How to Remove Unwanted Icons
Although you can simply delete most shortcuts on the Windows 8 desktop, system shortcuts cannot be removed this way. Similarly, Windows adds shortcut icons on the taskbar’s notification area to provide access to programs that run in the background. Most of these icons can be hidden, but system icons must be turned off in a different location.
Desktop Icons
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1.
Click any shortcut to select it and press "Delete." Click "Yes" in the confirmation window to delete the icon. If this doesn't work, you might be trying to delete a system icon, such as a shortcut to the Recycle Bin or Control Panel. These must be turned off, rather than deleted.
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Right-click an empty area of the desktop, select "Personalize" and click "Change Desktop Icons" to open the Desktop Icon Settings window.
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Uncheck any desktop icon -- Computer, User's Files, Network, Recycle Bin or Control Panel -- you want to remove and click "OK."
Notification Area
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Click the small arrow to the left of the notification area and select "Customize." Alternatively, right-click an empty area of the taskbar, select "Properties" and click "Customize" in the Notification Area section.
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Uncheck "Always Show All Icons and Notifications on the Taskbar" to enable individual controls. This option is unchecked by default.
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Click the drop-down menu to the right of any listed icon and select "Hide Icon and Notifications" to conceal the icon. Alternatively, select "Show Only Notifications" to hide the icon, but allow pop-up notifications to appear for that program. Some icons, such as the system clock, cannot be removed this way.
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Check "Always Show All Icons and Notifications on the Taskbar" again to hide infrequently used icons. Any settings you changed will remain. If you prefer to see all the icons that you manually chose to show, keep this option unchecked.
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Click "Turn System Icons On or Off" to access system icon controls.
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Click the "Behaviors" drop-down menu to the right of any system icon and select "Off" to remove them. This hides the icon and any notifications.
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Click "OK" to return to the previous window. Click "OK" again to exit.
References
Warnings
- You can also save complete files on the desktop. Although deleting shortcuts won't affect the original file, deleting a file removes the entire file. Always look for the small arrow on the bottom left of the icon; this indicates the icon is a shortcut that can be safely removed.
- If you want to remove a file from the desktop without deleting it, press "Win-E" to open File Explorer, click "Desktop" and drag the file to another location.
Writer Bio
C. Taylor embarked on a professional writing career in 2009 and frequently writes about technology, science, business, finance, martial arts and the great outdoors. He writes for both online and offline publications, including the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, Samsung, Radio Shack, Motley Fool, Chron, Synonym and more. He received a Master of Science degree in wildlife biology from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences at College of Charleston. He also holds minors in statistics, physics and visual arts.