Notification area customizations completely lost after Explorer crash

Anakunda · 27 Jan 2012

HELLO, I think I already asked this problem here but since it wasn't resolved and since the problem is still irritating, I do bump this question up.
To resume the previously reported problem, after BSOD or explorer crash, I get usually but not always all notification area application icons reset to default, which is Only show notifications. Unfortunately this is not my preferred state, in most cases I want the icon to appear always, not to hide behind the chevron. So please don't offer solution to turn ON always show all icons. Setting back all applications to previous state is pretty uncomfortable, so I either need a way to be able to backup and restore the icon prefs, or to change the icon default from Only show notifications to Show icon and notifications which would be less painfull. I have tried more UI tweakers but I didnot find anywhere anything to change this preset. Thanks in advance for anything that works.

Neutron16 · 29 Jan 2012

I think, the easiest solution is your case would be set it as you like, and back it up.

For this purpose I have made two script solutions for you.

First is a SIMPLE.BAT
As it's name goes it simply dumps settings related to your tray notifications into a single REG file with no questions asked (at least when it runs as Admin). When script is done, you can find your Tray_notify.reg in C:\REGBackup. If that file already exists(from previous run of the script) it asks you to rewrite it or not (y/n).

To restore settings you just need to run that backup file Tray_notify.reg and Log-off or Restart or Restart Explorer.exe

Second is a more advanced script REG_BACK_UP.bat , it creates subfolder with time stamp in C:\REGBackup and places Tray_notify.reg there. Time stamp is European 24-hour format (judging by your time zone

) plus it has a random number at the end, so you can run it every second of the same minute and every time it will create another folder. And then script dumps Tray_notify.reg in than folder too.

To automate process of starting the script at desired time Task Scheduler can also be used if required.

Script has comments inside for modificational / educational purposes. Folder C:\REGBackup can be changed also (

carefull with quotes).

Anakunda · 02 Feb 2012

No, it doesnot work

Neutron16 · 02 Feb 2012

It does work perfectly. It was fully tested on Windows 7 x86 (but should work on x64 too).

Please let us know what you did - step by step, any errors, screenshots (if required), etc.

Anakunda · 02 Feb 2012

No, it doesnot work, sorry. I have backed up previously customized icons by SIMPLE.bat, I have copied TrayNotify.reg to my user folder. After crash everything got reset as expected. Imported previously saved TrayNotify.reg back into registry, the tray notification areas still doesnot remember any of old saved icons.

Saved TrayNotify.reg

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\TrayNotify]
"PromotedIconCache"="{7820NR76-23R3-4229-82P1-R41PO67Q5O9P},{7820NR75-23R3-4229-82P1-R41PO67Q5O9P},{7820NR74-23R3-4229-82P1-R41PO67Q5O9P},{7820NR73-23R3-4229-82P1-R41PO67Q5O9P}"
"LastAdvertisement"=hex(b):d0,f3,77,af,ef,dd,cc,01
"UserStartTime"=hex(b):10,c8,9e,30,57,c5,cb,01

Neutron16 · 02 Feb 2012

You missed one important step, I have mentioned above. You need to kill and restart Explorer.exe after you applied backed-up TrayNotify.reg

Ctrl+Alt+DEL - Task manager, Process tab, select Explorer.exe, right click - End process. Then, FILE - New task - type explorer, click OK.

Anakunda · 02 Feb 2012

I'll give it a try, thanks.

Anakunda · 06 Feb 2012

Thank U very much!!

I tried now after explorer crash and restart works perfectly, this is really useful tweak, kinda should make it sticky.