SD Card in Windows XP

[Kareeser]

Perhaps I forgot to disable my SD card one too many times, but now XP won't let me disable the card anymore.

The card reads and writes fine, but when I try to disable it through the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon, Windows XP tells me the card is in use, even when no programs are open.

I have been able to remove the card before. Ever right after a reboot, it won't give me permission to take out the SD card.

I'm simply forced to take it out without consulting the computer, which I suppose isn't that good...

Any suggestions?

[rjfvillarosa]

When was the last time you used the disable device option? have you tried a system restore back before that point?

[Kareeser]

It's been several months, and I don't quite remember the date. I haven't tried a system restore, but wouldn't that rollback all the drivers I have updated to date?

[doctorgonzo]

Download Process Explorer (http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/ProcessExplorer.html) to see what program has a lock on the SD card.

[Kareeser]

I'm not sure how to use the program to isolate programs accessing the SD Card. Is there a certain function I have to call up?

As far as I can see, no new processes begin when I insert my SD Card into the reader.

Thanks in advance!

[doctorgonzo]

Go to "Find", then "Find handle", then type in the drive letter for your SD card (like "E:" or whatever it happens to be). That will show you which programs have a lock on the E: drive, preventing you from ejecting the card.

[Kareeser]

Odd. No handles (DLLs or otherwise) appear when I search "J:" in the function "Find Handle or DLL" (Ctrl-F)

There is an option in the SD Card driver to enable quick hot-swappable like activity...

<s>Secondly, I did reformat this computer with a Windows XP Home CD, and reinstalled Dell Drivers off its CD.

The SD Card Reader is built into the laptop, and has drivers on the CD, yet I consciously remember not installing it, as at the time, I doubted I'd ever find a use for it.</s>

However, that doesn't explain how the drive would unlock the card before, and not now...

Edit:
It turns out I may have installed the SD Card Drivers after the format.