When Firefox loads, the Windows Update notification tray icon disappears
Whenever I load Firefox, the Windows Update tray icon telling me that new updates are available disappears.
Firefox runs almost all of the time on my PC. I realised that I hadn't seen the icon to tell me there were updates available (it is set to notify me of them but not download and install).
On investigation, it is quite clear that loading Firefox causes the icon to disappear. It happens at the very time Firefox is loading. Running Windows Update through Control Panel results in restoration of the notification icon, with Firefox running or not.
I am running Windows 7 SP1 64 bit edition and Firefox 54.0.1 64 bit. I tried running Firefox with the -safe-mode parameter and it still made the Windows Update icon disappear.
I have had the issue for weeks and possibly a month or more.
Modified by DonnyDave
All Replies (8)
This sounds more like a system issue. Have you tried clicking on the button that shows all current icons?
No icons are hidden because it is set to 'Always show all icons and notifications on the task bar'.
I agree, it does sound like a system issue. I normally put my computer to sleep. However, I turned it off and have just turned it on again. Once Windows had loaded the notification icon appeared as it should. On clicking the icon to load Firefox it disappeared. Currently, the Windows Update service is not shown as Running.
Since my last posting I restarted my computer. Without running any programs (other than what runs as part of startup) I waited a few minutes until the Windows Update icon appeared. By this point the Windows Update service was shown as Running. On loading Firefox it stopped running.
Any ideas, such as where to look in Event Viewer for clues as to why this might be happening?
Perhaps it is worth mentioning that I am running Avast as my antivirus.
Modified by DonnyDave
Could you try this please to check system integrity : Repair System Registry and Files
Run the Windows Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) and System File Checker (SFC) tools as Administrator. The DISM and SFC tools scan the integrity of the Windows image and all protected system files replaces corrupted, damaged and incorrect versions.
Windows 10 To run the DISM command use the Windows key + X keyboard shortcut to open the Power User menu, then select Command Prompt (Admin). Type "DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth" (without quotes or copy/paste) and press Enter. While running DISM you may notice the process will appear to pause at 20%. After a few minutes the operation will continue.
(For Above/Below - Windows All Other Versions - Use Search To Find Command Prompt ** Enter CMD.exe to Find Then Right Click & Run As Admin )
To run the SFC command use the Windows key + X keyboard shortcut to open the Power User menu and select Command Prompt (Admin). Type "SFC /SCANNOW" (without quotes or copy/paste) and press Enter. For more information on using SFC, please refer to the Microsoft KB: Use the System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted system files
And check this out : https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/971058/how-do-i-reset-windows-update-components
Please let us know if this solved your issue or if need further assistance.
Event Viewer (Local) > Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > WindowsUpdateClient > Operational > General tab
An entry is placed which says "Windows Update received a service stop request." and whose time coincides with disappearance of the icon (as perhaps may be expected).
Yes correct but does not answer my suggestions that were recommended and no response regarding them.
How do I reset Windows Update components https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/971058
Having had this issue, I decided to wipe my hard drive and reinstall Windows. It hadn't been done for over a year and I didn't know how long it might take to resolve the issue so I decided it was probably best to invest the time in reinstalling.
So if you're reading this and you have the same issue then I'm afraid I can't offer you any advice on how to fix it that doesn't involve reinstallation.