Changing Which Inactive Icons to Hide or Display

If you have configured Windows XP to hide inactive icons in the taskbar notification area, you may want further control over this feature. Perhaps there are certain icons that you always want hidden in the taskbar, or there may be icons that you always need displayed on the taskbar yet Windows XP keeps marking these icons as "inactive".

To change an icon's display status in the Windows XP Taskbar on a case-by-case basis:

1. Right-click an empty area of the taskbar, choosing "Properties".

2. The multi-tabbed "Taskbar and Start Menu Properties" dialog box appears. Click the "Taskbar" tab.

3. Underneath "Notification area", make sure "Hide inactive icons" is checked. Then click the "Customize" button.

4. A "Customize Icons" dialog box appears, similar to the below screenshot but most likely with different icons.

Icons are split into two groups:

*Current Items - Icons currently available in the Windows XP Taskbar Notification Area

*Past Items - Icons previously visible in the Windows XP Taskbar Notification Area. These icons may refer to software not currently running, USB devices not currently plugged into the machine, networks to which you are not currently connected, and more.

5. To change a particular icon's notification status, click on the behavior next to the particular icon. A pull-down box will appear.

Choose from one of the three options:

*Hide when inactive - (default behavior) Windows XP will hide the taskbar icon when it deems it is not being used.

*Always hide - Windows XP will keep the taskbar icon hidden except for when you click the "Show Hidden Icons" button.

*Always show - Windows XP will keep the taskbar icon visible whether it is being used or not.

6. When you are done configuring taskbar icons, click "OK" on the dialog boxes to close them.

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1. RodRay48 (09/11/2009 16:12:07)

I have Windows XP Pro with SP3.

My only option is "Hide when inactive." No other options appear when I select an icon and click on the menu arrow.

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2. Andrew Malek (09/11/2009 23:35:25)

I've not been able to duplicate the problem yet. I did find a reference to a tool that *may* make icons reappear that have been hidden, but am not sure if it can solve your problem entirely:

http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2007/07/30/fix-taskbar-quick-launch-and-notification-area-problems/

I have not tested this myself.

3. saurabh1403 (11/09/2009 09:20:02)

can you please explain more about the active icons..When is an icon said to be inactive or active. In other words, what is the criteria to categorize an icon as inactive or active. when the application is doing some processing in background, will its icon be still called inactive ?

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Windows XP Taskbar - Toolbar - Start Menu

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