Customizing menu bar

[Aniej]

While I am aware of the ability to use system preferences to add and remove certain icons from the menu bar at the top of my screen, I have noticed that when I install certain applications, they automatically appear in the menu bar and so far I have been unable to figure out a way to remove them. It wouldn't be a problem if I didn't now have so many up there, but it is getting kind of annoying now. The specific icons relate to Symantic virus protection, Apple Script and a little ejector button for my superdrive. Any thoughts?

 

[WildCowboy]

The Apple-related ones can be removed by holding down "command" and dragging them off of the menu bar. I'd imagine that the best way to get rid of the Symantec one is to get rid of the whole program...your computer will be happier for it.

 

[Aniej]

why will my computer be happier without symantic? I have never encountered an issue related to it.

great advice by the way regarding the icons, it is just like my blackberry, Thanks

 

[WildCowboy]

There's very little need for anti-virus software on a Mac...it mostly serves to just bog things down as it keeps scanning for things that can't hurt your computer. Aside from a few Word macro viruses (now very rare) that can infect OS X, the only thing you might worry about is passing along a virus to a PC user.

A lightweight anti-virus software like ClamXav that doesn't hog system resources is good for this type of occasional low-level scanning.

 

[Aniej]

Actually, that only works for the Apple related icons, as you correctly pointed out. Any advice on how to remove the non-apple icons?

Also, can you rearrange the location of the icons. For example, move the spotlight to the middle?

 

[WildCowboy]

Actually, that only works for the Apple related icons, as you correctly pointed out. Any advice on how to remove the non-apple icons?

Also, can you rearrange the location of the icons. For example, move the spotlight to the middle?

Sometimes there are options in the programs' preferences regarding menu bar icons, but if not, there's not much you can do.

As for rearranging, you can again move most of the Apple ones by command-dragging ones. But Spotlight has to stay in the top right corner...sorry. And again, this doesn't work for third-party apps. You can sometimes try to address this by adjusting the order in which the apps start up when you log in (in System Preferences --> Accounts --> Login Items), but this isn't always perfect. They generally fill in from right to left (after the Apple items) in the order they open, but some take longer than others to open, so that's why it's imperfect.

 

[Aniej]

rearrange

Sometimes there are options in the programs' preferences regarding menu bar icons, but if not, there's not much you can do.

As for rearranging, you can again move most of the Apple ones by command-dragging ones. But Spotlight has to stay in the top right corner...sorry. And again, this doesn't work for third-party apps. You can sometimes try to address this by adjusting the order in which the apps start up when you log in (in System Preferences --> Accounts --> Login Items), but this isn't always perfect. They generally fill in from right to left (after the Apple items) in the order they open, but some take longer than others to open, so that's why it's imperfect.

Just wanted to put this question out there since I posed it on a Friday night at about 11pm. Sweet life (only justified by the fact that I am in my last year of law school and so far behind on reading; it is debatable whether that justifies this at all )