Windows Vista® Inside Out Deluxe Edition

Controlling the Display of Icons in the Notification Area

The notification area (also sometimes called the system tray or the status area) can become crowded with tiny icons—many of which don’t "notify" you of anything. A variety of programs use the notification area to provide program-starting icons. But many of those programs seldom need to be started; they continue to do their job without any intervention from you. To deal with notification-area congestion, Windows Vista, by default, keeps a few icons visible at all times but hides most of the icons that you aren’t actually using. Icons that aren’t currently visible are only a click away; click the arrow at the left end of the notification area to display the hidden items.

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