Windows Vista Disappearing System Tray Icons Quick Fix
How-to for fixing missing icons in the Windows Vista system tray:
1. Back up the Registry by creating a restore point.
2. Go to Start > Run (or Windows-key + “R”), type in “regedit” and hit “OK”.
3. Navigate to the key “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \TrayNotify”.
4. Delete the values “IconStreams” and “PastIconsStream”.
5. Open up the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), go to the “Processes” tab, select “explorer.exe” and click “End Process”.
6. Open the “Applications” tab and click “New Task…” at the bottom-right of the window.
7. In the message box that pops up type in “explorer.exe” and hit “OK”.
8. Explorer.exe will reload, and the missing icons should now be back in the system-tray where they belong.
Enjoy yourself! 
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Thnks a ton for ur help..It works well
Ashwin..
Awesome. Most People’s response to dissapearing Task Bar is that you should go to task settings and unhide it……LOL i have been facing this problem since the last 9 months. everytime the only solution i get is to format my computer after it happens. It usually Happens after a few updates. Mostly SP1 (though not so sure). The Problem is Mocrosoft is sleeping over this matter and has no patch to resolve this. I have just Applied the solution you provided me 30 minutes ago and it seems for the first time since it started hapenning i can use the computer for more than 10 minutes without having to C.A.D. and restart explorer. AWESOME I should Say
Thank you tons for your help. This will be me new favorite website.
Hey, the problem has started reoccuring. i’ve been doing this explorer restart thing now for over a year no permenant help????
Thank You very much ! its good to have good people like you.
Wonderful!
Thanks for the advise on this problem. I’ve been fighting this disappearing icon problem for months. I hope that this will give me a solution. At least, when I do lose them I know how to get them back again. Thanks again!
Hello, in my case the standard icons like volume, network, power and sidebar are always shown. My problem are the rest of the application icons that disappear. I tried your advice, but it did not work.
Can you help me with that?
Matt
Does this happen all the time or sometimes?
It started to happen yesterday, but since then all the time since now.
Please shut down your PC, wait 20 seconds and start up your PC. Normally the missing icons should reappear.
Even this did not work. I now recovered the system as it was two days ago and now it works again. Do you have any clues what could be responsible for that?
Thanks anyway
Several problems can be the reason for disappeared taskbar icons, it is hard to say which one is the real cause. I found an interesting article and solutions about the subject, will add it to my “Windows Vista Disappearing System Tray Icons Quick Fix” post.
Easy direction with great success, thank you for your service, I’m sure I’ll be back. Thanks again!
Jim
I tried this and still had no luck getting back missing icons. Four out of six of the icons are in the taskbar, but I am still missing the internet connection icon and the sound control icon. Of course these are the two I use the most. Let me know if you have any idea what else I can do, this is rather frustrating. Thanks!
this as great, thanx man
I have recently encountered the “disappearing” icons (power, sound and network). I discovered that it corresponded to the time when I upgraded WinZip. So, the QuickZip icon was appearing on the taskbar. And, according to some other web page, sometimes other applications bump the Windows icons – which is unusual because, usually MS is the one pushing everything out of the way! LOL
But, I was able to solve this by going into WinZip as an Administrator and turning off the option to show the QuickZip icon on the taskbar. And, I hid some of the other applications’ icons using the “Customize” opition on the Notifications tab (in Taskbar Properties.)
But, I will copy/paste this solution for the future. You never know with MS Vista. I have been running with it for 14 months with few problems. I just started getting this disappearing icons thing.
This was so yummy.
Thanks
Thanks for your help. I talked my sister through her Vista disappearing taskbar problem easily with your instructions.
To restore your Volume control buttons, etc. in your Task Bar/System tray, try this:
Right Click on the Task Bar
Click “Start Menu” Tab. Select “Classic Start Menu”.
Select Notification Area” Tab. Now you should be able to put a check mark in the Volume, Power, etc. boxes.
Hope this helps.
(perhaps once you have these icons back, you can go back in at a later session and de-select Classic Start Menu if you don’t care for it).
Worked fine i did a restart and it held BUT as soon as I did a complete shutdown and powered back up same problem. It seems not to hold the registry deletions. Any one else have this problem?
yeah wonderful post, great help!
thank u a lot!
cumps!
Thank you! Great instructions! I like the way you write the instructions which is I call the “WD-40 instructions” style.
Always start with a verb and not to exceed 10 to 15 steps. If that accomplishes the job, then they are great instructions. Your instructions did help me recover my icons.
Just ran Vista SP2. Rebooted a few times already but the run key programs’ icons were not popping in the tray- though the programs themselves were actually running. After running the steps the icons are back (no reboot needed). I’m am stylin’ and profilin’ now. THANKS!!!
Super! Works perfectly. Thanks for your help!!
Thanks it worked great. Ha and it made me look pretty smart infront of the fam too!
WOW, you guy’s are good. I don’t know a lot about computers, and I have been told never mess with the registry but I followed your directions and it was a piece of cake.
Thanks Frank
Pleased we could help you
On Oct 20 I wrote you and thanked you for your help in restoring the volume control. I did not realize at that writing that when I put the computer into a full shut down that the volume meter would disappear. I have reset the reg. twice and went through a shut down and each time the volume control disappeared. Can you suggest any fix to this problem?
Thanks
Frank
Please try just this part of the fix:
5. Open up the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), go to the “Processes” tab, select “explorer.exe” and click “End Process”.
6. Open the “Applications” tab and click “New Task…” at the bottom-right of the window.
7. In the message box that pops up type in “explorer.exe” and hit “OK”.
8. Explorer.exe will reload, and the missing icon should now be back in the system-tray where it belong.