Device Manager Stops Responding When You Complete an Unsafe Removal of a USB Network Adapter (326889)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP1
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP3
This article was previously published under Q326889

SYMPTOMS

If you turn off or unplug a USB network adapter that does not support surprise removal, Windows 2000 may not immediately complete the removal of the device. If you start Device Manager before Windows 2000 completes the removal of the USB network adapter, Device Manager may stop responding (hang).

CAUSE

When a device that does not support surprise removal is unexpectedly removed, you receive the Unsafe Removal of Device dialog box. If at the time of removal there is pending network activity, the surprise removal notification completion (IRP_MN_SURPRISE_REMOVAL) may be blocked. If you start Device Manager during this blocked period, Device Manager appears to stop responding while it queries the device.

WORKAROUND

To work around this behavior, stop the device by using the Unplug/Eject tool on the right side of the taskbar, and then unplug the hardware.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

In Windows 2000, the NDIS driver will clear the Surprise Removal field for network devices, even if the bus driver indicates that the device can tolerate surprise removal. For additional information about how this NDIS behavior can be avoided by driver developers, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

298504 HOW TO: Avoid Unsafe Removal Dialog Box

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/28/2003
Keywords:kbprb KB326889
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