Sandboxie Control Icon [SOLVED]

[Stephens]

What does this icon mean?



I know about a clear icon (nothing running in sandbox), dotted icon (something running in a sandbox), and the red "X" icon (sandboxie is currently deleting the contents of a sandbox), but not this one. I can't find anything describing it. I occasionally get it on my Windows 10 installations. Specifically right now, Windows 10 x64 Pro using Sandboxie v5.12. I've just upgraded to v5.16 and I'll keep my eyes open as to if it continues to occur, but that should have nothing to do with describing what the icon means.

[bo.elam]

What does this icon mean?

Thats the icon for Sandboxie control.

Perhaps you are seeing it when you open Sandboxie control (the interface).

Bo

[Stephens]

Hi Bo. That form of the Sandboxie Control Icon I pasted isn't normal. I've been running Sandboxie for years on Win7 (and even XP before that) and never noticed it until Windows 10.

There are 3 normal icons for the Sandboxie Control as I outlined in my original message.
- Clear (you can see that one here -- https://www.sandboxie.com/index.php?San ... ontrol#vis
- Dotted (there's a sandbox running)
- red "X" - Sandboxie is currently deleting the contents of a sandbox

I'm still not understanding this new icon I'm currently seeing (as outlined in my original post). Do you (or anyone) have any idea exactloy when that icon should show up? Just opening the Sandboxie control does not cause that icon (which I hust tested).

[Syrinx]

I've can't recall ever seeing this icon in the notification area before on my Win7 machine, VMs or my kids Win10. I wonder if somehow the Sandboxie Control icon from the start menu is being cached and used instead? I'll play around a bit on a Win10 machine but I'll be shocked if anything comes of it. :-/ Are you by chance seeing this on an insider build? Using anything that might clear or rebuild the icon cache? Think CCleaner etc...

[Stephens]

I'm not using an insider build. I'm also not using any program which should cause rebuilding the icon cache.

I wonder if somehow the Sandboxie Control icon from the start menu is being cached and used instead?

Well at least I'm seeing the icon somewhere now (in the Start Menu). It still doesn't explain why it's occasionally showing up in the tray area, but at least I feel it's less likely to be some kind of adverse condition now. It's a pretty stock machine, not using anything that I know of that should affect the icon cache (which of course doesn't mean I'm not). I definitely don't use CC cleaner (or any "utilities"). The only thing that really jumps out at me as a possibility is Avast free as it's happening on multiple Win10 machines. I'll see if I notice it on non-Avast Win10 machines.

Actually, we can consider my question answered now. There's no "normal" way of seeing what I'm seeing. When I originally asked the question, I thought it was a normal version of the Sandboxie Control icon that I couldn't find documentation (or an explanation) for. That "quick question" is answered. Thanks for the feedback.

[bo.elam]

Hi Stephens, I do see that icon everyday. In my case thats so because I pined Sandboxie control to my task bar, that way I open Sandboxie control with one click. The pined icon that I see in the task bar that represents Sandboxie control is identical to the one in your picture. You can also see the same picture next to SBIE control in the Sandboxie folder in Stat menu or in Program files.

Now, I am in W7, if I unpin Sandboxie control when I open Sandboxie control via the SBIE icon by the clock, the icon in your picture shows up in the task bar. Perhaps what I am telling you now helps somehow. When you see the icon are you doing something or is the Sbie control icon the one that appears by the clock instead of the solid yellow one?

Bo

[Stephens]

When you see the icon are you doing something or is the Sbie control icon the one that appears by the clock instead of the solid yellow one?

Bingo. It replaces the solid yellow one by the clock. The tray area, not the Task Bar.

[bo.elam]

It replaces the solid yellow one by the clock. The tray area, not the Task Bar.

If it replaces the solid yellow one by the clock, can you tell when there are programs running in the sandbox or when the sandbox deletes? Does the icon changes or remains all the time as in the picture. The way the solid yellow original Sandboxie control icon functions is beautiful, you want it to function as its supposed to, I would.

So, if it doesn't tell you by looking at it when programs are running sandboxed or when the sandbox deletes, I would try to get the original yellow one back. And try either reinstalling Sandboxie or unticking the two options for Sandboxie control that you find under Windows shell integration. Reboot and tick the options again after rebooting. If doing this doesn't bring the yellow icon back, then I would try the reinstall.

Bo

[Stephens]

If it replaces the solid yellow one by the clock, can you tell when there are programs running in the sandbox or when the sandbox deletes?

I'm going off memory now as the problem has gone away (it's sporadic). When it comes back, I'll verify, but my recollection (and I did pay attention) was that it was functioning normally otherwise -- I could see the dotted icon when a program was running in a sandbox, and an "X" when it was deleting items from a sandbox.

Does the icon changes or remains all the time as in the picture. The way the solid yellow original Sandboxie control icon functions is beautiful, you want it to function as its supposed to, I would.

It's sporadic. For instance, right now, it's just fine. In fact, I'd say most of the time it's operating just fine. But it's been an on-going occurrence for awhile now. But it always works. It's just the "idle" Sandboxie Control icon in the try that's sometimes off.

So, if it doesn't tell you by looking at it when programs are running sandboxed or when the sandbox deletes, I would try to get the original yellow one back. And try either reinstalling Sandboxie or unticking the two options for Sandboxie control that you find under Windows shell integration. Reboot and tick the options again after rebooting. If doing this doesn't bring the yellow icon back, then I would try the reinstall.

Just to clarify, I assume you mean uninstall, then reinstall and not just, for instance, upgrading (installing a new version on top of old version). I also assume if it comes to that, it'd be OK to backup my sandboxie.ini file and restore it after reinstalling. I have a lot of non-default configuration options in there that'd be very time consuming to recreate.

I'm at a quiesce point now. The problem went away (it's always been sporadic) and I upgraded from v5.12 to v5.16. I want to let things stabilize a bit and go into observation mode before I make any more changes. That way we'll have a better idea of what (if any) fix works. I'll post more when I have more data.

[Syrinx]

quiesce

Why you give me headache?

More seriously though I think your plan is the best one. *If* it happens again, perhaps a look at the event log could help us figure out what is going on by checking the events there when this starts to happen. Normally I'd suggest procmon but it isn't something that is feasible for long term monitoring.

I'm actually still leaning toward some form of icon cache issue that 'remembers' the icon from the start menu and loads that first (due to your response) but for some reason doesn't update the notification area until it becomes active/changes where it then appears normally. This is still total guess work though and so of course I'm prolly wrong ~wouldn't be the first time haha!