# Can the Outlook Icon be deleted from the task bar in XP?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-outlook-icon-be-deleted-from-the-task-bar-in-xp/174908>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 13, 2003, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-outlook-icon-be-deleted-from-the-task-bar-in-xp/174908 "2003-05-13T07:10:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-outlook-icon-be-deleted-from-the-task-bar-in-xp/174908/1 "2003-05-13T07:10:48Z")

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Is the ominous warning right? Will we disembowel our computer if we remove the Outlook icon from the desktop? (All our desktop icons show on the task bar.)

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Are you sure you want to delete the Microsoft Outlook icon from your desktop?

The Outlook Desktop icon provides special functionality and we recommend that you do not remove it.  
\*

What special functionality does it provide? Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Tuco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tuco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuco)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-outlook-icon-be-deleted-from-the-task-bar-in-xp/174908/2 "2003-05-13T09:54:13Z")

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I don’t know what special functionality it provides, but I don’t have Outlook on my desktop or taskbar (assuming by taskbar you mean the quick launch thing next to ‘Start’) and my computer is running fine with XP.

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**Author:** ![Neptune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@Neptune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptune)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-outlook-icon-be-deleted-from-the-task-bar-in-xp/174908/3 "2003-05-13T10:28:13Z")

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They may be trying to point out that running Outlook from the shortcut they’ve provided is slightly different than just executing the executable directly.

When I look at the shortcut on my taskbar and click Properties, I see that they add the “/recycle” parameter. Who knows what the significance of that is.

I say, if it’s bothering you, delete it. Or if you’re afraid of losing it, just move it to another directory where you can find it.