# Hidden Icons and Safely Remove.



## falsepretences (May 27, 2007)

The little upward arrow (^) has disappeared from the bottom left of my screen in the notification area. Well when I say disappeared it has most of the time. The one that shows hidden icons. I've tried two or three items plugged into this laptop in different slots and the ^ is sometimes there. When I click it it _may _show what it is I have connected but if it does it is greyed out. If I click on it anyway all that happens is the ^ disappears.
Also the 'Safely Remove Device icon (USB with green tick) has gone too. I sometimes get an icon that looks vaguely like it but no green tick.
I don't think I've changed anything, so what can I do?


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## weirdtoys (Feb 3, 2015)

Check to be sure the Icons is not just hidden by click the little arrow on left of clock on bottom
right. Also Right Click Taskbar - Properties - Notification Area tab - Icons - Customize - check
to be sure it is not set to HIDE.


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## falsepretences (May 27, 2007)

Thanks for replying.
It's the little arrow you mention that is missing. Also when I right click on the taskbar and click Properties, there is no Notifications area 'tab' as such. There is a 'Notifications area' listed below with a customize 'button'. Is that the same? There are only 'Taskbar,Navigation & Toolbar' tabs. Anyway when I click on this cutomize button I get no 'Icons'. It just takes me to 'Settings' and in there I have tried turning everything on, no joy. I have then tried turning everything off, still no joy.
I hope you can understand me. I apologise for my limitations with computers.


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## DaveA (Nov 16, 1999)

I think if there are NO hidden icons it will not be displayed.

The Green stick, will only appear if there is a USB device plugged in.


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## falsepretences (May 27, 2007)

Ah but as I say I have tried two or three different things plugged in and into the different USB ports. At the moment there is a gps plugged in. Earlier today it was my mobile phone. Before that it was a camera. The little ^ was there to the left of the clock. When clicked each item was greyed out. When the greyed out items were clicked (because there was nothing else to do) the little ^ disappeared. I have to leave whatever is plugged in until I power off.


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## weirdtoys (Feb 3, 2015)

Hi,

Maybe this might help there are 2 methods , try the first one which uses the task manager. The second one is the Registry method.

http://www.wikihow.com/Fix-a-Disabled-or-Greyed-out-System-Tray-Icon-on-Windows-Vista


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## falsepretences (May 27, 2007)

Ok I did that . I restarted Windows Explorer and plugged in a device. No ^ appeared but the 'other' USB icon is there. I've just noticed that there is a green tick on it also but it is very small. Anyway when I click on it the menu says :
(1) Open devices & printers.
(2) Eject USB mass storage device. &
(3) Whatever device happens to be plugged in at the time.
The latter is always greyed out.
So when I click on (1) it shows a USB mass storage device which when clicked on just gives info and tells you that it is working properly.
When (2) is clicked it just gets rid of the new USB icon but leaves whatever is plugged in, still switched on.
I then have no ^ or icon so have to power off to safely remove anything.
Clicking (3) obviously does nothing at all.
I'd like to thank you both for taking the time to try and help.


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## falsepretences (May 27, 2007)

Oh I didn't try the registry method. Not really sure I am savvy enough to mess around in there!!


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## falsepretences (May 27, 2007)

Could someone please close/lock this thread for me as I don't know how to do it. 
Many thanks for the replies but I am still having the same problem so I'll just power off and remove any USB's I may be using until I find a solution.
Thanks again.


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## DaveA (Nov 16, 1999)

When you are viewing this thread, scroll to the top, and there you should see a link to mark as solved.
Only the OP and Admins can mark a thread solved.


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## storage_man (Nov 6, 2003)

falsepretences said:


> Could someone please close/lock this thread for me as I don't know how to do it.
> Many thanks for the replies but I am still having the same problem so I'll just power off and remove any USB's I may be using until I find a solution.
> Thanks again.


Don't worry about it. Windows 10 doesnot live well with certain USB devices. Any USB stick that I insert on my Win 10 laptop, you will never be able to remove it per the normal remove operation. It always come back stating that some process is using it and it can't be removed ! Even though the process that used the USB stick, has long been shut down, it doesn't care. But If I re-boot the system and quickly (because if you wait to long, it won't let you remove it, because some process is using it), you can legally remove that USB stick. I've tried this with 15 different MFG of USB sticks, and from devices that are USB 3.0 thru device that are 2.0, it make's no difference.

But all 10 of my USB (2.0 &3.0) external hard drives, will always be available for removal after the process that accessed them has shut down. Go figure that out. Oh and those external units are made by no less that 3 different manufactures.

Sometimes Win10 really S**ks !


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## DaveA (Nov 16, 1999)

I have NOT had any issue with any thumb drive!
I even have some old 128M size and they work like they always did.


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