To put it simply, these puppies are not housetrained! You are not alone
with this problem.
Two methods you can try:
1) Instead of selecting Hide when inactive, choose Always hide first. When
that is obeyed, then change the selection back to Hide when inactive. Be
careful here. There is a great reluctance on the part of the selection box
to accept a more permanent alteration: the moment the mouse pointer leaves
the selection box and onto something else, what you have just selected
springs back to its original state! Either try and try again until it
sticks, or, select something completely different temporarily.
2) It seems to me that the 'non-sticking' issue is associated with a lot of
icons showing at any one time, i.e. too many are on the 'Always show' or
being active on the 'Hide when inactive' list. I now put only two in the
Notification Area: the ZoneAlarm traffic meter and the internet connection
twin monitor. All the rest are in the 'Always hide' category. The icons
are still there; one click on the chevron *and* quickly place the mouse
pointer over one of the now uncovered icons will stop the stretched
Notification Area from spring back. You can then equally quickly click the
wanted icon now unhidden. Also, I have most of the icons duplicated and
placed them in the vertical extension of the Quick Launch Bar. Whenever I
have the opportunity, I would cancel those original ones in the Notification
Area, i.e. when they have shifted onto the Past Items panel of the Customize
Notifications box.
Now all my puppies behave themselves.
Bee.
