System tray problem

[Aravis]

The system tray is not showing all the programs that are running; some are
running and don't show up in the tray, which means I have to go to Start Menu
to get their window. At that time, they may show in the tray, but often not
even then. This is recent behaviour; everything worked well till recently.
Any ideas on this?

 

[Olórin]

The system tray

Do you really mean the system tray - the small(ish) area by the clock, by
default at the right-hand end of the Taskbar?

is not showing all the programs that are running;

The system tray doesn't do this. Do you mean the Taskbar - the much longer
bar between the Start Button (or Quick Launch toolbar) on the left and the
system tray (usually holding the clock) on the right?

some are running

How do you know this?

and don't show up in the tray, which means I have to
go to Start Menu to get their window.

Going to the Start Menu (and clicking on the programs' icons) starts them
up. The unusual phrase "getting their window" implies (to me) making visible
something that wasn't before.

At that time, they may show in
the tray, but often not even then. This is recent behaviour;
everything worked well till recently. Any ideas on this?

It's not entirely clear (to me) what your problem really is. Is it that
there are programs that you have set to run on start up with the computer,
whose icons usually appear in the system tray (by the clock), but which have
stopped doing that - and even when fired up manually via the Start Menu they
don't always appear? It would probably help if you could specify what these
programs are.

What I'd suggest is trying a System Restore to a time just before things
started going wrong. Have you installed any new programs or fitted new
hardware recently? Failing that, run full, updated scans with the
anti-malware tools you have in place. You *do* have some in place?

 

[Aravis]

Do you really mean the system tray - the small(ish) area by the clock, by
default at the right-hand end of the Taskbar?


The system tray doesn't do this. Do you mean the Taskbar - the much longer
bar between the Start Button (or Quick Launch toolbar) on the left and the
system tray (usually holding the clock) on the right?


How do you know this?


Going to the Start Menu (and clicking on the programs' icons) starts them
up. The unusual phrase "getting their window" implies (to me) making visible
something that wasn't before.


It's not entirely clear (to me) what your problem really is. Is it that
there are programs that you have set to run on start up with the computer,
whose icons usually appear in the system tray (by the clock), but which have
stopped doing that - and even when fired up manually via the Start Menu they
don't always appear? It would probably help if you could specify what these
programs are.

What I'd suggest is trying a System Restore to a time just before things
started going wrong. Have you installed any new programs or fitted new
hardware recently? Failing that, run full, updated scans with the
anti-malware tools you have in place. You *do* have some in place?


You put it better than I did! Yes, it is some Startup programs whose icons no longer appear in the system tray. Skype is one; Comodo firewall another. Even AVG on occasion. Unfortunately it's been happening for a little while now; I wondered whether it might not have been a recent security patch. I first noticed that the Volume icon wasn't showing, and it still won't. My security apps run scans regularly, but I will do manual scans and see if that helps. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[smlunatick]

A lot of application, such as Skype and AVG have settings to "hide"
the tray icons.

Also, I have seen that when you have the UPnP user interface, part of
the Windows Components Network "modules," is installed, this seems to
remove several icons.