Windows XP automatically hides the unused icons from the system tray — thus leaving more usable space in the taskbar for other things. But if you want to always show all the inactive icons, you can do it easily. Here is how :
- Right click anywhere on an empty area on the Windows taskbar.
- From the right-click menu select Properties.
- In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window, un-check the box labeled Hide inactive icons as shown,
- Click OK button to save the changes.
If you want to hide the inactive icons again, just follow the same steps — checking the box labeled Hide inactive icons this time.