Task bar loses icons

[Brian Preston]

I have lost all the icons in my task bar. I expect to see about 6 of my
regularly used program icons there. Running XP Pro with automatic updates.
Also running Zone Alarm and recently installed Ad Aware Plus, but this
happened a few months ago prior to Ad Aware, so I doubt that is the problem.
About the 3rd or 4th time I suddenly have a blank task bar. Quick start
icons are unaffected. Any suggestions about what is happening? Virus and
spyware checks show nothing.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I have lost all the icons in my task bar. I expect to see about 6 of my
regularly used program icons there. Running XP Pro with automatic updates.
Also running Zone Alarm and recently installed Ad Aware Plus, but this
happened a few months ago prior to Ad Aware, so I doubt that is the problem.
About the 3rd or 4th time I suddenly have a blank task bar. Quick start
icons are unaffected. Any suggestions about what is happening? Virus and
spyware checks show nothing.

Run this by MVP Kelly Theriot:

"Programs Aren't Minimized in the Taskbar"
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm Line 240, left side

 

[purplegolfchic]

My taskbar is "suddenly" having the same problem. It first happened 3 days
ago after phone support from my ISP for slow DSL; after reboot all was OK and
has been until today. I normally have 9 icons in taskbar and today only 3
show up - I have rebotted 3 times and still no icons.....the volume and
remove hdwr safely are 2 of the missing that I can't get back. The others I
can manually get back but that's a pain to do every time you boot PC. I am
running Windows XP home with SP3.
would appreciate any suggestions

 

[Kelly]

That area is not known as the Taskbar. That being said, see if this helps:

Icons are missing or disappear, reappear: This happens for most Auto-Logon
users.

Methods/workarounds: Log off and Log back on, password protect your account
or disable SSDP and uPNP Services.

Disable SSDP and uPNP Services (Line 156)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Or if you are running XP SP1 uninstall UPnP from Add/Remove Windows
Components.

Hide or Show Inactive Icons in the Notification Area (Line 53)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Remove Past Items From the Notification Area (Line 53)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Once done, Open Task Manager, click the Processes tab, click Explorer.exe,
and then click End Process. In Task Manager, click File, click New Task,
type explorer, and then click OK.

The "Past Items" values are written to the registry as part of the user log
off process. This is why it is necessary to "crash" Explorer, so the system
will re-read the new values, and not retain the old ones that are already in
memory from a reboot.

Icons in the Notification Area May Disappear If You Use High-Contrast Color
Themes in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q321213

Troubleshooting the Notification Area
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_n.htm#na

Troubleshooting the Volume Control Icon
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_v.htm#volume

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

--

All the Best and Happy Mardi Gras,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

 

[purplegolfchic]

Thanks - yesterday I did use Kelly's Taskbar Repair Tool to fix my systray
icons....or you can go to add/remove pgms. and click on add/remove windows
components (left side), then go to network services and unclick UPnP user
interface. That worked for me. after a reboot, all icons came back. Today
there are 2 missing, but I'm not concerned about them.
Thanks Kelly.

 

[Kelly]

Most welcome. Which two didn't reappear?

--

All the Best and Happy Mardi Gras,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

 

[purplegolfchic]

The Ad-Aware Live icon - which comes back if I open Ad-Aware, and the Dell
Network Assistant. however, on a reboot after being turned off for a couple
of hours, the dell icon reappeared but not the ad aware.

 

[Kelly]

Hmm, you would need to check msconfig/startup for Ad-Aware live in which I
have never heard of.
--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm