Solved Not able to get Google Chrome in hidden system tray ...

I recently purchased a new Dell ECT1250, Intel Ultra 7 265 (20 cores) processor, 32GB ram, and 2TB SSD, with Win 11 Pro 25H2 (OS Build 26200.7171) as a second computer, to replace a family Win10 Pro, i5 computer. I am setting it up before the changeover. I am trying to get the latest version of Google Chrome into the hidden system tray, so it will retain my sign-in to the Norton 360 AV program, even if I accidentally close Google Chrome. I have followed instructions on the 'net for placing Google Chrome into the startup menu, but to no avail. Meanwhile MS Edge is in the system tray. I have tried removing Edge, and that doesn't work either. Is there something I am missing? I am running the same version of Win 11 Pro on my main i9 computer, and I do have Chrome in the hidden system tray. Thanks.

I don't use Chrome, but do use both Edge and Firefox, To my knowledge, neither of them have ever provided an option to minimize to the tray.

The system tray stores icons of programs currently hidden or running in the background.
When closed, browsers do not continue to run in the background.
Only the programs listed under settings>personalization>taskbar>other system tray icons can be toggled on/off and none of my browsers are in that list.

Only some apps are designed to allow the user to natively minimize to the tray. To minimize others to the tray one would have to use a third-party app designed for that purpose. 4t Tray Minimizer touts that it can do it. However, I know nothing about this app.

glasskuter said:

I don't use Chrome, but do use both Edge and Firefox, To my knowledge, neither of them have ever provided an option to minimize to the tray.

The system tray stores icons of programs currently hidden or running in the background.
When closed, browsers do not continue to run in the background.
Only the programs listed under settings>personalization>taskbar>other system tray icons can be toggled on/off and none of my browsers are in that list.

Only some apps are designed to allow the user to natively minimize to the tray. To minimize others to the tray one would have to use a third-party app designed for that purpose. 4t Tray Minimizer touts that it can do it. However, I know nothing about this app.

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Hi Glasskuter -
Thanks for taking a look at this. I do have a screenshot (this is from my main, older computer, the one I am on right now), which indeed has Google Chrome in the system tray. However, I don't remember how it got there. Also, the new computer has an Edge icon in the hidden tray. I don't know how that got there either, but I suspect it came with it. I don't know if either of these apps has a TSR feature. I do know that I did not use a 3rd party program, though, to install it! However, it allows me to close the app, and reopen it without having to type in the password for my password manager, as long as I haven't shut off the computer.

Sorry, but I don't have an answer for you since I've never used Chrome nor Norton. I use a password manager, too. As an AV, I use MWB Premium alongside Defender. MWB is not tied to whether or not any browser Window is open nor is it tied to my password manager. Once I activated MWB (when I bought it) I have never had to login to it since. It automatically starts at every boot and stays active and running whether or not I have a browser open. It believe it's activation is tied to it's license key, not a login.

I have had some experience with Norton when dealing with other people's computers though, and it always worked the same way. Not once did I ever have to login to or out of Norton to keep it active..
Hope you find your answer.

Don't use chrome, never tried this, don't know is it works, but here you go: Google Code Archive - Long-term storage for Google Code Project Hosting.

allan said:

Don't use chrome, never tried this, don't know is it works, but here you go: Google Code Archive - Long-term storage for Google Code Project Hosting.

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Thanks, Glasskuter - The links from that link didn't work for me. I will keep looking. If you do find something at a later date, please let me know.

archfoto said:

I am trying to get the latest version of Google Chrome into the hidden system tray, so it will retain my sign-in to the Norton 360 AV program, even if I accidentally close Google Chrome.

Click to expand...

There are many 3rd party utilities that will minimize programs to the SysTray, but, I doubt they would stay there if accidentally closed!
I use Dexpot...

Edwin said:

There are many 3rd party utilities that will minimize programs to the SysTray, but, I doubt they would stay there if accidentally closed!
I use Dexpot...

View attachment 153482

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Hi Edwin - I have never used a 3rd party app for this purpose. Amazingly, my main i9 Win 11 Pro computer (which is over a year old), and the Win 10 Pro computer I am replacing, both have the Google Chrome icon installed in the system tray. I have also queried the Google Chrome forum to see if anyone there knows how to do it. The instances on my main computer, and the old Win 10 computer may have been something that was originally set up in earlier versions of Google Chrome, and is just grandfathered in there. The current version of Chrome seems to have no facility to install it! Thanks.

I finally found out how to get Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge into the system tray, and run in the background, so I don't lose my password manager if I inadvertently close the browser. I found that there are browser extensions available for this purpose. Check out the Google Chrome store, and the Microsoft store to find these, or Google something like run "make browser run in background extension."