Taskbar Orphans

[Guest]

Sorry if this question has been asked before but I couldn't find it in a
search. Frequently but not always, when my computer boots up or returns from
hibernation, a blank icon is added to my task bar. If I right click on this
icon nothing happens. There is no pop up menu to restore, minimize, close
like there is for other task bar icons. I can't tell which program put the
icon on the task bar by looking at the task manager because task manager
shows no running applications. How can I remove this taskbar orphan after it
appears?

 

[Guest]

Sorry if this question has been asked before but I couldn't find it in a
search. Frequently but not always, when my computer boots up or returns from
hibernation, a blank icon is added to my task bar. If I right click on this
icon nothing happens. There is no pop up menu to restore, minimize, close
like there is for other task bar icons. I can't tell which program put the
icon on the task bar by looking at the task manager because task manager
shows no running applications. How can I remove this taskbar orphan after it
appears?

It is the screen saver by the looks of it,as the system been left running in
Hibernation for long and sits there for long.
You can download the AutoRun and see what running in real mode:
AutoRuns for Windows v8.61 By Mark Russinovich and Bryce
:Cogswellhttp://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/ProcessesAndThreads/Autoruns.mspx

Process Explorer for Windows v10.21 By Mark Russinovich:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/processexplorer.mspx
HTH.
nass

 

[Guest]

Sorry nass,

I tried using the two utility programs but neither of them help me figure
out which program caused the orphan task bar icon. It's there again this
morning.

 

[Guest]

Hi Wig,
Try the RegMon and see if you can spot this running process:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/regmon.mspx
Look in the event Viewer for error message that can point to that program,
it may help to know what it is.
HTH.
nass