Missing active program icons beside clock read out?

Right-click on nearly ANY two items and you'll get different menus ... that's why they're called CONTEXT menus.

From Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out by Bott and Siechert, published by Microsoft Press, 2001, p. 288:

"The taskbar houses the Start button, the notification area, and a button for each running program. "​

ibid, p. 256:

"Windows includes a toolbar called Quick Launch that adds three icons to your taskbar (italics mine): Internet Explorer, Show Desktop, and Windows Media Player. "​

ibid, p. 257:

"...you can add icons for your own programs or shortcuts to the Quick Launch toolbar... "​

I included the Quick Launch toolbar and the clock in my previous post because, although Bott and Siechert say that the Quick Launch toolbar can be moved off the taskbar, I don't find that to be true (using the Classic display), and because the clock seems to me to be integral to the Systray (Notification Area).

 

It looks like they call every thing at the bottom of the screen as the TaskBar. I Disagree with that completely.

As I show in my diagram above they are 4 ( FOUR ) diferent things doing four different jobs.

I just checked a 98SE machine and the only difference is that on the 98SE machine there is a horizontal line between the QuickLaunch and Taskbars.

The TaskBar CHANGES along with what I do. Like right now it shows Windows BBS-Reply. When I submit this reply it will change again. When I close down the site completely there will be nothing there.

I just started PowerDesk. It shows in the Taskbar. I shut PowerDesk down and it is gone.

And with all the messing around the Quicklaunch Bar stayed constant.

If you look closely at the different menus of the QuickLaunch and the TaskBar you will see a CONSIDERABLE different in what can be done. At least I do.

And the Start Right Click Menu is different yet.

There are thing availabe in one that are not in the other.

BillyBob

 

BillyBob, I have NO idea how that's all supposed to hang together ... how about posting a screenshot?

You're certainly entitled to your opinion, but that doesn't make what they say incorrect. You can disagree all you want, as long as you remember who published their book.

So? That doesn't mean that they're not all part of the taskbar.

The taskbar changes because the buttons represent open programs. See my screenshot below, but keep in mind that I use the Classic display (on a 1280x1024 screen), and don't use the QL bar.

As I said in an earlier post, that's why they're called context menus. Many right-click (context) menus on the computer are different from others.

 

So does mine. that is what the Taskbar is supposed to do.

OK. If they wish to call the whole thing the Taskbar then lets look at it another way.

Lets look at it as if the whole thing is a Taskbar folder.

Taskbar-- ( master folder )
(sub folder)----Start -- I have made changes and had them show here but no where else.

(sub folder)----QuickLaunch-- I can add/remove things from here

(sub folder)----Taskbar --This one I can do nothing with. I can not drag anything into it. The only way to get rid of what is in it is to shut down the running program.

(subfolder)----Systray/ Notification--Customized according to what I allow to load or not load at startup

BTW.
A screen shot would show nothing different ( except maybe color ) than my diagram. That is the way it appears.

Start| QuickLaunch---------| Notification
blank| Taskbar-------------| Area.

Notification Area is two line high with two rows of four icons and then the clock.

And the Darn WeatherBug ICon is dirving me nuts ( not to far to go ) with severe Weather warnings. And I just looked outside and I think they are RIGHT. I gotta ( or should shut this thing down )

BillyBob

 

LOL

I just gotta quit messing with this. I just had two Taskbars under the QuickLaunch. And I would sure need a lot of stuff running to fill both. When I jumped on here only the bottom one was used.

Hey TonyT

If you tired the QuickLaunch I would bet that you would like it. Saves A lot of time. One click and BINGO ! you are on your way.

Looks like the storm went around us. ( at least the worst part )

BillyBob

 

Someome requested a picture of my Desktop. Hope this works. If not I will keep trying till it does.

Well here it is I HOPE

This however is not my normal desktop.

Normally the so called TaskBar is not showing unless I move the Mouse pointer all the way to the bottom of the screen and bring the task bar up.

Alias. It is normaly hidden.

Here goes nuttin. LOL

WOW ! what did I do wrong ??? It worked the first time. ( for me at least )

BillyBob

 

Lots of info to chew on now?

Thanks coolwaters, BillyBob, Arie, and Jim!! Thanks all!! I have learnt a great deal about our wayward (Windows) control and monitoring systems. I feel any exposure to a problem is good. and it is also good to observe different points of view, put forward by different persons,this can only help shed light on, getting to the meat of this, and any matter? I have lots of fresh options and info to assimilate and try. In my case I will apply " You are never too old to learn" or maybe I should go for "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" Thanks again: Lenny

 

loonychoons

I am gald to read that you get out of these discusions what I intend them to be. Different ways of doing things. And/or different points of view.

Sometimes just a Wild Butt Idea brings out something that somebody may have forgotten.

However. I do have a suggestion for you.

BEFORE you start messing around make sure you have a recent Restore Point. I have had to use one to bail my own butt out of a jam more than once.

And DO NOT just ASSUME that all software you install is going to make a Restore point for you. Believe me it does not always happen. I have been burned TWICE by this. First time I did not know. 2nd time I did not think about what happened the first time. So now I check to make sure there is a Restore point.

As to this

I had that problem LONG before SP2 ever came out. ( and in 98SE too ) I found that 95% of the cause was Conflicting Software loading at boot up. Or in one case a program did not load completley or properly. I found that out when the specific program would not run. Stopped it from loading at bootup and problems left the Country.

I myself keep the stuff loading at bootup to a bare minimum of essentials. I find that it not only lets Windows boot a bit quicker but also it can help prevent problems ( conflicts ) later.

I also found that some problems were caused by a program not shutting down properly after use. ( which may also cause problems on a restart ) Or I would shut Windows down too quickly afer shutting that program down. If I waited a minute or two all would be just fine. But, the Real Truth of this matter is that the software in question was THE WRONG version for the version of Windows I was using. ( 98 in XP ) I never did update it cause I very seldom used it anyway. So I just uninstalled it.

And I believe that one of the biggest problems causers that I have had was Me as the USER getting in too big of a HURRY

For instance I have found ( the time wasting hard way ) that just because the Desktop shows up it does not mean Windows is 100% ready to go. ( XP seems to be the worst here ) By watching the lights on my Router and the HD lights on the machine I realize that XP is checking stuff for at least two ( 2 ) minutes AFTER the Desktop appears. And if I do not wait and do something too quickly it usually requires a restart. And having to do that wastes more time than if I had waited in the first place.

Have a Nice Day
BillyBob

 

BillyBob,

You apparently misread, or misunderstood, what I said in the sentence you quoted. I wasn't talking about programs not loading, nor was Lenny (loonychoons) in his initial post.

After installing SP2, my startup programs continued to load correctly, but their icons no longer appeared in the Systray. Logging off and back on would restore the icons, but the procedure I listed in post #19 in this thread got rid of the problem completely.

Conflicting software is another kettle of fish, entirely.

 

No I did not read incorrectly. I understood firmly that you had the problem AFTER SP2. Which is fine and I am glad to read that you did not have it before. You have apparently been lucky.

I was just pointing out a different cause and fix.

And the more I work with Windows the more I find that controling what loads at startup to be a great help in keeping down overall problems.

And I also find that the more I load at startup the longer I have to wait for XP to get settled down before I do anything. I learned a long time ago about giving Windows time to settle down after starting before I do anything. And I find that just because the DeskTop shows does not mean the startup process is complete.

Something that may load at startup may be OK UNTIL you start some other program. I found the Systray Icons messed up that way once too. But in that case I was able to set one or the other to not show in the Systray.

The below did get me real worried ( SCARED stiff really ) the other night.

My Wife booted her machine. Next thing I heard was BOB. We have a problem here ( I was not watching like I usually do ) There were NO ICONS at all in the systray. And NO TaslBar at all. I am glad that she did NOTHING till she called me. And at the same time my machines was not behaving quite right either. I restarted her machine and, Thank GOD, it was OK. I restarted mine and it was OK. But it tooks a bit of time for us to put 2 & 2 together and come up with something other than 3 or 5. We then realized what had happened. At the time she started here machine the electric power had dipped. Mine blipped but did not seem that bad.

BillyBob

 

Not necessarily. Especailly if they both have Systray Icons.

from my previous post

BillyBob

 

The primary discussion was about Systray icons not loading at startup, even though the programs were running. As I read your posts, you were talking about an entirely different problem, that of programs not loading properly at startup.

Sounds as though you need a couple of UPSs. I've had several over the years, and consider them to be money well spent. I even have a table lamp and a cordless telephone plugged into one, just so I can locate flashlights and candles, and call the power company.

 

BillyBob & Jim

BillyBob: So that you know I restore quite often "probably way more than needed" I also found a problem, knowing when my XP is up and running, and ready to go? I turn on the computer and wait I don't even pull out the slide drawer with the keyboard and mouse on it, as the vibration might trigger an action which might slow down and/or stop the normal start up programs!! I now watch the two LEDs on the front of main computer hard drive and circuit board box, when they stop their activity I feel that every thing is loaded and ready. However this is not true anymore as the icons for programs that I know are running and have checked "like Microsoft Anti-spyware "are not being displayed in the SYSTRAY/NOTIFICATION TRAY area........................ Jim: I did as you said and unclicked the (Universal Plug and Play) P.S. mine says (UPnP) and rebooted I am sure that I made no mistakes, all seemed fine until I just turned on my system to check my mail and "no icons again" just to let you know I very much appreciate your interest in my problem and your suggestions. After I post this I will try downloading and installing that little program that you mentioned in one of your posts. Thanks to you both Lenny P.S. It almost seems that it depends on the time of day when I turn on the computer dictates if or not I get my icons?

 

Well then let set things straight.

I believe I said NOT LOADING PROPERLY. If I did not then I am now.

Once I made some changes in things that loaded at start up Icon problem went.

Just for a test I but things loading back as they were before By putting them back one at a time. Say I took out four. the first thre were OK. But the 4th caused problems And the whole things was that there was a conflict lets say between #2 and #4 that I was not aware of until I did some research.

Now do you still wish to tell me that programs loading at startup have no effect on the Icons in the Systray.

I thought it strange too unitil I proved it with testing.

Also. If you are not aware ( which you do not seem to be ) what loads at bootup can SC***UP the whole D**M SYSTEM. Especially if it does not load properly.

Some times even the ORDER in which things get loaded can have an effect.

The same goes for within Windows. I have ( or had ) programs A & B. If I started A before B then I had problems. ( hanups requiring a restart ) But I could run B then A and NO problems.

Thes things DO NOT come out of books. They come from hands on bad language creating TRIAL AND ERROR.

Gotta go get Dinner started.

BillyBob

 

loonychoons

Sorry to read that you are still having problem.

You are right. Time to look elsewhere. And checking out startup items is a good place to start. If that does not help then you will at least have illiminate that.

I am SERIOUSLY seing a Software conflict some where.

If I have not given you enough HANDS ON proof that they can be connected then I just plain give up.

Speaking of not reading. Did you miss these two lines completely ?

BillyBob

 

Hey! Guys I'm still here?

Truce Truce: This is Lowly Lenny here? Boy did I open up a can of worms!! Sorry!! Actually you are both right or at least on the right track.All this discussion back and forth about programs not loading and interfering with each other "rang a bell ". I am pretty sure I now know at least when and how my problem began? At the end of last month the 22nd I think I was notified that AVG had launched a new Version of Anti-virus with a Firewall included.It was a BETA but being a fan of the regular AVG and using the Microsoft Anti-spyware Beta I decided to download and install it.Well I could not get it to start properly. It kept asking on whether to allow or deny each of my start up programs? I would also ask it to remember my choice for next time. When I allowed a program It would then question the next one, but before that loaded I would get an error saying that that file did not exist. In other words I could not get my computer to load and remember to allow those choices.I went through this loop a number of times. I finally got everything to load, but had to go through the same scenario the next time. Frustrated I finally uninstalled this new program, but then my normal AVG did not seem to work properly so I removed that as well. As this is a Beta there is no support, but I did send AVG a report on my difficulties. I have a back up firewall on now and may download and install the regular AVG later. All this rigmarole has probably upset my start up menu, so maybe I should just uninstall an reinstall all the programs that have an icon in the SYSTRAY. I am sorry if you think that I should have mentioned this earlier ,but I felt that it should not affect anything as I had already removed the AVG programs. Lenny

 

Just checking?

BillyBob: your last post #35 was directed to me "Lenny" Right? But I have got to assume that the two quotes were not? I am sure that I am to understand that you are aware that they were from Jim to you and then you to Jim? And therefore the second part of this post was directed to Jim? Just checking as I do read everything that I am sent. You Buddy Lenny

 

loonychoons

I will deffinetly check out the reply you mention and see what is what.

You may have something there. And IF you happened to install it without making sure that the old was COMPLETLEY shut down. And that includes anything in the Startup group. That could have created a problem. Because a restart MAY try to use the old files.

I also think they recommed uninstalling the old.

Now. If I understand correctly there may be a problem with AVG Anti-Virus.

And unless I am way off base AVG is also supposed to load stuff at startup.

Now I would bet that if you can get to the proper place see if you can shut down anything related to AVG. The problem MIGHT go away. NO gaurrentee on that but it could.

Also you say you had problems installing or running the new. There is a very good possibility that it will not uninstall properly.

And if there should happen to be anything left in the Startup Group ??? Nuff said ???

BillyBob

 

in post #35

Everything after

I am SERIOUSLY seing a Software conflict some where.

Should be directed to Jim.

I will try to be more carefull.

BillyBob

 

That may well also point to the AVG problem.

At least I have to assume that you have AVG checking the mail.

I think the bits and pieces are begining to come together. An improperly loaded and or conflict with software. And AVG does ( or should anyway ) load stuff at startup.

BillyBob