Windows XP Home and avast! 5.0.377
From last night until this morning my avast! screen saver has changed from star field to XP.
I have never experienced that before and I was wondering if anyone here has a idea about how I can get it back.
Certainly would appreciate the help.
Nobody, eh?
I assume it would require a change in the registry but I wouldn’t know how to do it.
Hello jadinolf…
I hope I’m understanding what your request is. Sometimes the settings on your pc changes things a bit from time to time…adding new programs, etc. Check the information in the link below…
Windows Screensaver
Hope this helps.
Hi news
Thanks but that’s not the problem.
In Windows XP the avast! screen saver used XP’s star field screen saver (I hope I have the name right) and that’s what I’ve been using all these years.
This morning after I cranked up the computer I noticed that the avast! screen saver had became what is called the XP screen saver. I works just like the other one - checking for viruses but I just would like to have the old one back.
I had considered uninstalling avast! and starting over but I have a feeling that wouldn’t do it.
In any event, I appreciate your reply.
go to setting → at Basic Tab tick Show special scans → Ok
go to Scan Computer → Click More details on Screen Saver Scan → Setting
go to Screen Saver Tab → Underlying Screen Saver → Select the screen saver you want
Hope this help
Thank you very much mdduan.
Now I hope I can find it if it ever happens again.
Your post is greatly appreciated.
You’re so welcome jadinolf. Very happy you got an answer to your request. Thank you also mdduan. Always a learning curve for me. 7-)
Did you ever specifically set Starfield as avast! screensaver (in avast! 5), or was it there as default since you installed avast! 5?
Hello Igor
In XP I selected avast! screen saver which just happened to be starfield. As a matter of fact it was the default.
Somehow the next morning the avast! screen saver became the XP screen saver.
I have no idea how it changed. Couldn’t have been me because I had no idea that it could even be done.
Anyway, I’m happy. 
....I have no idea how it changed. Couldn't have been me because I had no idea that it could even be done....
Thanks jadinolf for raising this. I had no idea that the screen saver underlying the Avast screen saver scan could be changed either.
Not being very imaginative, when I have a screen saver at all I just use the basic Windows XP screensaver (no scan). When I first selected the Avast Screen saver in Control Panel / Display options / Screen Saver to see what it did, the background showed as Starfield, and I assumed that was what it would always be. After running that for a while I changed the screen saver in Display options back to Windows XP (no screen saver scan).
After reading your posts, I changed the screensaver back to Avast, which again came up with the Starfield background. I then looked in the Settings for the Avast screen saver scan. The underlying screen saver was showing as Windows XP. I looked at the available alternatives in the pull down, changed it to 3D flying objects, then clicked on the OK. Next time it activated, the Avast screen saver background was 3D flying objects.
It seems to me that as installed, Avast possibly defaults to Starfield until you make a selection for the underlying screen saver and OK it, then it changes to your selection.
Always something new to learn.
That’s for sure.
Goes under the heading that we learn something new every day.
mdduan, I want to thank you again. Today, I decided to change the Vista avast! screensaver to starfield. I copied from XP C:\Windows\system32\sstars.scr to Vista Windows\system32 and then used the procedure you listed to select what was going to be the avast! screensaver.
Even today, I wouldn’t have known how to select the avast screensaver.
I wish I had done this earlier.