Taskbar icons
 

The icon bar in the bottom right hand corner of my screen is cluttered, with the usual crop of time and date, volume control, power, etc. There are, as I type, 10 icons there.

8 of those I want because they do something I want. Two I don't - one called "Bluetooth Network - A network cable is unplugged" and the other "Local Area Connection - A network cable is unplugged". I know both of those are unplugged cos I'm using the laptop which works via WiFi for 99% of the time.

I right-click the taskbar, select "Properties" - "Customise" and set those to "Always Hide" and they go away.

The next time I switch on, the <expletive deleted> things are back. I assume this is some fiendish plot. Does anyone know how to STOP them creeping back after every reboot?

There are another five or so icons that are set to "Always Hide" and they behave perfectly.

Sounds like your Bluetooth on the laptop is erm, playing up. If you can do without it or want to, then have a look in the add/remove software tab in the control panel to get rid for good. Alternatively, a quick delve into network connections (Control Panel again) will let you right click on a network connection and reconfigure it or turn it off.

The only catch with this, is that it removes some of the functionality from your Laptop. Do you really want to do remove the software?


Conan

First off hold down CTRL, ALT then hit DEL, this will bring up your task manager, click the processes tab, then click where it says username which should bring everything that is active under your username to the top, if it doesn't hit it again, it basically lists them in alphabetical order, find the process that you are not happy with and right click it and then click end task then follow the prompt to shut it down, if you shut down the ones you do not want then look in the bottom right they "may" still be there, just hover your mouse button over the icons and they'll disappear.
Secondly go to start menu, then click run , when you get the run prompt up type in msconfig , then when you get this program up click the end tab which should be start-up , then look down the list and find the said programs you are unhappy with, untick them and click ok, follow the prompt to reboot your PC, you should now find they won't boot, if they have then you have either clicked the wrong programs or they don't like the command, I would be surprised if it did not work, when you reboot you will get a message saying something like "you have edited blah blah etc, tick the little box that asks for this to be ignored and get rid of it, let us know if it works ;)
If you want to run the programs that you told your PC not to boot up all you do is restart them from your start menu & Programs

Hope this helps

Dean

This has also been known to work, and is a bit simpler:

Start > Settings > Network Connections. Right click on an offending network, then click Disable.

I think that will be via CPL in XP?

I'm guessing, Keef, but as 'Deano' says, are the offending 'processes' in the start-up list (MSConfig) and can they be taken out or maybe put to 'Disabled' or 'Manual' in Admin Tools/Services?

Think Farmer1 is on correct lines. These will both be 'called' through your network settings so by disabling them: Start/Control Panel/Network Connections/Right Click/Disable they will remain dormant but available for re-activation should you need them in the future.

As jetcollie says, Farmer1 is correct.

Just disable the offending network.

The path is as quoted: I use the Classic Start Menu (can't do with all these changes), so that might make the difference. You can still go direct to the Control Panel instead, of course.

- gotcha! I've gone 'modern':)

Ah no, I asked the question badly. Sorry.

I need the network (and occasionally the Bluetooth) running. Turning them off or otherwise disabling them isn't an option. I just don't want the icons cluttering up the bottom right hand corner of the taskbar, since there's nothing useful I can do with them there.

I can set other icons in that corner (Middleware, ZoneAlarm, ActiveSynch etc etc etc) to "Always Hide", and they stay hidden.

These two blighters won't stay hidden. It's not a big deal but would help reduce taskbar clutter.

:) OK. Go to network connections in Control panel. Highlight the offending connection then select 'change settings of this connection' on left hand side. Near the bottom of general tab you should have a tickbox 'Show icon etc etc' - make sure it is unticked. Hope that's what you want!!:)

Thank you! I do believe that has done it!
Certainly the "hide" facility no longer shows them. Now to reboot the PC and see...

[Edit}
After a reboot, YES! Icons gone. Thank you.