Is the Sound and Network Icons on Taskbar Customizable?

win9598xp7 · Jun 23, 2024

In my new Windows 11 install, I notice that the bottom right-hand corner tray (in the main taskbar) is set to display the Network icon and the Sound icon by default. Can I customize this to what I want to appear there? Or is that locked?

Berton · Jun 24, 2024

All I can offer on the icons seen in the Notification Area [formerly called System Tray] is that they can be hidden. Click the small Up arrow [if visible] to see some choices and look in right-click of the Taskbar for Taskbar settings. Also look in Settings, Personalization, Taskbar for more.

Rollback_Jockey · Jun 24, 2024

win9598xp7 said:
In my new Windows 11 install, I notice that the bottom right-hand corner tray (in the main taskbar) is set to display the Network icon and the Sound icon by default. Can I customize this to what I want to appear there? Or is that locked?

View attachment 99887

CLick that arrow on the left side of the taskbar popup you screen-shot.

OAT · Jun 24, 2024

win9598xp7 said:
In my new Windows 11 install, I notice that the bottom right-hand corner tray (in the main taskbar) is set to display the Network icon and the Sound icon by default. Can I customize this to what I want to appear there? Or is that locked?

View attachment 99887

No, those are deemed essential and cannot be removed/manipulated.
On laptops, a battery indicator is displayed as well.
And for multiple language systems, the input keyboard language option is available.
I am unsure if a 3rd party tool would modify those either.

Kees · Jun 24, 2024

The way I solved that is:
- In the (Windows) setting for time I disabled displaying the time. That combination of symbols for network and sound then goes to the far right side.
- I installed ElevenClock to display the clock over those symbols. In ElevenClock you have several options to display time and date, just as you like. You can change the hight and width in ElevenClock (and many other settings).
- For the volume of the speakers I then installed EarTrumpet (available in the MS Store). If you open it, you will have a direct avalable mixer for the sounds.

The whole thing looks like this (after click on the loudspeaker):

PS. The symbols left of the loudspeaker are:
Envelope: eMail alerter app
The green G like symbol: Greenshot screenshot app.
They are displayed there because I want them there!

PS2. Of course you don't need to install an app like EarTrumpet. If you don't want a loudspeaker symbol at all, you can just leave the last phase of my description (installing EarTrumpet) away.

win9598xp7 · Jun 24, 2024

Just for clarity, I typoed in the title. I meant to say SOUND and Network icons.

What I'm wondering essentially is can I customize which two icons appear there. I like having sound there, can I put something else besides the Network icon (without a 3rd party app)? No big deal if not, I can live with it. Just wanting to verify it's not a setting I'm overlooking (since I'm new to Windows 11).

OAT · Jun 24, 2024

win9598xp7 said:
Just for clarity, I typoed in the title. I meant to say SOUND and Network icons.

What I'm wondering essentially is can I customize which two icons appear there. I like having sound there, can I put something else besides the Network icon (without a 3rd party app)? No big deal if not, I can live with it. Just wanting to verify it's not a setting I'm overlooking (since I'm new to Windows 11).

You have not overlooked any settings.
As I stated, the icons you referred to are not customizable without the help of 3rd party apps/programs.

spapakons · 2024-07-01T06:08:49-0400

The icons are grouped by default and any customisation is ignored. You must ungroup them with Explorer Patcher and then you can customize them with Customizer God or other suitable utilities.

The appropriate system files are:
batmeter.dll.mun for power icons
imageres.dll.mun for folder and many other icons
pnidui.dll for network icons
SndVolSSO.dll.mun for sound icons
stobject.dll.mun for the USB safe removal icon

The pnidui.dll file is in C:\Windows\System32 folder

All .mun files are in C:\Windows\SystemResources folder and cannot be modified directly. You must copy the files in another folder, modify them and then take ownership and full access to replace them. After you have modified the copies, you must change the owner of both the folder SystemResources and each file separately from TrustedInstaller to Administrators group. Then you must modify permissions and grant full access to the folder and each file separately. While Explorer is running you cannot replace the files, so open a Command Prompt as Administrator and kill the Explorer task (end task) from Task Manager, Details. Now type this code:

Code:

C:
cd \
cd \windows\systemresources
ren batmeter.dll.mun batmeter.dll.mun.old
copy \temp\batmeter.dll.mun .
explorer
exit

The code assumes you have the modified copies in C:\temp folder, change it as appropriate. Replace the batmeter.dll.mun line with the other filenames to replace the rest files before executing the explorer line to load Explorer again.