Dear Computer Lady,
Could you please explain tray apps and how to delete them from my comp?
They keep popping up and telling me they cannot load.
Thank you, Sharon
Dear Sharon,
I am guessing that you are talking about the icons that are located in the system tray, the small area on the right side of your taskbar that also contains the clock.
Some programs like your antivirus are made to run in the background of your computer, and they put a small icon in the system tray.
I don’t know why you have programs that are popping up telling you that they can’t run, but I can tell you how to stop them from trying to run in the first place.
1. Click on “Start” and type “msconfig”, then press the enter key. (if you are using Windows XP or older, click on “Run” before typing msconfig.
2. The System Configuration window will open. Click on the “Startup” tab.
3. Here you will see a list of all the applications that are trying to start when Windows starts. Click to remove the check mark in front of the application that you think might be causing the problem, and restart your computer.
You might have to experiment with different applications before you find the right ones. Just make sure you don’t turn off your antivirus program.
Elizabeth
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Elizabeth Boston is a Web designer, Social Media Consultant and managing editor of, “Ask The Computer Lady”.
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