Good afternoon! My memory must be slipping, as I cannot recall how to delete some icons in the Notification (System) tray. I have about 10 there now and I want to get rid of several I don't use often -- yet keep those programs in the Start>All Programs listing. Did this with Windows 98 but don't remember how to do it now. Would appreciate your help.
Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!
Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!
-
Congratulations SkipVought on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!
How To Delete Some Icons in the Notification Tray? 5
- Thread starter RobertBC
- Start date
-
1
- #2
-
1
- #3
Right click any blank area of the bottom bar in XP, Properties, check "Hide inactive icons", then click the Customize button. For each icon you do not want displayed, right-click and set to "Never display."
Uncheck "Hide inactive icons" on your way out to the desktop.
Uncheck "Hide inactive icons" on your way out to the desktop.
- Thread starter
- #4
-
1
- #5
Taskbar notification area overview.
The notification area of the taskbar is where you usually see the current time displayed. This area can become crowded with notification icons that appear when certain events occur, such as when you receive e-mail or when you open Task Manager. Windows displays a notification icon when an event occurs. After a short time, Windows puts the icon in the background to simplify that area. In addition, you can customize the behavior of notification icons on the Taskbar tab of the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box.
For more information, see the Help and Support program.
To open the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box, right-click an empty area on the taskbar, and then click Properties.
283084 - How to Clear Past Items from the Notification Area
279771 - Description of Notification Area Settings
321213 - Icons in the Notification Area May Disappear If You Use High-Contrast Color Themes
As you are aware many programs have property pages (often obtained via a right click on an icon) that allows removal of the icon from Taskbar Notification Area.
The notification area of the taskbar is where you usually see the current time displayed. This area can become crowded with notification icons that appear when certain events occur, such as when you receive e-mail or when you open Task Manager. Windows displays a notification icon when an event occurs. After a short time, Windows puts the icon in the background to simplify that area. In addition, you can customize the behavior of notification icons on the Taskbar tab of the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box.
For more information, see the Help and Support program.
To open the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box, right-click an empty area on the taskbar, and then click Properties.
283084 - How to Clear Past Items from the Notification Area
279771 - Description of Notification Area Settings
321213 - Icons in the Notification Area May Disappear If You Use High-Contrast Color Themes
As you are aware many programs have property pages (often obtained via a right click on an icon) that allows removal of the icon from Taskbar Notification Area.
- Thread starter
- #6
A report: bcaster, I tried your directions but I do not have a "Never Display" -- only Hide When Inactive, Always Hide and Always Show. Steven S, I can remove an icon from the system tray (disable) until I reboot or turn the computer on for the day. In checking the program settings of two, there is no deletion alternative. Maybe I should disable and then delete them from the StartUp menu??? Linney, thanks for your reply. Just saw it, printed it and will look into it after supper. Thanks all.
-
1
- #7
JimPletcher
MIS
Try msconfig, it still works with XP PRo as it did with Win98.
RobertBC,
My sincere apologies. "Never display" is incorrect, the language used is "Always hide".
See also:
My sincere apologies. "Never display" is incorrect, the language used is "Always hide".
See also:
-
1
- #9
For this issue, see a recent thread discussion. I still am baffled by the notification tray, and believe sincerely that this is not one of the more robust issues in the XP client.
Anyway, there are several approaches to notification tray problems, most are discussed recently in a fairly comprehensive way in this thread: thread779-821607
Anyway, there are several approaches to notification tray problems, most are discussed recently in a fairly comprehensive way in this thread: thread779-821607
Here is a way to get rid of ALL icons in the notification tray. Please note this is an all or nothing affair.
Goto HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer and add a new DWORD entry called NoTrayItemsDisplay and set the value to 1. Log off and then log back on and the only thing displayed in the notification tray will be the clock.
Change the value back to 0 if you want to revert back to the way it was.
I got this one from my Windows XP hack book.
Steven S.
MCSA
A+, Network+, Server+, i-Net+
Goto HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer and add a new DWORD entry called NoTrayItemsDisplay and set the value to 1. Log off and then log back on and the only thing displayed in the notification tray will be the clock.
Change the value back to 0 if you want to revert back to the way it was.
I got this one from my Windows XP hack book.
Steven S.
MCSA
A+, Network+, Server+, i-Net+
- Thread starter
- #12
Wow! Thanks guys for all the input. linney, I took a look at the three links you noted but didn't find anything there
to really solve the situation. I did try to uncheck the two items in the StartUp listing but when I rebooted they popped right back in the listing. Guess it was because the start up was running in the Normal Mode. I plan to try one more thing. If it doesn't work I'll continue to let the two appear. No harm done. But had always thought you didn't want too many little icons in the tray, slowing down the start up, etc. Again, thanks to all of you for your interest and advice.
to really solve the situation. I did try to uncheck the two items in the StartUp listing but when I rebooted they popped right back in the listing. Guess it was because the start up was running in the Normal Mode. I plan to try one more thing. If it doesn't work I'll continue to let the two appear. No harm done. But had always thought you didn't want too many little icons in the tray, slowing down the start up, etc. Again, thanks to all of you for your interest and advice.
The icons in the tray doesn't really slow down the PC. It's the fact that the program is loading that slows it down. With most programs, even if you choose not to display the icon and the programs still loads, it will make no difference.
Steven S.
MCSA
A+, Network+, Server+, i-Net+
Steven S.
MCSA
A+, Network+, Server+, i-Net+
If you have removed the check from Startup in Msconfig then something must be returning it at boot.
Have a look at some of these Registry Keys and other locations to see if you recognise any of the programs.
Windows XP Professional starts logon scripts, startup programs, and services referenced in these registry subkeys and folder locations:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Runonce
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\Explorer\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
%systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
%systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
The last two might be a good candidate for re-inserting checks in Msconfig.
Also when you are altering settings in Hide Inactive Icons it may be necessary to temporarily make the user whose settings you are changing an Administrator in case the Registry permissions are set so the limited user doesn't have permission to alter them or get them to stick.
A program like Hi-Jack This would also give you a list of all starting software.
Hi-jack This! can be downloaded from:
Have a look at some of these Registry Keys and other locations to see if you recognise any of the programs.
Windows XP Professional starts logon scripts, startup programs, and services referenced in these registry subkeys and folder locations:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Runonce
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\Explorer\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
%systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
%systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
The last two might be a good candidate for re-inserting checks in Msconfig.
Also when you are altering settings in Hide Inactive Icons it may be necessary to temporarily make the user whose settings you are changing an Administrator in case the Registry permissions are set so the limited user doesn't have permission to alter them or get them to stick.
A program like Hi-Jack This would also give you a list of all starting software.
Hi-jack This! can be downloaded from:
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Question