iHomeServer Tray Icon

The iHomeServer Tray Icon appears within the Windows Start tray and gives you quick access to key iHomeServer features such as the iHomeServer Management Console and Settings window:

The tray icon will show notifications of key iHomeServer tasks such as starting or stopping iTunes and when video conversions have started and ended. The icon also shows the current status of iHomeServer based on its color:

iHomeServer is running iTunes in the background Windows service

iHomeServer is running iTunes in the foreground / on the desktop

iHomeServer is running, but iTunes is not running

iHomeServer is not running / cannot be contacted

iHomeServer is starting or stopping iTunes

The tray icon will show notifications of key iHomeServer tasks such as starting or stopping iTunes and when video conversions have started and ended. The icon also shows the current status of iHomeServer based on its color:

The key components of the iHomeServer Tray Icon are detailed below:

iTunes Transport Control

The iTunes Transport Control is very similar to the transport control on the main iHomeServer Management Console. It will show you the current status of iTunes, what track is playing and allow you to pause/play and skip to the next/previous tracks.

Start iTunes on the desktop checkbox

This checkbox will have slightly different behavior depending on whether you have installed iHomeServer in Windows Service or Desktop mode.

In Windows Service mode, iHomeServer will be running iTunes as a service in the background. When this option is checked, iHomeServer will stop the instance of iTunes running in the background when you log into your desktop and start up another instance of iTunes on your desktop. iHomeServer will connect to the instance on the desktop and iHomeServer features will be available again. When you then log off your computer, iHomeServer will restart iTunes back up in the background - this is a new feature in iHomeServer v3 called iHomeServer Foreground / Background switching.

Alternatively, if you have installed iHomeServer in Desktop Mode, this checkbox will simply start iTunes up when you log into your computer's desktop.

Open on desktop

If this radio button is selected, it means that iTunes is already running on the desktop. If it isn't selected then you can choose this option to start iTunes on your desktop but under iHomeServer control. If iTunes was running in the background as a Windows Service (if iHomeServer was installed in Windows Service mode), then iHomeServer will shut down the instance of iTunes running in the background, and start a new copy running on your desktop. iHomeServer features will be available again regardless of whether iTunes is running in the desktop or on the Windows Service.

Running in the background

If this radio button is selected, it means that iTunes is running in the background as a Windows Service. If it isn't selected then you can choose this option to start iTunes in the background as a Windows Service. If you already had iTunes running on your desktop, iHomeServer will shutdown iTunes running on the desktop and restart it in the background. iHomeServer features will be available again as soon as the instance restarts in the background.

Note this option is only availabsle if you have installed iHomeServer in Windows Service mode.

Stopped

If this radio button is selected, iTunes is not running. If it isn't selected, then you can choose this option to stop iTunes from running whether it's currently running in the background (if iHomeServer was installed as a Windows Service) or on your desktop.

Open iHomeServer Console Link

This link gives you quick access to the iHomeServer Management Console which allows you to configure all aspects of the iHomeServer software.

iHomeServer Settings Link

This linkg ives you quick access to the iHomeServer Settings dialog so you can modify advanced features of iHomeServer.