Removable medium recording/reproduction device, medium expelling control method for removable medium recording/reproduction device, and removable medium expelling control method for information processing apparatus

A removable medium recording/reproduction device capable of preventing expelling of a removable medium ( 101 ) by avoiding cancellation of an expelling prohibiting state even during power-down of the device. The device includes a mechanism for loading/ejecting a removable medium ( 101 ) by transporting the medium into the device and mounting the medium in a reproducible state, or by transporting and expelling it out of the device, a medium expelling prohibition information detector ( 110 ) which detects whether or not medium expelling prohibition information is recorded in a predetermined area on the medium ( 101 ), and a controller ( 106 ) which does not perform expelling of the medium due to a change in state of switches ( 104, 105 ) of the device or a command from outside if a record of the medium expelling prohibition information is detected by the medium expelling prohibition information detector ( 110 ) and which operates the loading/ejection mechanism to expel the medium according to the change in state of switches ( 104, 105 ) of the device or the command from outside if no record of the medium expelling prohibition information is detected.