted merchandise. Shut the Finder window and take a look at once more.

Take away the amount from Highlight

I’ve discovered that Highlight can typically seize maintain of a quantity and mark it as unejectable even when indexing isn’t actively in course of on that quantity.

You may examine if that’s the issue by going to  > System Settings > Siri & Highlight, scrolling all the way down to the underside of the view, and clicking Highlight Privateness. Drag the amount into the window (or click on + and navigate to it, then add it), and click on Finished. This instantly removes the amount from indexing.

Attempt to eject now. If it really works, that was the issue. Nevertheless, if you wish to search objects on that quantity, you’ll need to take away it from Highlight Privateness later.

Examine if Time Machine is backing up

If Time Machine is actively backing up the amount, you could be unable to eject it. Examine the standing of Time Machine both by its system menu or by going to  > System Settings > Common > Time Machine. If it’s underway, you’ll be able to select Skip This Backup from the Time Machine system menu or click on the “x” field subsequent to the lively session within the System Settings view and watch for Time Machine to wind down.

You may exclude the amount from Time Machine by utilizing the settings view: click on Choices, click on the + (plus) signal on the backside of Exclude from Backups, and add the amount whereas mounted. Click on Finished.

Head for the Terminal

There’s a tweaky solution to dig extra deeply utilizing the Terminal. In Terminal, copy and paste the next command after changing “Identify of quantity” together with your exact quantity title, together with areas, and press Return:

lsof | grep '/Volumes/Identify of quantity'

Be certain there are straight single quotes earlier than the / on the entrance of /Volumes and on the finish of the road after your quantity title.

The lsof command reveals all information in use by apps and system processes; grep is a filter possibility that, with 'Volumes', permits you to solely see information in use by a mounted drive.

The ensuing output is stuffed with technical element, however studying by it, you could possibly determine which packages are the difficulty, or what system processes have grabbed maintain.

For my exterior Pictures library quantity, as an illustration, I noticed dozens of entries, which embody these two strains:

mediaanal 38659 glenn txt REG 1,38 32768 42399710 /Volumes/Pictures SSD 2TB/Pictures Library.photoslibrary/database/Pictures.sqlite-shm Adobex20 855 glenn 84u REG 1,38 7134511104 62657146 /Volumes/Pictures SSD 2TB/.TemporaryItems/folders.501/TemporaryItems/Adobe Photoshop 2024/Photoshop Temp1442699855

From this, I might have guessed Pictures and Adobe Photoshop had been lively, even when the Finder hadn’t instructed me. You could possibly determine from the record what app or apps to give up–and even that you simply don’t know why a given course of is utilizing the amount. During which case…

Drive Eject

When you have a Drive Eject button out there within the dialog famous in the beginning of this text, you may click on that now. Nevertheless, I’m not a giant fan of it: utilizing Drive Eject may cause an issue when the open file on the amount being ejected isn’t correctly up to date and closed. That may corrupt a file that you simply want with out figuring out it. I attempt to save Drive Eject for after I know macOS is ridiculous and there’s no situation or it’s a scenario by which I don’t have the time to decide on probably the most prudent course, famous subsequent: shutting down or restarting.

Shut down

If not one of the above helps, then:

• For a bodily linked exterior quantity, select  > Shut Down. When your Mac is totally shut down, unplug the SSD or HDD. Press the facility button in your Mac to start out up.
• For a “logically” mounted quantity, resembling a disk picture or networked quantity, select  > Restart. On restart, the amount ought to be unmounted by default. If not, instantly choose it and use an eject possibility listed above, which ought to now work.

This Mac 911 article is in response to a query submitted by Macworld reader Cliff.

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