If you want to be able to get Time Machine’s icon off the menu bar to free up room for something else you can. To do this open the Time Machine Preferences and un-checking the box “Show Time Machine status in the menu bar”.
The next thing you are going to want to do is make it a bit easier to get to Time Machine when you need it. Open up a new Finder window and navigate to the Applications Folder and scroll down to where you see Time Machine. Click and hold Time Machine’s icon and drag it up to the grey area next to the search box (see photo below.) Now Time Machine is out of the way (off the Menu Bar) and easier to manage sitting on top of the finder window.
July 14, 2008
There’s an easier way to remove the icon from the menu bar – hold down the command key, click on the menu bar icon and drag it off. It’ll go away in a poof of smoke. You can also re-order most items in the menu bar the same way way.
May 5, 2010
To stop Time Machine from coming up when you attach a drive:
Time Machine appears in the System Row of the System Preferences
From Root level of Hard Disk
Open System, Open Library
Open PreferencePanes and remove TimeMachine.prefPane
reboot
Note: This is for people who never use Time Machine as it disables it completely
July 8, 2011
Thanks for the Time Machine removal process… it was REALLY annoying seeing that thing continually pop up!!