Windows 7: another safely remove hardware issue...

Step 1: I insert a USB stick
Step 2: copy something FROM it to my hdd
Step 3: I right-click the safely remove icon from the system tray
Step 4: no USB devices are listed..... only the "open devices and printers" button is listed

frustrating....

Why?

Notes:
- I searched the forums for a solution already
- I am on win7pro64
- if I go to my computer I do see the USB stick and if I right-click on it the Eject function is there and works
- changing the cache policies does nothing (write-through or best performance)
- if I go to "devices and printers" all of them are listed and working but if right-click the USB stick no safely remove option is present
- I disabled comodo and avast just in case
- all services are started including the bluetooth one...
- sfc /scannow says there is nothing wrong
- I do run amd raidxpert (i have 2 wdc 1T black caviar in mirroring - raid 1)

It is like when the devicedisplayobjectprovider.exe is trying to build the devices list is somehow not considering the USB sticks as removable storage drives but more something like memory cards (that have only the eject option from what I know in Windows 7)....



HELP! It's annoying...