Taskbar Icons Won't Hide

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bill Robins
  • Start date Start date
B

Bill Robins

Hello:
I have my icons in the Taskbar Notification area set
to "Hide inactive icons", but the chevron arrow has
suddenly disappeared and all the icons show. The
Settings/Taskbar option in the Start Menu shows "Hide
inactive icons" but it doesn't work. This has happened
several times over the past few months.

I have tried the "Kelly-Korner" enabledisabletray.vbs
tweak, with no success. The only way I can get the "hide"
option back is do a "system restore", which is rather
drastic.

I see others have had the same problem, but I have seen no
answers. I am runnung XP Home SP1, with the "classic"
start menu.

Thanks,
Bill
 
-----Original Message-----
Hello:
I have my icons in the Taskbar Notification area set
to "Hide inactive icons", but the chevron arrow has
suddenly disappeared and all the icons show. The
Settings/Taskbar option in the Start Menu shows "Hide
inactive icons" but it doesn't work. This has happened
several times over the past few months.

I have tried the "Kelly-Korner" enabledisabletray.vbs
tweak, with no success. The only way I can get the "hide"
option back is do a "system restore", which is rather
drastic.

I see others have had the same problem, but I have seen no
answers. I am runnung XP Home SP1, with the "classic"
start menu.

Thanks,
Bill
.
Click to expand...

I'm having the exact same problem and I too have applied
the fix from Kelly's Korner. It didn't help my
situation. My system theme is Windows XP rather than
Classic. Otherwise, everything else fits.

Like you, the only thing that works is system restore. I
sure hope someone has a solution for us!

NonSuch
 
I also am having the problem and cannot find a way to fix
the problem. I really don't want to delete this user as
it's mine! Everyone elses works fine...:(
 
I just discovered a fix for this auto-hide issue--at
least a temporary one. If you right click on an empty
area of the Quick Launch area of the Taskbar (not easy to
find any empty space but keep trying), the top option on
the popup menu will be "View." Click this and change the
Taskbar icon size from small to large. The hide button
should come back. Repeat to restore small icons, button
should remain, for a while anyway...
 
Okay, I decided to try Art and Kelly's suggestions.

Art, I don't have "View" as an option on the pop-up menu when I right click
on any portion of the taskbar, so I was unable to try your suggestion, but
thank you for your input.

Kelly, I've set my first icon to "Always Hide." Hopefully, this will make a
difference. Only time will tell. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my
computer will be one of those that responds to this. Thank you for your
suggestion, Kelly.

NonSuch
 
1. View (large icons/small icons) is an option you get only over the Quick
Launch area when the Taskbar is unlocked.

2. Most welcome and good luck!
 
Kelly,

Thanks for the tip. (The taskbar was locked, so that would explain why I
didn't see the "View" option).

Also, the taskbar's chevron button disappeared on me again today. I checked
the tray, and a different icon was first, rather than the one that I had set
to "Always Hide." So, since another icon was now first, I set it to "Always
Hide." I am pleased to report back that the chevron button returned
immediately!

So, once again, I thank you.

NonSuch
 
Art, I don't have "View" as an option on the pop-up menu
when I right click
on any portion of the taskbar>
Click to expand...

I told you it was hard to find the right empty spot! :o)
I have Windows XP Home SP1, pretty much same as everyone
else, and also had the identical lost button issue. The
only places where you get "View" on right click are the
tiny areas at the opposite ends of the Quick Launch
(left) section, to the left of the outermost left icon
anmd to the right of the outermost right icon but inside
the width-adjustment dots. I had to try several times
before I saw the right popup menu. May not work if you
closed up your Quick Launch area.
 
I told you it was hard to find the right empty spot! :o)
I have Windows XP Home SP1, pretty much same as everyone
else, and also had the identical lost button issue. The
only places where you get "View" on right click are the
tiny areas at the opposite ends of the Quick Launch
(left) section, to the left of the outermost left icon
anmd to the right of the outermost right icon but inside
the width-adjustment dots. I had to try several times
before I saw the right popup menu. May not work if you
closed up your Quick Launch area.
Click to expand...

Thanks Art! Kelly explained to me what my problem was: View doesn't show
if the taskbar is locked. Once I unlocked it, then I could see the View
option. ;-)
 
Trouble is, the first (leftmost?) icon changes.
Sometimes it's my printer, sometimes my DSL connection,
etc. Whatever icon I "always auto-hide," it may not be
the first or may not be there at all on the next bootup.
I hope SP2 will correct this pesky problem. And provde a
little more blank space in the Quick Launch area to bring
up that right-click View option. :o)

Art
 
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