If you don't want to purchase software, Windows has built-in ways to manage USBs safely:
: See exactly which program is preventing a device from being stopped and force-stop it safely.
The legitimate version of USB Safely Remove provides a secure and reliable way to manage external drives beyond the basic Windows "Safely Remove Hardware" tool. :
Once a license expires, you can stay with the version you have ; you only pay more if you want future updates. Free & Safe Built-In Alternatives
: Right-click the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon in the taskbar to eject media.