LAN Connection & "Safe to Remove" Icons Missing

[ockerb]

Hi All
I created a great hullabaloo regards the subject some time back and was never able to resolve my problem. Read thread779-1031578 about all my failed attempts. Well you wouldn't believe but I found a way which actually fixed my problem but I have no idea why it does. When I boot my machine the LAN connection is not in the notification area near the clock, if I install a USB device the "safe to remove" icon doesn't appear in the same area. Today I lost my sound and in my efforts to diagnose the problem I went into sound devices in the control panel and ticked the box to place the volume icon bar in the notification area. Lo & behold, up popped the LAN and the safe to remove icon as well as the volume icon. I have to do this everytime I boot up but its no big deal and I can see my flashing LAN computers in the notification area and I can safely remove my USB devices quickly.
If someone can explain this behaviour, please do. In fact if some one can fix it so I don't have to put the volume icon in the tool bar to get the other icons displayed that would be appreciated as well. Again please refer to thread779-1031578 before offering advice because I have previously had a lot of fun with this issue. PS. I can remove the volume icon and the other two still remain.
Thanks for your time
Ockerb

 

[linney]

I have reread your long original post and note with a smile this last comment.

"Anyway it's always nice when you have a victory over XP, so well done. Mind you I feel there are more adventures yet to come."

Why you are having this particular problem I don't know. Rereading that thread makes think you should have clean installed the whole thing. This should fix it if it is a XP problem, but not if it is a hardware fault.

Rather than clean install, as an alternative just to see if a clean install is worthwhile, you could try a parallel install to see if that has this problem.

266465 - HOW TO: Perform a Parallel Installation of Windows 2000

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;266465&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

Or the paragraph in this article.

"To install Windows XP to a new folder (to perform a parallel installation):"

How to install or upgrade to Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316941&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

 

[ockerb]

Thanks Linney
I'm not going to change anything now, too much bother. I posted the info for "info only" in case anyone else has a similar problem. I was just suprised as to why it did what it did.
Thanks for you super efforts in trying to keep us all operating smoothly.
Ockerb