Blank Taskbar Entry

Ghot said:

@kaladorn


Just had a thought. If it gives you the option to "Pin to Taskbar"... do it. Might get the icon back?
Even if you don't...the possible new icon will hep you figure out what it is.

Tried that, no joy. It doesn't seem to pin anything there.

I think how we got here was:
a) I got an avast update, hit 'okay' and didn't uncheck other crud like Avast Secure Brower
b) I got an Avast Secure Browser shortcut
c) I either dropped the shortcut onto taskbar (don't know if that's a thing) or chose 'pin to taskbar' from the start menu
d) The icon didn't show up, but the menu at that time had three entries: Avast Safe Browser, Pin or unpin to taskbar (I forget), and close all windows.
e) Removed (using Avast's removal tool) the Avast Safe Browser

Now I'm left with the empty space, no Avast Safe Browser on my desktop, and a slot where I cannot unpin it.

Try3 said:

I think that is a very good idea. I wish I had thought of it.

The OP can then use File explorer to look in

Code:

"%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar"

in order to examine the new shortcut's properties and post the shortcut's Target field here so people can comment on it.

Denis

Though the 'pin to taskbar' did nada, I did checkout the User Pinned directory that Try3 pointed me at:

Astrosynthesis v3 Shortcut (visible on taskbar)
desktop.ini Configuration settings ?
File Explorer Shortcut (visible on taskbar)
Firefox Shortcut (visible on taskbar)
Gimp 2.10.8 Shortcut (visible on taskbar)
Microsoft Edge Shortcut (visible on taskbar)
Notepad_++ Shortcut (visible on taskbar)
paint.net Shortcut (visible on taskbar)
TightVNCViewer Shortcut (visible on taskbar)

Oddly, not listed, but present on the Taskbar: Skype, RPG Pro Roller (both with icons), plus our mystery icon-less space

That desktop.ini file contains:
[LocalizedFileNames]
File Explorer.lnk=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-22067

So, I decided to unpin everything but the browsers....

When I unpinned GIMP, I got the same issue was I think I had with Avast Safe Browser.

The icon vanished, but the spot remained, and in this instance (without removing GIMP), I have another invisible entry in the taskbar (where GIMP was) and we're left with 3 options:
GIMP 2.10.8
Pin To Taskbar
Close All Windows

So, the GIMP Icon went away, but the taskbar didn't clear when I picked 'unpin from taskbar' on the GIMP taskbar entry.

Now, in the Avast Safe Browser case, I removed the app, but then only had the bottom two of those 3 options left in my invisible entry.

So now I have two screwed up taskbar entries:

The one that only has (pin to taskbar (inoperative), close all windows (inoperative as there are no windows))

and

the newly created one from unpinning GIMP that says (Gimp 2.10.8, pin to taskbar (which works and puts the icon back if I select this), and close all windows).

So it seems I can't unpin GIMP either.

Something ain't doing what it should here...

Ghot said:

@kaladorn


Denis mentioned this...

%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar

...in there I noticed a Tombstones folder. My Tombstones folder is empty. Is yours empty as well?

Didn't see a Tombstones there.

- - - Updated - - -

Now, after having unpinned stuff and then doing a restart, the two messed up taskbar entries are gone. They ought not to have stuck around after 'unpin from taskbar' but it appears restart solved the issue. <shrug>

I'll take it. At least if it happens again, I'll try a restart.

Make sure you have a WINDOWS explorer window open (My PC for example), press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager, find Windows explorer under the Apps section
on the processes tab (click 'More Details' if you can't see any tabs), select it and press restart.