Win11 24H2 cannot safely delete NTFS format mobile hard disk or USB flash drive

Hi Microsoft,
I've run into an extremely frustrating and persistent core operating system bug within Windows 24H2, and after weeks of troubleshooting, I am absolutely convinced that this is a system-level regression that needs engineering intervention.

The problem is narrowly focused but catastrophic for anyone using modern external storage: any mobile drive, be it a high-speed external SSD or a simple USB stick, must be formatted with the NTFS file system to exhibit the failure. When I try to use the 'Safely Remove Hardware' feature in the system tray, Windows flat-out refuses to let go, giving me the generic, maddening message that the "volume device cannot be disabled" because it is supposedly in use.

This happens even after waiting minutes for background processes to finish, forcing me into the untenable position of risking data corruption by simply yanking the plug—a choice no user should have to make. The most compelling piece of evidence I have is the format test: if I take that exact same physical hardware and format it over to the older FAT32 or ExFAT system, it ejects perfectly on the first attempt, confirming the lock is intrinsically tied to the 24H2 kernel's handling of the NTFS protocol.

To eliminate all possibilities of user error or rogue software, I exhausted every conventional and extreme fix available online: I meticulously checked Resource Monitor for open handles, disabled Windows Search and Indexing to stop sneaky background accesses, pored over the Event Logs for deep-level errors, and even used specialized third-party USB ejection utilities, all of which failed due to the same mysterious OS lock.

Finally, I went to the extreme of replacing the drive entirely, reformatting the partitions multiple times, and even performing a complete, ground-up, clean reinstallation of Windows 24H2, yet the bug instantly returned. Given that a clean OS install with different hardware fails only when NTFS is used, this has to be a critical, brand-new regression in how 24H2 implements the dismount and lock-check procedure for NTFS volumes, and it desperately needs to be addressed.

Really appreciate any help!