It’s possible to eject a graphics card while you’re using your computer, if it’s an external model or some other non-standard setup. But if you’re using a desktop with a GPU installed on the motherboard, or a laptop with discrete graphics within the case, it’s generally a bad idea. Which is why some Windows 11 users were alarmed when their computers asked if they wanted to eject their graphics cards.
This appears to be a Windows bug that adds graphics cards to a list of devices that can be ejected in the “Safely remove hardware and media” tool in the notification center. It’s that thing you’re supposed to use every time you unplug a flash drive, which I’ve never seen anyone use in the real world, ever. Some Reddit users, seeing the option to “eject” the very powerful, very expensive graphics card soldered into the guts of their laptop, were understandably confused.
This bug has been showing up for years, apparently as an unintended UI expression of the option to disable some discrete laptop graphics and switch to integrated graphics to save power. (Note that “disabling” and “ejecting” are very different terms, and probably shouldn’t be conflated for regular PC users.) Windows Central notes that there are registry hacks available to turn off this alarming and apparently unintentional message.
While hardly the worst user-facing bug for Windows, I can see how this would be concerning even if you’re fairly tech-savvy. “I’m afraid I might accidentally eject it one day and god knows what’s gonna happen to my laptop,” says one Reddit user on the Windows 11 sub. If you’re seeing something similar, and you don’t want to dive into a registry hack (which I think is very admirable caution), maybe just leave it alone.
Further reading: I finally decided to reset my Windows PC. Here are 6 signs you should, too