OS X Lion: If you've ever caught yourself staring at the OS X System Preferences tool looking for a particular settings icon for too long, then you'll appreciate the fact you can remove unnecessary icons and declutter the menu.
Open up System Preferences from the Dock or your Applications folder. In the menu bar, click View > Customize. Each of the icons will now have a checkbox next to them. You can uncheck any box and it will remove it from the preferences panel. Click "Done" and the icons will disappear. If you ever need to access them again click "Show All" on the System Preferences menu or click View > Customize again to bring them back permanently. It's a great way to clean up your preferences menu and get rid of useless settings so you can find what you're looking for quickly.
Remove unnecessary System Preferences Icons | Macworld