Member Avatar for Magicboi8

Is there a way to make It so the safely remove hardware icon won't appear on the taskbar??? I'm tired of looking at it :!:

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As noted, Windows already lets you hide the Safely Remove Hardware icon, and chose a small utility to take it out of the tray entirely. That covers the cosmetic end of the problem. The following points explain what the icon actually does, safer alternatives if you want to avoid seeing it, and what to check if hiding/removal doesn't "stick."

The icon is simply a notification that one or more removable devices are present and can be safely ejected. Hiding or removing the icon does not change how the device behaves; it only removes the visual cue. If the goal is to reduce the chance of data corruption when people unplug devices without using the icon, switch the removable drive policy to disable write caching ("Quick removal") in Device Manager. This makes unplugging safer even if the tray icon is hidden.

If the icon reappears or the notification-area choice does not persist, common causes are third‑party tray managers, profile/registry entries not being saved, or a device repeatedly re-enumerating. After changing settings, log off or restart Explorer to ensure the change takes effect. If you still need to eject a device with the icon hidden, use the Devices/Eject option in Control Panel or the device’s context menu in My Computer.

Caution: avoid disabling USB drivers or deleting system components to make the icon disappear — those actions can break device functionality. Hiding the icon is the lowest-risk approach; the safest technical alternative is to change the device policy (no write caching) so you can remove hardware without relying on the tray icon.

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Member Avatar for DaveB

Hi

I spent a while going through gpedit.msc (Windows XP Pro users only, run from start menu). Under >> User configuration > Administrative Templates - you will find 1001 lovely ways to fully customise your XP Desktop, good fun.

This one can be done easier, (I got bored and googled), right-click the taskbar, and select properties. Select "Customise" in the bottom right corner, in the "Notification Area" box, and find "Safely Remove Hardware", the drop down box to the right gives you a "Always Hide" option. OK, Apply, OK.

Regards, David.

Member Avatar for Magicboi8

Hi

I spent a while going through gpedit.msc (Windows XP Pro users only, run from start menu). Under >> User configuration > Administrative Templates - you will find 1001 lovely ways to fully customise your XP Desktop, good fun.

This one can be done easier, (I got bored and googled), right-click the taskbar, and select properties. Select "Customise" in the bottom right corner, in the "Notification Area" box, and find "Safely Remove Hardware", the drop down box to the right gives you a "Always Hide" option. OK, Apply, OK.

Regards, David.

I didn't want to hide It I wanted to remove It but anyway I downloaded icon remover which doen't just hide It, It takes It out of the system tray and holds It somewhere else I'm sattisified. Thnx for the help though!!

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