Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon in Windows 10  

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    Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon in Windows 10

    Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon in Windows 10

    How to Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon in Windows 10
    Published by Category: Security System
    01 Nov 2022
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon in Windows 10


    The Windows Security app is a client interface on Windows 10 version 1703 and later that makes it is easier for you to view and control the security protections you choose and better understand the security features already protecting you on your Windows 10 device.

    Windows Defender Security Center has seven areas that protect your device and let you specify how you want your device protected:

    This tutorial will show you how to hide or show the Windows Security notification area icon on the taskbar for your account or all accounts in Windows 10.


    Contents

    • Option One: Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon for Current User in Taskbar Settings
    • Option Two: Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon for Current User in Startup Settings
    • Option Three: Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon for Current User in Task Manager
    • Option Four: Enable or Disable Windows Security Notification Area Icon for All Users in Local Group Policy Editor
    • Option Five: Enable or Disable Windows Security Notification Area Icon for All Users using a REG file



    EXAMPLE: Windows Security notification area icon on taskbar
    Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon in Windows 10-windows_security_icon-1.jpg Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon in Windows 10-windows_security_icon-2.jpg Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon in Windows 10-windows_security_icon-3.jpg






    OPTION ONE

    Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon for Current User in Taskbar Settings


    1 Change your notification area icons settings to either Always show all icons in the notification area or turn on (show) or off (hide) Windows Security notification icon (see screenshot below)

    How to Hide or Show Notification Area Icons on Taskbar in Windows 10

    Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon in Windows 10-windows_security_notification_icon_settings.png






    OPTION TWO

    Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon for Current User in Startup Settings


    If you disable the icon using this option, it will override OPTION ONE above.


    1 Open Settings, and click/tap on the Apps icon.

    2 Click/tap on Startup on the left side, and turn on (show - default) or off (hide) Windows Security notification icon for what you want. (see screenshots below)

    Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon in Windows 10-windows_security_notification_icon_startup_settings.jpg

    3 Close Settings.

    4 Sign out and sign in to apply.






    OPTION THREE

    Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon for Current User in Task Manager


    If you disable the icon using this option, it will override OPTION ONE above.


    1 Open Task Manager into the More details view, and click/tap on the Startup tab. (see screenshots below)

    2 Select the Windows Security notification icon startup item, and enable (show - default) or disable (hide) based on the current status for what you want.

    3 Sign out and sign in to apply.

    Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon in Windows 10-windows_security_notification_icon_task_manager-1.png Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon in Windows 10-windows_security_notification_icon_task_manager-2.png






    OPTION FOUR

    Enable or Disable Windows Security Notification Area Icon for All Users in Local Group Policy Editor


    You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this option.

    This option is only available starting with Windows 10 version 1803.

    The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

    All editions can use Option Five below.


    1 Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

    2 In the left pane of Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)

    Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Security\Systray

    Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon in Windows 10-windows_security_icon_gpedit-1.png

    3 In the right pane of Systray in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Hide Windows Security Systray policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

    4 Do step 5 (enable) or step 6 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


    5 To Enable Windows Defender Notification Area Icon for All Users

    A) Select (dot) Not Configured or Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

    Not Configured is the default setting.


    6 To Disable Windows Defender Notification Area Icon for All Users

    A) Select (dot) Enabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

    Hide or Show Windows Security Notification Area Icon in Windows 10-windows_security_icon_gpedit-2.png


    7 When finished, you can close the Local Group Policy Editor.

    8 Restart the computer to apply.






    OPTION FIVE

    Enable or Disable Windows Security Notification Area Icon for All Users using a REG file


    You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this option.

    This option is only available starting with Windows 10 version 1803.

    The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender Security Center\Systray

    HideSystray DWORD

    0 or delete = Enable
    1 = Disable

    (Enable using step 2 will make sure the default values below are correct)

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StartupApproved\Run

    SecurityHealth REG_BINARY
    06,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

    SecurityHealth REG_EXPAND_SZ
    %windir%\system32\SecurityHealthSystray.exe


    1 Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


    2 To Enable Windows Security Notification Area Icon for All Users

    This is the default setting.


    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Enable_Windows_Security_notification_icon_for_all_users.reg

    Download


    3 To Disable Windows Security Notification Area Icon for All Users

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Disable_Windows_Security_notification_icon_for_all_users.reg

    Download

    4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

    5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

    6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, OK (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

    7 Restart the computer to apply.

    8 If you like, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


    That's it,
    Shawn Brink






  1. Posts : 184
    Windows 10 Pro x64 21H2
       #1

    Question: Windows Defender does show in my system tray when malware is detected, so will this tutorial make it show permanently? Also I unchecked the option to always show icons and notifications; will this affect Windows Defender from showing?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 68,658
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2

    Hello TON, :)

    This tutorial basically adds the Windows Defender icon to run at startup so it will always show.

    If you set to not always how all icons in the notification area, Windows Defender will be in the expansion menu of notification area icons instead.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 184
    Windows 10 Pro x64 21H2
       #3

    Brink said:
    Hello TON, :)

    This tutorial basically adds the Windows Defender icon to run at startup so it will always show.

    If you set to not always how all icons in the notification area, Windows Defender will be in the expansion menu of notification area icons instead.
    Got it. Thanks for the quick reply! I've been looking for a fix to this.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 68,658
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #4

    You're most welcome. :)
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 48
    Windows 10 Pro 64bit
       #5

    Is there a way for the desktop context menu items from Windows Defender context menu - Add in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums to appear in here instead? So when I right click the defender icon in the notification area, I get 'Update', 'Quick Scan' etc. That will consolidate things nicely in one place..
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 68,658
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Hello Krytoned, :)

    That would be great if so, but there's not a way to add them that I'm aware of.

    Please send feedback to Microsoft for this requested feature to hopefully have it added one day.

    https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/7...dows-10-a.html
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 204
    Windows 10 Pro
       #7

    Thanks Brink it works like a charm, now the icon shows on restart and I can update it when I choose rather than going to settings etc etc and it showing makes me feel like its doing something rather than chasing it down only to find the 'Scan Now' deal in orange staring me in the face....good job!
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 68,658
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #8

    I'm glad it could help tazmo. :)
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 353
    Windows 10 Pro
       #9

    I love these articles and scripts you do, thanks very much for them they save me heaps of time (while costing lots of yours) so thank you :)
      My Computer


 

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