2nd HDD Issue....."This device is currently in use"

[CDKUTTNAUER]

I just got my new W520 and getting this message whenever the laptop wakes up...."this device is currently in use. Close any programs that might be using..." My configuration is as follows:

W520
8GB RAM
Windows 7 x64
160GB SDD Internal (Intel)
500GB HDD in Ultrabay (Hitachi)

Most times I can access the HDD and open files without issue, but occasionally I get a message stating "Access Denied."

Also, I get the same message when I try to Safely Remove the device.

Any ideas what this is all about? And more importantly...any solutions.

Thanks for your assistance.

[pkincy]

I have no idea; however I do get the same message occasionally while powering up and almost always while awaking from sleep.

It has never kept me from accessing the HDD however so I "ok" it and go about my business.

W520 with Crucial C300 and moved the Hitachi 500GB to the Ultrabay Caddy 3.

Perry

[AMATX]

Seems obvious, but make sure the caddy is -very- securely inserted and making contact with connectors, and especially that the little release gizmo you flip to take the caddy out is fully engaged. That lever can degrade over time to the point the Thinkpad doesn't know whether the caddy/drive is coming or going. Not likely, but if sumpin's off a bit, might be the culprit.

[davidhbrown]

I've been getting this, too, while I'm still retrieving settings and such from my failed T61p's HDD in the bay. I'd be a lot more concerned if I were actually writing anything to this drive (as I'm sure some of you are). While I usually don't bother with the metal caddy, I didn't bother removing it from that drive this time. Also, my computer is docked on a very heavy desk, so I don't think it's a mechanical connectivity issue.

I noticed that with the optical drive in the bay, it seems to have a power-saving mode where it basically turns it entirely off and you have to press the eject button for the system to even see that it's still there.

So, I wonder whether there is some special ultrabay power management option in the BIOS or if this behavior could be mitigated through power plan settings.

But for me at least, the message has been no more consequential than the ones about the network shares not being accessible because the network interface didn't wake up yet (hit cancel and the window will refresh).