Task Manager Icon (CPU Meter) in Notification Area (Systray)

Does anyone know how to consistently get the Task Manager Icon (CPU Meter) to show in the Notification Area (Systray) when Task Manager is opened by either right clicking the Task Bar and selecting Task Manager or by placing a shortcut to Taskmgr.exe in Startup?

And, the keyword is 'consistently'.

Because, sometimes it appears and sometimes it doesn't. There is no rhyme or reason to it.

Checking, UNchecking or Customizing 'Hide Inactive Icons' in Taskbar Properties has no effect.

I have searched WindowsBBS, Microsoft and the entire internet with Google for a solution. I have only found where some others are having the same problem without a cure.

I like that CPU Meter in Systray to monitor usage when I'm running several applications (multitasking).

SYSTEM:
Windows XP Home SP2
640 RAM

Thanks,
ski123

 

I'm not sure if this is what your after but I'll put it out there anyway
Right click the desktop, choose New, and then choose shortcut, type taskmgr in the location field and click next. Now you can give the shortcut a new name or accept the default. Once the icon is created you will see it on your desktop. Right click the icon and choose properties. Now click the the shortcut tab and look at the Run: and set it to minimized and click appy and then Ok. Now drag the sortcut icon to the Start button once it expands drag to All Programs, now drag it to the Startup folder. Worked for me

 

Hi BearNunya,

Thanks for trying!

But, I have already tried that.

In my first paragraph, I stated that I had already tried placing a shortcut to taskmgr.exe in my Startup.

That will load Task Manager consistently at boot. However, the icon (CPU Usage Meter) appearance in the Notification Area (Systray) is still intermittent with that configuration.

Anyone else?

Regards,
ski123

 

ski123

See if this works: Put shortcut in startup. Taskmanager will start on boot. Open options and click hide when minimized. It will go to the systray and work for the duration. If you maximize it, minimize when finished and back to the tray it goes.

I went to the short cut properties and selected open minimized so it does not bother me on boot.

 

Be aware that the task manager uses between 3 and 4 megs of memory.

Do you like it that well. I realize that isn't much, but like Barry said, a million here - a million there - pretty soon you're talking big bucks!

I prefer to save my ammo for the real battle.

 

Hi Bill,

Nope! That doesn't work consistently either.

It must be another Microsoft Windows anomaly that we all need to get used to.

Someone said, "If you think it's bad now, wait till Longhorn is released ".
Oh boy! I can hardly wait.

_________________________________________________________________
Hi surferdude2,

Yes! I am aware of how much memory Task Manager is using.
Thanks for reminding me.

Regards,
ski123

 

ski123

I don't understand that at all. I have no problem with it. I left it in my startup last night and when I booted up this morning there it was in my systray and a mouse over showed % of cpu usage and I could open and minimize it at will with no probs.

Only the Shadow knows.

 

This probably isn't the problem but I have to ask. Are you booting to different user accounts? If so, try putting the shortcut in the all users\start menu\startup folder and see if that does the trick.

 

Ski....I've had a lot of problems with XP's notification area, several of the icons appear and disappear at random. As best I can tell, there is a bug in XP regarding this, and MS isn't too sure why. One cause can be using a "high contrast color scheme "...whatever that is, see the MS Knowedge Base. Another person on this board suggested turning off DEP, but that didn't help me....I've learned to live with it.