# There's a blank space in my WinXP System Tray - how do I work out what it is? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2005, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-blank-space-in-my-winxp-system-tray-how-do-i-work-out-what-it-is/283330 "2005-01-06T01:54:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-blank-space-in-my-winxp-system-tray-how-do-i-work-out-what-it-is/283330/1 "2005-01-06T01:54:26Z")
There’s a little icon-sized gap in between the other icons in my system tray; it doesn’t have a tooltip, does nothing when clicked and appears as ‘\’ in the Customize Notifications dialog (the bit where you get to choose which ones are hidden and when) I’ve scanned my computer thoroughly for spyware and other nasties and it seems clean; AFAIK there’s nothing being loaded that I haven’t seen before. What is this blank space? ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-blank-space-in-my-winxp-system-tray-how-do-i-work-out-what-it-is/283330/2 "2005-01-06T06:00:44Z")
Is it persistent? (If you re-boot does it come back again?) Can you right-click on it? ---
**Author:** ![akifani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ba0ec/32.png) [@akifani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akifani)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-blank-space-in-my-winxp-system-tray-how-do-i-work-out-what-it-is/283330/3 "2005-01-06T07:25:14Z")
Press Ctrl+alt+del to go to the task manager, click processes and start terminating those you don’t recognize. After terminating each one, hover your mouse cursor over the mystery icon and see if it disappears. If not, keep going until you identify the name of the process for it. Once you do, get back at me and i’ll try to help you identify it if you haven’t already done so by googling or other means. You might also want to download spybot and scan your system just in case. It never hurts. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-blank-space-in-my-winxp-system-tray-how-do-i-work-out-what-it-is/283330/4 "2005-01-06T08:44:33Z")
As I said, I’ve scanned for spyware (using Spybot, as it happens) and it finds nothing unusual; HijackThis doesn’t show anything that I would normally consider suspicious… It is there every time I boot. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-blank-space-in-my-winxp-system-tray-how-do-i-work-out-what-it-is/283330/5 "2005-01-06T11:25:55Z")
download and install [jv16](http://www.oldversion.com/program.php?n=jv16) which includes **reg cleaner**. It will let you check for a lot of things in the registry, inluding hidden startup stuff, dead links, unused dll-files. And if you fiddle around and do something stupid, it will have a backup file that lets you backpedal, something reg edit doesn’t. Safe, free and easy to use. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-blank-space-in-my-winxp-system-tray-how-do-i-work-out-what-it-is/283330/6 "2005-01-06T11:33:10Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > As I said, I’ve scanned for spyware (using Spybot, as it happens) and it finds nothing unusual; HijackThis doesn’t show anything that I would normally consider suspicious… > > It is there every time I boot. Do you get a tooltip bubble when you mouse over the icon? Can you right click on the icon? What happens? There was a Windows bug a few years back where certain screen savers would do this if the video drivers weren’t up to date. You might try updating your vid driver. Are you running any 3rd party screensavers? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-blank-space-in-my-winxp-system-tray-how-do-i-work-out-what-it-is/283330/7 "2005-01-06T12:46:45Z")
> [@NattoGuy](#): > > Do you get a tooltip bubble when you mouse over the icon? > Can you right click on the icon? What happens? Nothing at all; not tooltip, no menu, no response whatever. > [@](#): > > Are you running any 3rd party screensavers? No; they’re something I purposely avoid.