Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
The volume indicator allows you to control the sound output by your computer. It can disappear, and the option to enable it has moved around a little.
My sound icon has disappeared. How can I find where to make it show back up on my tray at the bottom of my computer screen?
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Not to be confused with an on-screen volume indicator, what we're discussing here is a small icon that sits in the system tray, typically on the right hand side of the screen from which you can adjust the sound output volume.
The good news is that it's typically a simple system setting to display it or not.
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First let's identify the little guy:
The sound icon in Windows XP
The sound icon in Windows Vista
The sound icon in Windows 7
As you can see, it's a small speaker icon. Click on it and you typically get the global volume control, right-click on it and you'll get additional options.
If it's there, that is.
And as it turns out, the option to display it has taken a little trip, moving to three different places in three different versions of Windows: XP, Vista and Windows 7.
Windows XP
In Control Panel, open the Sounds and Audio Devices applet and click on the Volume tab.
Check, or uncheck, the Place volume icon in the taskbar option as you like.
Windows Vista
Right click on the task bar, and click on Properties, then click on the Notification Area tab:
Windows 7
Right click on the clock and click on Properties:
Regardless of where it ran off to, the option's there in all three versions of Windows, so you can elect to show the sound icon, or not, as you wish.
Article C3894 - October 17, 2009 « »
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he
was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed.
After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers
to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
November 15, 2011 2:31 PM
No matter what i try, i still cannot get the volume indicator back and worse still there is no sound at all, any ideas.
Regards Mick
February 28, 2012 9:28 AM
Pace Volume Icon in the taskbar box has been checked on; however, the icon doesn't appear.
Any thoughts ?
March 27, 2012 9:27 AM
Thank you so very much for your easy to understand solution to my suddenly disappearing sound icon!!!
October 14, 2012 5:24 PM
I went to the Control Panel and completed the task (however the task was already checked). The icon did not appear in the system tray. My version of Windows is XP. Do I need to re-start to have the task completed?
December 11, 2012 9:23 AM
found all the info to restore volume icon, but cannot click on it to turn it back on...