Turn System Icons On/Off
On the right of your Windows Taskbar are various icons that allow you to change system volume, connect to networks, adjust power settings (if it’s a netbook or laptop/notebook), and view the current date and time. This area is called the Notification Area. Did you know you can hide the icons if you want? For example, if you use a desktop that only connects to one router or modem, you might consider hiding the Network icon. Whatever your reason, the point is these icons are easily adjustable.
Right-click an empty area of the Taskbar and go to Properties. You can also right-click the Start button (aka. the Windows Orb) and get there the same way.
In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window, open the Taskbar tab. Within the Notification area section, click the Customize button and a Control Panel window will pop up.
From this page, you can see a list of all the programs that are allowed to run in the Notification Area. For each program, you can select to always show the icon, always hide the icon, or show it when something significant is happening.
This list has some of the system icons like Volume, Network, and Action Center, but it is missing a few. At the bottom of this page is a link to Turn system icons on or off which you should click.
Now you’re on a page that lists all the system icons and has a simple On/Off option for each of them. Note that the Power option is blocked out because I’m on a desktop computer. Netbooks and laptops/notebooks will have this option available.
There you have it – another way to customize your Windows-based PC and make it your own.
Recent Comments