Error message when you try to remove an external optical drive by using the "Safely remove hardware" feature in Windows Vista: "The device <Device_Name> cannot be stopped because a program is still using it"

Consider the following scenario. You erase a rewritable media disc by using an external optical drive that is attached to a Windows Vista-based computer. For example, you click Erase this disc to erase a CD-RW disc in the external optical drive. Then, you use the "Safely remove hardware" feature to remove the external drive. In this scenario, the external drive is not removed as expected. Additionally, you experience the following symptoms:

• You receive an error message that resembles the following:
  The device Device_Name cannot be stopped because a program is still using it. Close any programs that might be using the device, then try again later.
• The external drive may continue to work correctly. However, you cannot remove the drive by using the "Safely remove hardware" feature.

To work around this problem, restart the computer. This enables the "Safely remove hardware" feature for the external optical drive. Then, use the "Safely remove hardware" feature to remove the external optical drive.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.