Fixing the hiding icons feature

  • Thread starter Thread starter HistoryFan
  • Start date Start date
H

HistoryFan

I'm using XP Home SP1. In the system tray, I have the "hide inactive
icons" feature turned on. Yet twice in the past 3 days the arrow has
suddenly disappeared. Why I don't know.

However, instead of downloading some file on your computer or doing a
system restore to remedy this, I may have found a simpler fix. Just make
sure the first icon in the list is set to "always hide." Then click OK,
Apply and OK. That brought the arrow back. For now, anyway.
 
I went to a Dell message board, and somebody posted an explanation of
why the hiding arrow feature occasionally doesn't work. It sounds feasible:

<<I believe Windows sometimes has problems determining if any of the
running items are inactive. As a consequence, it shows all, all the time. By
setting one of the item to "Always hide" forces Windows to "check the list"
more carefully so to speak. And then it will work properly. Or you can
consider this is just one of the Windows quirks.>>
 
Let me amend my suggestion a bit. You apparently only need to have
one of the icons set to "always hide." It doesn't have to be the first one
on the list.
 
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