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Windows XP Taskbar - Toolbar - Start Menu - Changing Which Inactive Icons to Hide or Display

SUMMARY: Force Windows XP to always show or hide icons in the Taskbar notification area that it deems are inactive.

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.

	Screenshot: Windows XP's Customize Notifications dialog box

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.

	Changing a particular Windows XP icon's Taskbar notification status

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.