# I have two wireless icons. How do I get rid of the windows one?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-two-wireless-icons-how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-windows-one/674664>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 24, 2013, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-two-wireless-icons-how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-windows-one/674664 "2013-11-24T06:09:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-two-wireless-icons-how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-windows-one/674664/1 "2013-11-24T06:09:41Z")

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I use Dell Wireless WLan Card Utility on my old XP laptop and I’ve set it up on my new Win 7 that I just bought.

For some reason, I also have the Windows wireless icon. 😕 Down at the bottom there’s a link Open Network and Sharing Center

It’s confusing as hell. Because the icons look almost the same. Vertical bars. Exept the Dell is Green Bars and Windows is white bars.

How do I hide the Windows wireless icon? Right clicking just offers Troubleshooting or Open Network and Sharing Center

The Dell WLan Card Utility offers a lot more information and I like using it.

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-two-wireless-icons-how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-windows-one/674664/2 "2013-11-25T02:04:54Z")

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No ideas?

What’s weird is the Dell WLan Card utility setup just fine on this Win 7 laptop in early Oct. I had a hard drive crash and Dell sent a new drive. Same 64 bit Win 7. Only this time the Windows Wireless icon is on my taskbar.

The Dell WLan is so much better. just hovering the mouse over the green vertical bars gives you the IP number, speed and signal strength. You don’t even have to click it. But, now it’s hidden away in the taskbar folder. That stupid windows wireless icon is stealing my prime real estate next to the clock.

Windows is just weird sometimes.

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**Author:** ![Silophant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Silophant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silophant)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-two-wireless-icons-how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-windows-one/674664/3 "2013-11-25T02:13:31Z")

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Hit the arrow icon to the left of those icons, and click “customize”. That should bring up a list of all the possible icons for that area, and let you set your desired behavior for each. Set the Windows Wireless icon to “hide icon and notifications”, and the Dell WLan to “show icon and notifications”.

I’m using 8.1, but I’m 90% sure this process didn’t change from 7.

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-two-wireless-icons-how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-windows-one/674664/4 "2013-11-25T02:29:50Z")

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That’s much better. Got my green bars back where they belong.

Thanks