Organize your notification area

The notification area is the collection of small icons near your system clock, in the bottom-right corner of your screen. After you've used your computer for a few months, the notification area can become cluttered with icons for different programs you may have installed. Each icon takes up space on your Microsoft Windows XP taskbar, which leaves less room for your program buttons.

Fortunately, you can free up space in the notification area by hiding icons that you don't use very often.

To organize your notification area

1.	Right-click the system clock, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu.
2.	In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box, click Customize.
3.	The Customize Notifications dialog box appears. For each icon you want to hide, click the Behavior list, and then click Always hide. For each icon you want to always show, click the Behavior list, and then click Always show.
4.	Click OK twice.

Your notification area will be much less crowded, giving you more room for program buttons on your taskbar. To show the icons you have hidden, click the left arrow beside the notification area.