How to Change Windows 11 External Drive Removal Policy
You change your Windows 11 external drive removal policy to choose between unplugging drives instantly or prioritizing faster data transfer speeds.
Go to Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Disks & volumes. Click your external drive, then Properties, and choose Quick removal or Better performance under Removal policy. Alternatively, use Device Manager, find your drive, select Properties, and choose a policy on the Policy tab.
This policy dictates whether Windows requires you to use the “Safely Remove Hardware” option before disconnecting external storage devices like USB drives or portable hard drives.
Windows 11 offers two primary policies: “Quick removal” and “Better performance.” “Quick removal,” the default setting, allows you to disconnect drives without ejecting them first.
This is because Windows disables write caching, ensuring data is immediately written to the drive. The “Better performance” policy, conversely, enables write caching for enhanced speed but necessitates a proper ejection process.
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