I've seen a number of similar reports, but will post this one to help you solve this problem in version 4.

My system is Windows XP-Pro (SP2 + all updates) and based on the Intel P35/ICH9R chipset. The SATA drives are connected to the ports associated with that south bridge. The system is setup with the AHCI drivers from Intel. Like others, when you insert the drives they do not show up in the system's "Safely Remove Hardware" list. Likewise, they do not initially show up in the USB Safely Remove List either, however via the option menu you can force them to be listed.

Like others, I can only stop them via an "uninstall" through the Device Manager. When trying to stop them, USB Safely Remove gives the following message:



The error log entries are:

5/1/2008 9:46:30 AM ****************************** Start ******************************
5/1/2008 9:46:30 AM USBSafelyRemove Version 3.3.1.617 / Windows XP (5.1 Build 2600) Service Pack 2
5/1/2008 9:49:15 AM DeviceEject: VetType=VetoIllegalDeviceRequest, VetoName=IDE\DiskMaxtor_6L100M0__________________________BACE1G20\4&30374661&0&0.2.0
5/1/2008 9:49:42 AM DeviceEject: VetType=VetoIllegalDeviceRequest, VetoName=IDE\DiskMaxtor_6L100M0__________________________BACE1G20\4&30374661&0&0.2.0
5/1/2008 9:52:17 AM DeviceEject: VetType=VetoIllegalDeviceRequest, VetoName=IDE\DiskMaxtor_6L100M0__________________________BACE1G20\4&30374661&0&0.2.0
5/1/2008 10:25:57 AM DeviceEject: VetType=VetoIllegalDeviceRequest, VetoName=IDE\DiskMaxtor_6L100M0__________________________BACE1G20\4&30374661&0&0.2.0
5/1/2008 10:29:24 AM DeviceEject: VetType=VetoIllegalDeviceRequest, VetoName=IDE\DiskWDC_WD5000KS-00MNB0_____________________07.02E07\4&30374661&0&0.2.0
5/1/2008 10:29:37 AM DeviceEject: VetType=VetoIllegalDeviceRequest, VetoName=IDE\DiskWDC_WD5000KS-00MNB0_____________________07.02E07\4&30374661&0&0.2.0
5/1/2008 10:40:13 AM DeviceEject: VetType=VetoIllegalDeviceRequest, VetoName=IDE\DiskMaxtor_6L100M0__________________________BACE1G20\4&30374661&0&0.2.0

I very much want this utility to work with my system as going through the device manager isn't that convenient. Please let me know if your version 4 will solve this problem.

Hello!
Thank you very much for your report!

We are currently working to resolve this problem. I suppose we can release a beta-version that allows to stop such devices in 2-3 week period.

Also if you wish to help us, you can participate in more detailed exploring of this problem - we can send you a special tool and it collects an information about configuration of your devices. Just let me know if you can help us or not.

Would be more than happy to assist as you requested.

You can send the tool to the email address used to register my account on this board.

I posted the original request for this feature quite a few months back, would like to be a beta tester on any related feature. In the more recent betas, it is possible to LIST the drives in usbsafelyremove but not stop them, the error above is shown, about files being in use... here is my log

Mysteryman,
Thanks a lot for your message!
I'm sorry, but we haven't done anything in this direction yet. We are planning to enhance our stopping mechanism in the next beta-version that is out in a month. And of course we will contact you when we have something to test, your help will be appreciated.

thank you greatly for the quick response. This feature is really the only thing holding me back from purchasing this software.

Until these drives are supported, the program (for me) does little more than adding eyecandy to an application that works perfectly. The only thing it really adds (besides renaming, etc... eyecandy) is the drive letter management for multicard readers, which I negate by using a freeware program that gives the same effect.

When this feature is supported however, it will add a undeniable feature for any user who hotswaps onboard sata drives. That would give me, and others significant motivation to buy. Without this feature, ejecting drives is something like 10+ clicks on vista when UAC is enabled (i have no intention of turning it off). I have no doubts I will be buying the application the minute I see this feature working in a demo/beta.

Mysteryman, thanks a lot for the detailed comment! Hope we will make you and many other users satisfied this month.

Hello Mysteryman and LNH,
We are working on this problem and probably solved it in the current version. However we need your assistance and your feedback in testing of the functionality before we release it.

If you can help us, please download the new version here:
http://safelyremove.com/usbsafelyremovesetupbeta5.exe

Despite it's a development version, it has main features to see and disconnect SATA drives.

What's the most interesting fro us is to know whether the new version can see your drives and does it stop your drives properly (SATA drives must spin down after disconnection).

This beta seems to have a lot of unrelated bugs, I was not able to get it to run long enough to try it out. However I did submit a couple bugreports. It didn't crash, but it continually pops up with the bugreporter, and it's near impossible to do anything for now.

Just a quick test...

Loaded the beta and it stops my SATA removable drives just fine. Can't speak to any other bugs as I've only tested it quickly to check this one function.

If it checks out in other regards after the next several days, I'll certainly buy a license.

Good work on the SATA problem!

With a positive reply from LNH, maybe i'll try it again in the next couple days.

LNH, out of curiosity, are you on vista? I couldn't hardly navigate the program, let alone actually use it.

Unfortunately I received a BSOD after upgrading to Beta 5 from Beta 4 A quick debugging shows that the crash was probably caused by :
USBSTOR.SYS ( USBSTOR+4980 )

Mysteryman, first of all I apologize for the long response.
Next, for the next week we will release a hot-fix that will cover the most common problems with the program. Probably it will resolved your problem.

P.S.
Could you repeat your report with the problem description and the link to the forum's name (just to connect yours forum messages and the problems you are encountered).

Hello Fehmi!
Thank you for the report! We have received your letter with a dump file and try to investigate the problem as soon as possible.

I have resubmitted the bugs, showing my email as "mysteryman http://safelyremove.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=389" Hope it helps