Windows 10: Safely Remove Hardware Icon in Taskbar has disappeared

My friend has lost the Safely Remove icon on her main computer, a newer desktop with Windows 10. I could not find a way/place to restore it. Please help. And thanks.


:)

 

No "Safely Remove Hardware Icon" after Win 10 update

I have the same problem with my HP Pavilion. After the latest Windows 10 updates, the safely remove hardware icon has disappeared. When I look at "customize taskbar" by right clicking on the taskbar, I have already set it to "on" to show the icon but
no icon appears - even after restarting the computer. HELP!

 

can't find the Safely Remove Hardware icon

I run Win 10 on my HP desktop. My "Safely Remove Hardware" icon disappeared from my TASKBAR recently . I can no longer see the letters for USB keys that I inserted , so I cannot click on one to eject.

In "THIS PC", my icons representing detachable drives disappeared , so I can no longer click on one to see the contents of a USB key or a detachable drive. I looked it up on Virtual Agent :

It said select "show hidden Icons" but I am not given that choice. I clicked Taskbar settings and it did not offer me a solution. Nothing below helped.

• Look for the Safely Remove Hardwareicon on the taskbar. If you don't see it, select Show hidden icons
   . Press and hold (or right-click) the icon and select the hardware you want to remove.
• If you can't find the Safely Remove Hardware
  icon, press and hold (or right-click) the taskbar and select
  Taskbar settings 
  .
• Under Notification Area, choose
  Select which icons appear on the taskbar.
• Scroll to Windows Explorer: Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media
  and turn it on.
• If this doesn't work, make sure the device has stopped all activity like copying or syncing files. Select
  Start
  > Settings
  > Devices. Select the device, and click
  Remove device.
• Finally, check with the hardware manufacturer for new drivers or other updates.
  

None of that helped. Please help me!

JoAn

[Moved from: Windows / Windows 10 / Files, folders, & storage]

 

Any of these work? 4 Solutions to Restore Missing or Disappeared Safely Remove Hardware Icon

 

Have a look in Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Notifications area > Select which icons appear on the taskbar.
Look for "Windows Explorer Safely remove hardware and eject media". If its set to off toggle it to ON.
When off it only shows up if you click the up arrow in the notifications area, its semi hidden.

 

Will do that, too, Brink, just in case!

 

In searching for a "permanent" solution to the missing taskbar icon for safely removing hardware, I found this rather old thread. (If there is a newer one with better information, please do not consider this post or move it to the appropriate thread).

The following is a "temporary" solution which I have been using for quite a while:

Right click on taskbar.
Click on Task Manager.
In Processes, go down to Windows Explorer.
On the lower right, click on restart.
Exit Task Manager





The icon reappears in the taskbar and remains until the computer is shut down. Unfortunately, (nearly) every time you turn the computer back on, the icon has gone missing again. At any rate, if you don't want to change the registry or add short cuts to the desktop (as in some of the solutions Ztruker has kindly suggested), this is a quick workaround. Naturally, before doing anything else, the icon for "Windows Explorer - Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media" must be turned on in Settings under "Select which icons appear on the taskbar".

Presently, this is in Win 10 Pro version 1709, and previously worked in version 1703.

 

For safe eject USB notification missing:• Press keyboard "win + R"• Type "regedit"• Search the value "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Notifications\Settings\Microsoft.Explor er.Notification.{...}"• If your REG_DWORD 0x00000001(0) is set "0" you can double click on value. Set the value data to "1"• Click "OK"

 

Thanks Bastet, but I don't have that entry in my registry.

 

That may be the reason why it doesn’t work.
Is settings>notifications & actions>Get notifications from apps & other senders turned on?
Under that same is auto play turned on too?
Also turn on "Security and Maintenance under same.
Is quite hours turned on in the action centre? If not turn it on then off again. If on turn it off.

 

Since this morning, the icon seems to be back again when turning on the computer. Could it perhaps have something to do with yesterday's Patch Tuesday?

In any event, I did all the adjustments you suggested just now and then shut down and turned back on the computer, and the icon was still in the taskbar just fine. However, that entry in the registry did not show up. I guess that doesn't really matter if the problem is resolved as it is.

Thanks again for helping!

 

Yes it could’ve been the patch which fixed the problem.
In any case glad to hear all is now OK.

 

In addition: *Smile

*Arrow Create Safely Remove Hardware shortcut in Windows 10 Windows 10 Tutorials