Notification Area Icons - Reset

How to Reset the Notification Area Icons Cache in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8​

   Information

The notification area is a part of the taskbar that provides a temporary source for notifications and status. It can also be used to display icons for system and program features that are not on the desktop.

This will show you how reset the Notification Area Icons cache to fix any corrupted icons and remove any old icons of uninstalled programs from the Notification area Icons hide or show settings for your account in Windows 7/8 and Vista.

EXAMPLE: Windows 7 and Windows 8 "Notification Area Icons" Before and After Reset




EXAMPLE: Vista "Customize Notification Icons" Before and After Reset





Here's How:

1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below.

Reset_Notification_Area_Icons_Cache.bat

Download


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   Note

This .bat (batch) file will confirm with you to kill the explorer.exe process, delete the registry keys IconStreams and PastIconsStream, restart the explorer.exe process, and confirm with you to restart the computer.

2. Save the .bat file to your desktop.

3. Double click/tap on the .bat file to run it, click/tap on Run (if prompted by UAC), and follow the onscreen instructions in the command prompt.
NOTE: If you like, you can stop getting the Run prompt by unblocking the .bat file.

4. This is what you will see if the registry keys IconStreams and PastIconsStream have already been deleted.

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5. This is what you will see if the registry keys IconStreams and PastIconsStream have not already been deleted.

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6. After the computer restarts, the IconStreams and PastIconsStream binary values in the registry will automatically be recreated the next time you make any change to the notification area icons in Windows 7/8 and Vista.


That's it,
Shawn Brink

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Hide or Show System Icons and Notifications in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Turn System Icons On or Off in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Enable or Disable Windows 7 Notification System Icons
• How to Add or Remove the Notification Area from the Taskbar in Windows 7
• How to Change the Action Center Message Settings in Windows 7
• How to Change How Long Windows 7 Notifications Stay Open
• How to Enable or Disable Windows 7 Balloon Notifications
• How to Create a "Notification Area Icons" Shortcut in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Customize the Notification Area Icons in Windows 7
• How to Change How Long a Notification Dialog Box Will Stay Open in Vista
• How to Hide or Show a Notification Icon in Vista
• How to Enable or Disable the Notification Area System Icons in Vista
• How to Show or Hide All Notification Area System Tray Icons in Vista
• How to Enable or Disable Changing "Notification Area Icons" Settings in Windows 7
• How to Reset and Clear All Pinned Items on the Taskbar in Windows 7
• How to Reset and Clear All Taskbar Toolbars in Vista and Windows 7
• Enable or Disable Automatic Promotion of Notification Area Icons to Taskbar in Windows 7 and 8

 

[collinx12]

Many thanks!! To my anoyance this issue started the other day, put up with it for a while then spent 10 seconds to search google, another 30 or so to download the script and run. A system reboot and problem solved. Again my thanks!
..Collin

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Collin, and welcome to Seven Forums.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello Shawn am working on fiends Vista machine and I downloaded the Comodo ISS and had the icon in the notification area but also an annoying small pop up on the top of the desktop.

Deleted it but it also deleted the notification area icon. Now I get what I have to do I just want to make absolutely sure that this will only affect that feature as she particularly wants email and net stuff left intact.

I know I am being a bit over cautious I suppose but also want to get it absolutely right, and dont want to mess this machine up.

John

 

[Brink]

Hello John,

It shouldn't affect them at all.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Thanls mate I will go ahead then.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome.

 

[Lucy74]

dear Brick TY very much you really helped me to fix the problem with icons.

 

[FourPart]

Absolutely brilliant. Simplicity itself. Does exactly what it say on the tine - no more, no less.

 

[MourningStar]

I created a shortcut of this (the .bat file) hoping to pin it to either the taskbar or the start menu. However, when I select and r-clik on the new icon the context menu does not have these options listed. I am at a loss - help.

 

[Brink]

I created a shortcut of this (the .bat file) hoping to pin it to either the taskbar or the start menu. However, when I select and r-clik on the new icon the context menu does not have these options listed. I am at a loss - help.

Hey mate,

If you like, you could create a shortcut using this below that will let you "Pin to taskbar".

explorer "full path of .bat file"

 

[MourningStar]

^
"And The Hits Just keep On Comin', Folks!!!"

just wonderful Shawn,
-thx!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome.

 

[LarryA]

Ran the tool to clean up the Notification Area Icons worked Great Thank You.

1. The Arrow to open the Notification Area Icons is missing from the task bar.
How do I get the arrow back on the task bar?

2. To open the Notification Area Icons Tap/Start Menu/Right Tap blank area/Tap Properties/Task Bar Tab/Notification Area/Tap Customize Notification Icons list the system Icons can turn on or off.

3. Tap Turn System Icons On Or Off

The Notification Area Icons Open is nice and clean thank you. Tap Customize Notification Icons/Icons Listed under Behaviors cannot make any changes. List the Programs Grayed out.

Sure it is listed in the forums or links I got a bit confused in the search and reading. :huh: How do I fix this so I can change the Icon behaviors?

Thank You

Larry

 

[Brink]

Hello Larry,

Q1) The little arrow on the taskbar by the notification center wouldn't be there if you checked the Always show all icons and notifications on the taskbar box.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...ons-hide-show-system-icons-notifications.html

Q2) You can open notification area icons using one of the methods above as well.

Q3) To turn system icons on/off: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/292-system-icons-turn-off.html

If they are grayed out, then see if this below may help.

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

Hope this helps for now,
Shawn

 

[LarryA]

Brink thank you. Liked the tool cleaned up a few Icons from uninstalled programs. Had a brain fart. I forgot to uncheck always show all icons and notifications on the task bar.

Shawn thank you.

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome.

 

[Borisyo]

Good day.

In my Windows 7 calendar is no longer shown, no wireless signal icon shown and resource monitor does not start.

Recently I have noticed that I cannot get calendar to pop up after clicking on clock on system tray. I can with searching find settings to configure clock but I can't access calendar at all.

I also no longer see wireless icon with signals showing in system tray.

I tried to customize notification icons and in "Turn System Icons On or Off" I see that "Network" is disabled from changing (grayed out). Local Group Policy was not modified once so it's strange.

 

[Brink]

Good day.

In my Windows 7 calendar is no longer shown, no wireless signal icon shown and resource monitor does not start.

Recently I have noticed that I cannot get calendar to pop up after clicking on clock on system tray. I can with searching find settings to configure clock but I can't access calendar at all.

I also no longer see wireless icon with signals showing in system tray.

I tried to customize notification icons and in "Turn System Icons On or Off" I see that "Network" is disabled from changing (grayed out). Local Group Policy was not modified once so it's strange.

Hello Borisyo,

Since your Network icon is grayed out in "System Icons", you might see if using step 5 in OPTION TWO below may be able to help enable it again.

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

 

[Gelashvili]

Thanks!

 

[Clairvaux]

It worked ! But how ?

Fantastic ! I tried this, and it cleaned up my badly corrupted System Tray. However, I'm eager for some explanations.

Problem

In the window which opens after clicking, in the Taskbar, Show hidden icons then Customize (title : Select which icons and notifications appear in the taskbar), there were :

• Programs with the wrong icon.
• Programs without an icon.
• Programs which shouldn't really be there. For instance, one of Office's programs with a mention to the effect of sending Microsoft user experience information.
• Programs which I had specifically instructed, during installation or afterwards, not to show themselves in that area (at least, I thought so).
• Programs which had been completely uninstalled, with their remnants being hunted by the forced uninstallation feature of Revo Uninstaller Pro.
• Programs called by their filename, not by their usual name.
• Sysinternals Process Explorer, which, as a portable program, I thought could not even be there (and got stuck in that window by the only vertue of having been run once).

Action taken

• I first tried Dinesh's gentler method through C-Cleaner Tray notification cache option. Right-click on the option, Clean. Nothing to clean. Then Restore default state, restart.
• The Customize window was now a bit tidier, but still many unwelcome items. Maybe because I did like rsvr 85 :

  I must have blindly clicked through that prompt not understanding that you had to restart explorer in the current session as opposed to just rebooting.

• Several restarts, to no avail.
• Applied Brink's batch file, with screen #4 as a result (registry keys IconStreams and PastIconsStream already deleted).
• Restart, Customize windows now perfectly tidied up !

And now for some questions

• How come the batch file succeeded, since the offending keys had already been deleted, with no results ?
• I originally thought that Hide icon and notifications, in that window, really meant hide -- and that's what I want to do : have most programs not show there at all. However, it seems that Hide actually means show, but not right on the taskbar ; in that "overflow windowlet" which appears when one clicks on the pointer, and which does not really have a Windows name, does it ? How confusing ! What do the three options really do ? (Only show notifications, Show icon and notifications, Hide icon and notifications.)
• Some (apparently) well-behaved programs offer options, during install, after install or both, to appear in that three-tiered area (the System tray on the Taskbar proper, the "overflow windowlet" and the Customization window) -- or not, or maybe. What is exactly the latitude offered to the user by these programs ? Can he forbid the program to show there at all ?
• Some programs do show in the "hidden" ("overflow") mini-window, but with a right-click menu offering an Exit option. What does that option do ? Does it prevent the icon from popping up there again after the next reboot ?

Obligatory one-minute anti-Microsoft rant : this user interface is really devised by warped minds. Most software designed, by, ahem, normal people (i.e. non-Microsoft businesses, or even authors of free programs) is way more staightforward and intuitive.

Thanks for cleaning after Microsoft !