Users may sometimes face a weird problem while trying to remove aUSB flash drive . The icon Safely Remove Hardware may not show in the display. This is typical of Windows based systems as the OS may accidentally hide the icon. To get the Safely Remove Hardware icon back, modifying the notification area is the first step. From the clock in this area, select customize notifications. Then, the UPnP User Interface in Networking Services must be unchecked. Lastly, one should check the Plug and Play status, and to complete the process, the PC must be restarted.

Safely remove hardware icon lost

If You are using your USB flash drive but can't remove it because the safely remove icon has disappeared, here is what you can do. Sometimes Windows accidentally hides this icon. To fix it, follow these steps:

• Right click on the clock in the notification area
• Click on Customize Notifications
• Find "Safely Remove Hardware" in the list that appears and choose "Always show"
• Go to Control Panel > Add/Remove Hardware
• Click on the Add/Remove Windows Components
• Double click Networking Services in the list
• Uncheck the UPnP User Interface
• Click OK

If you are still having problems:

• Go to My Computer > Manage > Services and Applications > Services
• Search the list for Plug and Play and double click on it
  • The properties window should appear
  • Choose Automatic in the Startup Type
• Click OK and restart your PC.

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