How to fix a Mac that won't eject a disk on macOS

Try standard eject methods like dragging the disk to the Trash, using the eject key, right-clicking to eject, or using the Finder sidebar. 2. Use Disk Utility to select and eject the disk, or unmount it first if needed. 3. In Terminal, list volumes with "ls /Volumes" and eject using "diskutil eject /Volumes/DRIVE_NAME", escaping spaces as needed. 4. Restart the Mac and hold the mouse button or press the eject key during startup to eject optical discs. 5. Check for apps using the disk by closing Finder, Preview, or other programs, and use Activity Monitor or "lsof | grep DRIVE_NAME" in Terminal to identify and quit blocking processes. 6. Boot into Safe Mode by holding Shift during startup, then attempt to eject the disk. 7. For external drives, shut down the Mac, unplug the drive safely, then restart. 8. For optical drives only, use a paperclip in the emergency eject hole or run "drutil tray open" in Terminal if supported. Most ejection issues are caused by active processes or software glitches, so start with basic methods and progress to restarts or Safe Mode if necessary, ensuring the disk is eventually released safely.

When a Mac won’t eject a disk—whether it’s a physical CD/DVD, an external drive, or a mounted disk image—it can be frustrating, especially if you’re trying to shut down or unplug the drive. Here’s how to fix a Mac that won’t eject a disk, using several reliable methods.

1. Try the Standard Eject Methods First

Before diving into advanced fixes, make sure you’ve tried the basic approaches:

• Click and drag the disk icon to the Trash (the label changes to “Eject” when hovering).
• Press the eject key (⏏) on your keyboard, if available.
• Right-click the disk icon on the desktop or in Finder and select Eject.
• Use Finder: Go to the sidebar under Locations, find the drive, and click the Eject button next to it.

If the disk still won’t eject, move on to the next steps.

2. Force Eject Using Disk Utility

Disk Utility can often resolve stubborn disks.

1. Open Disk Utility (you can find it via Spotlight or in Applications > Utilities).
2. Locate the problematic disk in the left sidebar.
3. Select it, then click the Eject button in the toolbar.
4. If that doesn’t work, try unmounting first (click Unmount, then attempt to eject afterward).

Note: Unmounting makes the disk inaccessible but doesn’t physically eject it. After unmounting, you can usually eject it manually or via command.

3. Use the Terminal to Eject

Terminal gives you direct control over disk operations.

1. Open Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal).
2. Type the following command to list all mounted volumes:

   ls /Volumes

   This shows the exact name of the disk.

3. To eject, use:

   diskutil eject /Volumes/DRIVE_NAME

   Replace DRIVE_NAME with the actual name (use backslashes to escape spaces, e.g., My\ Disk).

If the disk is locked or in use, this command will tell you why. Close any apps that might be accessing files on the disk and try again.

4. Restart and Eject During Boot

If software methods fail, restart your Mac and eject the disk early in the boot process.

• Restart your Mac while holding down the mouse button or trackpad (for optical discs).
  • This often forces a CD or DVD to eject during startup.
• Alternatively, press the eject key (⏏) as soon as you hear the startup chime (or immediately after pressing the power button on Apple Silicon Macs).

This method works especially well for stuck optical media.

5. Check for Apps Using the Disk

A file or app might be actively using the disk, preventing ejection.

• Try closing all open apps, especially:
  • Finder windows showing files from the drive
  • Preview (if a file from the disk is open)
  • Terminal, Photoshop, or other apps that might have loaded content
• Use Activity Monitor:
  1. Open Activity Monitor.
  2. Search for the disk name or related processes.
  3. Quit any processes using the disk.

You can also use Terminal to see what’s accessing the disk:

lsof | grep "DRIVE_NAME"

This lists processes using the drive. Close or force quit them if safe.

6. Boot into Safe Mode

Safe Mode performs a disk check and loads only essential kernel extensions, which can help release a stuck disk.

• Shut down your Mac.
• Turn it on and immediately hold down Shift until you see the login screen.
• Once in Safe Mode, try ejecting the disk again via Finder or Terminal.
• Restart normally afterward.

7. For External Drives: Unplug Safely After Shutdown

If it’s an external drive that won’t eject and you’ve confirmed no data is being written:

1. Save all work and quit apps.
2. Shut down your Mac.
3. Once powered off, unplug the drive.
4. Turn the Mac back on.

This avoids file system corruption, as the system isn’t actively using the drive.

⚠️ Only do this if necessary—always try to eject properly first.

8. Physical Ejection (Optical Drives Only)

If you have an older Mac with a slot-loading optical drive and a disc is stuck:

• Turn off the Mac.
• Use a paperclip in the emergency eject hole (if present).
• Some Macs support drutil commands in Terminal:

  drutil tray open

Note: drutil is deprecated on newer macOS versions and only works with optical drives.

---

Basically, most disk ejection issues come down to an app using the drive or a software glitch. Start simple, use Disk Utility or Terminal, and restart if needed. With a little patience, the disk should come free.

The above is the detailed content of How to fix a Mac that won't eject a disk on macOS. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!