Safely Remove Hardware

Hi All.

I need to get rid of the safely remove hardware icon that loads in the taskbar.

It started to appear after I updated the firmware on a piece of Hardware. The hardware in question is a Linksys Wireless Access card. I do not want the icon to load, and I do not want to simply hide it using the built in Windows Hide Icon tool.

I have in the past done this, but since I have not done it in a while, I dont remember how.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

My system specs are as follows:

Gateway SOLO 5300 (Laptop)
PIII 900 Ghz
256 RAM
LInksys Wireless Access Card (drivers/firmware Updated)
Windows XP SP1 (all updates)

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

 

Hi Callanan , Why not run msconfig and see if it's listed there in the start up group? Uncheck it if it is.

If that isn't productive, go get StartupCop since it does such a great job with things like this. You'll come to love it as millions of other have.

Cheers.

 

You cant do that..

This is a Windows function, not a drivers etc.

I need to find the actual Windows way of turning this off.

Ideas??

 

I guess I don't know what you're talking about. I have never had any icons loading into my taskbar that didn't represent some program that was being started up by some call from any number of places that they can originate from.

Please explain further if you have found it to be different for you.

 

what I left out..

Zephyr..

I am sorry, if I was unclear.

I know what is causing the icon to load. Its the the wireless Linksys card that plugs into the PCMCIA slot. This icon was not present under the original hardware install, but popped up when I updated the drivers, and the Hardwares Firmware.

I have done a clean WinXP install recently, and it is still an issue.

That fact is what is leading to the "safely remove.." icon loading.

However, I know that this can be removed. I have done so without hiding it through the taskbar properties, but through either a windows setting (burried under some laundry lol) or a reg entry.

I am not afraid of getting my hands dirty, i just need that jump point to get me started.

Ideas??

 

Callanan:

I've searched Windows, Microsoft and this board for an answer to your question. The following is the only link that I could find that came close to answering your question;

Task Bar Icons

Of course following the advise in that link would not work on a system that was on a LAN or using high speed internet connections.

HTH

 

The purpose of this icon:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tr...prodtechnol/winxppro/reskit/prdh_dmt_cgwi.asp

It will probably be hard to remove since it really shouldn't be removed.

As unlikely as it may be, if there is any caching option in your Device Manager properties for that device, turning that off may remove the icon.

 

taskbar

I have the same thing after I installed a Smart media / Compact Flash reader. I hid it in Taskbar which works for me but it would be nice to get rid of it. Please let me know if you have any luck.
I will let you know if I do

 

I understand that for that icon to display, the device is not a true hot plugable USB device.

Now if it was not there before then the updated drivers may not be so updated and perhaps going back to the old drivers may remove the hated icon.

In my opinion, if the updated drivers are indeed better I would put up with the icon if it was on my computer.

 

It is supposed to be there. The card reader and the pc card can be removed while windows is running. They have to be unplugged first. I just hide the icon until I need it.

 

taskbar

You can't really remove it although you can set it to 'always hide' in taskbar properties\customize so it's not there.I used to have it that way but now it doesn't work for some reason.Apparently it's the bug Microsoft knows about and promises to sort out.Good luck Al.

 

THAT ICON

OK abut that icon...

Its gone.

The reason it popped up was a driver issue, which is why it was new to me.

I decided to play around, and format the computer, I did that, and I installed only the newest version of the driver(which was not available when I first installed the hardware) and poof, problem solved.

The infernece about hot swappable should only be when your taking about a USB port device, which is not the case.

Anyway, thanks to all who donated advice, saved me some time, and forced me back to square one.

Thanks all!!