Member Avatar for dotbowels

All of a sudden the last few days when I log in I have a new icon one the bottom toolbar on the left side. It is hard to see what it is but it appears to be a computer and monitor with yellow coming out of the top sides.I am unable to right click on it (or left click) to see what it is. Can anyone tell me what it is and how to get rid of it or what to do with it? Thanks DorothyIf this was the wrong place to post or there is a better place to post this please let me know. Thanks

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Dani AI

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For : an unresponsive icon in the Windows XP notification area can be a legitimate background app, a stale “ghost” icon left when Explorer or the app crashed, or (less commonly) malware. moved this to the Spyware forum and asked for a screenshot; a clear capture plus the steps below usually pinpoints the cause quickly.

Quick identification and cleanup checklist:

  1. Hover the mouse over the icon and note any tooltip text. Record the exact words if present.
  2. Capture a screenshot (use Print Screen or Alt+Print Screen), paste into Paint, crop to the taskbar area, save as PNG, and attach the image when posting. A cropped close-up speeds diagnosis.
  3. Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc). Check the Applications and Processes tabs for unfamiliar entries. Note exact process names (not guesses) and whether CPU/IO spikes line up with the icon appearing.
  4. Use Sysinternals tools if available: Process Explorer can show which process/window owns a tray icon; Autoruns lists startup items that add tray icons. These are diagnostic only — avoid deleting files until the owner is confirmed.
  5. If the icon won’t go away, restart Explorer to clear ghost icons: in Task Manager end explorer.exe then run a new task explorer.exe. Save any unsaved work first.
  6. Run a full, up-to-date anti-malware scan (normal and, if needed, Safe Mode). If malware is suspected, disconnect from the network and back up important files before taking further steps.

When replying, include the screenshot, any tooltip text, exact process names seen in Task Manager, and recent installs or updates. If the icon disappears after restarting Explorer it’s likely a ghost; if it reappears, the process owner will be key to a safe removal.

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Member Avatar for 'Stein

Let's check for spyware. I'll move ya to the Spyware forum. Someone'll help ya there.

Member Avatar for Kn10

Can you show us a screenshot of it?

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