Lost Icon in Task Bar

I am new here. I was directed to this site by a friend.

I am going to hit you with vexing problem. It is so vexing that even the manufacture of the product does not know what to do!

I have a Maxtor external hard drive. When it is connected, an icon appears in the task bar. When one clicks on that icon one can safely disconnect the external hard drive.

Now to the problem. I clicked on it once and it gave, along with the usual disconnect button, the option to hid the icon. I clicked on it (Don't ask why!) I assumed I could un-click it later. Was I wrong! The icon is now hidden and I can get it back. I can't even un-check the box I clicked as I need to see the icon to do that. Maxtor said this is a Windows problem. There is a way to un-hide icons in the task bar, but they did not know how to do it. Got any ideas?

I have tried re-installing but that does no good.

(I am running Windows 98 SE)

Did you hide all of the icons, or just that one?

Did you hide all of the icons, or just that one?

Just that one.

Try installing the "Safe Removal utility"

http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/downloads/contents/WURecommended/S_WUFeatured/1394/Default.asp

Try installing the "Safe Removal utility"

 

http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/downloads/contents/WURecommended/S_WUFeatured/1394/Default.asp

OK, I installed that but I still don't see the icon!

Go to start

run

and type just as below:

%SystemRoot%\System32\RUNDLL32.EXE shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL hotplug.dll

you should get the popup you are looking for.

you can also make a shortcut to this and place it on your desktop or quick launch.

Go to start

run

and type just as below:

 

%SystemRoot%\System32\RUNDLL32.EXE shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL hotplug.dll

 

you should get the popup you are looking for.

 

you can also make a shortcut to this and place it on your desktop or quick launch.

Did that and got a popup notice that said, Cannot find the file %SystemRoot%\System32\RUNDLL32.EXE....

try this CG:

C:\windows\RUNDLL32.EXE shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL hotplug.dll

once Windows is located in C: Drive and is called Windows, which is default. Not sure with 98 if RunDll32.exe is actually in the Windows Folder or not, but it is in Windows ME. You can do a search in Start, Run and Search to double check.

You can also right click on the desktop space, and Create New Shortcut, then enter that as the Command Line. Call it unplug, Eject or something.

try this CG:

 

C:\windows\RUNDLL32.EXE shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL hotplug.dll

 

once Windows is located in C: Drive and is called Windows, which is default. Not sure with 98 if RunDll32.exe is actually in the Windows Folder or not, but it is in Windows ME. You can do a search in Start, Run and Search to double check.

 

You can also right click on the desktop space, and Create New Shortcut, then enter that as the Command Line. Call it unplug, Eject or something.

I did what you said this is what I got, a box that said unplug or eject hardware. In the box there was nothing to choose from, it was empty!

Remove then plug back in your hardware.

Remove then plug back in your hardware.

Did that. Nothing happened.