Volume icon will not appear

[noknojon]

Hi -

I have been having a problem with the volume icon missing from the task bar (near the clock) - XP SP 3 - MSE and other programs listed below -

All the steps that anyone has thrown up do not seem to make any change to this problem -

The list of daily attempts includes - Right click on task bar near clock and set volume icon to Always show (it is listed there) -

Also Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Tick in the box for Place icon in task bar -

All the usual Full Scans with MBAM and SAS also Full Scan with MSE - So it seems no infection related issues -

Also done Combo fix with AdvancedSetup and on line scans (just to check) -

This has been an ongoing issue (on and off, mainly off) for months, even though somehow (unknown) it came back for 2 days , and that was it -

There must be another setting somewhere !!!!!!!!

Any person that has some other ideas, I am willing to try ???

No Volume Icon here <<<- Clock is 100% OK -

[YoKenny1]

Is it XP Home or Pro?

How much RAM?

On my XP Pro system I use LClock 1.62b:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Clocks-Time-Management/LClock.shtml

[wildman424]

hey there

is the sndvol32.exe file in your system32 directory if it is not have you tried a system file check ?? System File Checker gives an administrator the ability to scan all protected files to verify their versions. If System File Checker discovers that a protected file has been overwritten, it retrieves the correct version of the file from the cache folder (%Systemroot%\System32\Dllcache) or the Windows installation source files, and then replaces the incorrect file. You must be logged on as an administrator or as a member of the Administrators group to run System File Checker. If the cache folder becomes damaged or unusable, you can use the sfc /scannow, the sfc /scanonce, or the sfc /scanboot commands to repair its contents. out of a command promp type: sfc/scannow close all programs and open windows and let the system sit idle while it runs the check it will create a folder in the Windows directory called LastGood and populate it with files from cache folder (%Systemroot%\System32\Dllcache) copy em were they belong when its done

Description of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 System File Checker (Sfc.exe)

Description of the Windows File Protection feature

let me know if this helps you out

good luck

[noknojon]

@ YoKenny1 - XP Home with all updates - 750 MB DDR-SDRAM - Over 70% free space -

There is no problem with the clock , it is ONLY the Volume Icon that usually appears next to the clock that is missing -

I do have full speaker controls in the Accessories > Entertainment > Volume control , but I just set it at a good level and leave it -

If I right click the task bar, the icon is there, but will not appear when set to Always Show -

@ wildman424 - I have run sfc /scannow several times with my CD in, including today , and I have run this code for full CHK DSK several times -

CMD /C ECHO Y|CHKDSK C: /R | SHUTDOWN /R /T 30

I will try to find the file you mentioned -

Thank You -

[marktreg]

Hi John.

On this page:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

there is a reg file called 'Sound Icon - Enable'

May be worth a try.

[noknojon]

Thanks mark -

Found it (item 316.5) - Downloaded it, ran it, and rebooted, but it is still not there -

Forgot about Kellys Korner when I was looking -

Wellll - I got it back for the moment (hope it stays) - Not 100% sure which process did it -

I used several off the web and seemed that none were working, but when I rebooted (the 4th time today) , There it was -

So I can not say what process did the job but it is solved for today - Next time I turn it off at night I just hope it is still there -

Thanks for all the answers -

[marktreg]

John, there is a known bug in XP's shell32.dll which can cause this problem. But it looks like Microsoft are not interested in fixing it.

If the volume icon disappears again, try clicking Start > Log Off > Log Off

Then Log In again and see if the volume icon reappears.

If it does reappear, them you have this 'bug' problem.

The shell32.dll bug is to do with not giving the all the icons enough time to load properly.

You could try using some kind of Startup Delayer program and see if that helps. But, if you do have the 'bug' problem, the only actual 'fix' I know of is to do what Microsoft should have done years ago and patch the dll.

I can patch the dll so that it gives the icons enough time to load. But the problem with that is my patched dll would no longer be a Microsoft signed file. So some kind of Windows Update or running SFC could delete my patched dll and replace it with the standard Microsoft one. Because of this, I would generally only use it if there was no other way of getting around the problem.

[noknojon]

The Icon for sound has gone after the shutdown -

I was able to go through several steps to reinstate it , but it seems that my fix is only a temp -

EDIT - @ mark - I did that start, log off, log off , and it returned , but a full shutdown again 'may' not leave it there as I normally just hit

Start > Turn off, Turn off at nights -

EDIT 2 - Under Legacy Audio Drivers in Device Manager , there are no Properties listed - Al other drivers etc are OK -

I wonder if there should be something there ?? I do not remember -

[marktreg]

It looks like you definintely have the shell32.dll 'bug' problem. For a workaround you can just Log Off and Log In again and the volume icon will reappear. Patching the dll is the seems to be the only real solution, but this is not advisable for the reasons I gave earlier.

You can read more about the shell32.dll 'bug' problem here:

http://winhlp.com/node/16

[noknojon]

Hi mark -

I think one of the fixes "seems" to have worked - After a reboot I have now got the icon in the task bar -

Not sure which one it was (as I used 3 of them) but if it is there in 24 hrs it is solved -

Thanks -

[marktreg]

Nice one, John. Hopefully it will stay there and not do a disappearing act again.

[noknojon]

Hi mark -

All the icons work better , including the general screen icons -

One of those fixes Do Work -

[marktreg]

Excellent news, John.

Maybe I was a bit hasty in patching the dll on my buggy XP system. It works fine again now, but perhaps I didn't actually need to do it if one of the reg fixes might have worked instead.

[noknojon]

Sorry mark -

Turned on today and the Icon has gone again ?? - It seems that the fixes I am using are only temps -

I can go through the same routine again and it will come back , but there seems to be no Full Fix -----

Regards -

[marktreg]

OK John. You can always use the Log Off/Log In workaround if you want the sound icon to reappear.

[YoKenny1]

Please change your signature from XP SP3 to XP SP3 Home.

Make sure SSDP Discovery Service and Universal Plug and Play Device Host are both set to Disabled in Computer Management Services.

Right click on My Computer in Start then Manage then expand Services and Applications then Services and scroll down to SSDP Discovery Service then right click for Properties then make Startup type: Disabled

You may want to install User Profile Hive Cleanup Service

Brief Description

A service to help with slow log off and unreconciled profile problems.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=1B286E6D-8912-4E18-B570-42470E2F3582&displaylang=en

[exile360]

If you use a shared/networked printer or networked storage device DO NOT disable SSDP Discovery Service and Universal Plug and Play Device Host as they won't work any more. If you don't, then go right ahead .

[noknojon]

@ exile360 -

Single computer - Direct ethernet connection - Single access to Cannon printer, that is usually turned off - No external drives -

Hope that explains your above directions -

Thanks -

@ YoKenny1 -

I have done All the things you put forward - Then I shut down / restarted / and the volume icon was there -

Lets hope it comes back after tonights shutdown -

Thanks -

[noknojon]

@ YoKenny1 -

This is the first time for ages that the Icon has remained on the bar for 2 days running -

Thanks -

[YoKenny1]

@ noknojon

I do know a thing or two.

Have you installed User Profile Hive Cleanup Service?

[noknojon]

@ YoKenny1 -

As stated above , I followed All your procedures -

You need to do something when you live up there - I never doubted you - That is why I did all you put forward -

Again Thanks - B)

EDIT - Can you give me the shortcut for the latest Direct X upload - Mine is listed as Version 9.0c September 2009 - (If there is an update ?) -

[marktreg]

This 'disappearing icons' thing is a very strange problem. I tried the SSDP/UPnP fix on my XP system and it just did not work at all. Although it does say that the SSDP/UPnP fix does work for a lot of people here:

http://winhlp.com/node/16

Anyway, congrats to John for getting his volume icon back permamently.

And also congrats to YoKenny1 for suggesting that John used that method before resorting to the more drastic dll patch method.

[noknojon]

@ marktreg -

There may also have been some of the other fixes that you put up that assisted , but I an not sure -

All I know is that YoKenny1 had the final result -

Thanks to all -

EDIT - Can you give me the shortcut for the latest Direct X upload - Mine is listed as Version 9.0c September 2009 - (If there is an update ?) -

[YoKenny1]

Brief Description

The Microsoft DirectX

[Firefox]

The full download package can be found here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=0cef8180-e94a-4f56-b157-5ab8109cb4f5