Why are my taskbar icons disappearing when I install...? 1

[torandson]

Hi,
It seems that every time I install another application, I lose icons in my taskbar over on the right hand side.

There should be a speaker icon for volume, another audio control panel icon, an icon for the ATI video control panel, another for the Kerio firewall, one for the Nod32 anti-virus, and a LAN activity icon.

I've rolled the system back to a clean install several times now, and installed different anti-virus programs and Windows update patches again and again as I seek out my preferred set-up.

Sometimes, after installing something, the next reboot puts only two of the icons in the taksbar. The speaker disappears. Or the ATI icon. Or both. Or the rest have disappeared. If I manually open the associated program and uncheck and then recheck the box that says "put an icon in the system tray," the little thing comes back. But maybe it's not there on the next reboot, maybe it is.

Another weird thing is that sometimes after installing something, the classic windowframe that I got when I selected "optimize my system for performance" in the control panel/system/advanced tab (rather than optimize for appearance???) turns back into the Fisher-Price designer-crayon taskbar on my next reboot. I have to uncheck the box, and recheck it to get the 'grown-up' look back again. What's going on?

(Is there a sandbox up there in Redmond with a little pail and shovel for the engineers to use during their lunch break, or have I misinterpreted something?)

--torandson

 

[ncotton]

When there are what are known as Inactive tool icons in the system tray, they are set to Hidden, for things such as the volume, as you aren't adjusting it regularly, it automatically hides it.

Right click on the Task bar, and in the TaskBar tab, the bottom half of the window refers to the System Tray, uncheck "Hide Indactive Icons"

Hope this Helps.

Neil J Cotton
njc Information Systems
Systems Consultant

 

[bcastner]

See Kelly Theriot's note: "Why don't my Notification Area icons show or why do they disappear?"

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

 

[linney]

SysTray Icon GONE, SysTray service not running
thread779-1120818

Taskbar Icons
thread779-821607

 

[torandson]

Hi,
Few things in life are more infuriating than having Microsoft's products telling me that I have "unused icons on my desktop." (Thanks for that, Microsoft, and now, do you mind if I come to Redmond with a rental truck and hide all of YOUR unused items? Just leave the doors to all the supply cabinets unlocked, okay? Thanks.)

Unchecking that stupid box is the first thing I do after installation.

Thanks bcastner, I'll check that out.

Thanks, linney, I'll check these out.

--torandson

 

[linney]

As to your Classic view question there is this article to read, there are various Group Policy settings that can be set, and to make triply sure there is the Theme Service to disable or look at what you can do with the files in C:\WINDOWS\Resources\Themes. If that doesn't solve that problem of yours I don't know what will?

How Do I Make Windows XP Work More Like Windows Me or Windows 98?

http://www.andyrathbone.com/tips/xpclassic.html#top

 

[trojanman]

Unused icons on your desktop is different from inactive icons in the notification area.

 

[torandson]

linney,
Thanks for addressing that second issue.

Unfortunately, the article to which you referred me says nothing about how to prevent a 3rd party app. installation from un-doing one's preferred theme.

The return of the Fisher-Price taskbar happens only after I install something new.

And the "Adjust for best performance" button is still selected in the Control panel/System/Advanced/Performance tab (with all of the clunkifiers still unchecked), so I don't know why it should happen.

(And for the life of me I also don't know why anyone would select "Adjust for best appearance" in the first place when using such a thing as a computer (!!?) or why MS decided to make this the default setting??? Do they think we're stu... oh, wait. Nevermind.)

--torandson

 

[linney]

You and me may share the same thoughts on this matter but you only have to look at various forums to see how important to many people the "wizz-bang" side of things are.

As far as I can see it is also the major selling point for the new Vista? I am sure there is a lot more in there but the fact is many people are turned on by this part of computing and it is their choice and right to be so.

 

[torandson]

trojanman,
True, but the rationale is the same in both cases.
--torandson
linney,
Yes, and if the three-year-old wants to use daddy's laptop to hammer in the pegs on his toy workbench ... it would not be an apt metaphor for what we are discussing! Not, not, not! In fact, it would be way off topic.(Or nearly so, anyway.)
(Name withheld to protect a wiseguy.)