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How to Safely Remove Hardware Icon Missing in Windows 10/11
8 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
It is safer to click on “Safely removehardware,” when you want to remove yourUSB flash drivefrom a computer, than just pulling it out. But, what if this button disappears from thenotification area? Don’t worry, we have a solution for that.
Missing Safely Remove Hardwareiconcan be a problem, but users reported the following issues as well:
How can I open a Safely remove hardware window in Windows 10?
1. Create Safely Remove Hardware shortcut
As staff from Microsoft forums pointed out,Safely Remove Hardwareiconcan sometimes disappear from thenotification areain thetaskbar, especially inWindows 10.
So, even if thedeviceis found, and it functions well, this button just doesn’t show. Luckily, there’s a simple solution for this problem, and all you have to do to solve it is to follow these steps:
We hope that this problem won’t happen more than once, but if it does happen again, you can create aDesktop shortcutto Safely Remove Hardware dialog, so you don’t have to launch it from Run every time. To create this shortcut, just follow the instructions:
After the recent updates, you can unplug your USB devices without hitting Safely Remove Hardware. If you’re interested in more info about that,check out this article.
2. Change your notification settings
Several users reported that Safely Remove Hardwareiconis missing on their PC. Thisiconisn’t missing and it’s most likely hidden in yourTaskbar.
To reveal thisicon, you just need to click the arrow in the bottom right corner to show more sysbaricons. If theiconis available, you can permanently pin it to yourTaskbarby doing the following:
If your Taskbar isn’t working, take a look at this simple guide that will help you solve the issue.
After doing that, theiconshould be pinned to yourTaskbarand visible whenever you insert a removable media. You can also change this setting using the Settings app:
After doing that, theiconshould appear in yourTaskbarand the problem will be resolved.
3. Reinstall your devices
According to users, you might be able to fix this problem simply by reinstalling your devices. If Safely Remove Hardwareiconis missing, the problem might be your drivers.
To fix the issue, you just need to remove the problematic drivers and let Windows reinstall them. This is rather simple and you can do it by following these steps:
After removing the problematic driver, you just have to connect yourUSB deviceto the PC andWindows 10should automatically recognise it. Once your device is recognised, Safely Remove Hardwareiconshould appear again.
4. Restart Windows Explorer
This is just a workaround, but several users reported that it worked for them. If your Safely Remove Hardwareiconis missing, you can restore it simply by restarting Windows Explorer process.
After doing that, Windows Explorer will restart and your Safely Remove Hardwareiconshould reappear. Keep in mind that this is just a workaround, so you’ll have to repeat this solution whenever the issue occurs.
5. Change your device policy
If Safely Remove Hardwareiconis missing on your PC, you might be able to fix the problem simply by changing your device policy. To do that, connect your USB flash drive to the PC and follow these steps:
After enabling this option, the Safely Remove Hardwareiconshould appear again on yourTaskbar.
6. Check if Plug and Play service is running
To check if the necessary services are running, do the following:
Windows uses all sorts of services in order to run properly, and if Safely Remove Hardwareiconis missing, the problem might be related to your services.
It unlikely that your Plug and Play service is stopped, but sometimes these issues can occur, so be sure to check if the service is running properly on your PC.
7. Use third-party tools
If Safely Remove Hardwareiconis still missing, you might want to consider using a third-party solution as a temporary workaround. Many users reported that they used USB Disk Ejector software to safely disconnect their USB devices.
This is a free and portable application that allows you to safely disconnect anyUSB storage devicefrom your PC. If you can’t fix the problem with missing Safely Remove Hardwareicon, be sure to tryUSBDisk Ejector.
If you can’t eject you’re USB device inWindows 10, we’ve prepareda quick guidethat will help you fix the issue in no time.
That would be all, I hope that problem with Safely Remove Hardwareicondisappearance won’t bother you more than once.
Tell us in the comments, do you prefer to ‘use’ Safely Remove Hardware button when you’re removing yourUSB(or some other peripheral), or you just pull it out?
More about the topics:icon,USB issues,windows 10
Ivan Jenic
Windows Hardware Expert
Passionate about all elements related to Windows and combined with his innate curiosity, Ivan has delved deep into understanding this operating system, with a specialization in drivers and driver troubleshooting.
When he’s not tackling diverse driver-related problems, Ivan enjoys watching good movies and spending time hiking with his family and friends.
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Ivan Jenic
Windows Hardware Expert
Ivan has delved deep into understanding the Windows OS, with a specialization in drivers and driver troubleshooting.
