How can I identify this blank taskbar item?

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Hi Leo,
Thank You for addressing my question regarding the "phantom" icon in the taskbar! I am thrilled to let you know that since I sent you my question I found the culprit. It was the process (VERIZO~1.EXE). This process is part of the Verizon Online Help and Support Package application which I have deleted from my computer. Fortunately it is a redundant application anyway. I assume it was running in the background attempting to intermittently go to the Verizon website and look for updates. There is an active X control necessary for this to happen which needed approval for installation and since it was running in the background that never happened. At that point I guess the icon ended up in the taskbar as the application got stuck waiting for that active X control to be installed? The only thing I am certain of is that this process was causing the problem. The rest of this commentary is based on my limited understanding of the complex interaction of software. Thanks Again for your feedback.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Harry Rodgers

Leo, here is a link to yet another great tool that might be useful in such and similar cases. It doesn't show processes in a manner Process Explorer and Windows Task Manager do, but it shows windows (even hidden ones) and controls (dialogs, buttons etc.) that "runs" in a dedicated processes:

http://www.securitysoftware.cc
http://www.securitysoftware.cc/Programs/Enabler.exe

best regards,
Ivan Tadej, Slovenija, Europe
http://users.volja.net/tayiper
http://ivan-tadej.atspace.com
http://satyrhosts.bravehost.com

I'm having a similar problem at the moment, the unknown program appears then disappears. I've tried using process explorer but it hasnt picked up the unknown application

I'm having a similar problem at the moment, the unknown program appears then disappears. I've tried using process explorer but it hasnt picked up the unknown application.

Thank you, the problem went away completely using Process Explorer.

Thanks for this great article, fixed my problem easily.

Hey....for those of you who couldn't figure the problem out, I just did,

http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?showtopic=50420

how can i remove verizo~1.exe

Bingo! Thank you for the advice in our article. Solved the problem of my mystery icon immediately.

I think Harry Rodgers' theory on the Verizon Online help app is my culprit too. One thing that tells me this, is that when I go to try and uninstall the app, it hangs. CPU climbs to 100% very quickly. I let it sit for an hour and nothing happened.

I am guessing that maybe there is a corrupt file which is causing this and the phantom window.

If so, how do I uninstall if it keeps hanging? Do I have to find the CD and reinstall from scratch the on-line help app and then uninstall?

Any ideas?

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