When you connect a removable PCI Express device, such as an eSATA ExpressCard device, to a Windows Vista-based computer, the device does not appear in Safely Remove Hardware dialog box. Therefore, you cannot safely remove the device.

Consider the following scenario. You erase a rewritable media disc by using an external optical drive that is attached to a Windows Vista-based computer. For example, you click Erase this disc to erase a CD-RW disc in the external optical drive. Then, you use the “Safely remove hardware” feature to remove the external drive. In this scenario, the external drive is not removed as expected. Additionally, you experience the following symptoms:

• You receive an error message that resembles the following:
  

  The device Device_Name cannot be stopped because a program is still using it. Close any programs that might be using the device, then try again later.

• The external drive may continue to work correctly. However, you cannot remove the drive by using the “Safely remove hardware” feature.

When you connect an external USB storage device to a computer that is running Windows Vista, the device may not appear in the Safely Remove Hardware list in the notification area.

Consider the following scenario. You have an Apple iPod that is connected to a Windows Vista-based computer through a USB connection. Then, you disconnect the iPod from the computer. In this scenario, the data on the iPod may become corrupted.

This problem may occur if you use one of the following methods to disconnect the iPod:

• You use the Safely Remove Hardware feature in the notification area to disconnect the iPod. Then, you disconnect the USB cable.
• You use the Eject command in Windows Explorer to disconnect the iPod. Then, you disconnect the USB cable.