Windows 7 notification icons

[JamesGS]

right to the point.... does anyone know a way to completely remove an entry from the notification area list? or in other words get the same result as a 'show/hide tray icon toggle would do.


we (me and a few workmates) are looking for a way to completely remove some programs from the notification area.... i know how to minimize a program to the tray and that i can specify 'hide icon and notification' for these minimized programs. but i want to completely remove it from the 'list' which comes up after pressing customize. is there a way to "edit" this list? or a registry entry which does the trick?.... all i found was a registry "hack" which completely removes the tray area - to my surprise it even works in win7 but this solution was a bit too harsh.... and not exactly what's needed.

.....just in case the question comes up. no, we don't want to hack the computers of our wives ; )

thanks

 

[reddice]

The problem I have with notification icons is that they resize from small to big all the time.

Why would you want to remove a notification icon. Sometimes you can go into the program settings to turn off the tray icon as I find that annoying.

 

[JamesGS]

The problem I have with notification icons is that they resize from small to big all the time.

Why would you want to remove a notification icon. Sometimes you can go into the program settings to turn off the tray icon as I find that annoying.

Thanks for the answer reddice
... i am not sure if we talk about the same thing. since the 'tray' changed quite a bit in windows 7 compared to all previous versions the names might cause be a bit of confusion. you used the term 'notification icon' and i am not sure if this is what i mean. I am talking about 'tray icons' and the 'notification area' (the configuration window that comes up after pressing 'customize' inside the 'show hidden icons' popup (the thing that opens when you press the little 'up arrow' right next to the visible tray icons..... phew ; )

i know that some programs have the option to 'minimize to tray' or even a 'hide tray icon'... but some don't. i want to know how to remove such a icon from the 'hidden icons' and from the list inside the 'notification area configuration' for good

 

[JamesGS]

I think the issue is here:

> Search, type Taskbar, open Taskbar & Start Menu > Start Menu tab > Privacy, uncheck the 2 boxes.

Thanks Drew,

..... no this aint it. Those two checkboxes are only about 'recently opened items.
I am looking for a way to remove the icon of a running program.

 

[Trouble]

What you want to do, as I understand it, might not be possible. The whole purpose of the system tray area now called Notification Area, is and as far as I know always has been to sort of give you a heads up as to what programs are running currently (and at startup) on your system. So if you right click on the taskbar and choose properties and then in the center where it says "Notification area" click the "Customize" button and then near the very bottom on the left uncheck the box that says "Always show all icons and notifications on the taskbar" and then choose from the drop down arrow "Hide Icon and Notification", if that options doesn't do it for you then perhaps just stopping them from starting up might be your only resolution.

 

[RAK]

two options.
1. Right click the small white upward arrow in the area, and select properties. There you can completely turn off the main icons, but not third party.
2. Next is to run the .reg file (attached) (You can do it manually also, which means editing the registry, of course) Now. important, and this must be done immediately. Open the Task manager. and "End process" of any instances of explorer.exe. This will empty your desktop entirely. Now, with the task manger still open, restart the explorer.exe. Log off, or restart, the computer. If this is what you want, this will return the notification area icons to there original installed state. All your third party icons will be gone.

 

[JamesGS]

Thank you Trouble, thank you Rak!

according to the answers i receive i guess it is still not exactly clear what i am trying to accomplish..... so here's a different approach and an example.

- i want to remove, make invisible, hide or whatever you want to call it the icon of a RUNNING third party application from the 'pop up tray' (the small window that comes up when you press the little arrow next to the always visible tray icons on the right bottom of the screen. it also should not appear in the list that opens after clicking 'customize' - the list where the user can configure if a programs icon is showing -only notifications- hide icon and notifications - or show icon and notification. ( please let me know if it's still not clear what i mean by that)

- some programs allow this as an option from within the given programs options itself. this option is called 'hide tray icon'. this option becomes active once such a program is minimized to the tray
- in winXX up to winXP it was to my knowledge possible to do this with any application after some registry fiddling - even if it was not an option/setting inside the program. plus there existed some programs which did exactly this.
- these programs do not work properly in win7 since a icon which is removed still shows up in the notification area icons configuration list.

again, to make it short and simple. is there a way to completely 'hide' the icon of a running program which is minimized to the tray - from the tray AND from the list? and again, because i think this question might come up.... we are not trying to build a virus here. it also does not matter if the process is still visible in the taskmanager. if you have the solution and really NEED to know whats behind this please let me know.

thanks for reading