Notification area rationale -- is ther one?

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Hello:

I have tried to find a simple way of editing the Notification Area. Seems, there is not even a reasonably complicated one. Which leads me to starting from scratch:

- Which icons and notifications have Microsoft's decided should be included in the window "Notification Area Icons"?

- Or is it so that others decide whether their app should be included in the window "Notification Area Icons"?

- If the latter is the case, which ones have the privilege of being included?

As you can see, I have no idea about what the criteria for inclusion in the window "Notification Area Icons"? are. I would be very grateful for an explanation (I am sure a lot of you know).

Thanks,

Hans L
 

Ian

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Hi Hans, you should be able to customise the notification area if you right click the taskbar then click properties, then on the first tab marked "taskbar", click "customise" - this should let you pick which notification area icons you want to display and which ones you want to hide. I've got mine set to display everything, which totals 7 icons including the default ones.

Only some apps use the notification area, usually if they are something that runs in the background (i.e. Antivirus apps).
 
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Okay, Ian. But I was also wondering about which the defaults are, and how various apps are being inserted there? Can I insert new ones there? And if I can delete one, will it be inserted again the next time I update that particular app?

Regards,

Hans L
 

TrainableMan

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Post Windows Vista, Microsoft has discouraged the use of the Notification area by software programs but older software or non-Microsoft software may still be designed to use it. Normally when said software restarts then it will go back to the notifications menu.
 
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Ah, so here we have a MS-induced dictatorial (but not fool-proof) feature that some can use, but the user can't affect. I have read just a smidge about Win 10; will it change the Notification Area?

Hans L
 

TrainableMan

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It is a place for programs or OS to "Notify you" about battery charge, network connectivity, etc - pretty much your only choices are to turn off some of those notifications.

I don't know about W10 but even in W8 it is not visible if you are just running apps off the metro screen; you only see it if you go to desktop programs.
 
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Tahnks! Now. one detail. I have two Norton Internet Security icons in the Notification Area. If I hide one, both hide, and if I show one, both show. How on earth would I rectify this?

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TrainableMan

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One idea is to:
  • Open Norton
  • go to Settings > Antivirus > Automatic Protection > set 'Boot Time Protection' to 'Aggressive' via slide bar
  • Reboot
Source

Another you could try if you are comfortable editing the registry then try this:
  • Delete PastIconsStream from HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\TrayNotify
  • Restart the computer
Source

My solution of choice is to avoid Norton A/V like it's Ebola ... but that's just me
 
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TrainableMan, I edited the Registry. Worked fine.

Now, as for Norton: a lot of people say that they would avoid it. Unfortunately, it does not only seem to be "the thing to say", because a number of people who I trust say it. But I have had NIS for over 10 years, and it has never let me down, as far as I know, when it comes to protection. So, what is it really that it does "bad", and where should I look for a reliable alternative? (I am open to change, just want to know what I am doing :)

Hans L
 

TrainableMan

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Well no antivirus is perfect.

Years ago Norton reached a point where their antivirus was so bloated that it was hogging system resources.

Norton also has some rules which make it delete files that are not actually viruses at all, and even though you can create an exception list for these files/folders/or programs, much of the scanning it does ignores the exceptions list so I was constantly having to restore these things from quarantine. For most users they won't care about this type thing because they will never notice if they do not have need for such files but me personally I don't like some corporation telling me what tools or files I can have on my own computer.

So it has probably been at least 5 years since I've allowed Norton on my own computer but it is provided free by a common ISP in my area so it is used on at least 4 computers I support for my brother's family & his business partner's family.

It's a personal thing and people can get quite heated about why they will never use this or that anti-virus. As I said at the start, no A/V is perfect and if you are happy with something you should keep it.

The best A/V is your own brain ... avoid risky sites and downloads, scan everything you download or things you attach to your computer, avoid opening links from strange email addresses (especially places pretending to be your bank or ebay or paypal) and even from friend's email addresses if it looks unusual.
 
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One idea is to:
  • Open Norton
  • go to Settings > Antivirus > Automatic Protection > set 'Boot Time Protection' to 'Aggressive' via slide bar
  • Reboot
Source

Another you could try if you are comfortable editing the registry then try this:
  • Delete PastIconsStream from HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\TrayNotify
  • Restart the computer
Source

My solution of choice is to avoid Norton A/V like it's Ebola ... but that's just me
I deleted PasticonsStream in Registry, and it disappeared, but came back. Should I delete that one AND the currentstream [I do not remember its name), and perhaps only "currenstream" will be recreated?

Hans L
 
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Well no antivirus is perfect.

Years ago Norton reached a point where their antivirus was so bloated that it was hogging system resources.

Norton also has some rules which make it delete files that are not actually viruses at all, and even though you can create an exception list for these files/folders/or programs, much of the scanning it does ignores the exceptions list so I was constantly having to restore these things from quarantine. For most users they won't care about this type thing because they will never notice if they do not have need for such files but me personally I don't like some corporation telling me what tools or files I can have on my own computer.

So it has probably been at least 5 years since I've allowed Norton on my own computer but it is provided free by a common ISP in my area so it is used on at least 4 computers I support for my brother's family & his business partner's family.

It's a personal thing and people can get quite heated about why they will never use this or that anti-virus. As I said at the start, no A/V is perfect and if you are happy with something you should keep it.

The best A/V is your own brain ... avoid risky sites and downloads, scan everything you download or things you attach to your computer, avoid opening links from strange email addresses (especially places pretending to be your bank or ebay or paypal) and even from friend's email addresses if it looks unusual.
Thanks!

Hans L
 

TrainableMan

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The solution only mentioned PasticonsStream. It said they had to do it a few times until it finally seemed to stick, so just delete that. As I said this is really a Norton issue so you might try their support, since it is supposedly part of your purchase price, but I suspect they will just say use the Norton Removal tool to delete everything and then reinstall.
 
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Okay, I understand. However, I will delete both, and then reinstall the primary one, just to see if that my hunch works.
 
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By the way, is there any way to log out of this forum (or do you just close the window)?/Hans L
 

TrainableMan

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At the top of any w7forum page you should see your userid tab (between "new posts" & "inbox"); select that tab and your options box should open & "log out" is on the bottom right
 

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