Can't stop Maxtor USB Drive

I clicked on the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon and was prompted:

The device 'Generic Volume' can't be stopped right now. Try stopping the device again later.

The drive is set to "optimize for quick removal" so is it safe for me to turn off and remove the drive anyway?

hey, try to see what could be using the maxtor. otherwise it is fairly safe to remove the key but it could result in some data loss. Nico

by key I meant the drive =)

If you have your Windows Explorer(MyComputer) open when attempting to turn-off your USB external hard drive, it may fail or alert you that it is somehow "in use". This can occur if you have Indexing Service running active. Many folks find that they don't need "indexing". I turn off "indexing" on a regular basis. You might find additional information about what could be attempting to run active with your USB external hard drive by Right-clicking on the USB drive icon, Select Properties - Select Policies. Please let us know if the above provides you with additional information that you have questions about. Sometimes it's as simple as still being "connected" to your Recycle Bin, if you've deleted anything from your USB drive and it went into Recycle bin. Empty your Recycle Bin. Best Regards

I'm using Norton's Wipe Info to clean out my Recycle Bin so it's going to take a while. Maybe that's causing the problem, I'll see how it goes. Thanks for your help guys!