How to remove the Outlook 2003 system tray icon

[Paul Smith]

Hi,
Somebody please tell me that there is an option to remove the rather
redundant icon Outlook 2003 places in the system tray area! I've been
through the options many times but can't seem to find any way of getting
rid of it.

Thanks muchly

Paul

 

[Patricia Cardoza - [MVP Outlook]]

You can't get rid of it. You can however hide it. Just right click the Task
Bar. Choose Properties. Choose Customize. You can set the Outlook Icon to
always hide (in Windows XP only).

--
Patricia Cardoza
Outlook MVP
www.cardozasolutions.com

Author, Special Edition Using Microsoft Outlook 2003

***Please post all replies to the newsgroups***

 

[Paul Smith]

You can't get rid of it. You can however hide it. Just right click the Task
Bar. Choose Properties. Choose Customize. You can set the Outlook Icon to
always hide (in Windows XP only).

That can't be the case, surely. Of all the applications I've known that
have the capability to display a system tray icon there's an option to
remove it. I only have three things in my system tray at the moment so
you're saying if I want to use Outlook 2003 I have the choice of having
either an unwanted outlook icon or and unwanted "you have a hidden icon"
icon?

Any idea whether this bug will be fixed in a forthcoming patch?

Paul

 

[Patricia Cardoza - [MVP Outlook]]

As far as I know it's not slated to be fixed because Microsoft doesn't see
it as a problem. There are many types of programs that don't give you the
option to show the system tray icon or not (example Windows Messenger and
Yahoo MEssenger programs among others).

If you consider this a bug, send an email to (e-mail address removed). Make sure
you put Outlook 2003 in the subject and explain to them why you want to be
able to remove the icon.

The icon isn't completely redundant, although you might not need it. from
the icon you can cancel a server request and turn on and off specific
warning messages. You can't accomplish these tasks through the main program.

The icon is more helpful for Exchange users than for other email users such
as POP3 and IMAP.

--
Patricia Cardoza
Outlook MVP
www.cardozasolutions.com

Author, Special Edition Using Microsoft Outlook 2003

***Please post all replies to the newsgroups***

 

[Paul Smith]

As far as I know it's not slated to be fixed because Microsoft doesn't see
it as a problem. There are many types of programs that don't give you the
option to show the system tray icon or not (example Windows Messenger and
Yahoo MEssenger programs among others).

Not having used these programs I wasn't aware of that.

If you consider this a bug, send an email to (e-mail address removed). Make sure
you put Outlook 2003 in the subject and explain to them why you want to be
able to remove the icon.

Email sent. However, having had more than my fair share of dealings
with Microsoft in the past I give it a 50/50 chance of even being read,
let alone replied to or acted upon

The icon isn't completely redundant, although you might not need it. from
the icon you can cancel a server request and turn on and off specific
warning messages. You can't accomplish these tasks through the main program.

I like a clean and tidy desktop, which means I like having control of
what icons/shortcuts are visible. Whether others find a use for it is
beside the point - to me it is completely redundant and I simply don't
understand the reasoning behind a lack of control over its visibility.
I don't mean to sound dour (no, really , but having tasks that can
only be performed with the help of a non-removable system tray icon is
simply the hallmark of sloppy coding and UAT.

 

[Patricia Cardoza - [MVP Outlook]]

Microsoft does read all of the emails sent to mswish. However, that doesn't
mean it will necessarily be fixed. But it will be read.



--
Patricia Cardoza
Outlook MVP
www.cardozasolutions.com

Author, Special Edition Using Microsoft Outlook 2003

***Please post all replies to the newsgroups***