How to Enable or Disable Notification Area Balloon Tips in Vista
InformationThis will show you how to disable or enable the pop-up balloon tips in the Notification area of the taskbar for a current user or all users. The Notification area balloon tips are enabled by default in Vista.
NoteThis will not affect the menu pop-ups for the notification icons when you click or right click on them.
NOTE: For this example, I disabled my antivirus program to trigger a notification area balloon tip for it.
OPTION ONE 
Method One 1. To Disable Notification Area Balloon Tips
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Disable_Current_User_Balloon_Tips.reg
B) Go to step 3.
2. To Enable Notification Area Balloon Tips
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Enable_Current_User_Balloon_Tips.reg
3. Click on Save, and save the .reg file to the Desktop.
4. Right click on the downloaded .reg file and click on Merge.
5. Click on Run, Continue (UAC), Yes, and then OK when prompted.
6. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply the changes.
7. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
Method Two 1. Open the Start Menu.
2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type regedit and press Enter.
3. Click on Continue in the UAC prompt.
4. In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
5. To Disable Notification Area Balloon Tips
A) In the right pane, right click on a empty area and click on New and DWORD (32-bit) Value. (See screenshot above)
B) Type EnableBalloonTips and press Enter. (See screenshot below)
C) Go to step 7.
6. To Enable Notification Area Balloon Tips
A) In the right pane, right click on EnableBalloonTips and click on Delete. (See screenshot above)
B) Click on Yes to confirm deletion.
7. Close regedit.
8. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply the changes.
OPTION TWO Method One 1. Open the all users, specific users or groups, or all users except administrators Local Group Policy Editor for how you want this policy applied.
2. In the left pane, click on User Configuration, Administrative Templates, and Start Menu and Taskbar. (See screenshot below)
3. In the right pane, right click on Turn off all balloon notifications and click on Properties. (See screenshot above)
4. To Enable Notification Area Balloon Tips
A) Dot Disabled or Not Configured and click on OK. (See screenshot below step 5A)
B) Go to step 6.
5. To Disable Notification Area Balloon Tips
A) Dot Enabled and click on OK.
6. Close the Local Group Policy Editor window. Your done.
Method Two 1. To Disable Notification Area Balloon Tips
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Disable_All_Users_User_Balloon_Tips.reg
B) Go to step 3.
2. To Enable Notification Area Balloon Tips
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Enable_All_Users_User_Balloon_Tips.reg
3. Click on Save, and save the .reg file to the Desktop.
4. Right click on the downloaded .reg file and click on Merge.
5. Click on Run, Continue (UAC), Yes, and then OK when prompted.
6. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply the changes.
7. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
Method Three 1. Open the Start Menu.
2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type regedit and press Enter.
3. Click on Continue in the UAC prompt.
4. In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If you do not have Explorer, then right click on Policies and click on New then Key and type Explorer and press Enter.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
5. To Disable Notification Area Balloon Tips
A) In the right pane, right click on a empty area and click on New and DWORD (32-bit) Value. (See screenshot above)
B) Type TaskbarNoNotification and press Enter. (See screenshot below)
C) Right click on TaskbarNoNotification and click on Modify.
D) Type 1 and click on OK. (See screenshot below)
E) The registry will now look like this. (See screenshot below)
F) Go to step 7.
6. To Enable Notification Area Balloon Tips
A) In the right pane, right click on TaskbarNoNotification and click on Delete. (See screenshot above)
B) Click on Yes to confirm deletion.
C) In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If you do not have Explorer, then right click on Policies and click on New then Key and type Explorer and press Enter.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
D) In the right pane, repeat steps 6A and 6B if TaskbarNoNotification is there to.
7. Close regedit.
8. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply the changes.
That's it,
Shawn
Related Tutorials
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- How to Disable or Enable the Security Center Alert Warning Notification in Vista
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- How to Change Windows Defender Notification Options
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