This only happens on my work computer. Which is running XP Pro. Everytime after writing/editing a Word document from my USB drive (Cruzer Mini 512) I cant stop the drive by ending it. I get an error that says Word is still running, unsafe to remove drive. I go to task manager and the process is running, even though the app isn't. i end the process, then I can stop the drive and remove safely. Anyone know how to fix this??

Thanks....

My friend has this happen with the same Cruzer drive and Word. Sounds like a bug.

I told her to reboot and then remove the drive.

I dont think its a bug because mine just started happening a few weeks ago. I think some setting somewhere needs changing, just not sure what it is.

you may need drivers and/or program updates. Also Sandisc cruisers are known not to be reliable flash drives.

Yeah well, work bought it not me! I have had this drive for almost 2 years now and not had a bit of trouble like I have heard other people having. So what would you recommend as a "good" USB drive?

I dont think drivers are the problems here. I can take this drive to another identical PC in the office, use Word. Exit from Word and the process stops on its own, no manual intervention as on my own work PC.

sounds right. MS Word has a habit of holding onto a file, even though the user
has saved and closed the window (but not exited the program).

files have an open count associated with them and the filesystem has a sum
of all open files. This is to ensure that all programs flush their buffers before
the media becomes inaccessible. Just EXIT word and then click the green icon
for media removal.

Thats what I have been doing for a while now. I was just wondering if there was a to fix it. Its not that big a deal really, just annoying is all.

not likely -- it's been there for AGES :knock:

Most graphics programmers have associated the big red X as not only close window, but as there's nothing left but the FILE:NEW action, the X should also imply give up all resources attached to the existing window -- including CLOSE the file(s).
The MS Word people feel different.