I just updated my Avast Free to version 25.10.10528 on Windows 10 Pro, and since then, the Avast tray icon no longer loads automatically when I start the operating system.
I have to launch the program manually to see the icon again. Anyway I checked and all Avast services are running among the system processes, whether or not the tray icon is visible.
This is the information on my current Avast Free:
Program version: 25.10.10528a (build 25.10.10528.762)
First of all, thank you all so much for your time and suggestions!
After a series of computer reboots, my (admittedly old) Comodo Firewall prompted me to authorize a specific Avast component (I believe it was related to the AvastUI.exe process). Once this permission was granted, the tray icon reappeared.
So I rebooted again and the icon returned to its normal location.
I’d say the alarm is over! Thanks again everyone!
I’ve actually been using Comodo Firewall on this computer for ages, even before Avast made its own firewall available, which I’ve never actually installed.
I also have a PC in that very same condition.
And I think (maybe wrongly) that sometimes “older” programs, on average much less “heavy” and invasive than their more recent versions, can work even better; especially if their tasks are relatively simple and substantially unchanged over time (as is the case, for example, of a basic firewall that only has to monitor incoming and outgoing traffic, blocking or reporting any unauthorised or suspicious incursions).
Furthermore, as far as I know, sometimes using two different programs for two different tasks can be overall more effective than using the same program for both.
Of course, it’s difficult to objectively assess, case by case, which solution is actually better.
In this regard, I think it would be quite interesting to know the actual differences, in terms of basic functionality and objective efficiency and results, between the standalone old Comodo Free FW and the firewall provided by Avast Free.
