Task bar whatchamacallit

[unclepeteDEL]

I don't know what they call different parts of the task bar, but this is
about the bunch of (apparently un-removable) icons at the right end of
it. Is there any general procedure to remove unwanted icons from it or
is this all controlled by whatever application is involved and how much
show they want?

Specifically, Cool Beans CPU meter has exactly the kind of display I've
been looking for - long, narrow - very small. But I can think of
utterly no reason to have an icon over there to run it when it's already
running. That is, when you start the CPU display the icon to start it
shows up too.

Jim L

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I don't know what they call different parts of the task bar, but this is
about the bunch of (apparently un-removable) icons at the right end of
it.

This area is officially called the "Notification Area" in WinXP, but
most people still call it by its Win9x designation, the "System Tray."

Is there any general procedure to remove unwanted icons from it or
is this all controlled by whatever application is involved and how much
show they want?

In most cases, with "well-mannered" applications, it's usually as
simple as opening the undesired program and deselecting the option to
"display icon in the system tray" or to "start when Windows starts."

Additionally, Look in the C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users\Start Menu\Programs\Start Up and C:\Documents and
Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs\Start Up folders, and in the
system registry, primarily in the
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run keys.

How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;310560



--

Bruce Chambers

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They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[Tony Luxton]

Hi,

Most programmes have an option (in the programme itself) to turn off the
icon. Have a look in "options" or similar. If not, you could use msconfig to
see if there's a startup entry for the icon, and delete the entry. BE
CAREFUL WHEN YOU DO THIS. No apologies for the capitals, it's important.

If all else fails, in XP you can hide the icons by right-clicking the
taskbar, selecting "properties", and tick "hide inactive icons". Push the
"customize" button and select your options from there.


BTW, this area of the taskbar is called the "notification area", AKA the
"system tray".


HTH Tony.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I don't know what they call different parts of the task bar, but this
is about the bunch of (apparently un-removable) icons at the right
end of it. Is there any general procedure to remove unwanted icons
from it or is this all controlled by whatever application is involved
and how much show they want?

It's called the "System Notification Area," or informally, the "System
Tray."

First, note that you should be concerned with *all* programs that start
automatically, not just with those that go into the tray. Not all
autostarting programs manifest themselves by an icon in the tray.

On each program you don't want to start automatically, check its Options to
see if it has the choice not to start (make sure you actually choose the
option not to run it, not just a "don't show icon" option). Many can easily
and best be stopped that way. If that doesn't work, run MSCONFIG from the
Start | Run line, and on the Startup tab, uncheck the programs you don't
want to start automatically.

However, if I were you, I wouldn't do this just for the purpose of running
the minimum number of programs. Despite what many people tell you, you
should be concerned, not with how *many* of these programs you run, but
*which*. Some of them can hurt performance severely, but others have no
effect on performance.

Don't just stop programs from running willy-nilly. What you should do is
determine what each program is, what its value is to you, and what the cost
in performance is of its running all the time. You can get more information
about these at http://castlecops.com/StartupList.html. If you can't find it
there, try google searches and ask about specifics here.

Once you have that information, you can make an intelligent informed
decision about what you want to keep and what you want to get rid of.

 

[unclepeteDEL]

This area is officially called the "Notification Area" in WinXP, but
most people still call it by its Win9x designation, the "System Tray."

In most cases, with "well-mannered" applications, it's usually as
simple as opening the undesired program and deselecting the option to
"display icon in the system tray" or to "start when Windows starts."

Additionally, Look in the C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users\Start Menu\Programs\Start Up and C:\Documents and
Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs\Start Up folders, and in the
system registry, primarily in the
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run keys.

How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;310560

Thanks



Jim L via the operating system it took IBM 15 years to kill - it
squirms tho dead. --
"Feel inadequate? Destroy stuff and kill people." Confucious, Socrates, Benjamin Franklin.

 

[unclepeteDEL]

Hi,

Most programmes have an option (in the programme itself) to turn off
the icon. Have a look in "options" or similar. If not, you could use
msconfig to see if there's a startup entry for the icon, and delete
the entry. BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU DO THIS. No apologies for the capitals,
it's important.

If all else fails, in XP you can hide the icons by right-clicking the
taskbar, selecting "properties", and tick "hide inactive icons". Push
the "customize" button and select your options from there.

Thanks. I guess this is just a case of an ill mannered program. I want
the tiny little CPU meter running. As long as it is running the icon to
start it running is there in the system tray and stays there.

Unfortunately the meter os ont he desktop and the icon is in the system
tray. It would be fine with me if it were reversed with the meter in
the tray and the icon on the desktop where I could get rid of it.

Thanks again

BTW, this area of the taskbar is called the "notification area", AKA
the "system tray".

HTH Tony.

Jim L via the operating system it took IBM 15 years to kill - it squirms tho dead.

 

[unclepeteDEL]

It's called the "System Notification Area," or informally, the "System
Tray."

First, note that you should be concerned with *all* programs that start
automatically, not just with those that go into the tray. Not all
autostarting programs manifest themselves by an icon in the tray.

Thanks. I'm familiar with msconfig and have used it to turn off several
autostarts I have no need of in both W98 and now XP. I think some of
them belong to programs I've uninstalled completely. I'm going to try a
utility called msconfig-cleanup to remove leftover entries from msconfig
(INI files?).

As a side note, I also know now to watch installations very carefully.
I installed Adobe 8 and while it was installing it also went online and
got some more Adobe stuff I had no use for. Then I uninstalled those it
removed part of the reader too, so I'll uninstall all of it and start
over - this time shutting down any unwanted downloads.

Jim L