Speaker Icon on Windows 7

[#1]

My mini laptop is running Windows 7 Starter..... The speaker icon is missing from the lower task bar, checking for "hidden" icons reveals a brown speaker icon, which relates to "Realtek High Definition Audio Driver" which on checking on the Control Panel, was installed on the initial setup of the machine, (before I bought it)...
Checking for speaker Icon on the Control panel, it is "off" but cannot be changed to "on" like other icons, presumably because Realtek has taken control.
If I "remove/uninstall" Realtek, will W7 automatically use a "basic" sound system and restore the speaker Icon....?
The problem with the Realtek procedure is that it takes about 5 clicks to mute the speaker, whereas the original Windows is just one click away.

[#2]

The HD Audio standard means that you should in theory be able to just use the Microsoft-provided HD Audio drivers. You don't really gain much by installing the Realtek drivers, in terms of features (and in fact with the Realtek driver you loose things such as "Bass Boost" which is actually a clever bass extender and helps immensely with smaller speakers). There are some extra features in the Realtek driver relating to headphone detection and noise cancellation (as well as naff low-quality reverb effects) but nothing that would keep me using it.
As soon as the Realtek driver is removed, Windows should install the Microsoft one.

[#3]

OK... Thanks for that... I guessed that might be the case.... I use GOM player for my music vids, which has a nice graphic equalizer, and the "gizmo`s"  in Realtek, like headphone detect seem a bit naff as you said , so will go ahead and "remove/uninstall" it.
cheers
 

[#4]

Update..... Just done it..... and windows has installed a audio driver and the speaker icon is back where it should be....
Thanks.   

[#5]

If you ever lose the Speaker icon again, just go into Control Panel, set it to View By: Large Icons and then click on the Notification Area Icons link, you should then see an entry for Volume (with the speaker icon next to it).  Setting this to 'Show Icon and Notifications' should bring the icon back for you.  See attached pdf.

[#6]

Yeah, I did that, originally, but it was "greyed out" and I could not click on it... see my original post ! ! !... The Realtek software had disabled it.... when I uninstalled that, windows took a long time to download and install the "standard" high def audio driver.... and the icon appeared by magic !.