I've always completely turned off that feature, since it tended to hide programs from me, programs that I didn't want to leave running. Though there were many cases of that happening to me before, here is a specific important example of why the feature is bad: Where I work, that feature is, interestingly, partially responsible for bricking certain modems. Certain models of old Verizon+Novatel modems would be bricked if you inserted them into a computer that was running the Sprint SmartView software (Sprint tries to apply its carrier profile to the Verizon modem). Since SmartView is one of those programs which auto-runs, and when you close it, instead of exiting, it minimizes into one of those tray icons, if you have the hide-trayicons feature turned on, you don't know it's running, so you'll get your verizon modem bricked if you insert it.

However, despite all that, I may reconsider my "never hide icons" policy now. Sony has a Control Center app which is important, controlling (among other things) charge limiters on the battery to improve its lifespan, Touchpad multitouch gestural control (scroll/pinch etc), the hard disk drop sensor, etc. The problem is that it also puts a couple of unwanted icons in the system tray for which there is no option to turn them off: A Scroll Lock on/off indicator (?!) and a touchpad on/off indicator. So, failing a way to get those things to turn off, I might have to enable the icon hider feature.



I shall investigate this! Thanks!