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How to Eject a CD/DVD Drive in Batch Script

Automating the physical hardware of a computer, such as ejecting a CD or DVD drive, is a less common but sometimes useful task. You might want to signal the end of a long process (like a backup-to-disc operation) by ejecting the tray, or create a simple utility script to open the drive for a user. While there is no simple, single EJECT command in Windows Batch, this functionality is easily achievable by using a helper script.

This guide will explain why a direct batch command doesn't exist and will teach you the standard and most reliable method for ejecting a drive by calling a short, dynamically created VBScript file. We will also cover the modern alternative using a PowerShell one-liner, which is often a cleaner choice.

The Challenge: No Native EJECT Command​

The Windows command prompt (cmd.exe) is primarily designed for file system and process management. It lacks built-in commands to interact directly with most hardware functions, such as ejecting a disk tray. To perform this action, we need to access a more powerful part of the Windows operating system, the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) or the Shell Application object model, which can be controlled by scripting languages like VBScript and PowerShell.

The Classic Method: Generating a Temporary VBScript​

This is the most compatible method, as it works on virtually all versions of Windows (from XP onwards). The batch script itself writes a small VBScript file (.vbs) to the temporary directory, executes it to perform the eject, and then deletes the temporary file. This makes the entire operation self-contained in one .bat file.

The core of the VBScript is a command that finds all removable media drives and calls the Eject() method on the first one it finds.

For any modern Windows system (Windows 7 and newer), calling PowerShell is a far cleaner and more direct solution. It can access the same system components but avoids the need to create and delete a temporary file.

The PowerShell Syntax: powershell -Command "(New-Object -comObject Shell.Application).Namespace(17).ParseName('D:').InvokeVerb('Eject')"

  • Shell.Application: The main object for shell automation.
  • Namespace(17): A special code that represents the "My Computer" (or "This PC") view, where drives are listed.
  • ParseName('D:'): Selects the D: drive.
  • InvokeVerb('Eject'): Calls the "Eject" action, which is the same action that happens when you right-click the drive and choose "Eject."

Basic Example: A Simple Drive Eject Script​

Let's create a script to eject the D: drive using both methods.

Method 1: VBScript​

@ECHO OFF
SET "DRIVE_LETTER=D:"
SET "VBS_FILE=%TEMP%\eject.vbs"

ECHO Creating VBScript to eject drive %DRIVE_LETTER%...

(
    ECHO Set oWMP = CreateObject("WMPlayer.OCX.7")
    ECHO Set colCDROMs = oWMP.cdromCollection
    ECHO For i = 0 to colCDROMs.Count - 1
    ECHO   If colCDROMs.Item(i).DriveSpecifier = "%DRIVE_LETTER%" Then
    ECHO     colCDROMs.Item(i).Eject()
    ECHO   End If
    ECHO Next
) > "%VBS_FILE%"

CSCRIPT //Nologo "%VBS_FILE%"
DEL "%VBS_FILE%"

ECHO Eject command has been sent.
note

This VBScript method cleverly uses the Windows Media Player object, which has a very reliable Eject() function.

Method 2: PowerShell​

@ECHO OFF
SET "DRIVE_LETTER=D:"

ECHO Ejecting drive %DRIVE_LETTER% using PowerShell...
powershell -Command "(New-Object -comObject Shell.Application).Namespace(17).ParseName('%DRIVE_LETTER%').InvokeVerb('Eject')"

ECHO Eject command has been sent.

How the Methods Work​

  • VBScript: The batch script writes several lines of VBScript code into a temporary file. It then uses CSCRIPT.EXE, the Windows command-line script host, to execute this .vbs file. The VBScript accesses the system's CD-ROM collection, finds the drive that matches the specified letter, and calls its Eject() method.
  • PowerShell: The batch script calls powershell.exe with a -Command argument. The PowerShell engine executes the command, which creates a Shell Application object, navigates to the specified drive letter, and invokes its "Eject" verb, all in a single, in-memory operation.

Common Pitfalls and How to Solve Them​

Problem: The Drive is in Use​

If the optical drive is currently being accessed by another program (e.g., watching a DVD or installing software), the operating system may refuse the eject request.

Solution: There is no simple way to "force" an eject against a hard lock. The best practice is to ensure that any applications using the drive are closed before the script is run. The script will send the command, but the success depends on the OS being able to comply.

Problem: The System Has Multiple Optical Drives​

The PowerShell method is explicit: you tell it exactly which drive letter to eject ('D:'). The VBScript method shown also iterates through all drives and ejects the one that matches the letter you provided.

Solution: To eject all optical drives, you could modify the scripts:

  • VBScript: Remove the If ... End If block to make it call Eject() on every drive it finds.
  • PowerShell: This requires a more complex script to get a list of all CD drive letters and then loop through them.

Practical Example: A "Backup Complete" Notification Script​

This script simulates burning a backup to a DVD. After the (simulated) process is complete, it ejects the disk tray to signal to the user that the process is finished and the disc can be removed.

@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL
SET "BackupDrive=E:"

ECHO --- Disc Backup Utility ---
ECHO.
ECHO Starting backup process. This will take some time...
REM (Simulate a long backup process)
TIMEOUT /T 10 /NOBREAK > NUL

ECHO.
ECHO [SUCCESS] Backup to drive %BackupDrive% is complete.
ECHO Ejecting the disc tray now...

REM --- Use the clean PowerShell method to eject the drive ---
powershell -Command "(New-Object -comObject Shell.Application).Namespace(17).ParseName('%BackupDrive%').InvokeVerb('Eject')"

ECHO.
ECHO --- Please remove your disc ---
ENDLOCAL

Conclusion​

While batch scripting has no native EJECT command, it can easily delegate this task to more powerful scripting engines that are built into all modern versions of Windows.

  • The VBScript method is the most compatible, working even on older systems, but requires the creation and cleanup of a temporary file.
  • The PowerShell method is the recommended best practice for modern systems. It is cleaner, more direct, avoids temporary files, and is easier to read and maintain.

For any script needing to control a CD/DVD drive, the PowerShell one-liner is the most professional and efficient choice.

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