34. Clear Past Items From The Notification
Area
Windows Vista will neatly hide any icons in the
notification area when they become inactive. You are
also given the option to permanently hide or display
the icon if you so wish. This obviously neatens up
the notification area but if you right click the
task bar , select properties, and then, in the
taskbar and startup menu properties window, click
the customise button under the notification area
section, you will see, not only the current icons
displayed, but also every single past icon that has
been in the notification area. To get rid of these
past items requires editing the registry as follows:
Before making changes to the registry it is
recommended that you take the time to make a backup
copy of your registry.
1/ Click the Start button.
2/ In the Start menu click
Run.
3/ In the Run dialog box type:
regedit
4/ The registry editor window will open.
5/ Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local
Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\TrayNotify
6/ Delete the following registry
key values: IconStreams and
PastIconStream.
7/ Now open the Task Manager by
Right clicking on the
taskbar and selecting task manager
from the menu.
8/ In the Task Manager window
click the Processes tab.
9/ Click Explorer.exe and then
click End Process.
10/ Next click File on the
Task Manager main toolbar. From the
drop down menu click New
Task.
11/ In the Create New Task dialog box
type: explorer and click OK.
12/ Finally Close the task
manager.