How to Fix the Missing Notification Area Icon?
On Windows 10 and later, you may have the problem that you lost the notification area icon or Action Center and want to fix missing notification area icon.
What is the Notification Area Icon or Action Center?
The Notification area icon is located at the bottom right of your computer screen in the Taskbar. It is also known as Windows Action Center.
This will provide you with information about unread emails, app updates, pending updates, etc. wherein you can take action by clicking on it.
It also shows you the shortcuts of Network, Windows Settings, Tablet Mode, Project, Connect, Bluetooth, etc. in order to get into customization.
Sometimes, due to some unknown changes in the registry or of any reason, the Action Center/Notification Area Icon (check image below how it looks?) gets corrupted and doesn’t display you the icon at the end of the Windows Taskbar.
So the question is how do we restore or fix the missing notification area icon?
Restore Windows 10 Notification Icon or Action Center
If this happens, don’t worry, your problem will be resolved. We just need to set the registry value to default and you will get your Notification Area Icon back on the Taskbar.
This article will show you how to fix the missing notification area icon and action center. Read one by one the steps given below to get this issue resolved. Follow the steps given below:
Step 1. Press Win + S to see the Windows 10 Search bar.
Step 2. Now type regedit in the Windows search bar. You will see the result at the top. Click on it to open Windows Registry Editor.
It is always good to back up the Registry Editor before we make any changes.
[Read: How to Backup and Restore Windows Registry?]
Step 3. Now locate or navigate the below given paths to in order to make values default:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer
Step 4. While selecting Explorer, now take a look on the right-side.
There is REG_DROWD key with the name of DisableNotificationCenter with the Data Value of (1) that means Action center has been disabled.
Step 5. Right-click on DisableNotificationCenter and select Modify…
Step 6. Edit DROWD (32-bit) Value Window will appear with Value data 1.
We need to modify the value from 1 to 0 in order to Enable Action Center.
Then, click OK to close the Edit DROWD (32-bit) Value screen. Also, close the Registry Editor.
Values to Enable/Disable Action Center/Notification Center:
0 or delete key = To Enable
1 = To Disable
Step 7. Now to apply the above changes, you may restart your Windows PC or just restart Windows Explorer from the Task Manager and you have successfully restored the Action Center/Notification Center to the right end of the Taskbar.
Restart Windows Explorer from the Windows Task Manager
Open Windows Task Manager.
[Read: 9 Different Tricks to Open Task Manager]
Under the Tab Processes, locate Windows Explorer and right-click on it and select Restart.
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There is no explorer section in registry where you pointed and no Windows Explorer process in the Task Manager.
Try below steps:
1. Right-click on empty space on Taskbar and select Taskbar Settings
2. Turn system icons on of off
3. Locate Action Center and use the toggle button to make it on
Also, Windows Explorer is always stays in Task Manager under Processes Tab