After updating Avast I get an extra annoying huge desktop icon with secured written in the middle of it.
Any idea how to get rid of it.
Go to add remove programs and double click avast then click change, when you get the list popup untick avast gadget and ok it and reboot.
That isn’t an icon but a windows Vista or Win7 gadget (depending on your OS) and allows access to some of the avast functions, you should also be able to reduce the size.
If what craigb suggests doesn’t work, e.g. it reappears after you reboot, then you will have to take another step.
Avast Gadget removal - Control panel → Programs and Features → avast! → Change → uncheck the box “avast! gadget” click Next and OK your way out.
Thanks Craigb and Davidr
Forgot to say it was a gadget in Vista
Went the control panel route and it gone now.
Thank you very much.
No problem, glad I could help.
Welcome to the forums.
Your welcome.
I use windows Vista and am usually checking the forum looking for ideas. Being retired
and handicapped, I am always looking for things to do and ways to make programs better for
me. I followed the steps listed and not only unchecked “avast! gadget” but also “web reputation
plugin”, that webrep might be important for some folks, but I found that I was not looking at
it at this time, but if I want it sometime, I’ll just reverse the steps. But at least it’s just
one more way to do something.
Thanks again folks.
You’re welcome.
The idea of the WebRep is that you don’t have to look at it all the time, when you run a google search, etc. then there is a small icon opposite the link to the page. This will be the same in some web pages with external web links, so it acts as a memory jogger before clicking on a link.
However, at present it is very early days and will take a little time to build a more comprehensive database. That will require user participation to use the webrep and vote for the sites that they regularly or even infrequently visit to build a rep for that site.
Thanks David, after your explanation I can see where the WebRep could be useful after it
gets more time. I’m using IE 9RC, and had Google Chrome installed for a week or so but in using
IE for last 10 or so years, I feel more comfortable and switched back to IE, but like the WebRep,
things are never done away with.
Thanks again.
You’re welcome.
Well Chrome is on the to do list for inclusion in the WebRep browser compatibility list, hopefully that will be some time this month, fingers crossed then.
Also the webrep will have more aspects to it other than just reputation, what the site is about (category), in that avast gathers a lot of information about sites that the avast web shield might have alerted on recently, etc. and other security aspects. So it is hoped that this will also be added in the future.