That area at the right end of the task bar is the "system tray".  Icons in
this area represent background/utility tasks that are running.  SOME of them
may blossom into full-blown applications if you click on them, but others
just perform their small functions with only the icon and perhaps a small
menu.

  That area next to the "start" button at the left is the "quick launch"
bar.  Icons here do not represent anything currently running, but will
launch a specific application when clicked.  They have the same
functionality as desktop icons, except that you can still get to them easily
when there are windows open all over the desktop.  Following the example of
Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player, more and more popular
applications are offering to add an icon here as part of their installation.

David Gillett


On 30 Jul 2005 at 15:46, Kay Huff wrote:

> I normally have little icons in the bottom right corner of my desktop
> for things I use often.  Suddenly I now have a bunch  on the left, next
> to the Start button.  Some are the same ones that I have on the right
> and some are different.  I don't know why they are there, or how they
> got there.
>
> How do I get rid of them?  I did a right click and got the impression it
> would delete the program, not just the icon.
>
> I would appreciate any suggestions.  Thanks in advance.

      "Hold No Punches.." Rode brings you great shareware/freeware
        programs with his honest opinions in this weekly column.
                       http://freepctech.com/rode