Computer help forum: Icons on tool bar

That part of the toolbar is called "System Notification Area", by the way. But it doesn't really matter, of course.

The answer above only hides the icons, but the programs behind them still are running. If what you REALLY want is not running programs you don't need, you've got to do something else. Type MSCONFIG in the Start>Run-box, press OK, and go to the Startup tab. Then uncheck all programs you don't want to run at all. Be sure to know what you're doing! If you happen to uncheck (disable) your antivirus, you're unprotected, to name one example. But a program like Quicktime can be disabled without any negative consequences. Ask here for advice if you feel uncertain.

Kees

Indeed, there are a lot of entries that you better not uncheck.

Kees

I use WinPatrol, Paid version. You pay 30 bucks once, and have forever membership. this gets you access to an online database that explains in plain talk whatever startup item you highlight, tells you what that item does, and recommends if you should keep, or disable.

While you are in the system configuration utility (msconfig), write down the exact name of each startup entry. Be sure to spell it exactly the same because some malware programs place entries there that are almost the same as legitimate ones. After you shut down the utility, go to your favorite search engine and type them in one at a time, again making sure you spell them correctly. Your searches should tell you exactly what they are and whether they are safe to remove or not. You still want to be careful-- disable one at a time if you are not sure of what you are doing and check to see if it messes anything up before you go on to the next one.

That's basically it. Once in awhile you will find an entry that you can't seem to find any information on, and then you will have to wait awhile before you can find out what it is. Checking the path to the file in question sometimes helps.

Denise

Here is a simple answer to your question:

How do I turn off background programs that are interfering with system performance and software installation?

http://pinnacle.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/pinnacle.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=9814

But I have a sneaking suspicion that may be geared a bit more for Vista than XP although generally applicable to both.

Oooh, search engines are GREAT!

In all seriousness here are some more details:

Take control of your Windows start-up

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/835638/en-us

While that article says it's for Win 98 the section on msconfig is the same for XP and I feel that it will give you the info you are after. It also mentions an extremely handy little tool that I have used in the past with great ease and confidence in both Win 98se & XP(32 bit) called Tweak UI. Should you decide to try it you can get it from Microsoft here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

Simply scroll down the page until you get to Tweak UI on the right of the page to download and SAVE its zipfile to install without being on the net so you can do it without all kinds of programs running including your anti-malware arsenal. That way you run less chances of having either existing files or newly installed files corrupted...but that is another topic.

Messing around in the Registry is where you MUST be EXTREMELY cautious and know what you are doing!!! If you don't know what you're doing, the Registry is where you are guaranteed to break your system to the point of losing all data and most likely requiring a full OS re-install.

Personally; I've always been able to go into msconfig>Startup and unchecked EVERYTHING, re-booted and then installed whatever programs I needed to WITHOUT any problems. Of course, I physically disconnected the computer from the net while doing so since the anti-malware/"armor-ware" arsenal wasn't on while doing so. After installing the program(s), I simply went back into msconfig>Startup and checked only what I wanted to run in the back ground and/or see in the task bar. I then reconnected to the net.

***Therefore, if I were you I'd simply set a Restore point and then go into msconfig>Startup Tab and uncheck everything in there that you recognize and do not want in your task bar and be done with it. Just be sure to leave your Anti-virus, other Anti-malware progs and your firewall checked as you WILL need them running in the back ground to help stave off malicious attacks. You will also want to keep the "jusched" Java entry checked so that when you visit a site requiring Java to be enabled you will have it handy. On my system, my sound card offers an option that I allow to run, so you may want to consider keeping items such as these examples checked.

Most everything else in the msconfig startup list can in deed be unchecked. Just because it's unchecked doesn't mean you can't use it any more. It simply means that an unchecked program won't be running in the back ground sucking the life out of your system resources any more. You can still use the program manually.

One other thing to keep in back of your mind as your making decisions as to what to keep and what to uncheck is that (several years ago) somewhere ...I believe, in the MS site... I ran across a place where it was suggested that MS recommended that for optimum system performance only six items in the Startup Tab be checked or as low/close to that number as possible. I'm sorry that I can't find that particular article for you now, so please accept my apology for that. Maybe with a bit of digging on your part you may be able to run across that bit of info some time in your future travels on the net.

BTW: I if you don't know how to work with System Restore then find out here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948247/en-us

I hope at least some of this helps. GOOD LUCK!

You can use msconfig(system configuration utility) to keep certain programs from starting up when you turn on your PC. Simply click START/RUN/MSCONFIG/STARTUP tab and then uncheck whatever program you don't want to startup when your PC comes on. Once you don't that then those problems will no longer appear in your system tray. Another way you can keep certain programs from starting up automatically is by going into the programs themselves and changing their startup behavior by unchecking items like "Startup whenever Windows boots" under their SETTINGS tab (most programs usually have such a tab)

some how i deleted my tool bar