: File Explorer, disk management tools, or even cloud syncing services (like OneDrive) might be indexed or using the drive. System Permissions

Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, Emily walked over to Ryan's desk and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, Ryan, I think you might have locked my external drive," she said, trying to keep her tone light.

In my testing, this error rarely means a "program" has locked the drive in the traditional sense (like an open Word document). Instead, it is usually a system-level conflict.