System Tray Icons

I am not sure if this will help but I do not use XP Luna and my taskbar has a 'chevron' >> on the quick launch side and the < in a round button on the 'hide inactive icons' side.

Apologies if this is not the answer as I don't know about the original 'chevron' question

 

No, nor any other other thread

I never had problems with the chevron - but have run in to it on other systems.

This is one of XP's bugs that never gets resolved for everyone. I got it under control - no superflous icons.

XP's auto sweeping (policing of Deskto icons) for unused icons may have something to do with this - I turned it off.

Regards - Charles

 

Welshjim,
I, of course, use Luna Blue, and the Hide Notification Icons feature is a PITA. I use the actual software to keep the icons to a manageable level, and just let XP "show all ", thus, no button to reveal hidden ones. I tried to make the Hide function work to my satisfaction, but if a running program wasn't busy, the icon would go away. (Or, conversely, a useless icon would keep reappearing.) Then, I'd glance down, notice something like, oh, say NORTON, was missing only to find out it was just "hiding "... It drove me crazy.

I do let the Local Area Connection icon show, though. I can connect two different ways to the internet, and a right click on that icon allows fast checks and repairs of the connection. You can drag those two "perforated lines" (I don't know what else to call them) in the Quick Launch to modify the taskbar to suit your work style.

To be honest, I think it's neat that you decided to give Luna a try...there are a few die hard "Classic" users that miss out on some of XP's little shortcuts because they prefer the old style, stark and drab Classic, which is missing a few "features ". All kidding aside, I'm 39 years old, and don't need glasses, but my eyes tire easily from looking up and down, because I am a crummy typist. Breaking the wrist on my dominant hand, and getting numb fingers only made my typing worse! I've laughed a lot about Luna Blue, but the truth is, I like the extra features you get when you use the Luna theme, and it's gentle to look at. The fewer keystrokes or clicks I make, the easier it is on my sore paw. The "Folders" button in WE is a good example of that. The transition is getting easier, though, isn't it?

HTH
Johanna

 

Johanna--Did not know I was using "Luna Blue ". It just is what Dell gave me when they installed XP. I am the type who is willing to try anything, so I plug along trying to learn "all that XP has to offer ".
I may get fed up enough to try the "Classic Mode ".

 

there are a few die hard "Classic" users that miss out on some of XP's little shortcuts because they prefer the old style, stark and drab Classic, which is missing a few "features ".

Errr - what 'features' am I missing other than the 'start button from he11'?

 

XP is full of alternative ways to do things (shortcuts) that disappear in Classic Mode. However in Classic's defense, the Control Panel is certainly better "old style ".

Johanna

 

Thanks, PeteC for the detailed instructions. (I am in need of hand holding with XP.)
Newt-- "Start button from Hell" ? Nice to know I am not alone.

 

Out of curiousity, what do you guys mean by "start button from Hell?" I hardly use the thing, what is so different between it and other Windows versions? I'm not trying to be a smart alec, I just honestly don't know what is wrong with it. The color? The function? I pretty much started on XP (only a few months of 98 and ME) so I don't know what you mean about it being so awful. Did it used to act differently? Why do you have to click "Start ", anyway, to "turn off" the computer? Please stroll down memory lane and enlighten this newbie...

Johanna

 

I like the XP start button - the pinned menu especially, so I would like to know what's hellish about it as well.

Regards - Charles

 

For me when using the new style start button, if I'm not real careful about exactly where (along what route) I move the mouse pointer, I get screens full of stuff I really didn't want to see. I seem to run afoul of the "all programs" section and it eats half my screen. Also lots of junk I'd never want or need although I can see that some folks might like it.

I do switch over from classic to junky when I need to see specifics for a question posted here and leave it that way until it gets too annoying then it's back to classic for me.

 

Yes, that is annoying, but another mouse click, and its gone.

I really like the option to pin programs to that menu. Use it for less frequently used stuff and use the QL for the heavily used programs.

My particular bête noire is Desktop Icons - can't stand them. The only one I have is the Recycle Bin.

Regards - Charles

 

Hi Pete,

I must say that for all that busyness, very nicely organized. The picture in the middle acting as a seperator instead of stretched is "spot on" as you guys would say.

Have seen too many examples of icons covering every square inch of what would be great wallpaper. I'm always tempted to ask in these instances, why bother with that great scene or your child's picture or whatever the user has for a theme, can't appriciate the picture anyway.

Regards - Charles

 

Johanna--To each his/her own, of course.
Here is what I do not like about XP Start.
1) The left side of the window that opens is entirely useless to me and of course takes up a lot of space. I do not need MS to create shortcuts to what they think are frequently used programs. I have lots of shortcuts in QuickLaunch and hotkeys. Would love to get rid of that left side. And then the All Programs open to the right of the left panel, taking up more space.
2) My Computer opens with the left hand panel full of stuff MS again thinks I want rather than the Folders view. So far I have not found a way of making the Folders view the default. When I then manually change to Folders view, it opens with the slider most of the way over to the right, so I have to slide it back to the left to see the top directories. Also some of the directories in the tree are open, so I have to close them. I see no logic to what they are open to. Even when I click all - signs back to + signs before closing Windows Explorer, clicking Start|My Computer|View|Explorer Bar|Folders shows the Folders view again with some directories open and the slider over to the right. So it is not like it thinks it is helpful by going back to some "bookmarked" place that interests me.-
3) If I right click on Start, then Explore, Windows Explorer opens with the directory tree (Folders view) in the Explorer Pane (Yay!), but the tree is again expanded--this time to a different place.
4) Clicking on Control Panel or My Computer opens a window with a left panel again full of stuff MS thinks I want. As before what I want is Folder view, but I do not see how to set it as default.
5) So many changes from Win98. Hard to see what was gained, except possibly the odd shortcut as you mention. (Did Find really have to be renamed Search?? )
Just give me a few more days, and I may have more rants.

 

I can answer about this becaue I make use of the feature. The defaults can be replaced by right clicking on a shortcut of your choice and the context menu gives you an option to "pin" it to the start menu. Since there is only so much room - depending on the icon size, you'll replace all the MS shortcuts with your own.

If you read my post to Newt about this, like you make use of QL for the most heavily used software/processes. The start menu is for the secodary stuff.

Regards - Charles

 

Charles already described the Start Menu, so I'll leave that alone. The only comment I'm going to make is that I don't like that "frequently used program" feature, either, so I shut it off. I have a blank space under my selected picture, and my Admin Options, Control Panel, Network Connections, etc on the right. But, as I said, I rarely use the Start button. My WE shortcuts gets me to where I want to go.

I make a WE shortcut on the desktop and drag it to Quick Launch. Open WE and click "folders" for the file tree view, then press control as you X out of there. When you open it again, you won't see anything but the file tree on the left, not the blue "What do you want to do?" window. I go back and forth with that folder button, because, even though a right click will bring up the same options as the XP pane, just because it's easier for me (sore right paw! LOL)

Is this what you want your Control Panel to look like? (see attachment)

Johanna

 

Johanna--Yes, that is what I want when I open Windows Explorer and using your suggestion have put that shortcut into QL. (Actually right click on Start|Explore gets me there, too.) I cannot, however, get it to open with C:\ but rather My Documents (even when closing it showing C:\ and holding down Control). But that is a big improvement.
I guess everyone already knows how to "Customize" the Start Menu window. I just learned from another thread. (In WinXP Home, right click on empty spot of Taskbar|Properties|Start Menu|Customize will allow you to clear everything out of the left hand side except All Programs. The height of the Start window will be considerably shortened, but unfortunately the width remains the same. Just like in Johanna's picture. In WinXP Pro further Personalization is apparently possible.)

 

I still like my classic. And before anyone asks, spyblaster is in quick launch because I keep Flash disabled and like a handy way to quickly turn it on when I want to see a Flash screen.

I really get the impression that the start-button setup varies in large part based on other features we have set up for getting to things we use a lot.

 

Interesting thread ...

I'm with Charles on the desktop icons, and I'm offended by programs that place one there during installation without asking my permission.

One of my major dislikes of the Luna interface (in addition to the way it looks) is the Start menu. Fortunately, for those who like Luna, but not its Start menu, the Classic Start menu can still be used with Luna, and it's easy to customize.

Johanna's user interface with XP is completely different from mine, yet we somehow manage to achieve the same ends. One of the great, yet all-too-frequently unappreciated, features of Windows in general, and XP in particular, is its configurability. In all likelihood, no two users on the BBS have exactly the same computer configuration. (BTW, Luna Lass, the Folders button is also available in the Classic view of Windows Explorer, and the Classic look doesn't have to be "stark and drab ". I visited my daughter recently and was surprised to find that her Classic view was in shades of lavender and pink!)

The Control Panel can be opened in a number of different ways, but my favorite is as a sub-menu of the Start menu, itself (see attachment), accomplished with the use of a little freeware program called StartMenu Tweaker.

Just my 2¢.