My printer icon has disappeared. It is normally in my bottom task bar on the right. I wanted to do a head clean but can't find the damn thing to do it, even in start, any ideas?

Is it plugged in and switched on? Is it plugged into the PC?

Sorry, but it's always best to start with the obvious ;)

The first thing we need to do is find your printer. To do this (Presuming your using Windows XP) just go to 'Start' and then select 'Control Panel'. Now go to 'Printers And Faxes' and check that your printer is there. Right click on your printer and select 'Create Shortcut'.
This will place a shortcut on your desktop and you can simply drag the icon to your task bar using your mouse.

If you're in XP, icons in the bottom right system tray automatically hide themselves after a period of inactivity, by default. Click the little arrow to expand the system tray to show all icons in it, it might be in there somewhere.

I assume your printer still works as normal? If so and the icon isn't in the system tray as above, access the icon via the control panel as per vidster's instructions.

If all you use that icon for is maintenance, you could try the following:

Open an application (any application) and go File>Print. Don't click OK, look for a Properties or Preferences button. You may find access to the cleaning/alignment type functions in there (works for my Canon).

Thanks everyone for the advice. Yes my printer was plugged in and working and the icon wasn't hiding behind the arrow. So I created a new shortcut like some of you suggested and of course this allows me to access it. Also the advice from hotphil works too.Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be enough space to put it in in the bottom task bar, so maybe something else has pushed it out in the first place. I have an icon that says 'safely remove hardware' down there and don't know where it came from.

In all fairness, you don't need the icon in your system tray (I've dissabled mine).
the absence of the icon does NOt mean your printer isn't working, simply that the printer utilities aren't running, they'll be executed as soon as you start a print...

anything in the tray is evil, it uses system ressource, and I'm sure you have XP so you've alreayd have loads beeing used for absolutely nothing necessary :)

As long as you can print, the sys tray icon doesn't matter :)

Oh!, on that note Captain, how would I remove stuff from my task bar? Right clicking doesn't do this?

If it is in the far right hand side of your task bar, it is something that is running. Take a look at what you don't need (almost everything). Now open msconfig (Start/Run/Type msconfig/Enter. Now open the startup tab and uncheck everything you don't need (I only have my security programs checked here)/ Apply and reboot your computer. You should notice your computer starting faster as well (after the second reboot) ;).

Originally posted by vidster
If it is in the far right hand side of your task bar, it is something that is running. Take a look at what you don't need (almost everything). Now open msconfig (Start/Run/Type msconfig/Enter. Now open the startup tab and uncheck everything you don't need (I only have my security programs checked here)/ Apply and reboot your computer. You should notice your computer starting faster as well (after the second reboot) ;). exactly that !

OK this one is a reply to Vidster, my very long checked list in startup column:
kav
realsched
jusched
Dragdiag
SOUNDMAN
REGIST 1
nwiz
NvCpl
NeroCheck
mwsoemon
INSTAN 1
E_S10IC2
DigiSrv
Microsoft Works Ca….

Hope it was OK to put it in this thread.

Kav = Kapersky anti virus. Keep it checked
realsched = Real Player Updater. uncheck
jusched = Sun Java Updater. Uncheck
Dragdiag = ADSL Modem (possibly Alcatel) Keep it checked
SOUNDMAN = Realtec sound card icon. Uncheck (unless you use the icon in your ststem tray)
REGIST 1 = Scanner or Camera. Uncheck.
nwiz = NVIDIA nView Wizard. Uncheck.
NvCpl = Either related to NVIDIA or possibly a WORM! You need to check the EXACT spelling inc..Upper and lower case letters and check it Here (http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm)
Uncheck it anyway!
NeroCheck = Part of your Nero CD burning program. Uncheck.
mwsoemon = This is a nast peice of spyware and needs removing immediately!. Uncheck.
INSTAN 1 = Uncheck
E_S10IC2 = Epson printer. Unckeck.
DigiSrv = Sorry, i do not know this process. You may be able to check it at the above link.
Microsoft Works Ca... If you don't use Microsoft Works all the time you can uncheck this.

It may be worth waiting for other peoples views on what i have put but changes like this have always worked for me.
I also noticed the lack of a Firewall. Are you using the Windows XP Firewall?. If not you need to install one ;)

Hope this helps :)

Thanks so much vidster, I'm going to do all this straight away. Cheers. :clap:

I'm editing: I've done all that so shall see if this helps. I have checked windows firewall and it is switched on so thought I'd try to set firewall to default settings, but this message appears - 'Will delete all settings of windows firewall since first installed. May cause some programs to stop working'.
Should I click default or leave it? seems strange that it is switched on but not in my start up.

Windows firewall is built in to the windows operating system. This means it actually starts when windows starts so there is no need to have it in the start menu. If it is already on you may as well leave it as it is.

Now you need to dome some housecleaning to get your pc in to shape.
First you should Defragment your hard drive (start>all programs>accessories>system tools>disk defragmenter.)
You need to run Ad-Aware and Spybot search and destroy. Also run the online scans i mentioned earlier.

Did the 'arrow' come back?


Vidster

Thanks vidster, you've been fantastic helping me with this problem. I thought it was was a small problem but thankful you checked my list and found spyware (big problem), this turned out to be the' My web search bar' which I've uninstalled.I did all the checks, I didn't have Spybot so installed that and 9 problems were detected. Yes the little arrow remarkably came back on it's own somehow! Thanks again for your support. :thumbsup: :)

Just glad to help chezlyn :thumbsup: