"Safely remove hardware" icon disappears

[JS]

Sorry, fresh out of ideas.

 

[Unknown]

Try putting the program for the USB device you're operating on in the
startup folder.

 

[JS]

This is something I just noticed on one of
my computer used for testing software and has
caused unusual delays in desktop icons and other
display areas.

If you have downloaded large files to your "Desktop"
this can cause unusual behavior. Look to see if any of
your Icons are not shortcuts but .exe files.

 

[scratchtrax]

This one worked for me Hans (or the second part of it anyway). I was having
the same problem.



copied from wikianswers...

If you've seen the "Safely remove hardware icon" before, but it no longer
appears, this method may work.
Under Windows XP, right-click on the system tray (where the clock is).
Ensure that "Lock the Taskbar" is not ticked.
Select "Properties" and the "Taskbar and Start Menu Properties" window is
displayed.
Under the "Taskbar" tab, check the "Hide inactive icons" box.
The "Customize..." button is now active.
Click "Customize..." and the "Customize Notifications" window is displayed.
Scroll down to the "Past Items" group and you should see the "Safely Remove
Hardware" option.
Set this to the required value, then click "OK.


The method described above may not work if the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon
is shown as a folder rather than the correct icon. Try this fix:

1) With a USB drive inserted right click on the drive in "My Computer" and
select "Properties" then "Hardware"

2) Click on your hardware in the list and select "Properties" again.

(Alternatively you can double click on the drive in Control Panel>System
Properties>Device Manager>Disk Drives)

3) Click on "Policies". Normally the "Optimize for quick removal" button
will be active - but don't change this. Instead click on the "Safely Remove
Hardware" link in "Optimize for performance"

4) Again select your hardware and click "Stop". Click "OK". This will stop
your hardware and it can now be safely removed. This is a work around for the
missing icon but you should not need to do it more than once - the "Safely
Remove Hardware" icon should now appear normally in the Notification Area
whenever ANY removable device is reinserted - hopefully for good.

5) Make sure that the icon is not hidden in "Customize Notifications" as
described above. This has worked for a USB flash drive (thumb drive) in XP
but might work for other removable hardware as well. (e.g. use this procedure
with a USB drive to fix the missing icon for removable CD / DVD drive on a
laptop)