==============================================================================
How to make the taskbar battery icon to appear each time you boot the computer in Window 8. This applies to other devices that refuse to show until you use "scan for hardware changes" in Device manager:
==============================================================================
1. Download DevCon.exe from Microsoft:
The DevCon command-line utility functions as an alternative to Device Manager
2. Extract the files. U will find 2 folders:
"i386" is for 32-bit system
"ia64" is for 64-bit system, however if you are using Windows8 it will not work and you will have to use the "i386" folder content.
Note that each of the 2 folders contains a file of the same name: "DevCon.exe". Extract the one that works for you to either of these directories:
C:\Windows\System32
C:\Windows\
After copying right click on the devcon.exe and select "Creat shortcut"
3. Go to the shortcut on the desktop and right click it to select properties
4. Change the "Target:" to:
C:\Windows\System32\devcon.exe /rescan or
C:\Windows\devcon.exe /rescan
depending on where you copied the devcon.exe file in step 2 above.
4. Each time you boot your PC double click on the shortcut. Alternatively you can automate it by:
a. Downloding and installing Classic Shell Menu from:
Welcome to Classic Shell
b. After installing and configuring the Classic Shell you will have the Classic Start Menu back on your Windows 8 (note that Windows 8 does not have Start Menu), drag the devcon.exe shortcut icon to the Start Menu button. While still holding down the mouse navigate to the "Program" then "Start-up". As you come to the start-up it will open a menu of all the programs that are scheduled to auto-start. Now release you mouse button while in that menu (you will see a black bold line drawn as you go to the menu. Only release the mouse button when you see this black line)
c. Now every time you start your computer it will go to the Start-up folder and run the Devcon.exe shortcut which will now invoke the "rescan" command in the devcon.exe. This is the command that "Scan for hardware changes" in "Device Manager". Thus the device manager will rescan and put you battery icon on the taskbar.
