NO SYSTEM TRAY ICONS EXCEPT CLOCK

[DRowland]

I have been searching for help on this, but no valid result.
I have Windows XP, upgraded from ME, in an E-Machine.

My wife recently purchased an mp3 player and downloads audio books. I have no idea if that is important, but the problem started about the same time she began using it.
The problem is there are no icons in the system tray except the clock.
I have tried all the normal settings options on all the programs that used to be there, all are normal and set to be there.
Even the Audio volume is gone!
This happened a couple of weeks ago, and then in a few days, they reappeared.
I've run virus scans, ad-aware, seek & destroy, and CW shredder, with no assist.
AAARRRGGGHHH!!!
I know there is a simple solution somewhere, but I am at a loss to find it.


Dick

|========================|
I sure wish there was a way
to receive the best teaching,
without having to go through
some of the worst experiences!
|========================|

 

[smah]

Generally, this is the effect of Windows Explorer crashing (and automatically restarts) usually at startup. The trick is finding the cause. To see if this is the case, examine event viewer for errors & post back what you find. Start, run, eventvwr.msc, OK

Steve

 

[gx3]

I would make sure you're "hide inactive icons" is off.

 

[linney]

SysTray Icon GONE, SysTray service not running
thread779-1120818

The new Tweak UI 2.10 for XP has the option to disable all icons in the notification area.

This is the easiest way to clean them all.

You could of course use Tweak UI again to enable them.

Freeware, from Microsoft Downloads.

http://www.helpwithwindows.com/WindowsXP/tweakui-xp.html

279771 - Description of Notification Area Settings

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279771&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

321213 - Icons in the Notification Area May Disappear If You Use High-Contrast Color Themes

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;321213&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

XP Notification area Icons keep on vanishing!

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0x4f324b3ef09fd611abdb0090277a778c,00.html

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_n.htm

 

[DRowland]

Hide icons" is turned off.
In the Event viewer, there are a lot of "Warnings" for something called "EvntAgnt", but I could not figure a way to post them to this column.
There is a new development. Now even the clock is gone.
I did manage to get the volumn control to appear.
Is there some folder in the system where all the entries should be that are supposed to be in the notification area?


Dick

|========================|
I sure wish there was a way
to receive the best teaching,
without having to go through
some of the worst experiences!
|========================|

 

[DRowland]

SOLVED IT, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHY...
I logged off as the user, then logged back on, and the icons were back, all but the clock.
In the clock settings, the place to set it to display is greyed out, so I can't turn it on.
Any ideas on that would be appreciated.
(MAN, THIS IS WIERD!!) [HAIRPULL]

Dick

|========================|
I sure wish there was a way
to receive the best teaching,
without having to go through
some of the worst experiences!
|========================|

 

[linney]

If logging off and then back on cured most of the problems perhaps you ought to get real serious and bring out the heavy guns and just reboot machine? Don't be offended that is just my attempt at humor.

Remove Clock from system notification area
REG KEY: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
DWORD: HideClock = 1


Group Policy setting.

Remove Clock from the system notification areaLocation:

User Configuration\\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar\Remove Clock from the system notification area

Description:
Prevents the clock in the system notification area from being displayed.

If you enable this setting, the clock will not be displayed in the system notification area.

If you disable or do not configure this setting, the default behavior of the clock appearing in the notification area will occur.

Removing adware & spyware
faq608-4650

Microsoft (GIANT Antispyware) Beta available
Thread779-979113

Try the free version of "Ewido"

http://www.ewido.net/

 

[DRowland]

ANOTHER NEW PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
I created a new user, and everything works fine there.
Of course that will be a big job, moving all my access to a new user, but I do know all the hardware works. Somewhere, obviously, there is a software switch in the wrong place.
Looking at the clock settings, the box to put the clock on the system bar is greyed out, and is not checked.
How to I get that box available?
I appreaicte the info on changing the register, but I don't know how to get to the information that is supposed to be changed.
this is frustrating..


Dick

|========================|
I sure wish there was a way
to receive the best teaching,
without having to go through
some of the worst experiences!
|========================|

 

[linney]

To check the Registry setting for the Current User you launch RegEdit by typing that word in the Start Run box and pressing OK. Once you have launched Reg Edit you browse to the location path. If the value HideClock exists it may need to have the data changed from 1 to 0 to show the clock. If there is no HideClock value (and there may not be) you can look further into a corrupt profile being the cause of your clock problem.

322756 - HOW TO: Back Up, Edit, and Restore the Registry in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;322756&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

256986 - Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;256986

See "To copy a user profile" in Help and Support.

811151 - How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811151&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

Some general things to try.

See if System Restore will get you back to a restore point before your problem with Explorer.

Try Safe Mode (Do you have this problem in Safe Mode?).

Try running ChkDsk to check your drive for errors. Right click your Drive icon/ Properties/ Tools/ Error Checking.

Run the System File Checker program from the Run Box by typing.....Sfc /Scannow in it and have your XP CD handy.

If they don't work you could try repairing windows by running it over itself. You will lose all your windows updates but your files will be untouched.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q315/3/41.asp