"Cristiano" wrote in message
...
On 22/09/2012 21:06, glee wrote: Code 47: Windows cannot use this
hardware device because it has been
prepared for safe removal, but it has not been removed from the
computer
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...(v=ws.10).aspx

Well, you can't access the drive if you have successfully clicked to
remove it. Did you physically unplug the drive from the computer
after
removing it via the tray icon?

No.
The problem is that after I have successfully clicked to remove the
driver I still see it in the system (for example in Windows Explorer),
but I cannot access it (I got an error message).

Are you saying that you physically remove the drive but it still
appears
in the Safely Remove Hardware dialog, and if you insert the drive
again
it is not recognized until you reboot?

If I safely remove the drive, it no longer appear in the Safely Remove
Hardware dialog, but it still appear in Windows Explorer.
If I insert the drive again it is not recognized until reboot and when
I try to reboot, the PC hangs and I need to press the reset button on
the PC case.

If that's the case, try this:
Reboot the computer, then plug in the USB hard drive so it is
recognized.
While the drive is recognized, go to Device Manager, select the
drive
under Disk Drives, and click the Uninstall button on the toolbar of
Device Manager.

Device Manager hangs and I need to terminate it; I can't uninstall the
drive.

Stop the drive, using the Safely Remove Hardware tray icon.
Then physically unplug the drive from the computer.
REBOOT the computer.
When Windows is loaded, plug the drive in again, so it is detected and
you can access it.
Open Device Manager and uninstall the drive, then remove the drive
physically AFTER that.

Are you saying that you can't open Device Manager even after you have
rebooted and inserted the drive and can access it?
--
Glen Ventura
MS MVP Oct. 2002 - Sept. 2009
CompTIA A+