Cant turn on/off systray icons

Hi,

My Network icon went missing from the systray so I went into the Control Panel etc to turn it back on and found that it's greyed out. It tells me that only the Administrator can turn on/off the icons. I AM the Administrator! lol

On another forum I was told, that as I only had one Logon account, as Administrator, it was a bad thing to do and that I should create a 2nd account and use that all the time and just go to the Admin accoount when needed. I did that and changed my usual Admin account to a normal account and the new one to Admin. Now, when I logon as Admin I can see the Network icon but I still cant see it when Im on with the normal account. When I login as Admin I still can't change the icons for my ordinary account.

Hope you can understand what I'm saying and I've not confused you. lol

Can anyone help me please? I'd like to be able to see the Network icon with both accounts.

Thanx.

Lyn
x

Welcome!

If you are the only user of your computer, I suggest using an Admin account as your main account. If you need a Standard account, use one, but you will find an Admin account will simplify things.

You may want to run a system files check. Open an elevated command prompt and enter sfc /scannow.

A repair install might help also, if the above doesn't work.

If it just started recently, then just do a system restore.

Don't confuse the "Administrator" account with a user account that has administrator privileges. The built in Administrator account is there for emergencies and is not meant to be used as your default daily user account. It's fine to create a separate user account and make it an administrator. Just don't use the built in Administrator account as your only user account. If it gets hosed you have no way to get in and fix it. Having said that even if your user account has administrative privileges windows UAC is still going to prompt you with "you must have...." messages. You could turn it off temporarily while you try to sort this out just to rule it out. Just don't forget to turn it back on again. I wouldn't personally use a "normal account" for my daily login. It would just drive me nuts not being able to change anything. The only time I would use that type of account is if I was to let somebody else use my PC and i didn't want them to be able to change anything.

Hello Lyn, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Before you do any of the above, double check to see if you may be able to enable those system tray icons again using the tutorial below.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/19085-system-icons-enable-disable.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Thanx for the replies. But its still the same.

The first thing I did Brink, was to check that I had the Network icon turned on, and as I said, it wasn't and I am unable to turn it on as it is greyed out. This is the problem I have..I cant turn anything on or off as it says I'm not the administrator.

I took notice of Jonathan_King's comments and I have now got rid of the 2nd account, so as before, I am the only user and am the Administrator.

I also did what JK suggested re: elevated command prompt and sfc /scannow, it scanned and said that there had been a few errors which had been fixed but I lost my Internet connection and couldnt get it back at all. I was having quite a few probs so I ended up using System Restore and went back to last Wednesday, when I know the Network icone was in the systray...but it's still the same..no icon and I can't turn it on.

I'm confused now as I've now seen Alphanumeric's post saying that I SHOULD have a 2nd account. I've only ever had one account and that was as Administrator. I only created the second account yesterday when someone on another forum said I should. But, whether I have one or two accounts, the problem still exists and was there BEFORE I created the second account. I WAS the Administrator but it wasn't letting me turn on/off the icons and still said only an administrator could do that, which I was.

The Network icon went missing from the systray on Thursday.

I'm really beginning to hate Windows 7. I only installed it last Sunday and I've had nothing but trouble since. I've not had this much trouble with any of my computer systems in the 10 years I've been using a computer, going from Windows 98, XP, Vista and now 7. I got my computer in October the day before 7 came out..yes..I know..stupid move...but Acer sent me a Windows 7 disc but I've only just found the time to install it.

I want my XP back! :sarc:

Lyn

Lyn,

Did you do a clean install or a upgrade install to Windows 7? Upgrade installs may sometimes develop issues from the previous OS.

Sometimes a simple restart of the computer will return them to normal. If not, then I would try what Dinesh posted above and do a system restore using a restore point dated before this happened.

Hi Brink,

It was a clean install. It was the only way that it could be done with the model PC I have.

I did the System Restore earlier on this afternoon after I did the elevated command prompt and I lost my Internet and a few other issues occurred. I guess I'm just not meant to have the Network icon showing. lol It does seem strange tho that even as the Administrator it's telling me that I can't change the icon as I need to be an Administrator! Weird!

Lyn

There is a trouble shooting section in control panel with a section for "Network and Internet" and also "System and Security". It might be worth a look see.

Lyn,

Perhaps we are missing something. To be sure, could you post some screenshots of what you are seeing?

Brink said:

Lyn,

Perhaps we are missing something. To be sure, could you post some screenshots of what you are seeing?

Click to expand...

Not sure what you want me to screenshot?

Lyn

Lyn,

The Customize - Notification Area Icons window would be a good one, and any other screen that will not allow you to change them. Also any error messages.

Brink said:

Lyn,

The Customize - Notification Area Icons window would be a good one, and any other screen that will not allow you to change them. Also any error messages.

Click to expand...

OK..well this first one is the Notification Area Icons, and as you can see everything is greyed out.

The second one is after I click "Turn system icons on or off". As you can see the Clock and Volume Icons are set to "On" but Network and Power are "Off" and greyed out.

When I clickk on "Customize Notification Icons it takes me back to the previous screen. When I click on "Restore deault icon behaviors" nothing at all happens.





I cant attached the 3rd screenshot so will do it after this post.

Continued....

Continued...


When I click to find out why I can't turn them on I get this:

When I click to find out why I can't turn them on or off I get this:

Lyn

Ok Lyn,

From what I see, you will need to uncheck the Always show all icons on the taskbar box in the first screenshot for the Notifications Area Icons for them not to be grayed out.

On the second screenshot, it looks like you need to enable all of the ones (ex: Network) that are grayed out. Power will not ungray unless you have a battery on your computer though. It's just like the 2nd example screenshot in this tutorial. If enabling Network from this tutorial does not help, then search the registry using Find and Find Next for HideSCANetwork to see if it may be at some other location. If it is found, then delete all entries of it that is found. Afterwards, restart and see if it is ungrayed now.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Is your network connection working? Do you have Internet? If network is not working that may be why the network icon is grayed out. More specifically if your network card is not detected or not working I think I would try to fix that first, then the ICON might fix itself.

Brink said:

Ok Lyn,

From what I see, you will need to uncheck the Always show all icons on the taskbar box in the first screenshot for the Notifications Area Icons for them not to be grayed out.

On the second screenshot, it looks like you need to enable all of the ones (ex: Network) that are grayed out. Power will not ungray unless you have a battery on your computer though. It's just like the 2nd example screenshot in this tutorial. If enabling Network from this tutorial does not help, then search the registry using Find and Find Next for HideSCANetwork to see if it may be at some other location. If it is found, then delete all entries of it that is found. Afterwards, restart and see if it is ungrayed now.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Click to expand...

Hi Again,

Well, I did everything you said except search the registry and nothing worked..then I searched the registry and looked for HideSCANetwork, found it and deleted it, rebooted and MY NETWORK ICON IS BACK!!!!

Thank you sooooo much for your help (and everybody else), I really appreciate the time taken in helping me.

I'm a happy bunny again. Wooooo Hoooooooooooooooooo!!!!!

Thanx.

Lyn
xxxxxx

You're most welcome Lynn. That's great news.

Do you remember where in the registry it was for you?

Yes, it was in HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Software>Policies but I cant remember if there was anything after Policies..but I remember getting to Policies.

Lyn
x

Thank you Lyn for posting back with the location.