Missing System Tray Icons in Win2k

[sechs]

I did a fresh install of Windows 2000 SP3 a couple of weeks ago. I've installed all of my applications and it seems stable. However, sometimes when I boot up, I don't get all of the system tray icons that I should have.

For example, right now, I'm missing the icons for NAV and Trillian, although both are running and functioning correctly.

Is this something that I've inadvertently done, or is it some issue with Windows? Is there a possible fix?

Let me tell you this is really annoying, especially when Trillian disappears, but can't find anything on the web about it.


Thanks in advance!

 

[NogginBoink]

Hmm... I'd investigate this as an app issue first. Make sure your apps are told to show icons in the system tray.

My experience is that when an app calls ShellNotifyIcon() to put an icon there, it stays there.

Now, if the shell (explorer.exe) dies and restarts, then you won't have the icons, since the icons are managed by explorer.exe and if it terminates so does all of its data, such as which icons are there.

 

[sechs]

Explorer isn't crashing, as some of the icons load, but others don't.

Also, it isn't always the same icons. And it doesn't always happen. I can sometimes get all of the icons that should be there.

For example, last boot, I had all of the icons. One before that, I was missing NIS and Trillian, but had NAV.

 

[Bluefront]

You're not alone. I have the exact problem on an XP install. I asked this question about a year ago without any fix offered. Try a format......

 

[sechs]

Well, at least I'm not going wacky....

If a reinstall is the fix, it's not that annoying, so I'll deal.

What exactly was your issue?

 

[sechs]

After a little wrestling, I managed to run the system file checker. It found now bad files... so I know that it's not that.

 

[VidarJMD]

I'm having the same problems with WindowsXP now. I only get NAV, sound card icon, and a popup blocker icon. AIM, volume control, and tons of other icons never load. I figured it was some driver installation or something but using system restore to go back to a previous date didn't work. It's really annoying because if I minimize my aim window to the tray icon, I can't open it back up! I have to find a shortcut to it before it'll open again.

If I run the install program for AIM but not actually install it, the icon comes back up. This has happened before and obviously a format fixed it but it's back again. It's gotta be some program that's installed later that's doing it. Anybody else come up with a solution yet?

 

[VidarJMD]

Ok guys. Let's figure this out. I just did a format and now not even 12 hours later the missing tray icon phenomenon is happening again.


Here is my system:
Abit AT7 MAX
AMD Athlon XP 2000+
512MB DDR RAM
Aopen GeForce4 Ti 4200 128MB
2x 60GB 7200rpm harddrives
LiteOn 32x12x48 CD RW
Some DVD drive.
WindowsXP Pro slipstreamed with SP1

This is what I did.

Installed AIM, Winzip, Winamp2, Winamp3. Ran Windows update. Installed PowerToys, StyleXP, CursorXP, CoolMon.
Installed Norton Antivirus 2002. Installed Audio drivers for motherboard. Installed latest nvidia drivers. Installed Palm desktop.
Downloaded Phoenix. Installed Adaware and RegCleaner. Installed Photoshop 7, Office XP, Nero, Acrobat Reader.
Installed IIS services.

It has to be something in that list. I know a lot ask you to restart but I didn't until others were installed so it's really hard to backtrack to figure out which one caused it.

Do you guys have similar hardware or software installed? Maybe we can pinpoint it down to something.