Mystery system tray icon

[Alien 1]

Ok folks, it's time to play "Name that program".

Every time I move my cursor over an mpg file in Explorer I get this icon popping up in the system tray. The really annoying part is that it's only there for a for a fraction of a second. To find out what it actually looked like [it's too fast to see properly], I had to find a video screen capture prog then play back the recorded file in PowerDVD [after I'd converted it to mpg, PDVD didn't want to step forward frame by frame with the original AVI], freeze it on the right frame then capture the frame.

 

Anyone know what it is?

[jmmijo 1]

It sounds like it's a plug-in app for MPG files, do you have anything like a Ulead video/graphics app installed ?!?

 

I can't say I've seen this before but it seems to behave like a capture app of some kind, hmmm....

 

Did you try looking at task manager for any unknown process ?!?

[Christianb 8]

Hi Alien,

Jmmijo has the right idea. Look in task manager. Search for each of those .exe files listed. One will probably have an icon that matches your tray icon and then you can get properties on the file and determine what it is. Also did you try interacting (right-clicking over it) with the mystery tray icon, what did it do?

Cheers,

Christian Blackburn

[Alien 1]

Please re-read my initial post. I couldn't see what the icon was with just my own eyes, I had to record that section of the screen @ 25 frames a second & when I played it back it was only there for 1 frame. We're talking 1/25th of a second here folks. You actually expect me [or anyone else] to be able to go from mousing-over a file in explorer, to noticing the reaction in the system tray, to clicking [or right-clicking] on it, waiting for some kind of menu & then clicking on any option offered in the space of 0.04 seconds??? Why do you think I posted a pic of it's tray icon?

 

As for Task Manager, I couldn't see anything in there that was out of place.

 

Anyway, it seems to have stopped doing it for the time being.

[Christianb 8]

Hi Alien,

You probably just caught an OS and or video driver redraw issue on tape. The other thing is you could dump your ShellIconCache using TweakUI. I'm sorry Alien, I must have missed the bit about your unidentified flashing tray icon or UFTI for short.

Cheers,

Christian Blackburn

[Rogue Jedi X 0]

Hey there. I think I know what your mistery icon is. It has to be either:

 

- VobSub or

- DirectShow Filter

 

I know, because the first time I saw this icon was when I installed the aforementioned programs and Ogg DirectShow Filter, because i wanted to view OGM files. The little thingy is quite useful really. It lets you toggle subtitles on and off if there are any and if the video file has multiple audio streams (like ogm files) it lets you select which one you want to hear. I have a screenshot of it "in action" but I don't know where to upload it. I have to check with my ISP.

Hope this helps!

[Christianb 8]

Hi Rogue JediX,

What you have just mentioned about not knowing where or for some people even how to upload files is in my opinion one the major flaws in phpBB. I sure wish they'd just let NTCompatible host the pictures themselves. The DirectShow icon does indeed sound cool. However I think I wouldn't use it. Is it visible only while watching a movie? As far as I can tell it'd be visible every second I wouldn't need it and almost none of the time I would (since I watch videos in full screen mode mostly)

Cheers,

Christian Blackburn

[Rogue Jedi X 0]

Hey, Christianb.

Nah, it isn't visible at all times, only when you open a video file and I think it disappears immediately if it doesn't find multiple audio streams or subtitles, which I think is what is happening to Alien. Although I can't figure out why it pops up when he only moves the cursor over a file.

Greets!

[Christianb 8]

Hi Rogue Jedi X,

Well I guess there is a certain behavioral consistency to having a tray icon omnipresent. I too would find that confusing to have it there and then gone and then there again . I would think I was seeing things (a virus perhaps? ;(). This is an excellent example of how seemingly intelligent application behavior can be very confusing when it breaks free from the norms.

Cheers,

Christian

[Hannibal 0]

Hey everyone!

 

I'm new to thread posting, so please excuse any buffoonery on my part.

 

I'm busting into this thread because I too have a mystery icon that appears in the system tray on a seemingly random schedule. It just sits there until I move the mouse cursor over it. Before I can right or left click it's gone...nearly instantly...like it doesn't want you know or find anything out about it.

 

Description: a pink and purple double helix (yes, like DNA) and it's animated...it spirals. One "DNA" chain is purple, the other pink.

 

I've checked for viruses, but none are found. It's been going on for months and I'm just curious about the unknown random nature of the thing.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks in advance!

[zacros2020 0]

Did you find any info. about this icon in the system tray (the double helix)? I have it in my tray now and cannot seem to find any info. about it. It keeps trying to start a program on my computer though.

 

 

[thatsteveguy 0]

that is a OGG Vorbis directshow filter, nothing to panic about.

 

(the one pictured in the first post)

 

s

[adamvjackson 0]

Originally posted by zacros2020:

Quote:

Did you find any info. about this icon in the system tray (the double helix)? I have it in my tray now and cannot seem to find any info. about it. It keeps trying to start a program on my computer though.

 

 

What program does it try to keep starting?

[thatsteveguy 0]

well every thing that I find on that double helix icon is related to the goodle toolbar, I am guessing that at some time you or another user on your pc installed it.

 

see here

http://toolbar.google.com/dc/faq_dc.html

 

S

[adamvjackson 0]

Sounds right, Steve.

 

Specifically:

 

Quote:

2. How do I turn Google Compute on and off?

 

To turn off Google Compute, click on the DNA (double helix) icon in the Google Toolbar, and select the "stop computing" option. To turn it back on, click on the DNA (double helix) icon and select the "start computing" option.