Not seeing notification icon in automatic when there's a new update

bru · 18 Nov 2015

Yes, Action Center is "On" on both computers.

No settings were changed voluntarily on either computer. In fact one of the computers basically gets no use except for monthly updates and it still lost the WU icon. Pretty sure a monthly update broke it somehow. The fact it isn't universal among Win 7 users leads me to believe it resulted from an update, that perhaps not everyone installed.

MoxieMomma said:

Hi:

Can't find the link to the source at the moment, but I'm pretty sure that if you have disabled/uninstalled/hidden some/all of the fairly recent Win7 telemetry features, you will no longer see the usual Windows Update icon in the system tray, regardless of your Windows Update settings.
Someone here created a desktop shortcut to the Windows Update applet on his system as a workaround (still looking for that link, too).

HTH,
MM

On one computer I hid many of those updates, on the other computer I think most got installed but I agree it is related. Why more aren't posting about it I am not sure.

Rich O · 18 Nov 2015

MoxieMomma, I've done all the 'Uninstall and Hiding of offending KBs' and Registry/Task scheduler tweaks on two Pro machines. But Notifications of Updates are showing up in the Action Centre when available for download.
The only thing I have done differently to many others is, I have allowed the windows Update Client KBs to be installed. (Except for the June one, which was buggy anyway) So perhaps that is why I'm getting no 'notification' problems.

Rich O · 18 Nov 2015

Sorry Bru, It was worth a try. From what I read here and elswhere, you are very much not alone.

MoxieMomma · 18 Nov 2015

Hi:

My reply applies only to the presence or absence of the Windows Update system tray icon, not to the ability of Windows Update to check for or notify about update availability, per se.

IOW it does not impact the ability of Windows Update itself, merely the "cosmetic" issue of whether or not the icon appears in the system tray, as we were used to seeing with Win7 for many years (until the whole telemetry thing started).

I am pretty sure there are actually several threads about this here at this forum and elsewhere, e.g. at bleeping.
A Google search would probably turn up a few relevant links.

Sorry that I don't have time to search the specific links at this moment, but that is my understanding of the behavior (which I see on both of my Win7 rigs, too).

Cheers,

bru · 18 Nov 2015

MoxieMomma said:

Hi:

I am pretty sure there are actually several threads about this here at this forum and elsewhere, e.g. at bleeping.
A Google search would probably turn up a few relevant links.

I didn't find a lot when I first searched but now I see a few more here and the one on Bleeping. Looks like I will have to manually check or else add the shortcut. Have to do that in Win 8 too so I should be used to it.

Lady Fitzgerald · 18 Nov 2015

MoxieMomma said:

Hi:

Can't find the link to the source at the moment, but I'm pretty sure that if you have disabled/uninstalled/hidden some/all of the fairly recent Win7 telemetry features, you will no longer see the usual Windows Update icon in the system tray, regardless of your Windows Update settings.
Someone here created a desktop shortcut to the Windows Update applet on his system as a workaround (still looking for that link, too).

HTH,
MM

That would be me. I went into the Control panel, right clicked on Windows Update, then clicked on create shortcut. I moved the shortcut to the Quick Launch folder but one can put it pretty much anywhere.

On my desktop rig, the icon for when updates are available is ephemeral. It will appear for a short while, then disappear; rinse and repeat. It spends more time out of sight than visible. I just click on the shortcut I made every few days or so to see if MSpy is trying to sneak something in.

MoxieMomma · 18 Nov 2015

bru said:

I didn't find a lot when I first searched but now I see a few more here and the one on Bleeping. Looks like I will have to manually check or else add the shortcut. Have to do that in Win 8 too so I should be used to it.

Windows Update phones home normally for me (checks for updates and notifies).
I just have to remember to check the applet from time to time, so see if I am offered something.
(For example, there was a new, optional patch for a foreign currency (KB3102429) available last night.)

So, at least on my 2 systems, I do not have manually run Windows Update.

I just do it from the start menu, as I have Windows Update pinned there.

(Click Start, type "Windows Update" and let the search results appear. Press and hold the SHIFT key down, right-click on "Windows Update" (in Search results) and select "Pin to Start Menu". Note that the Pin... option doesn't appear if the SHIFT key is not depressed.)

HTH,

MM

Rich O · 18 Nov 2015

@bru, Can you try one more thing to test the os response to a change in WU notification configuration.
(This is driving me nuts too now)

bru · 18 Nov 2015

Rich O said:

@bru, Can you try one more thing to test the os response to a change in WU notification configuration.
(This is driving me nuts too now)

As I think I said I don't have the Windows Update icon there at all so I can't change its behavior. Happened on both my Win7 machines.

Someone on Bleeping reports running a tool restores it. But now I am unclear if the icon was completely gone like I see.

Why doesn't windows notify me about updates? - Page 3 - Windows 7

MoxieMomma said:

Windows Update phones home normally for me (checks for updates and notifies).
I just have to remember to check the applet from time to time, so see if I am offered something.
(For example, there was a new, optional patch for a foreign currency (KB3102429) available last night.)

So, at least on my 2 systems, I do not have manually run Windows Update.

WU works fine for me too, I just no longer have the icon to tell me when there are updates. The icon is completely gone. It doesn't show at all in customize Notification Area. I know Rich O has it but is this not what others reporting this problem see?

jamis · 18 Nov 2015

I posted this here in another thread, but I recall that the update notification shield stopped showing up in the task bar right after I hid all of the W10 prep. updates. My system checks for updates at least once a day, usually at boot up. If the PC is left on all night for backup or malware scanning, it will do the check sometime during the day. WU works just fine anyway. If there are updates, WU will say so. My paranoia is that MS will change my update settings without my knowing it (again).