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This wikiHow teaches you how to safely remove a USB drive using a Mac.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Eject Symbol Method

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  1. Files in the trash from the flash drive will prevent it being ejected.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Drag To Trash Method

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  1. Files in the trash from the flash drive will prevent it being ejected.
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Tips

  • If you have deleted any files off your flash drive, they are put in the recycle part of the trash. You can't eject the flash drive until you totally empty the trash first.
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Warnings

  • Don't try to remove the flash disk before emptying the trash. OSX can have some hiccups with this if you do, and you may have to restart.
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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 57,181 times.
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Co-authors: 8
Updated: April 14, 2022
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