About a week ago I noticed the ball looked different, as follows…
The main ball is still orange with the white semicircle in the middle, but there are white stripes all the way round the outer edge inwards to the semicircle.
I have reinstalled the program, and tried several other things but can’t get it back to normal, any ideas please.
Every thing seems to be working ok but I would like to know if possible what it means.
Regards Bizet
a screenshot would help…
Thanks Pondus, a bit more info, I had only seen the ball stationary but when it rotates they are not stripes but white dots which almost look like stars.
I don’t know how to do a screen shot, sorry.
Regards Bizet.
I don't know how to do a screen shot, sorry.google it.... or search youtube for a how to do it video
Hi Pondus not sure if this is going to work, but here goes
In XP control panel/Folder Options/File types the Avast icon is the normal expected one, but not online as stated.
Regards Bizet.
The icon looks like it is a very low resolution one (possibly 16nit) display, I don’t know if your screen resolution is low (or if it is also the quality of your screen capture) ?
It looks fine in my XP Pro system.
Same as Bizet here too, 1280 x 1024 screen res, Avast Free version 7.0.1474, had n’t really noticed until now. Also XP Pro.
A bit of googling later - Try this Control Panel, System > Advanced > Performance, Settings > Visual Effects and check the ‘Adjust for best appearance’ option.
Thank you DavidR, tried what you suggested, but sadly no change 
Maybe a better quality screenshot attached.
Have you rebooted, I think that these setting changes might not be generated until after a restart.
As you can see in my image I don’t use the default settings, but a Custom one have a look at the settings in the Custom option, I think the ones towards the end of the list may have an effect (excuse the pun). Or you could try the ‘Let Windows choose what is best for my computer’ option.
Yes did as you suggested, rebooted, still the same. I have reverted to my previous settings now, as below. I can live with it, as long as I’m protected I can live without the eye candy 
It just seems strange, and must have happened recently, but I only noticed when Bizet pointed it out.
Yes, certainly weird when it was previously fine.
EDIT: Whilst I remembered this could have something to do with the icons being 16bit (low resolution), but some more googling on XP tray icons poor quality 16bit. That brought up an unexpected hit which also mentioned one of the windows font sizes can have an adverse effect on the tray icons, http://www.infopackets.com/news/software/windows_tips/2003/20030903_windows_taskbar_icons_are_distorted.htm.
I’ve seen it like that in my comp. Once a reboot fixed it. Obviouly it was not your case. The other time I repaired Avast! and that did it. I don’t know why it turns like that but both time the icon showed like that when booting the first time of the day.
Thanks to both the above posters.
DavidR I have checked the active window title bar font size, it is set at 8, so no problem there.
iroc9555 icon image stays as per my screenshot after rebooting.
A bit strange, but not a deal breaker, maybe one day it will return to normal in the same way it went low resolution Thanks again.
PS all other taskbar icons are normal, ie as they always have been, only Avast is different.
Firstly my thanks go to Sampson63 you have made me feel a lot better knowing it’s not just me affected, and I very much appreciate the help given by DavidR who always seems to be around when members technical problems occur.
I have also tried the suggestions, but each one simply allows the different Avast ball to continue, but like Sampson63 I’m not too bothered as it’s only a very small visual difference.
Regards Bizet.
It isn’t actually a different avast icon, it is just that it is displayed at a lower resolution/bit level for some reason.
Now the suggestions under normal circumstances would work. But this is for some reason different, in that this only appears to be effecting the avast tray icon but not others.
It isn't actually a different avast icon, it is just that it is displayed at a lower resolution/bit level for some reason.
Sorry DavidR I wasn’t to clear, and I didn’t mean a different Avast icon, but different for me.
Bizet
No problem, hopefully it may return to its normal quality as mysteriously as it changed.