My System Tray is missing.

[Guest]

Hello all,

I dont know when it happened but the system tray is gone, icons arent
missing from the system tray, the whole tray is gone. The only thing that is
in place is the clock. The rest of the bar is empty, there is the clock, a
big blank area, then the Quick Launch icons.

I dont know when it happened, or what caused it, but it's been at least a
week since I think I last noticed it.

Desktop PC, WinXP Home, latest security patches and updates.

Anyone have any ideas what could have caused the whole sys tray to disappear?

 

[mikeyhsd]

sometimes crash of explorer causes this.
did you try a reboot.
also there is a setting to HIDE inactive icons.
check for that one as well. under start menu properties.

(e-mail address removed)@sport.rr.com

Hello all,

I dont know when it happened but the system tray is gone, icons arent
missing from the system tray, the whole tray is gone. The only thing that is
in place is the clock. The rest of the bar is empty, there is the clock, a
big blank area, then the Quick Launch icons.

I dont know when it happened, or what caused it, but it's been at least a
week since I think I last noticed it.

Desktop PC, WinXP Home, latest security patches and updates.

Anyone have any ideas what could have caused the whole sys tray to disappear?

 

[Guest]

THanks Mikey, I've rebooted abt a dozen times since I noticed the System Tray
was gone, and it isnt hidden icons, the whole tray is just gone.

TJ

 

[Guest]

Sky,

Make sure you have Admin privleges - click on the control pannel (start - in
lower left corner) click on "Taskbar and Start Menue" - I use Classic Look -
check to see if you have the taskbar on "auto-hide" and it is NOT checked -
maybe click "Lock Taskbar" go back onto your desktop and see if it is there.
Let me know if this helps - Good Luck - Craig

 

[Guest]

Craig, I only use Classic View also, but the Taskbar is not hidden, it's just
not there.. Here is what I see:

Start button, Quick Launch bar, and Clock... NOTHING else in between Quick
Launch and the Clock. My open apps go right up against the clock. the
System Tray is not hidden, not minimized, not anything but GONE. Thats my
problem.. it is just not there. there are no missing icons, no
placeholders, not anything but empty Taskbar.

Thanks,

TJ

 

[Guest]

Sky -
When you go into the "Control Panel" section and you click on the "Taskbar
and Start" look at the tab marked "Taskbar" - below that there are several
different options to check. On my computer it has the following - (and I can
see all the windows at the bottom of the computer) Under the "Taskbar
Appearence" the following are checked -
"Lock the Taskbar"
"Keep Taskbar on top of other windows"
"Group Similar..."
"Show Quick Launch"

In lower right corner of the pop-up click"Apply" and the taskbar should come
back - let me know - Craig

 

[Guest]

Craig, thanks for the help, I dont think anyone that has answered this is
understanding what I am saying. Taskbar hiding is NOT the problem. The
Taskbar, along with the Quick Launch IS IN view, always has been, always will
be. The SYSTEM TRAY, at the right end ON the Taskbar , against the clock,
the section that holds the Volume control, ZoneAlarm, Hardware Manager(USB),
Network, ATI, and other icons just to the left of the Clock is GONE. There
is NO Taskbar segment with the << or >> showing inactive icons. There is
nothing there at all. Just the clock. There is NO SETTING you can check or
uncheck in Taskbar properties that will HIDE the System Tray.

Again, thanks for your help, but a hidden taskbar is not the problem.

TJ

 

[himon]

To customize notifications

1.. Right-click the taskbar, and then click Properties.
2.. On the Taskbar tab, under Notification area, select the Hide inactive
icons check box.
3.. Click Customize.
4.. In the Name column, click the notification you want to change, in the
Behavior column, click the behavior you want in the list, and then click OK.
5.. On the Taskbar tab, click Apply.
himon

 

[Nightowl]

Craig, thanks for the help, I dont think anyone that has answered this is
understanding what I am saying. Taskbar hiding is NOT the problem. The
Taskbar, along with the Quick Launch IS IN view, always has been, always will
be. The SYSTEM TRAY, at the right end ON the Taskbar , against the clock,
the section that holds the Volume control, ZoneAlarm, Hardware Manager(USB),
Network, ATI, and other icons just to the left of the Clock is GONE. There
is NO Taskbar segment with the << or >> showing inactive icons. There is
nothing there at all. Just the clock. There is NO SETTING you can check or
uncheck in Taskbar properties that will HIDE the System Tray.

Again, thanks for your help, but a hidden taskbar is not the problem.

TJ, you might check your Registry for these keys:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
and see if there is an item: "NoTrayItemsDisplay". If there is, and it
is set to 1, either delete the item or set it to 0.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[Ron P]

Hello all,

I dont know when it happened but the system tray is gone, icons arent
missing from the system tray, the whole tray is gone. The only thing that
is
in place is the clock. The rest of the bar is empty, there is the clock,
a
big blank area, then the Quick Launch icons.

I dont know when it happened, or what caused it, but it's been at least a
week since I think I last noticed it.

Desktop PC, WinXP Home, latest security patches and updates.

Anyone have any ideas what could have caused the whole sys tray to
disappear?

After installing a wireless router, this was exactly what happened to my
System Tray. I found that if I wiped out the contents of the
Windows/Prefetch folder, all of the system tray appeared on the next boot.
Unfortunately, it disappeared again on subsequent boots so, I have come to
the conclusion that this problem is directly related to that folder and its
contents. I however cannot suggest a permanent fix for this problem at this
time.

Maybe someone else has an idea.

 

[Guest]

That sounds like it would work, but the problem with this fix is that in the
Notification area, Hide Inactive Icons is greyed out. I can not make any
changes to it, but thanks..

TJ

 

[Guest]

Nightowl,

I checked the Registry and there isn't an entry for that..

Thanks, tj

 

[Guest]

Hi sky,

If I understand your question, you are talking about the area next to the
clock in the lower right on your desktop? I think himon was on the right
track but maybe towards the end may have been confusing -
First go to the control panel - in Admin user - click - Taskbar and Start -
click the tab - Taskbar - check to see which box/s are checked or unchecked
under the "Notification area" Yours should have the check in the "Show the
clock" then below is the "Hide inactive icons" checked or unchecked? Click on
the "Customize" and then see which icons are active or "hide when inactive" -
make your changes and click apply and ok. Did this help? Hope so - let me
know - Craig

Next to my clock I have the network connections ico, my spyware icon, and
the volume ico - some are set to "hide when inactive" Right click on the
time - clcik - "customize notifications" There is a list of "Current Items"
and "Behavior" - use the slider bar on the right to go below that section and
it will list "Past Items"

 

[Guest]

Well, to add a twist to this tale, normally when my XP boots up, it goes
right into the my user name and everything loads.. I signed off my user name
to get to the Admin sign-in, and there was no Admin user to select!
Additionally, when I signed back into my user, the System Tray was there!
After I post this, I'll sign off again then back in to see if the Sys Tray
remains in place.

My Admin user is gone, but the Sys Tray is back.. the plot thickens...

 

[Ken Blake]

Craig, thanks for the help, I dont think anyone that has answered this is
understanding what I am saying. Taskbar hiding is NOT the problem. The
Taskbar, along with the Quick Launch IS IN view, always has been, always
will
be. The SYSTEM TRAY, at the right end ON the Taskbar , against the clock,
the section that holds the Volume control, ZoneAlarm, Hardware
Manager(USB),
Network, ATI, and other icons just to the left of the Clock is GONE.

No, the clock is part of the System Tray (aka Notification Area), If the
clock is there, it's not that the Tray is gone, it's that the icons are all
missing from it.

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

 

[Guest]

Ok, logged off, no Adminstrator to choose, went back to my sign-in,
everything loads, SysTray is back to stay, apparently... I checked Users in
Control Panel, no Administrator listed, but it would not let me create one
saying there was already an Administrotor user listed.. hhhhmmm.... I
created another user called Admin, with full priviledges, so I hope I can use
that to make any changes.. Thanks for everyones help..

TJ

 

[Nightowl]

Well, to add a twist to this tale, normally when my XP boots up, it goes
right into the my user name and everything loads.. I signed off my user name
to get to the Admin sign-in, and there was no Admin user to select!
Additionally, when I signed back into my user, the System Tray was there!
After I post this, I'll sign off again then back in to see if the Sys Tray
remains in place.

Sky, that's normal -- the built-in Admin isn't shown once another user
with admin privileges has been created. To access it after logging off
your account, try holding down Ctrl + Alt and pressing Del quickly
twice. This should bring up a login box where you can type Administrator
for the name and then the password (if any) -- this works in Pro but I'm
not sure if it does in Home. If not, boot to Safe Mode and you should
see the Administrator as a choice on the Welcome screen.

Fingers crossed that your icons stay put. . .

 

[Jim Byrd]

Hi Skygodtj - Try the following:

Copy user32.dll (replace in System32) from
%systemroot%\System32\dllcache\user32.dll to
%systemroot%\System32\

Now open a Cmd Window and enter ALL ON ONE LINE:
%systemroot%\System32\RUNDLL32.EXE
%systemroot%\System32\user32.dll,UpdatePerUserSystemParameters ,1 ,True

Now reboot. Now reboot again.

See if that helps. Please post back with your results.



--
Regards, Jim Byrd, MVP, DTS, ASVOP
My Blog, Defending Your Machine,
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/



In skygodtj <[email protected]> typed:
|| Hello all,
||
|| I dont know when it happened but the system tray is gone, icons arent
|| missing from the system tray, the whole tray is gone. The only
|| thing that is in place is the clock. The rest of the bar is empty,
|| there is the clock, a big blank area, then the Quick Launch icons.
||
|| I dont know when it happened, or what caused it, but it's been at
|| least a week since I think I last noticed it.
||
|| Desktop PC, WinXP Home, latest security patches and updates.
||
|| Anyone have any ideas what could have caused the whole sys tray to
|| disappear?

 

[jerome.barbe]

It worked for me...
At least I think so because I also installed a pending Windows Update
at the same time !


Thanks.

 

[Ron P]

Hello all,

I dont know when it happened but the system tray is gone, icons arent
missing from the system tray, the whole tray is gone. The only thing that
is
in place is the clock. The rest of the bar is empty, there is the clock,
a
big blank area, then the Quick Launch icons.

I dont know when it happened, or what caused it, but it's been at least a
week since I think I last noticed it.

Desktop PC, WinXP Home, latest security patches and updates.

Anyone have any ideas what could have caused the whole sys tray to
disappear?

I have been experimenting a bit with this as my system tray disappeared just
like yours....not hidden....gone! I found that if I logged off and then
logged back on using my account, the system tray appeared for the current
session only. I then went into Control Panel and turned off seeing the
Welcome screen. This causes the boot to stop and show your account and ask
for a password. I don't have a password so just hit enter. The computer
booted properly showing the system tray and its contents.

I don't want to have to have this screen show up all the time so am trying
other things in an effort to get back the system tray.

Have you tried this and if you have what were the results?