Notification area icons missing at startup or disappear after startup.

How do you do this in windows 8?

Notification Area Icons Disappeared, Missing, Unused: Windows 7 (How to Delete Duplicates or Restore Missing Tray Icons in Windows 7)

The above answer did not work for my psyche and I didn't feel comfy moving folders all around etc. etc.

I lifted this solution from another website... so I cannot take all the credit. LOL  Plus I changed the text so it would be a little more understandable for those who don’t have a lot of computer experience... like me...lol  Best of all...it worked like a charm.

Best regards,

fryerlawrence          "Supervisor is GENIUS...I transfer." - Peggy, U.S.A. Prime Credit

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“I've got the solution...  

In the Notification Area Properties you'll notice an option to customize how explorer handles previous tray icons. The only problem with this is explorer saves a setting for EVERY icon ever loaded.

For some reason if you clear this history of icons; the power, network, volume...icons will all reappear.

• brilliant I hear you say?

========================

CLEARING THE TRAY ICON HISTORY

> Click on “Start Menu” and type ‘run’ in the Start search bar.

>When the Run search bar opens, type in ‘regedit.exe’ and click “Ok”.  When the “User Account Control” box opens then click “Yes”

> Go to and ‘left click’ on each white arrow just to the left of each little manila folder named as follows: (you may have to scroll down to find a couple of these)

 ‘HKEY_CURRENT_USER’

‘Software’

‘Classes’

‘Local Settings’

‘Software’

‘Microsoft’

‘Windows’

‘CurrentVersion’

(Just left-click this one on the folder itself) ‘TrayNotify’ (find & locate ‘IconStreams’ & ‘PastIconsStream’

> Press and hold down your left keyboard ‘Ctrl’ key.  While holding down the ‘Ctrl’ key use your mouse to left-click, one time each, on ‘IconStreams’ & ‘PastIconsStream’.  Now, right-click and select ‘Delete’ regarding the highlighted items.

>This will open a “Confirm Value Delete” dialogue box.  It will say, “Deleting certain values could cause system instability. Are you sure you want to permanently delete these values?”  (<Do not worry>, you will be fixing this in the next step) Now click ‘Yes’

> Start your “Task Manager” by pressing ‘**Ctrl’+’Shift’+’Esc’**and select the “Processes” tab and find ‘explorer.exe’

>Right click on ‘explorer.exe’ and select” End Process”

> A “Windows Task Manager” box will open and ask, “Do you want to end ‘explorer.exe’?”, “If an open program is associated with this process, it will close and you will lose any unsaved data. If you end a system process, it might result in an unstable system. Are you sure you want to continue?” (<Do not worry> you will be fixing this in the next step) Now click ‘Yes’

> Now select the ‘Applications’ tab in “Task Manager”, in the bottom right hand corner, select ‘New task...’ and type ‘**explorer.exe’**then click “Ok”

> Explorer will now reboot and your icons should return.  *Note: You may need to reset your preferences for each icon by going back to your “**Notification Area Properties”**because it will reset most of them to the default status”

Thanks..its helps me to sort out!

THANK YOU! You are amazing!!! So easy to follow even this old chook could navigate the instructions.

fryerlawrence your solution worked just as you said, THANK YOU. RE-POSTING for others to use.

courtesy of user: Fryerlawrence,

“I've got the solution...  

In the Notification Area Properties you'll notice an option to customize how explorer handles previous tray icons. The only problem with this is explorer saves a setting for EVERY icon ever loaded.

For some reason if you clear this history of icons; the power, network, volume...icons will all reappear.

• brilliant I hear you say?

========================

CLEARING THE TRAY ICON HISTORY

> Click on “Start Menu” and type ‘run’ in the Start search bar.

>When the Run search bar opens, type in ‘regedit.exe’ and click “Ok”.  When the “User Account Control” box opens then click “Yes”

> Go to and ‘left click’ on each white arrow just to the left of each little manila folder named as follows: (you may have to scroll down to find a couple of these)

 ‘HKEY_CURRENT_USER’

‘Software’

‘Classes’

‘Local Settings’

‘Software’

‘Microsoft’

‘Windows’

‘CurrentVersion’

(Just left-click this one on the folder itself) ‘TrayNotify’ (find & locate ‘IconStreams’ & ‘PastIconsStream’

> Press and hold down your left keyboard ‘Ctrl’ key.  While holding down the ‘Ctrl’ key use your mouse to left-click, one time each, on ‘IconStreams’ & ‘PastIconsStream’.  Now, right-click and select ‘Delete’ regarding the highlighted items.

>This will open a “Confirm Value Delete” dialogue box.  It will say, “Deleting certain values could cause system instability. Are you sure you want to permanently delete these values?”  (<Do not worry>, you will be fixing this in the next step) Now click ‘Yes’

> Start your “Task Manager” by pressing ‘**Ctrl’+’Shift’+’Esc’**and select the “Processes” tab and find ‘explorer.exe’

>Right click on ‘explorer.exe’ and select” End Process”

> A “Windows Task Manager” box will open and ask, “Do you want to end ‘explorer.exe’?”, “If an open program is associated with this process, it will close and you will lose any unsaved data. If you end a system process, it might result in an unstable system. Are you sure you want to continue?” (<Do not worry> you will be fixing this in the next step) Now click ‘Yes’

> Now select the ‘Applications’ tab in “Task Manager”, in the bottom right hand corner, select ‘New task...’ and type ‘**explorer.exe’**then click “Ok”

> Explorer will now reboot and your icons should return.  *Note: You may need to reset your preferences for each icon by going back to your “**Notification Area Properties”**because it will reset most of them to the default status”