Is it safe to rely on network connection icons at the notification area?

Taskbar icons missing?

• I have a Sony Vaio laptop & I am missing my volume & network icons in the right hand side of the taskbar. I tried right clicking on the taskbar to bring up properties & then going to Notification Area > System Icons to try to check (or uncheck & then re-check if need be to get them to always show) but both of those options are dimmed & I can't. Sometimes I have been missing my power or volume icon during a session, but it will come back usually the next time the computer is restarted. The network icon has been gone for a few days & my computer has been restarted about 3 times since it was first missing. Any ideas on what else I can try to get these to show up? Thanks!

• Answer:

  well i do face such problem on my dell inspiron. but i assumed it to be a result of the window updates i got. Usually i don't shut down my laptop rather i make it to hibernate; saving my session but the updates demand a restart. whenever i do a restart the icons which were missing pops up again. would be happy if a more valid answer comes up.. surely it wud help me also.