"Safely Remove Hardware" confusion

[mexican equivalent]

I recently did a fresh install of WinXP SP2 on my computer. When I
updated the NForce3 drivers to the latest version, I started getting
the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon on the taskbar. Apparently, the
computer thinks I may want to remove my internal SATA hard drive.
It's the only hard disk in the computer, and it's partitioned into
three separate drives.

I already know how to superficially remove the icon from the taskbar.
I'm much more interested in learning why WinXP would think I may want
to remove the only hard disk in my computer? And why it would offer
to "safely" remove an internal storate drive?

 

[Josh]

Serial HDD's are hot swapable. Meaning they could be unpluged just like
a usb device. There for they are a removable storage medium because you
could have one hooked up out side the computer to an sata port or have a
hot swap drive bay in your case.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

I don't think it is there because of the hard drive. Usually it is there
when there is a removable device, such as a USB device or PCMCIA device.