System Icons - Turn On or Off

How to Turn System Icons On or Off in Windows 7 and Windows 8​

   Information

System icons, including Input indicator (Windows 8 only), Clock, Volume, Network, Power, and Action Center are special icons that are part of Windows. For these icons, you can change how the icons and notifications appear, and also whether they show up at all. You might turn off a system icon if either you or your computer manufacturer have installed a similar program. If you turn a system icon off, you can always turn it back on later.

This tutorial will show you how to turn a system icon on the taskbar on or off in Windows 7 and Windows 8.

   Note

The Power icon will be grayed out and off unless your computer is running with battery power. For example, a laptop with it's battery pack connected or a desktop computer on a UPS backup battery.

   Tip

If a system icon you want to turn on or off is grayed out, then see: How to Enable or Disable Windows 7 Notification System Icons

   Warning

Turning off a system icon will remove the icon from the taskbar and turns off notifications for the icon.

EXAMPLE: System Icons on the Taskbar

Here's How:
1. In Windows 7 open the Control Panel (icons view), click/tap on the System Icons icon, and do step 3, 4, or 5 below.

OR

2. Right click or press and hold on the taskbar, and click/tap on Properties.
A) Click/tap on the Customize button to the right of "Notification area". (See screenshot below)

B) Click/tap on Cancel to close the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window.

C) Click/tap on the Turn system icons on or off link at the bottom, and do step 3, 4, or 5 below. (See screenshot below)

3. To Turn a System Icon On
A) Click/tap on the Behaviors drop down menu to the left of the system icon you want to turn on. (See screenshot below step 6)

B) Click/tap on ON to select it.

C) Go to step 6.
4. To Turn a System Icon Off
A) Click/tap on the Behaviors drop down menu to the left of the system icon you want to turn off. (See screenshot below step 6)

B) Click/tap on OFF to select it.

C) Go to step 6.
5. To Restore the Default System Icons Behaviors
A) Click/tap on the Restore default icon behaviors link below. (See screenshot below step 6)
6. Click/tap on OK. (See screenshots below)




7. Click/tap on OK. (See screenshot below step 2C)
NOTE: You will not see this if you had opened the System Icons window from the Control Panel above.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Hide or Show System Icons and Notifications in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Create a "System Icons" Settings Shortcut in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Change the Action Center Message Settings in Windows 7
• How to Turn On or Off Action Center Messages in Windows 8
• How to Enable or Disable Windows 7 Balloon Notifications
• How to Enable or Disable Notification Area System Icons in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Add or Remove the Notification Area from the Taskbar in Windows 7
• 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 Create a Taskbar Properties Shortcut in Windows 7
• How to Enable or Disable Changing "Notification Area Icons" Settings in Windows 7
• How to Create a "Volume Mixer" Shortcut in Windows 7 and Vista
• How to Create a "Volume" Shortcut in Windows 7 and Vista
• Enable or Disable Automatic Promotion of Notification Area Icons to Taskbar in Windows 7 and 8

 

[niceguy75]

How to enable any system icon if it is disabled in the system icon like the power icon is disabled in your last screenshot?

 

[Brink]

Hello Niceguy,

The tutorial below may be able to allow you to do so.

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

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[niceguy75]

Not working mate, I have even tried as Administrator.

 

[Brink]

Which ones are you trying to enable?

Could you post a screenshot of this to see if anything may stand out?

 

[niceguy75]

Which ones are you trying to enable?

Could you post a screenshot of this to see if anything may stand out?

I was trying to enable Network, battery and Action Center Icon. Actually I have changed the dlls to change the icons in the tray and after changing the dll those icons were disabled, I tried your method but didn't work so finally I have restored my OS and everything is fine now but the icons are default only.

BTW, thanks for your help but I am now unable to post screenshot as I have already restored my OS.

 

[Brink]

I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted. Yep, the tutorial will not help with modified .dll files.

 

[grinreaper13]

how to turn on systems icons on or off in windows 7

i tried your direction but came up short it wont let me restore my default behavior at all my volume system icon wont appear on my tray i use firefox and i have a gateway nv53 windows 7

 

[Brink]

Hello Grinreaper13, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If your Volume icon is grayed out, then you might see if you may be able to enable the Volume icon using the tutorial below instead.

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

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Raargh]

Here's an odd one. In Control Panel, all my icons are there except "System Icons". But, if I go to "Notification Area" from TaskBar Properties, select Customize, there is a little hotlink to "Turn system icons On or Off", where I see the normal stuff and can turn the icons on and off.


Any idea what would make just that one icon disappear from Control Panel?

Steve

 

[Brink]

Hello Steve,

There's not a System Icons icon in the Control Panel (icons view), but you should also be able to click on the Notification Area Icons icon in the Control Panel (icons view) to see that as well.



Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Dude7]

I'd like to know if it's possible to hide the power icon when no battery is detected.

 

[Brink]

Hello Selvan,

You could use this tutorial to turn off the "Power" icon, or set the "Power" icon to Hide icon and notifications to not have it displayed. However, there's not an option to have the "Power" icon noy display except for when there's a battery detected.

Hope this helps some,
Shawn

 

[Marco Gandolfo]

BRINK, very helpful, BUT...

Hello Brink,

This is very helpful, but!

When I get to the second screenshot down (ie: Right Click Taskbar -> Properties -> Customise -> Turn System Icons On or Off,), the very ones that are missing, and show as 'Off' (the ones I need to turn on, mainly "Network"), there is no reaction when I click on the drop down menu to turn them back on. The drop-down says 'off' in black/grey, and there's no way of bringing the menu down to select 'on', since nothing at all happens when I click the drop down arrow.

HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Brink]

Hello Marco,

Using OPTION TWO in the tutorial below to enable any grayed out system icons may be able to help. Be sure to read the notes for each one to see if it may apply as well.

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

 

[SgtSlats]

but what if....

The option is enabled on my users systems for the System Icons but I need to figure out how to script flipping that switch from Off to On, specifically for the Network Notification icon. Anyone ever have to do this? I've been searching for weeks and keep getting pointed to how to Enable the icons (as if they were grayed out) but they are not grayed out. Just switched Off. gotta switch them On.