Network Connection Notification Icon Missing

[ockerb]

Hi
I am unable to get my Notification Icon for my network connection to display in the tray near my clock. I have ticked the box in network properties to display this icon but it still doesn't work. Can some one assist me in this matter?

 

[bcastner]

I sure wish you had specified what service pack level of XP you were using, whether the icon ever appeared, and whether you still have network connectivity. So, a slightly broad range of sources to look at:

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=825826

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;281625

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;269019

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;329050

And give Kelly Theriot's utility a try:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

 

[ockerb]

Thanks Bill for your usual speedy reply. My computer is working fine, I have no problems with my network or my internet connection. I am using win xp pro with SP2. I don't have anything missing except the "network notification icon" in the notification area where the clock is. To be honest with you I am not even sure if it was ever there ! I'm guessing though that if I ticked the box in the local area connections properties to show the icon in the notification area, it should be there. Please don't place any priority in trying to resolve this I'm sure there are more pressing problems that need a resolution. I'm in no hurry for a fix, in your own time will do me just fine.
Thanks again for your help.
Ockerb

 

[linney]

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

329050 - Troubleshooting Missing Network and Dial-Up Connections Icons

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;329050

How to troubleshoot missing network connections icons in Windows Server 2003 and in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;825826

254631- Some Network and Dial-Up Connections Icons May Be Missing

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;254631

Taskbar Icons
thread779-821607

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

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

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

Network Connections window is empty. Void. Nowt.
thread779-622752

 

[bcastner]

See Kelly Theriot's notes about the interaction of the "Internet Gateway" icon with other icons in the tray:

Why don't my Notification Area icons show or why do they disappear?

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/top10faqs.htm

Note: because linney corrected me (nicely) that I never provide a description for any of my links, I promise to try and do better.

So there.

 

[ockerb]

Hi Fellas
Sorry to resurrect this again. I am still in the same situation as my initial post. Aside from two annoying issues my computer is working perfectly.
1. My local area connection icon does not appear in the notification area near the clock. It used to!
2. When I insert a flash drive into a usb port, that icon does not appear in the notification area as well. It used to as well! This issue concerns me the most as I am not able to stop the USB device before I remove it. I think I may damage my flash drive by taking it out without stopping it.

I have tried all the suggestions so far posted but to no avail, would anyone like to have another go with some ideas that may resolve this issue. I have run that many tweaks and fixes I have lost track of them.

Ockerb

 

[bcastner]

1. Network connection icon, try, (perhaps again):
Start, Run, CMD
regsvr32 netshell.dll
regsvr32 netcfgx.dll
regsvr32 netman.dll

2. For the USB drive, move and create some alphabetic space in the lower drive letter space. You move a CD ROM drive to a high letter using Disk Manager. This opens the space in the lower alphabet for the USB device.

Particularly on networks, you can easily have a situation where a default network drive letter assignment is overmapping what the USB wants to do. Moving you CD ROM drive to M: "opens" the space for the USB drive.

 

[ockerb]

Thanks Bill
I have no problem displaying the flashdrive in windows explorer, it is drive "j", only it doesn't indicate that it is connected by way of an icon in the notification area.
Also I have run these before, Start, Run, CMD
regsvr32 netshell.dll
regsvr32 netcfgx.dll
regsvr32 netman.dll, but no change to my situation.
Like i indicated before, my only problem is the lack of display of the LAN connection icon and the USB device connection icon in the notification area. I can't even tell you what I did to cause them to disappear because they were at different times, a couple of weeks apart.
Once again, thanks for trying to help.
Ockerb

 

[bcastner]

And if you run Kelly's little utility:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

?

 

[ockerb]

well that was exciting to say the least. I have actually run that utility before but it didn't fix my problem. I thought I would give it another go anyway. First time after clicking apply to show all hidden notification icons it had to restart windows. All I got was the program in the middle of a blue screen. The task manager indicated everything was working ok but it was apparent it wasn't. Eventually I used task manager to restart and tried it all again. Same result as the first attempt and I still have my missing icons, bummer....nice try anyway Bill

 

[linney]

Right-click your storage device drive icon in MY Computer/ Properties/ Hardware/ ( Select your device from list)/ Properties/ Policies

Of the two options for Write Caching and Safe Removal, what have you got checked there?

You do not receive the "Safe to remove hardware" message when you click the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;883517&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

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


Have you tried uninstalling your Network Adaptor and re-installing it?

 

[ockerb]

Thanks for your help linney, the only box ticked is "enable write caching on the disk". The others are greyed out.
your link refers to a fix for not getting a "safe to remove" response, I don't have an icon to click on, thats why I am concerned about taking my flash drive out. I don't think it's safe.
I removed my lan card and enabled my onboard lan, unfortunately this hasn't fixed my dilemma. I run SFC and everything was ok. Given that everything else is working ok I am reluctant to consider a format and new install.

Ockerb

 

[linney]

Maybe a decent Registry Cleaner would do something if these articles don't solve it.

310353 - How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310353&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

316434 - HOW TO: Perform Advanced Clean-Boot Troubleshooting in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316434&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

310560 - How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310560&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

Have you looked at the possibility of a corrupt Profile, do you get the same error with another Administrator? And talking of errors what does the Event Viewer say?

When weighing up the pros and cons for a repair install consider this. How reliable is your computer with these two apparent faults and what else is wrong that you don't know about?

You would lose all your windows updates (no problem if your XP CD is at SP2) but your files and programs will be untouched. Formatting and starting from scratch would only be necessary if you were clean installing.

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

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

 

[ockerb]

Well I've done it this time, I attempted to perform an in-place upgrade and have finished with an absolute disaster!!! Half way through the install a box came up asking to put in the win xp SP2 disk because it is looking for a particular file that it can't copy. Oddly enough though the file in displayed in the open box. I clicked retry a few times to no avail. I cancelled that and the install continued with the same thing happening for about a dozen files. All were visible in the display but the install says it can't copy these files so put in the xp cd or browse to where they might be. After cancelling my way through this part the "upgrade" finally finished. On reboot though all it does is continuously reboots. It reboots when i attempt to enter safe mode as well. I can get into my hard drive using barts pe and it seems all is intact. I just can't get it to boot. I am really desperate to recover this system as I have a number of programs installed where I haven't backed up the licences yet. Believe it or not I have only recently recovered from a previous disaster so I'm not having a good trot with computers at the moment.
Thanks for your time
Ockerb

 

[bcastner]

Do you have a second machine you can use to create a slipstream?
thread779-900263

Otherwise:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314079&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;330184

 

[linney]

Is your XP CD a retail one with SP2 already embedded? Or did you download SP2 or use a CD to update to SP2?

If your XP CD does not have SP2 embedded you could try creating a slipstreamed XP CD.

Slipstream Service Packs
thread779-900263

Try the repair once more by rebooting from the newly created CD.


Alternatively you could run the repair again, if your SP2 is already included in the XP CD, and this time try directing it to the System32 Folder on the hard drive which may have a copy of the file it is looking for.


When Setup starts asking for files it can't find, or giving copy errors, it is often a case of a badly burned CD, or sometimes, faulty RAM.

 

[ockerb]

I will create a new slipstreamed SP2 cd later this arvo but the cd i was using to install has been used ok before, but, you never know. It sounds like a good idea to search ohe system32 folder for the files it can't find. that might be the go as well. I'm at work at the moment but will hopefully start on my way to recovery within the next 2 hours. Just a reminder though, aside from my missing notification icons the machine was working great, I thought a repair install would fix these minor issues, seems not aye?

Again, thanks for your time and assistance.


Ockerb

 

[linney]

Also the CD drive may be playing up and worth bearing in mind.

 

[stduc]

How many network devices do you have? I ask because I have noticed that there seems to be a bug in XP that becomes more evident with SP2. Machines that have more than one network connection sometimes fail to show the internet connection status icon properly, but the internet connection works perfectly.

Sometimes it can be made to appear, possibly not for very long! By disabling one or more of the other connections briefly.

So if you have set up internet via one connection, but also have a firewire (1394) connection, or bluetooth connection, try disabling these briefly and see what happens.

 

[ockerb]

Well you wouldn't believe it but I actually recovered my system back to where it was before I thought I would be clever. I guess you could call my recovery a combination of "nothing left to lose" and shear arse hehe. Despite everything I did with any XP CD I was not able to perform a repair install, as I said, half way through it it would say it couldn't find files on the cd that were readily available. I even placed the files that it was after into a temp folder on the hard drive but it still failed to find them. End result, a disaster that just kept rebooting and no acess to safemode. My FIX. I run a utility called system suite v5 on my computer which I regularly ran the system saver function. I didn't really know what files I was saving. These were saved in a folder with a .mbx extension. After a search in my good machine I found these files in the system32\config folder. Using Barts PE I removed the mbx extension from by system backup files and over wrote the files in the config folder. Not an immediate success at first but 2 other files autoexec.nt and config.nt from my MBX backup folder to the system32 folder, overwriting the existing ones finally did the trick. Lo and behold on reboot, everything was as before. Now all you smarties out there may say, "BIG DEAL"!! Let me tell you, to me it was a great coup However, after all of that, I still don't have my "safe to remove" icon and my "LAN connection" icon in the notification area....and guess what?....I DON'T CARE ANYMORE haha. To everyone that tried to help, I thank you kindly for your efforts. And finally, sorry about the war and peace.

Ockerb