After reading your post i tried turning off the firewall... I don't have that tray icon at all. I shut off everything matter of fact from the control panel, via Security center.
Also under Windows firewall and Automatic updates icons from the control panel.
I even rebooted to "see" if the icon returned, it didn't on my boxes...
If you click on recommendations under each of the three icons in da systems control panel (Classic view) there is a checkbox that allows to monitor ourselves. In the security center applet under recommendations that's the ticket under Firewall... Automatic Updates turns off from the icon in the control panel applet from under da automatic updates icon, but not from the Security Center, if you click change settings from there the sucker turns back on hehe...
Hope i said this right, quadruple multi tasking atm... anyways doing the above should take care of any annoying tray icon.
Edit2 lofl, same Fedex left my hood too
all the way in cali.
i hear ya
wase4711, i had some issues my self, still snickering at the phone calls i get from teh M$ oem system builder's clan. They trip on themselves & cop to it later.