How to Change the Removal Policy of External Storage Devices in Windows 11 In this video, we'll show you how to change the USB removal policy in Windows 11 using Device Manager. We'll walk through the steps, explain when to use each setting, and share some tips and best practices, especially if you're managing devices in a business or enterprise environment. Before we begin, be sure to subscribe to NinjaOne's IT Video Hub and our YouTube channel for more tech content like this. Prerequisites for Changing USB Removal Policy Before we begin, here are a few key points to note. You'll need administrator privileges, so if you're in a managed environment, your IT team may need to assist you with this. Ensure your USB or external drive is connected and appears under Disk drives. Otherwise, you won't see the option. And finally, keep in mind that these changes apply per device. There's no native global setting yet, so each USB or external drive must be configured individually. Change USB Removal Policy using Device Manager Press Win + X and open Device Manager. You can also find it by searching in the Start Menu. Once inside, expand the Disk drives section and look for your external drive. It's usually listed by brand or model name. Right-click it, select Properties, and navigate to the Policies tab. Here you'll see two options: Quick Removal, which is the default and lets you unplug without ejecting, or Better Performance, which speeds things up but requires you to safely remove the drive each time. Choose the one that fits your needs, click OK, and the change takes effect right away. Additional Considerations for IT Professionals Now a few extra notes for IT professionals. Choosing the right policy really depends on your environment. Better Performance can be great for speed, especially with heavy file transfers, but it comes with risk. Data is cached, and if someone unplugs the drive too soon, files can be lost or corrupted. That's especially dangerous in kiosks or unsupervised setups. If you do go with Better Performance, make sure users know to always use the ‘Safely Remove Hardware’ option before unplugging. If avoiding mistakes is the priority, Quick Removal is the safer choice. Also, keep in mind these policies are not global. They're set per device, so each drive needs to be configured individually. And right now, there’s no native Group Policy to enforce one setting across the board. That said, IT teams can still use onboarding scripts, provisioning tools, or documentation to guide users toward the preferred policy. Changing the USB removal policy in Windows 11 gives IT admins more control over how external drives are managed. Using Device Manager is the easiest way to switch between better performance and safer removal. For more information, check out our official blog post on How to Change the Removal Policy of External Storage Devices in Windows 11 linked in the description below.