He’s back… ;D
It occured to me to try the shortcut menu on exectable and zipped files in Windows Explorer instead of JUST Documents etc.
I have found on further investigation, this thing ONLY HAPPENS WITH ALL DESKTOP ICONS AND ALL ITEMS LISTED IN THE START MENU.
It does not happen for anything in Windows Explorer!!!
It’s me again… ;D
I just noticed something else, not ALL items in the START PROGRAMS menu list have two Avast choices in the short cut menu after all.
For instance, I have a few EXECUTABLE programs I added to my (START) PROGRAM list myself which was just a downloaded exectable and not an INSTALLED PROGRAM executable. In each case these ONLY SHOW ONE AVAST CHOICE in the context menu.
Also I have Dialup DUN icon I added to my (START) PROGRAMS list and it also does not show BOTH Avast entries in the shortcut menu. (for further clairification in WIN98 this is the icon which is in the My Computer>Dialup Networking>(these icons for dialing into the internet is what I’m speaking of). This is also not an INSTALLED PROGRAM, if that is what makes the difference ?
So it seems as far as the START (MENU)>PROGRAMS list it is related to something else other than just being listed in the START MENU LIST. If the items were ADDED BY ME and which were NOT installed programs then they ONLY HAVE THE ONE AVAST CHOICE listed in the shortcut menu.
One other interesting observation, this applies to ONLY the START>PROGRAMS list. I also have an exectable program I have added to my computer myself directly on the START menu list itself(not one of the sub menus like Programs etc.) and this one DOES SHOW BOTH AVAST CHOICES even though it is an executable program which was not installed but I actually wrote and added to the START MENU as I said myself.
Also items listed in MY DOCUMENTS in the START MENU which of course are items NOT INSTALLED but documents I have personally added myself DO HAVE BOTH AVAST CHOICES in the shortcut menu.
So I’m a little puzzled as to any kind of consistency here. ???
I’m not sure how much help this is, but I thought I’d add it into the mix…
Sorry, since no one else has replied, it’s me again… :-X
I’m back to the icon thing. Isn’t it possible that this two entry scan selection in the context menu a GOOD THING in that it is related to the file (program) icon associated with the software (executable or document file) ?
There is always an entry for the executable file, which is understandable.
The second entry is always an “ink” file (extent). This extent can be related to the CorelDRAW vector graphics software which is a legacy graphics file technology designed and supported by Microsoft.
I don’t know how icon (graphics) work with windows and are linked to their assocated software, but could this be a case where the icon is generally a seperate (graphics) file. Like in the case of my program I wrote in VB in which am using a seperate icon I found and added using windows which does show up with the second entry “ink” scan choice. But in cases where I have downloaded an intact executable maybe the icon is “built in” included within the software and not a seperate graphics designed file thus NO seperate entry “ink” file is listed in this case which is what I find on some files I have added to my Start>Programs list (which does not have the seperate entry).
To support my “theory” ;D ALL of the files that DO HAVE THE “INK” 2ND ENTRY IN THE CONTEXT MENU will OFFER ME A CHOICE TO SELECT AN ALTERNATE ICON IN THE PROPERTIES OPTION THEREFORE THE ICON IS A SEPERATE ENTITY AND AVAST SEES IT AS SUCH). BUT FOR THOSE FILES WHICH DO NOT HAVE THE 2ND ENTRY (“INK” FILE TYPE) THERE IS NO OPTION TO SELECT AN ALTERNATE ICON WHICH COULD BE DO TO THE FACT THAT THE ICON (IMAGE) IS INCORPORATED INTO THE EXECUTABLE THUS AVAST DOES NOT SEE IT (THE ICON) AS A SEPERATE GRAPHICS FILE AND THEREFORE A SECOND FILE SCAN OPTION IS NOT LISTED.
In conclusion in the cases where the icon can be changed and thus a seperate (attached) file as such Avast would see this as a seperate file which btw, could be infected with a virus I presume.
I’m just thinking out loud and have no idea of the technological aspects of what I am surmising, but I just thought I’d add my 2 cents with this idea just incase it makes any kind of sense.
This is my attempt at explaining why I have the 2 entries to can in the context menu on most but not all of my files and is consistent with how Windows is using the files in regards to the associated icon to the file itself.
So if my suggestion (idea) here is right Avast could be doing exactly what it should be doing and allowing the option to scan the seperate assocated icon.
Any opinions, thoughts, ideas ? ???
Yes it only happens on the Desktop and All Programs menu. I just would like to know what is causing this.
So, gate1975mlm, do you think I’m barking up the wrong tree regarding my post just ahead of yours ? ;D
It doesn’t happen with all of my Program files depending upon if I had downloaded an executable and put them in the list myself (see my previous post).
Ooops, it just occured to me, if we are the only ones with these two entries then I guess that blows my idea all to h— :
After all we can’t be the only ones with an Avast program doing it right… ;D
So I’m with you, why do we have this 2nd entry ???
It is interesting that I only have the 2nd entry for those programs that give me the option to change my icon and all the programs which I did not install but downloaded and added to the Programs list that DO NOT give me the Change Icon option ONLY HAVE ONE Avast scan entry. ??? At least I found some kind of consistency… 
Hey gate1975mlm, did you used to have Norton AV on your system before Avast ? (I’m trying to find some common ground since this is the case for me).
So gate1975mlm, then these two entries do NOT occur for the context menu in Windows Explorer right ? (just like me)
Assuming this to be true (above question) I have a question for the general population of the forum:
Since it is much more common for people to only scan fileS in their Windows Explorer than on the Desktop or Program files, maybe it is more common place than we realize.
Now what’s that music on that game show… ;D
If we can get a majority who have it then we can call it a feature of Avast
Sorry to disappoint, only a single scan icon in All Programs, desktop items or explorer.
Same here…except for when there’s not even the one scan icon, such as shortcuts to any Office2003 products, recycle bin, my docs, etc
The only place I get the two entries for Avast is on Desktop shortcuts and All Programs menu. No I have never had Norton installed.
Did you try just disabling one of the entries with this program?
Yes that does work also Mmm+ works. But My point is that I would like to know what is causing this to happen?
I’m afraid I don’t know. It might be interesting to find out what ContextEdit changes in registry when disabling the item (when you sayit works).
When I use ContextEdit it gets rid of both .exe and .lnk so thats no good.
It’s very misterious :
Did you have two lines (entries) there or only one?
Did you search at Folder and All files regardless the extension?
Two entries should be two lines… : :-\
OK, that sounds logical for me. There’s only one avast registration in the registry (as we have seen), which can be either enabled, or disabled. Even the ContextEdit doesn’t know this kind of magic and sees only the one item.
Why Windows use this shell extension twice (first for the .lnk target, second for the .lnk file itself), that’s the mystery.
Sure is and would like if you could fix it
Since I have just installed ClamWin as a BU AV scanner (which I like a lot btw) I can presently add more info to this thread.
It would appear that the problem is not necessarily an Avast problem but more likely an OS issue of some kind.
I base this on the fact that ClamWin also has two entries in the context menu. ClamWin does not specify the file to be scanned in the context menu so I cannot verify this part of it but considering their are two entries the same as Avast it does not appear to be exclusively an Avast problem.
I also noted that BOTH of my ZIP utilities in my context menu has duplicate entries as well. I am using WIN98SE and am not sure if this problem only occurs in this OS or not but as gae1975mlm stated, it would be nice to know what is the cause and how to fix it. Since I now have two entries for not only Avast, but ClamWin and both ZIP utilities (which I have apparently had for some time) it does take up a lot of room on my shortcut menu list.
Again as noted before in this thread the duplicate items only occur when right clicking on desktop icons and most program files. When using the context menu within Window Explorer which is where it is most often used anyway there is not problem with two entries at all. Could there be some kind of registry setting that Microsoft has added which could be causing this?
Has anyone come up with a solution on this as of yet ???
I never found a fix for this as of yet. 
Update I found out what was causing it. If you use a program likee TweakUi to remove the Arrow from the shortcuts on your desktop thats what makes Avast show 2 entries in the contexty menu. So if you add the arrow back to the shortcuts that will fix the issue.
Thanks for getting back and letting us know, hopefully this will help others.