Network Icon Missing

[Paul Calcagno]

I've got an Acer Desktop running Vista Home Premium (SP2) with 2 GB of RAM.
All WU's are current. I'm Running CA (California Associates) Security Suite
software with no conflict issues. Also have MBAM malware software, CCleaner
and SuperAntiSpywareProfessional. I use Windows defender and Windows
firewall. As far as I know I have no Malware/Spyware, AV issues. I use
Firefox for browsing.

I got a blue screen the other day while surfing on my Powere Utility Service
sites. Upon reboot my desktop came up minus the little Network icon in the
Notification area of the taskbar. Also missing was my Realtek HD Audio
Manager icon for my PC speakers. I tried re-establishing these but wasn't
successful. Then I tried another reboot and the Realtek icon came back, but
the Network icon is still missing. I had to do another restart after a
power failure and this time the same Network icon was missing.

Is there anyway to recover this icon?

I looked in `services.msc' to see if I could restart it but it wasn't
listed. I have no problems connecting to the internet even
though the Network icon is missing. When the icon is there (if I'm connected
properly) it has a little blue screen on the icon monitor.

Thanks in advance for your fine assistance.................Paul C.

 

[Bob]

Run System Restore to a time before you got the blue screen.

 

[Paul Calcagno]

Bob, thanks for your reply and suggestion. I've contemplated doing a
restore but am hesitant since doing that will take me back to a
configuration where my CA (California Associates) Security suite (from Road
Runner) license renewal might become expired, necessitating another 2 hour
phone call with CA to re-initialize my license.

Paul C

 

[Peter Foldes]

Bob

Why a System Restore? If you do not know how to have his issue fixed then do not
tell the OP to do something that is not necessary at all.

 

[Peter Foldes]

Paul

Go to Control Pane\Network Connections and right click on your Local Area Connection
and select Properties.
On the bottom of the screen you will see Show Icon in Notification Area. If it is
not checked then check it and if is checked then uncheck it close out reboot and
when you open up again then repeat the process and recheck it. Let us know you made
out

 

[Paul Calcagno]

Peter, thanks for your reply and suggestion.

I'm confused since in my Vista Home Premium Control Panel listing there's no
`Network Connections'. I do have Control Panel=>Network and Sharing Center,
but on that screen there's no place to `right click on Local Area
Connection' because I can't find a LAN. When I do look around in what I
have I don't see anything about `Show Icon in Notification Area'.

Is your advice perhaps pertaining to WinXP?

Paul C.

 

[Curious]

In control panel you may have a Notification area Icon option.

If not you can right click on blank space in the notification area to get to
the notification area icon options, it may take a few tries.

 

[Peter Foldes]

No not to XP but to Vista. What are you connecting with (i.e. Dial Up,DSL Lan or
what )

 

[PaulM]

Go and download this script, FixIconsClockPowerVolume
Download the script here:

http://www.paulsxp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=34

 

[Paul Calcagno]

You're not going to believe this but I did nothing except go out tonight for
a couple of hours, and when I came back a minute ago I checked the
Notification section of the taskbar and lo and behold the Network icon
checkbox was no longer greyed out. I checked it and the icon came back. Very
mysterious.

So, I guess the moral of the story for others to internalize is if your
Notification icons disappear just wait a day or so and they'll come back!!!

Thanks so much for your help. Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year...................Paul C.

 

[Bob]

What makes you think a SR would have any effect on your CA license ?

 

[Bob]

A System Restore will often fix a problem. If it doesn't it can always be
undone.

 

[Paul Calcagno]

Ok, in thinking about my remarks it's probably not the CA license issue that
makes me reluctant to do a Restore. But here's another point regarding CA
Security suite: Restores will typically cause my CA Security Suite to
declare that my A/V or AntiSpyware protection needs updating. When this
happens a yellow caution sign gets placed next to my A/V or AntiSpyware
icons. To go from a yellow caution sign to a green checkmark (saying
everything is up to date) I have to run a full system scan, then try to
update the definitions and software with a CA update application. Those 2
processes can take 2 - 3 hours to complete and sometimes the yellow caution
icons won't go away, indicating something else is wrong. At this point my
only recourse is to call CA up and spend an hour on the phone with them.
This is what makes me reluctant to do restores. I believe what's happening
is after a restore, the CA software thinks I've never done those full scans,
declares that I'm not adequately protected and requests them again before it
will declare that I'm good to go.

That said, you might be asking "why the heck do you continue using such a CA
product?". The answer is that on both my machines, desktop-Vista and laptop
XP, I've never had a virus in almost 4 years with CA running (and lately,
with Ad-Aware 2009 running with Ad-Watch live). Ie, I don't want to bother
screwing with success.

Of course, at this point, any fixes offered are moot since I `fixed' the
missing Network icon issue by just waiting and having Vista do something in
the background to un-grey the Network icon in the Notification area of the
taskbar. Don't know why that happened either but Questor tells me that's
not all that uncommon.

Thanks for listening............Paul C.

 

[Paul Calcagno]

PaulM

Is this script going to permanently fix this issue of Notification icons
being greyed out, or will my system revert back to greyed out icons in the
future?

Thanks...........Paul C.

 

[Paul Calcagno]

Can some experienced MVP person please tell me what the correct protocol is
for a series of posts that are no longer active. If I started the post am I
supposed to be the one deleted the string of posts after the issue has been
resolved?

Thanks............Paul C.

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Paul.

It seems to me I saw this same question from you in another newsgroup today.

Newsgroups are generally not moderated. We are all just users - like you -
with no management powers over messages posted here, no matter how
experienced we may be. And MVPs have no magical powers. We don't speak -
or act - for Microsoft. We got the MVP Award because we've been trying to
help other users for a long time and our attempts have been correct and
helpful more often than not.

Once a message is posted in a newsgroup, it is immortal. Maybe that's good;
maybe that's bad. These Microsoft public newsgroups are hosted on the
Microsoft news servers, but they are a part of Usenet, which is a worldwide
system of "mirrors" that share messages freely with everyone. Many posters
don't even know that their messages are on Usenet because they post to a
"forum" such as Vistaheads which simply relays the post and any responses to
and from this NG - and all the rest of Usenet.

How long does the message thread survive? Microsoft will probably delete
this thread in 90 days, but the thousands of Usenet servers around the world
each have their own retention policies. Don't be surprised if you see your
message quoted back to you 10 years from now! It has happened to me and to
many MVPs and other posters. It can be quite startling! ;^}

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8089.0726) in Win7 Ultimate x64

 

[Paul Calcagno]

R C White, thanks so much for your fine explanation. I was only trying to
make sure I followed the correct etiquette when it came to posts. I
understand now and will just leave things be.................Paul C.

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Paul.

You're welcome. Glad to help. ;<)

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8089.0726) in Win7 Ultimate x64