"Safely Removed Hardware" icon always present

[T. Duprex]

Running Windows XP Pro.

I've noticed recently that I always have a "Safely Remove Hardware" icon
in the notification area. I have no USB devices plugged in except for
and external keyboard plugged into my laptop. The Safely Remove Hardware
screen shows Hardware Devices: USB Mass Storage Device. When I click
Properties it shows Device Type: USB controllers; Manufacturer:
Compatible USB Storage Device; Location 0 (USB Storage Device). The
Device Status says "This device is working properly".

I do not have any Mass Storage Device plugged in. When I click Stop on
the Safely Remove Hardware screen, it says okay to remove and then the
icon goes away. If I then reboot, the icon returns. (When I do plug a
Travel Drive in it show up and is removed with no problem)

In Device Manager under Universal Serial Bus Controllers I show the
following:

Intel(r) 8280 1DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24CD
Intel(R) 8280 1DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C2
Intel(R) 8280 1DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C4
Intel(R) 8280 1DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C7

USB Mass Storage Device

USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub

I can appreciate that over the years I've plugged in a variety of devices
(Thumb drives, external CD recorder, external hard drive, external floppy
drive) and was not diligent about stopping the devices at times and the
result is probably what I'm dealing with now.

1. Is it okay to just "uninstall" this USB Mass Storage Device?
2. Should there be four root hubs and four USB Universal Host
Controllers? 3. If not what should I do?

I'd appreciate some advice.

TIA

 

[It's Only Me]

What type of printer do you have? Does it have a card reader built in? I
have a Lexmark printer and IT shows as a mass storage device, drive F: on my
computer.

T. Duprex <tduprexATlandmark.net> wrote:
: Running Windows XP Pro.
:
: I've noticed recently that I always have a "Safely Remove Hardware"
: icon in the notification area. I have no USB devices plugged in
: except for and external keyboard plugged into my laptop. The Safely
: Remove Hardware screen shows Hardware Devices: USB Mass Storage
: Device. When I click Properties it shows Device Type: USB
: controllers; Manufacturer: Compatible USB Storage Device; Location 0
: (USB Storage Device). The Device Status says "This device is working
: properly".
:
: I do not have any Mass Storage Device plugged in. When I click Stop
: on the Safely Remove Hardware screen, it says okay to remove and then
: the icon goes away. If I then reboot, the icon returns. (When I do
: plug a Travel Drive in it show up and is removed with no problem)
:
: In Device Manager under Universal Serial Bus Controllers I show the
: following:
:
: Intel(r) 8280 1DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24CD
: Intel(R) 8280 1DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C2
: Intel(R) 8280 1DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C4
: Intel(R) 8280 1DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C7
:
: USB Mass Storage Device
:
: USB Root Hub
: USB Root Hub
: USB Root Hub
: USB Root Hub
:
: I can appreciate that over the years I've plugged in a variety of
: devices (Thumb drives, external CD recorder, external hard drive,
: external floppy drive) and was not diligent about stopping the
: devices at times and the result is probably what I'm dealing with now.
:
: 1. Is it okay to just "uninstall" this USB Mass Storage Device?
: 2. Should there be four root hubs and four USB Universal Host
: Controllers? 3. If not what should I do?
:
: I'd appreciate some advice.
:
: TIA

 

[T. Duprex]

What type of printer do you have? Does it have a card reader built in?
I have a Lexmark printer and IT shows as a mass storage device, drive
F: on my computer.

Using network printers, none have card readers.

 

[T. Duprex]

What type of printer do you have? Does it have a card reader built in?
I have a Lexmark printer and IT shows as a mass storage device, drive
F: on my computer.

However, on my lap top I am using a Microsoft Wireless Comfort Keyboard
1.0a. Would that be the mysterious USB Mass Storage Device?

 

[Malvern]

If the only issue is that this icon is constantly displayed, right-click
somewhere in the system tray which gets the menu with "Customize
notifications...". A click on that gets you a dialog box with all your
items, past and present on the left and "Behavior" on the right. Mouse
clicking on Safely Remove Hardware" icon gets an upside-down triangle next
to its behavior. (You'll see what I mean.) Click on the triangle to get a
choice of three options: always hide, hide if inactive, always show. Click
on whichever other one you want (hide always or only if it's inactive).
This only hides that pesky icon. If it still appears when "hide when
inactive" is your choice, then do always. This should NOT adversely affect
whatever this is for, just takes it out of view.

Malv

 

[T. Duprex]

If the only issue is that this icon is constantly displayed,
right-click somewhere in the system tray which gets the menu with
"Customize notifications...". A click on that gets you a dialog box
with all your items, past and present on the left and "Behavior" on
the right. Mouse clicking on Safely Remove Hardware" icon gets an
upside-down triangle next to its behavior. (You'll see what I mean.)
Click on the triangle to get a choice of three options: always hide,
hide if inactive, always show. Click on whichever other one you want
(hide always or only if it's inactive). This only hides that pesky
icon. If it still appears when "hide when inactive" is your choice,
then do always. This should NOT adversely affect whatever this is
for, just takes it out of view.

Customize notifications is greyed out. How do I make it available?

 

[McFly]

T. Duprex,

Make sure there is a checkmark beside "Hide Inactive Icons."

-fly-

 

[Malvern]

Customize notifications is greyed out. How do I make it available?
Try this... Bring up the same pop-up menu as before. Is Properties
available ? If so , click on it. In the dialog box this brings up, be sure
Taskbar tab is the active one (to the front). Then click on "Customize..."
in lower-right corner; this reveals list of items and their status as I
described in my first reply (shown below). Follow the instructions I gave,
click Apply, then OK to close. The unwanted item should now be hidden.

Malv

 

[T. Duprex]

If the only issue is that this icon is constantly displayed, right-click
somewhere in the system tray which gets the menu with "Customize
notifications...".

This is not the only issue. I would like to know what is causing the icon
to show up? Hiding it is not what I'm trying to do. I just want to know
why it is there in the first place.

Therefore, how do I find out what is responsible?

 

[T. Duprex]

Follow the instructions I

gave, click Apply, then OK to close. The unwanted item should now be
hidden.

I do not want to hide the icon, I want to find out what is causing it to be
displayed in the first place. How do I go about determining what or who is
responsible for it in the first place?


(By the way, in order to get Customize Notifications to un-grey you do go
to properties but then I would have to check Hide Inactive Icons. This is
not what I'm looking for.)

 

[Sharon F]

This is not the only issue. I would like to know what is causing the icon
to show up? Hiding it is not what I'm trying to do. I just want to know
why it is there in the first place.

Therefore, how do I find out what is responsible?

What is connected via USB? Anything using a firewire connection? A built in
reader in the case? A camera or phone connected?

These devices are hot pluggable. Could remove one to see if the icon goes
away. If not, reconnect and try the next one.

"Safely Remove" insures that writes are completed to removable storage
media before they are disconnected. This avoids the increased chance of
file and file table corruption on that removable device.

 

[McFly]

T. Duprex,

It's part of the Plug 'N' Play feature, in this case, the USB...

-fly-

 

[Malvern]

T., I see other names here who know more than I do. Sorry, I am stumped.
Looks like Sharon F has things pinpointed.

Malv

 

[Thomas Wendell]

IIRC could be SATA HDs
Don't know if there's a hotfix for it..

This is not the only issue. I would like to know what is causing the
icon to show up? Hiding it is not what I'm trying to do. I just want
to know why it is there in the first place.

Therefore, how do I find out what is responsible?

--
Tumppi
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A lot learned from these newsgroups
Helsinki, FINLAND
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