Restoring my Avast icons to the system tray

[wdc202]

I temporarily "Paused" my resident Avast programs before installing a new printer. I have since run Avast. But I no longer see the two Avast icons that used to appear in the system tray.  How can i reinstall them? And how can I determine (assure myself) that my resident AV protection is really ON? Thanks.

[wdc202]

FWIW....I failed to state that my pc uses Xp and that my Avast is the Home Edition 4.

[DavidR]

avast! icon missing - As a temporary measure until this is resolved you can create a desktop shortcut for this file C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashDisp.exe (the avast icon and interface to the providers).  Right click on the file and select Send To, Desktop (create shortcut). You will need to run this after each boot until the problem is resolved.

What other security based software do you have that might block new startup entries, e.g. Spybot S&D (TeaTimer), AdAware (AdWatch), SpySweeper, Spyware Doctor (StartUpGuard or OnGuard), PrevX, WinPatrol, ProcessGuard, etc. ?

Check the option in the Appearance tab of Program Settings. Or Make a link to ashdisp.exe in your startup folder.

[swico]

To check whether it runs
Enter Ctrl+Shift+Esc to run the task manager
If you can find the process ashServ.exe, avast! works well.

To show the tray icon
Startup->all programs
find avast! and run it, check the box "show the tray icon"
then run ashDisp.exe that located in the avast! folder

[nobodyz]

avast! icon missing - As a temporary measure until this is resolved you can create a desktop shortcut for this file C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashDisp.exe (the avast icon and interface to the providers).  Right click on the file and select Send To, Desktop (create shortcut). You will need to run this after each boot until the problem is resolved.

What other security based software do you have that might block new startup entries, e.g. Spybot S&D (TeaTimer), AdAware (AdWatch), SpySweeper, Spyware Doctor (StartUpGuard or OnGuard), PrevX, WinPatrol, ProcessGuard, etc. ?

Check the option in the Appearance tab of Program Settings. Or Make a link to ashdisp.exe in your startup folder.

I am NOT the original poster. I am new. However, I found this topic as I was looking for it. My icon never showed up in my systray. Directions you gave put it in my systray. That's great. But ...

.... you also asked the original poster what other security based software they had that might block new startup entries. I have AdAware AdWatch, of the ones you listed. (I don't use the teatimer in Spybot, but use the program
of Spybot when I launch it.)

Is there a setting I need to attend to in order to make the Avast icon stay in my systray through re-boots? (i.e. without having to keep using the shortcut?)

Thank you.
 

[DavidR]

The list of examples is not exhaustive (e.g. {but the most common}), hence why the question asks what other security software do you have, so do you have any other security based software ?

Under the info about the shortcut as a temp workaround is another more permanent option and you quoted it "Or Make a link to ashdisp.exe in your startup folder."

Your startup folder should be here, where UserName is your logon user name, C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Start Menu\Programs\Startup, if you open that folder in explorer you can drag the desktop shortcut you created into that folder and that will start it each time.

Or Add the path to ashDisp.exe into a value named avast! in the Windows Registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run. This option is a little more complex and you have to be comfortable working in the registry, which is why I don't post it as a general rule. If it were another security application killing the avast icon then it would most likely remove this registry entry also. That is why it is important to find the cause of the missing icon/s.

So the startup folder shortcut usually doesn't get removed in the same way.

[nobodyz]

The list of examples is not exhaustive (e.g. {but the most common}), hence why the question asks what other security software do you have, so do you have any other security based software ?

Under the info about the shortcut as a temp workaround is another more permanent option and you quoted it "Or Make a link to ashdisp.exe in your startup folder."

Your startup folder should be here, where UserName is your logon user name, C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Start Menu\Programs\Startup, if you open that folder in explorer you can drag the desktop shortcut you created into that folder and that will start it each time.

Or Add the path to ashDisp.exe into a value named avast! in the Windows Registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run. This option is a little more complex and you have to be comfortable working in the registry, which is why I don't post it as a general rule. If it were another security application killing the avast icon then it would most likely remove this registry entry also. That is why it is important to find the cause of the missing icon/s.

So the startup folder shortcut usually doesn't get removed in the same way.

Yes, I have other security software. Are we going to troubleshoot each one, or do you have a list of all and/or many of, the security programs that actually stop the systray Avast icon from landing in the systray?

You wrote

If it were another security application killing the avast icon then it would most likely remove this registry entry also. That is why it is important to find the cause of the missing icon/s.

Are we troubleshooting?

These questions arise because I said I have AdAware Adwatch. Since that was one of the programs you listed, it appeared that you knew how to correct the problem "caused" by that program: AdAware Adwatch and:

other security based software do you have that might block new startup entries, e.g. Spybot S&D (TeaTimer), AdAware (AdWatch), SpySweeper, Spyware Doctor (StartUpGuard or OnGuard), PrevX, WinPatrol, ProcessGuard, etc. ?

Or ... is it that no one knows yet, whether or not AdAware Adwatch is the culprit?

Or perhaps it's suspect, but the answer of putting the shortcut into the startup folder on the start menu works regardless of which security program is suspected? (Therefore leaving a vast array of possible security programs that "could" be responsible?) If so, as a meandering philosophical question: why is it that tech support so often
attacks any "other" security software other than it's own program first? I'm just mildly curious, as it seems to
be an industry wide knee-jerk reaction to and first answer to glitches reported by users/customers, imho.

   So ...
Is this problem caused (thus, solved) by other security software?
   or
Is this an Avast bug/glitch (thus, not solved by Avast yet)?
   or
Does nobody know what causes it, and this is how Avast troubleshoots the issue?

My question was:
How do I keep AdAware Adwatch from "killing" the normal icon of Avast sitting in my systray?

L king forward to your reply. Thanks.

[DavidR]

I though it was a simple question what other security software do you use, then we can identify if they have a registry/startup protection as part of their protection and if so was it responsible for the removal of the avast icon.

Since you have AdWatch we would deal with that first as it has startup protection so you need to check if that is what killed the startup entry for the avast icon and if so try to restore that correction/deletion from within adwatch.

Of course we are trouble shooting as there is no point in trying to create registry entries if they are only going to be deleted again by what ever is identified as the culprit.

It isn't a bug in avast or you would see many cases of this in the forums, those that you do see the resolution is usually an other anti-spyware killing new startup entries.

The reason the startup folder shortcut works is because this isn't the same as the entry in MSCONFIG, Startup tab which has a supporting registry startup (Run command).

[nobodyz]

Okay, I think I understand now. Any program that blocks startup entries is
a program that needs to be looked at. And you don't have the information
to help me make AdAware AdWatch not block the Avast systray icon.
Correct?*

So I don't waste anymore of your time, you needn't answer this post unless
my conclusion above* is incorrect.

I don't answer your "simple question" because I make it a practice to NEVER
list all my security programs in an online forum. Seems a risky thing to do
as there are malignant elements to online society, and this is a public forum.

Thanks for hanging in there with me through this. I greatly appreciate it! 
I'm just disappointed that I will have to somehow figure out the software
programming of AdAware Adwatch alone ... something I cannot do, in order
to "stop" it from stopping the Avast systray icon.

I'll just use the shortcut. Seems to be the best answer to all the posts
regarding the loss of the Avast systray icon, imo.

[DavidR]

The shortcut in the startup folder as I posted will give you the avast icon on startup.

Your startup folder should be here, where UserName is your logon user name, C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Start Menu\Programs\Startup, if you open that folder in explorer you can drag the desktop shortcut you created into that folder and that will start it each time.

At some point you have to trust someone when they are trying to help, I don't know how people knowing what security applications can make you vulnerable. First they have to find your post, then they need to know your IP address and that most likely will be a dynamically assigned one which changes each time you connect.

Then they would have to craft a means of breaking or bypassing your security applications and that is extremely unlikely. You need only look at my signature to find what I use as my main security applications and that has been like that for over three and a half years.

[nobodyz]

I wrote: "you needn't answer this post unless my conclusion above* is incorrect."

You answered, but said nothing about my conclusion being incorrect. Hope you're
not wasting precious time with this just out of curiosity. You really needn't.

I already know how to move a shortcut into my startup folder. I said I am using that already.

Why should I give you a list of security programs you can't give me directions on how to work with them to avoid this problem?
You haven't even been able to tell me what to do with AdAware AdWatch. *shrug*

You just curious? 

[alanrf]

David,

perhaps it is the phase of the moon ... or global warming ... who knows ...

It seems that some of the folks who arrive here with questions only want to be helped on their terms.  All to often they arrive here believing they know more than the people they are asking to help them.  They are also largely ignorant of the fact that they are mostly communicating with other avast users just like themselves.   

I think it has become commonplace to abuse help-desk support and I see this creeping into this forum.  nobodyz is not half as clever as he thinks he is (yes, I'm pretty sure "he" is correct) ... otherwise he would have a far better knowledge of security issues yet feels able to be dismissive of the help offered even if masked by clearly unfelt thanks and followed up with comments plainly intended to stroke his own ego.     

However, to get back to the primary issue of avast startup registry entries being prevented or deleted by other security products.  I'm sure that the avast team must be looking at or aware of these products and if they cannot advise us of the list of culprits then perhaps collectively in this forum we can start to develop as ccomprehensive as possible list of "known offenders".     

[nobodyz]

Thank you, Alanrf, for your exquisite insight and wisdom as to my
character.

I am a computer technician, btw. 

[alanrf]

Clearly one that I would not employ in my technology organization.

[nobodyz]

? What are you doing?