• Home
• Taskbar
• Start Menu
• Appearance
• Desktop
• Gadgets
• Mouse
• Files + Folders
• Pictures
• Programs
• Printing
• Security
• Networking
• Maintenance

Show or hide the volume icon (sound speaker) from the taskbar in Windows 7

Windows 7 automatically shows the volume icon inside the taskbar (as was the case in previous versions of Windows). Having the sound volume icon visible inside the taskbar is handy (and allows you with a click to increase or decrease your speakers' sound volume), but is redundant if you already have a volume control on your keyboard, for example, which is increasingly common. This Windows 7 explains how to show or hide the volume icon in the taskbar. 

Hide the volume icon from the taskbar (system speakers icon)

Follow these steps to hide your volume speaker icon from the taskbar in Windows 7:

• Open the start menu, and type "volume" in the text box
• Windows 7 will display near the top the matching results: click on the link labeled "Show or hide volume (speaker) icon on the taskbar"
• The Control Panel will open, and display the "Turn system icons on or off" screen
• The second system icon listed is "Volume", and is set to "On" by default (show it in the taskbar)
• Change the Volume's dropdown menu to "Off" (you get a preview of how the taskbar looks without volume as soon as you do)
• Click OK to apply the change, and confirm hiding the speaker / volume icon from the taskbar

Windows 7 has now stopped showing the Volume icon (sound speaker) on the taskbar; if you need to change the volume, use your keyboard button instead.

While a keyboard button to control volume works in most cases, you may sometimes need to increase or decrease the speakers' volume for an individual application (program), which cannot be done. If your speaker icon is hidden from the taskbar, here's what you need to do: open the start menu, and type "snd", the file name of Windows 7's sound mixer. One of the first results should be "SndVol.exe" - click on it, and the "Volume Mixer - Speakers" will open.

Show the volume icon in the taskbar

If you end up finding to impractical notification area to have the speaker icon displayed inside the taskbar, you can tell Windows 7 to resume showing the volume, same steps as before:

• Click on the start menu, and type "volume"
• Select the Volume's dropdown menu, and change its value from "Off" back to "On"
• Click OK to confirm and close the Control Panel

Windows 7 has now resumed displaying the volume icon in the taskbar!

• Windows 7 Taskbar and Notification area (system tray)
• Show or hide the clock from the taskbar
• Show or hide the volume icon (sound speaker) from the taskbar
• Mute speakers + Adjust Volume Mixer sound level
• Show or hide icons from the taskbar
• Unpin or pin a program to the taskbar
• Move the taskbar (to top of screen, sides, or back to bottom)
• Resize the taskbar (and show date next to time!)
• Show small icons or use large icons for taskbar buttons
• Customize taskbar buttons settings
• Automatically show or hide the taskbar
• Show days of the week in the taskbar
• What is Aero Peek? Enable or disable Aero Peek
• Enable / Show Quick Launch Taskbar
• Hide the date from the taskbar
• Unlock or lock the taskbar: enable or prevent moving / resizing
• Make the taskbar look like Windows XP or Windows Vista
• Change the time on your computer (system clock)
• Change the date on your computer (system clock + taskbar calendar)
• Change your time zone (system clock date and time settings)
• Change the first day of the week (when weeks start)
• Show a second + another clock (add multiple clocks / several time zones)
• Prevent the clock from automatically adjusting time (Daylight Saving Time settings)
• Show military time (24 hours) in the system clock
• Change your Country setting (Current Location)
• Change the language on your computer
• Windows 7 Tutorial