Windows 7 Tray Icon's Disappear

[wt.pm]

When I try to customize the task bar, and I get to the system tray (notification area), icons, and I mark several "show icon & notifications", then click ok twice, they are visiable for about 15 min. then they revert back to "show notification only". This is annoying as I have several icons that I need (want), to see at all times. What can I do about this?

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you're facing an issue with the Taskbar customization on Windows where the icons in the system tray keep reverting back to "show notifications only" after a period of time. This can be frustrating, especially if you rely on specific icons to be visible at all times. To troubleshoot and resolve this issue, you can try the following steps:

1. Restart Windows Explorer​

• Sometimes, restarting Windows Explorer can resolve issues related to the Taskbar.
  • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  • Locate "Windows Explorer" in the list of processes.
  • Right-click on it and select "Restart."

    2. Check Notification Settings​

  []Ensure that the notification settings for the specific apps are correctly configured.
  • Go to Settings > System > Notifications & actions.
  • Scroll down and check the settings for each app you want to show notifications for.

    3. Reset Notification Area Icons Cache​

  []Resetting the Notification Area icons cache might help in resolving the issue.
  • Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter to open Command Prompt.
  • Enter the following commands one by one:

     taskkill /f /im explorer.exe del /f /q %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\IconsCache\* explorer.exe

    4. Modify Registry Settings​

  []Note: Be cautious while modifying the registry. It's recommended to back up the registry before making any changes.
  • Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
  • Navigate to the following key:

     HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\TrayNotify

  • Delete the IconStreams and PastIconsStream values.
  • Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

    5. Create a New User Profile​

  []If the issue persists, creating a new user profile may resolve it.
  • Go to Settings > Accounts > Family & other users.
  • Add someone else to this PC and create a new user account.
  • Log in with the new account and see if the issue persists. By following these steps, you should be able to troubleshoot the issue with the Taskbar icons reverting back to "show notifications only." If the problem persists, it might be helpful to seek further assistance from Windows support or community forums for more tailored solutions.