# Annoying Appearing-Disappearing Icon **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2012, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-appearing-disappearing-icon/644269 "2012-12-17T03:51:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chowching](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@chowching](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowching)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-appearing-disappearing-icon/644269/1 "2012-12-17T03:51:35Z")
I’m not sure how to describe it but here goes. An icon suddenly appears and disappears in my taskbar. I’m not familiar with the icon and I’m not able to see it clearly because it just stays there for a split-second. I’m not able to make out the pattern when it will appear. I scanned my computer using ESET and Malwarebytes and nothing shows up. I’m bothered that it might be a keylogger. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-appearing-disappearing-icon/644269/2 "2012-12-17T04:34:16Z")
Where on the taskbar? Is it showing up like a program or is it over by the clock? If it’s over by the clock, is it actually disappearing or just hiding? Trying clicking the little arrow that displays all the icons and see if it reveals itself. Also, if it shows up with any regularity, try to be ready with with your finger on the Print Screen button and get a screen shot. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-appearing-disappearing-icon/644269/3 "2012-12-17T05:29:08Z")
Was it a notification? > **[Microsoft Learn: Build skills that open doors in your career](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/)** > > Gain technical skills through documentation and training, earn certifications and connect with the community ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-appearing-disappearing-icon/644269/4 "2012-12-17T06:56:04Z")
It’s almost certainly either some sort of notification, or else an automatic update or something similar that was installed by the manufacturer of your computer. I have an HP computer, and every so often I’ll see an HP icon pop up very briefly in the taskbar, and then disappear. The CPU goes active at the same time, so it’s obviously an update process or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![chowching](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@chowching](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowching)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-appearing-disappearing-icon/644269/5 "2012-12-17T06:57:03Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Where on the taskbar? Is it showing up like a program or is it over by the clock? > If it’s over by the clock, is it actually disappearing or just hiding? Trying clicking the little arrow that displays all the icons and see if it reveals itself. > > Also, if it shows up with any regularity, try to be ready with with your finger on the Print Screen button and get a screen shot. It’s showing up like a program. It happens every now and then and there seems to be no definite pattern. ---
**Author:** ![chowching](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@chowching](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowching)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-appearing-disappearing-icon/644269/6 "2012-12-17T07:11:36Z")
[![](https://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p17/ramuelpogi999/hulika_zps6524d3ce.jpg) ](https://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p17/ramuelpogi999/hulika_zps6524d3ce.jpg) caught it guys! what could this be? ---
**Author:** ![emoticorpse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@emoticorpse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emoticorpse)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-appearing-disappearing-icon/644269/7 "2012-12-17T08:01:00Z")
Looks like a picture associated with some type of scanner or camera software. It may be a driver some drivers or legitimate software cause nuisances like that. If you don’t want it popping up you have to stop it from starting or uninstall it by the uninstall feature in windows or task manager. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-appearing-disappearing-icon/644269/8 "2012-12-17T08:01:43Z")
Looks like a Control Panel icon for Printers and Devices. Don’t have a clue as to what program or system app is causing it to pop up. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-appearing-disappearing-icon/644269/9 "2012-12-17T08:10:02Z")
Could be a wireless printer or camera that’s intermittently connecting? If you don’t have such a beast, it might even be a neighbor or something if you’re somehow inadvertently connecting to their network, or they yours. ---
**Author:** ![Snerky\_Snerk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Snerky\_Snerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snerky_Snerk)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-appearing-disappearing-icon/644269/10 "2012-12-17T10:44:19Z")
I haven’t seen this issue myself, but found a site with a bit of an explanation and instructions for how to switch it off - [Microsoft Q&A | Microsoft Learn](http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/w7itprogeneral/thread/2bae11f7-3af1-4887-bfd1-d9a6f9b91eac) > [@](#): > > Here is the solution, go to your services tab on Task Manager then click the admin service icon in bottom right corner. Scroll down to find Interactive Services Detection (UI0detect.exe) and right click on it. Then go to properties after that go down to startup type and put it on disabled, then hit apply at the bottom. This just monitors the user input for interactive services and sometimes it may cause the taskbar to set the icon to popup as a notification, in other words its like a dialog application and not needed. I can’t confirm any of that, up to you if you want to switch it off or not. ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-appearing-disappearing-icon/644269/11 "2012-12-17T19:28:38Z")
Do you have an item in the print queue? Your computer might be trying to print a document periodically, but the printer is unavailable. Just a guess based on the printer on the icon. ---
**Author:** ![chowching](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@chowching](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowching)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-appearing-disappearing-icon/644269/12 "2012-12-18T04:34:44Z")
> [@Snerky\_Snerk](#): > > I haven’t seen this issue myself, but found a site with a bit of an explanation and instructions for how to switch it off - [Microsoft Q&A | Microsoft Learn](http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/w7itprogeneral/thread/2bae11f7-3af1-4887-bfd1-d9a6f9b91eac) > > I can’t confirm any of that, up to you if you want to switch it off or not. Saw this through google too. It seems to work. The icon does not pop anymore. I just don’t know what else happened by disabling it. Anyway, thanks guys. ---
**Author:** ![Space\_Vegetable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Space\_Vegetable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Space_Vegetable)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-appearing-disappearing-icon/644269/13 "2012-12-18T07:31:53Z")
[This page](http://blogs.msdn.com/b/patricka/archive/2011/03/14/troubleshooting-interactive-services-detection.aspx) has more information, and explains how to figure out which software was causing the problem in the first place.