Avast Tray Icon disappears on Win7

[dvirkk]

Hey All,
Updated to Avast 6 on win7. Avast Icon shows up after install but on next boot does not show.
Tried to re-install: no change. I have Win defender but I don't think it made any changed. I have run Spybot but it's resident agent is not running on my machine so I figure it's not it.
Clicking on the Avast shortcut brings the icon back to tray, as it is running in the backround - but it's annoying.
Any ideas? Thanks 

[Gargamel360]

Clean re-install.

How2
1: Download a new setup file for whatever Avast! version you use, and this>>http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility
2: Uninstall Avast! normally via control panel.
3: Run the uninstall utility in safe mode.
4: Run the setup file you downloaded, then re-register/re-insert license.

[Coolmario88]

This Might help.. it might be hidden in the hidden icon area...  You could try to open the Avast UI>Settings>Uncheck Show icon in tray, then Recheck it.

[Pondus]

and if you click the small arrow > show hidden icons ..... it is not there ?  (see screen shot )

[dvirkk]

It's not hidden - I've set it to "show icon and notification" on the tray settings. And clicking on the little arrow does not show it.

I've re installed twice - with a new fie after uninstalling. No change, that's why I posted here.

[Pondus]

hmmmm...try avast repair and reboot

For a repair of avast. Windows, Add Remove programs, select 'avast! Anti-Virus,' click the Change/Remove button from the pop-up window, scroll down to Repair, click next and follow.

any change ?

I have run Spybot but it's resident agent is not running on.......

why use SpyBot when there is one that is 100 times better....

[ady4um]

Try:

Task Bar and Start Menu properties -> Notification area -> "Hide inactive icons" checked -> customize -> select the row that says "Avast Antivirus" (whichever the icon is shown, the line must be the one for Avast) -> change the column "behaviour" for Avast to "SHOW" (as in show permanently). Save (OK) ALL the steps back, including "Task Bar and Start Menu properties".

Reboot and and report back here.

[CraigB]

Try:

Task Bar and Start Menu properties -> Notification area -> "Hide inactive icons" checked -> customize -> select the row that says "Avast Antivirus" (whichever the icon is shown, the line must be the one for Avast) -> change the column "behaviour" for Avast to "SHOW" (as in show permanently). Save (OK) ALL the steps back, including "Task Bar and Start Menu properties".

Reboot and and report back here.

Those directions are obsolete in windows 7 

[ady4um]

Those directions are obsolete in windows 7 

Well, I wrote the specific steps from memory.

Do you mean that there is no way to "hide" tray icons, always "show" them, or leave the default behaviour to hide when inactive, at all? Or you meant that the exact step by step is different?

[CraigB]

Those directions are obsolete in windows 7 

Well, I wrote the specific steps from memory.

Do you mean that there is no way to "hide" tray icons, always "show" them, or leave the default behaviour to hide when inactive, at all? Or you meant that the exact step by step is different?

Its just the step by step process is different now, the reply 3 from Pondus shows how it is now, at the bottom of the popup it says customise which takes you to a screen with the option on what to do with all the icons.
From what the op has said ( It's not hidden - I've set it to "show icon and notification" on the tray settings. And clicking on the little arrow does not show it.) he's done the correct process so i believe dvirkk needs to do a clean install as Gargamel360 has explained in reply 1.

[ady4um]

Its just the step by step process is different now, the reply 3 from Pondus shows how it is now, at the bottom of the popup it says customise which takes you to a screen with the option on what to do with all the icons.
From what the op has said ( It's not hidden - I've set it to "show icon and notification" on the tray settings. And clicking on the little arrow does not show it.) he's done the correct process so i believe dvirkk needs to do a clean install as Gargamel360 has explained in reply 1.

Thanks for the remainder about the "properties" of tray area in Seven. Independently from the exact Windows version and the exact steps, my point is to try to explicetly set the Avast program as permanently in "show" status, instead of leave it as Windows "decides" to show it or hide it.

The problem might be related to Windows tray icons cache, so (re)instaling would not solve the problem in such a case.

In addition to set the Avast program (whichever icon is shown in the tray properties, doesn't matter), the OP can try cleaning the Windows tray icon cache:

Code: [Select]

Regedit

Vista/seven:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\TrayNotify

XP:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\TrayNotify

Delete the IconStreams and PastIconsStream values

log off immediately.


[dvirkk]

Thanks so far,

1. Re-installed already

2. The icon is not hidden - I've checked.

3. Deleted the two registry values as written by ady4um - it totally reset my tray settings but Avast does not show. 

[CraigB]

You say you have already tried a reinstall but was it a clean install by using the uninstall tool in safe mode then reinstalling avast ?

[ady4um]

2. The icon is not hidden - I've checked.

This is not what I said. "Not hidden" is one thing. "Show" is another. See my explanation in a previous post.

In addition, could you try with a (temporary) default screen resolution (800x600), and color (8/16/24/32) bits (test several of them)? This will (temporary) change your desktop. Don't panic and don't start moving icons around. All will return to be as it was when you return to your usual values. Just test if you can see Avast tray icon (you may change the task bar setting so to NOT hide any icon and *then* test changing the resoluion).

Another test: open Windows Task Manager -> services -> look for Avast Antivirus (service). Is it listed as Status=Running ? This should be checked after a reboot (wait a couple of minutes after the boot), and NOT by double-click on Avast desktop icon.

[dvirkk]

Screen resolution didn't make a difference.
Here are screen shots

1 - Avast icon set to show.
2 - Avast service running
3 - Avast service checked for startup

Still no little orange icon