Windows system icons in the notification area have stopped working

coffent · 08 Mar 2020

Clicking the speaker icon in the notification area should bring up a volume slider. Likewise, clicking the clock area should bring up the clock setting window. And clicking the network icon should bring up a network info window. That's what happens on my laptop and used to happen on my desktop. Both are running the same (latest) versions of Windows 10 (v. 1909 Build 18363.693). However on the desktop all I get is a brief flash of an hourglass and nothing more. Hovering the mouse over the icons shows the normal "tip" displays. Clicking third-party software icons works correctly. I've tried Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > "Turn system icons on or off" and turned the icons off, then on again. This didn't help. Any ideas as to why this Windows service has stopped functioning on my desktop?

dalchina · 08 Mar 2020

Hi, you might try this:
Fix: Notification area (system tray) icons are messed up in Windows 10

If no success, please create a new user for test purposes, log in as that user, and report whether you see the same thing or not.

Thanks.

coffent · 12 Mar 2020

Thanks for your suggestion. I tried the first of the two methods discussed in the link, but that didn't help. I'm not ready at this point to start changing the Registry, though I may later if the problem gets too annoying &/or a Windows update doesn't cure it.

idgat · 12 Mar 2020

coffent said:

I've tried Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > "Turn system icons on or off" and turned the icons off, then on again. This didn't help.

Shutdown > Restart between off/on setting changes.

As suggested, creating a new user (dummy account that can be deleted) also an option

dalchina · 13 Mar 2020

Assuming this started to happen recently you could of course restore your system from either a system restore point (if you enabled it) or a recent disk image (you do use disk imaging, I hope- e.g. Macrium reflect - free/paid - so often recommended here).

If you see the same thing when logged in as a new user (but not otherwise), you could perform an in-place upgrade repair install which keeps all progs and data. Tutorial available.

coffent · 13 Mar 2020

I tried creating another user account (Settings > Accounts > Family & other users > Other users > Add someone else to this PC) but when I clicked the button a screen titled "Microsoft account" came up for about 1 sec then disappeared. I tried this several times with the same (non)result.

So now there seem to be at least two problems with Windows. Yes, I do make regular backups (with Macrium). The notification area problem has been occurring for probably a month, so I could go back to an image made back then. That would of course mean redoing all the software installations, customization, etc. I've made since then. If the "in-place upgrade repair install" you suggested avoids that, I'd be interested in trying that first, and if that doesn't fix the problem then reverting to a previous disk image. (Or could it simply be some Windows service that for whatever reason isn't running when it should be??)

dalchina · 14 Mar 2020

Thanks. An in-place upgrade repair install would seem the most straightforward option as you have problems in a new account too. It could be, from the sound of it, you have other issues you aren't yet aware of. You could spend a long time trying to fix things, or try that. And if that doesn't work, restore an image.

Prior to that as a basic check, check your disk (e.g. HDTune v2.55 or Crystal Diskinfo) and run chkdsk c: /scan from an admin command or Powershell prompt.

What I do is to keep a simple text record of changes between images- mostly a few installations or uninstallations- so I can redo what I've done.

You could increase your imaging frequency by
a. A periodic image created on a medium you remove and secure safely off-line.
b. A more frequent automatic scheduled image.

coffent · 14 Mar 2020

Thanks for the suggestion!! I ran the Win10 "in-place upgrade repair install" program and that fixed all 3 of the problems: no volume or clock notification area responses and inability to add another user. Things are looking good again!

dalchina · 14 Mar 2020

now start a new disk imaging sequence...