Vista - Realtek HD Audio Manager icon disappears/turns red???

I noticed that recently the little speaker icon for the Realtek HD Audio Manager (on the taskbar next to the clock) seems to completely disappear at times. One minute it's there, and then Poof! it's gone. It started a few weeks ago. I would restart the computer, and it would be back, but then later disappear. (I checked everything I could think of, enabling the notification, checking all the boxes in the control panel and in the realtek control panel, making sure it wasn't a "hidden" icon, etc.)

Now it's back, but instead of being white, it's red. I used to be able to right-click on it and the volume slider would appear and I could adjust the volume easily. Now when I right-click on the red icon, I get a list--> Sound Manager, Audio Devices, System Sound Events, etc. but no volume slider like before.

The sound itself works fine--no problem with the speakers--but I just can't figure out what has caused the problem with the icon disappearing and now re-appearing but with a red color.

Any ideas? I just want my volume slider back!

Higekkota and welcome to Vista Forums

That is the normal Realtek system tray icon and context menu that you are describing. It is the other icon that is missing, the speaker icon. Have a look at this Tutorial to see if it can help you replace it. Notification Area - System Icons

Thanks for responding so quickly--I really appreciate it. I followed the instructions in the tutorial & my little speaker volume icon is back. I didn't realize that the red icon was a separate icon--I thought it was just the regular icon that had somehow mysteriously turned red !
Thanks!