Understanding Vista's New Network Connection Icons
Windows Vista's network connected icons that live in the system tray have a new feature: They let you know if you are connected to the internet, or just your local network. These new icons are especially useful when you are connected to a wireless network.
Connected to Internet
Notice the tiny globe, indicating connection to the internet. Mousing over the icon will also show the popup window, which will tell you exactly what you have access to.
Connected to Local network only
Notice that the globe icon is gone, indicating that you can't connect to the internet, but you can connect to local computers.
Not Connected
Maybe you should plug that cable back in ?
Windows Vista is definitely more polished than XP.
The Geek is the founder of How-To Geek and a geek enthusiast. When he's not coming up with great how-to articles, he's probably writing at his personal blog. This article was written on 01/9/07 and tagged with: Windows Vista, Network and Internet
I am brand new to Vista and your Geek website has been invaluable!! Thanks
For those of us still stuck with dialup Internet access, the Network Connection icon doesn't show network activity thru the modem, even when animation is enabled.
Also, under XP when you double clicked on this icon you would get the connection status window. Now what you get is a display of one of the network connection folders.
Please email me with instructions on how to get my connectivity icon back in the task bar. I upgraded from XP last night and I saw the icon in the system tray (with the globe) and after I took it out of standby (when I close the notebook at night), it hasn't come back up and I couldn't figure out how to connect to the internet. I used to be able to just repair it by right clicking on one of the connectivity icons in XP. This time I couldn't figure it out and just plugged it in from my modem with a USB to get an internet connection.
I also right clicked on the system tray to customize the hide/show icons and it wasn't in there. Please help me figure out how to get that computer/globe icon back. Also, is there a way to "Repair" like we could do with XP where it switches devices for you and switches back and shows that it's now connected with that yellow seatbelt?
Hi, I'm new here, but I have the same problem as Lynne. My network icon has disappeared from the system tray. How do I get it back? I'm using Dialup. I can still connect & disconnect, by clicking on Start, Connect To, but I'd like to have it back.
What is the only solution when your GLOBE ICON doesn't show up on your computer. I only see two computer screen without the globe icon. In order for me to get connected to the internet I always have to reset my network adapter in order for me to get connected to the internet.
When I turned on my computer the network automatically get connected to the internet.
I have a built-in bluetooth wireless "Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2915A plus a wireless N usb adapter which I am connected to a hotspot.
I would really appreciate your help!
Thank You!
I don't like vista and that icon , first thing it doesn't show the network activity even if you have it enabled , second if you move the cursor on the icon all you get is the connection status *local and internet* ? well i can see that from the icon changing without moving the cursor over that icon , worse than that is when you click on the icon the same previous window extends and show you links ???? to connect or disconnect and even if you click on one of them it will send you to another window to just disconnect your connection ??? i think i am going back to windows xp or ubuntu
- now for people that don't see their connection icon anymore try this : right click on the toolbar > properties > notification area > under system icons check *network* then hit apply .
Angel OT
Thanks Angel OT - my icon is back! Don't know why that didn't work before…..
I've also lost my network status icon, and went to the properties, but when I try to click on the "network" box, it's greyed out (as is the "volume" box). Any ideas why I can't get it to show? Would love to get it back!
Since I upgraded to Vista I've also had a grey box appear in the systray with a red slashed circle (like you get in a "no smoking" sign) in the lower right corner. If I look at it under the list in the "customize" area in the "notification area" it simply says "". Any idea what this is? I suspect it might have something to do with notifying that Aero is disabled.
In the bizareness that is MS, my icon, unbidden, is back! Weird!
Go figure.
New to Vista,darn I looked throw all my programs and I could not find a word processor.
My PC is a Acer Aspire E389 OS Vista home Premium operating system ADM 64X2 4200+
32 bit Can someone Let Me know before I junk this PC Thanks
me too, my network icon in vista has disappeared and it's greyed out in taskbar properties!! How do i get it back?
Right-click the Notification Area, and goto Properties. Click the Notification Area tab, and then check "Network" in the system icons.
I love Windows Vista Sidebar, and 3-D Mode, but Network Connection Icon on taskbar leaves a lot
to be disired. I did find a way to have familiar XP operation by creating a shortcut Internet Connection on my Desktop and then it gives familiar items like Enable/Disable and status. It just takes more effort in accomplishing this and you have to Minimize your browser to access Desktop.
1. Is there a way to use Windows Vista with older Windows XP Internet Connection?
2. Is there a way to eliminate Internet Connection logon at bootup?
i am behind a proxy server.My network icon shows Network access:Local only….still i am able to connect to net… but my comp cant automatically upgrade windows or its components…. what is this so….???
I have also lost the network icon in my task bar
When i go to properties /notification area the box for the tick is also greyed out.
It happened once before and some how it decided to come back again but this time it is not that easy.
I thing it may have been lost when i updated the drivers for my nvida video card.
I have also lost the network icon in my task bar,
When i go to properties /notification area the check box is also greyed out.
what can i do?
Same problem as everyone else: The check box is "greyed out," meaning I cannot place a check in the box to activate the network icon or the volume icon. This has happened to me before, and after a while (days, weeks, sometimes just a few minutes), it will magically appear back after a restart but not all restarts will fix it. I'd like to know how to physically correct the problem. MS doesn't help when contacted, they suggest the "right click, properties, notification area, check box" crap and that won't work considering I can't check the box! Any help will be appreciated.
I had the same problem for ages but it apears to have fixed itself permantly.
What type of videocard do you run as I changed from ATI to Nivida and i used to have problems with this error when i used to update my videocard drivers (ATI)
I use Nvidia, but I didn't change cards or anything. I think it may have something to do with what I installed. I'm going to try and do a system restore today and see if that will even help. I kinda don't want to resort to that though. There has to be a way to get it back if it ever happens again.
As it turns out System Restore will fix it. Someone just had the same thing happen on a laptop. Lost icon, "Network" checkbox grayed out, etc. We used System Restore to go back to yesterday. It's far from ideal, but it's cheap and dirty, and it works.
I know, it worked for me too, but I wish I knew what caused the problem so I could figure out how to truly fix it.
Found this solution on the web and it worked for me: (usual warning about backing up and taking care in the registry!)
Search registry for every occurrence of the words “iconstreams” and “PastIconStreams”.
(I found one of each). Delete each one and continue searching until you find no more. Reboot and the options to display the icons will no longer be greyed out.
Hey guys, I foudn a fix on another website.
For some reason if you clear this history of icons; the power, network, volume….icons will all reappear.
- brilliant i hear you say.
———————————-
CLEARING THE TRAY ICON HISTORY
> run 'regedit.exe'
> goto key 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \TrayNotify'
> delete keys 'IconStreams' & 'PastIconsStream'
> start task manager, go to processes and kill explorer.exe
> go to applications in the task manager, hit new task and type 'explorer.exe'
> explorer will now reboot and woohey, your icons should return.
Works a charm.
Andrew
Thanks Andrew, worked perfectly.
Wow; thank you so much, Andrew!! This was driving me crazy!!
My son got me to download world of warcraft onto my computer but it didnt have enough ram so I went to pc world and bought a graphic updater for the game. Since it has been on the computer lots of errors have occured and the writting my screen has got very big. Could some fix this problem? Thanx
The "CLEARING THE TRAY ICON HISTORY" suggestion also worked for me to get the network status (wireless and wired) back in the system tray. Also, the Network checkbox in the Notification Area of the "Taskbar and Start Menu Properties" is no longer greyed out.
Thank you very much. It is a real time saver.
How people figure these things out I'll never know. I was a bit hesitant to try it as I don't understand what it is doing or why it works but I couldn't take it anymore, finally made the leap and tried it, and it worked.
Thanks again.
Yes! Thank you Andrew! How did you figure that out? Nice work.
WAY TO GO ANDREW!!! Worked perfectly
Brilliant move
tnx Andrew
Cheers Andrew, at last I got it sorted
thanks andrew, it worked, but does that mess up the system? that warning popped up about possibly causing instability… will it harm the system?
I had one issue with this solution on my laptop (just in case anyone else has problems). If you can't find HKEY_CURRENT_USER under the regedit.exe, then just try to run regedit. I was able to find everything then.
PS: Thanks Andrew, it worked wonderfully!
Thats amazing stuff Andrew, but how does the icon history affect whether or not the icons are displayed? Any clue or is this another issue microsoft need to address?
Never quite understood what the difference was between the solution I suggested which nobody seemed to take up and the solution posted by Andrew three days later which is essentially the same and seems to have got everybody leaping up and down.
well done Patrick
i must admit i thought you'd posted first but didn't think i needed to check. but still, why does Vista do this?
Basic problem is that the icon cache fills up over time. The registry edit purges the cache. It's a bug which could be sorted by creating a circular cache or by purging it when full - until then the problem will recur every now and again.
My main PC is connected to the internet via a wireless router hard wired into one of the 4 I/P ports, the 1 O/P port then goes to my cable modem. I also use my laptop into another I/P port. I also connect a PMP player using the wireless connection. All works well. As I write this, I'm obviosly connected to the internet but have no globe icon. I do sometimes see it but can't work out why it appears. Diagnose and repair form right click reveals 'no problems'.
Can anyone advise?
andy & pat your both AWSOME! and SMART! thank you
It`s nice that MS added extra useful information to an icon, but to have the activity lights in two very similar shades of blue is ridiculous imo, I have to squint to see if my connection is active. (I am amazed things like this got through beta testing).
I decided to "immerse" myself in the "Vista Experience" and whilst I like the odd feature on the whole I am very unimpressed.
You can polish a turd… but its still a turd…
Thanks, Andrew, worked like a charm, you da man!!
Yay Andrew! Thank you, that was driving me nuts.
WOOAHHH…that worked really well…thanks andreww =]
Hello there! I've tried the trick but my Network box is still greyed out. Any ideas ?
Thank you!
Oh I just rebooted the laptop and it's not greyed out anymore
Thanks a lot guys!
andrew, legend, man! great to have that sorted. really simple to understand instruction for philistines like myself-wouldnt have been happy messing in registry without the step by step instructions.
thanx a lot pat and and
worked like a charm Is it possible it happens again in the future?
Thanks Andy! YES. IT WAS BRILLIANT!!! I, too, was losing my female mind. Nice to know there are people like you in this world who not only have the knowledge, but share it.
(Patrick, you're smart too so don't be a hater. You are loved as well. We need all of you brainiacs!!!)
Thnx Patrick and Andrew, fixed my friends PC for her and think it was your nice concise instructions that won the day for you Andrew
Chur
Rob
hasnt anyone noticed that this solution as successful it may be it does not solve the problem permanently…at least not for me.
Every now and then(1-2 weeks approximately) i have to repeat this procedure
Its getting kinda boring.Isnt there a more permanent way to address the problem?
it happened to my computer after installing Vista SP1. Solution described here worked great. thank you so much.
The same with me, i installed SP1 last night (note how half the updates it "installs" you already have!) and my icons dissapeared again. Following the steps above helped me.. again.
aris - the fix for me was permanent till microsoft released the major update.
Suggest screaming at microsoft down the phone till they come up with an answer =]
So i lost my power,volume and my connection icon what do i do?
my volume and network icons always disappears.i try to regain it back this time but i couldnt.my cn did for me once.pls help.what will i do?
This happened to me once before SP1 (both network and volume icons disappeared and were greyed out in th options dialog). The steps here worked fine. Since I got SP1 installed just 3 days ago, I'm having to go through these steps practically every time I start up my PC. Usually it's just network, sometimes both network and volume. The steps work for the initial reboot after deleting the registry entries, but then after another 2 or 3 reboots they've gone again.
Something in SP1 has most definitely broken this I think!