Hi
I have just installed Avast Home edition but for the life of me cant get it to load iin the sys tray at startup. Ive checked the settings and all “seems” to be OK. There must be something Ive missed. Can anyone help please.
OS XP home SP2
Also running, ZASS,ADaware,Spybot,Spyblaster,Ewido
Cheers
Grandpaj
Grandpaj
Have you got show icon in systems tray ticked in Settings> Appearance?
Peter
After checking what Peter said, can you try to repair your installation? Go to Control Panel > Add/Remove programs > avast! antivirus > Remove then choose Repair function in the popup window (Repair).
If this does not help, can you uninstall / boot / install / boot again?
Do you have (or had) any other antivirus in this computer?
Hi guys,
Thanks for your help, but Ive tried all of these. I am running ZASS but have had no prob in the past, mind you then I had XPPrSP2 installed. Maybe XPhome doesnt like these 2 running together although I doubt it. Unless I got a corrupt download, I did re download. So unfortunately I may have to go without Avast. On my previous installation I found it absolutely great.
Any further thoughts would still be appreciated. ( I have the same prob with Spybot, can’t get teatimer to hold its setting)
Cheers
Grandpaj
What is ZASS ?
Windows Home or Professional work the same with avast!
What I can see is that you MUST disable TeaTimer to install avast! and get the icon.
TeaTimer will avoid the ashdisp.exe to be added into the startup registry entries.
Hi guys
That did the trick. Spybot although not showing in the sys tray was in fact running.o I disabled and all is sweet.
Many thanks
Grandpaj
Well… I am a new face here 
And I am facing a similar problem.
Since the problem and the PC environment in which it is happening seem almost akin, I am not repeating it. 8) I followed through the remedial steps you suggested above. But unlike Grandpaj I wast lucky. 
There is one difference, however. When I click on the Windows Security Alerts icon, I get to see a message under ‘virus protection’ which says “avast! antivirus 4.6.691 reports that it is upto date and virus scanning is on”. But, try whatever means, I cannot see the avast icon in my system tray.
Any tips, please?
You to will have to answer the same questions Grandpaj answered so we know more about your system, otherwise we too will be repeating ourselves.
Ok… here it is…
Version 4.6.691 of Avast Home edition Downloaded)
OS on my PC is Windows XP.
I use SP2 Firewall; Lavasoft Adaware; Spyboat & Secretmaker.
The Resident scanner is set properly in the AVAST settings. The icon, within a second or so of its appearance in the system tray, vanishes, never to appear again.
After reading your advice to Grandpaj, I disabled the Firewall and the Spywares, making sure my system tray is vacant. Still, the AVAST icon that appeared, as narrated earlier, refused to stay on. :
Is there any way, I could get the ‘eye’ back, please?
Did you try what Tech suggested uninstall, boot, install if all else failed?
Is ashDisp.exe showing in the Task Manager Process list?
I had no idea what secretmaker was but on checking it would appear that it could be causing conflict as it some of the areas may block or potentially conflict with avast and in cases like this rather than have a conflict avast doesn’t install fully.
I suggest you uninstall avast, reboot, ensure that secretmaker is completely disabled ensure any resident functions, services and startup entires are disabled. Then install avast again and see if that allows for a full installation with avast.
If that works I would suggest you disable elements of secretmaker that are being covered by avast any anti-virus, trojan, functions that are resident otherwise you may have conflicts with two resident scanners scanning the same file/s.
Tech, i think ZASS stands for ZoneAlarm Security Suite…
Hi
In my humble opinion Zone Alarm isn’t good enough to be offered even as a free firewall. It’s updates are unreliable and have been known to cause all sorts or problems. I know I used the blo*dy thing for about 18 months and most of my download problems could be traced to ZA.
For the last 2 years I’ve used Agnitum’s Outpost as my firewall and it has never conflicted with a download, I have had no unauthorised intruders and it works. It’s free also. ;D
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Outpost_Firewall_Free_d1056.html
Peter
Much as I hate to contradict you Peter1, but the free version of Outpost hasn’t had any development in the time that you have used it, still on version 1.0. That scares me and was a major reason to upgrade to the Pro version which I have had for about a year, now on version 3.0. A firewall that isn’t being actively developed is liable to exploit as the malware writers don’t stop development of their ways to bypass firewalls.
Unfortunately, the pro version 3.0 is now in danger of getting bloated as it attempts to be all things to all men. It now has an Anti-Spyware Plug-in that can be resident, I tested it for a very short time (not conflicts with avast) and it added well over 1000 extra file accesses on boot during testing so it was disabled pronto.
Fully agree… seems the company release the free version for advertisement and then let the users only with the Pro.
I hate when they change freeware policies >:( 
Whithout development, software dies. Just this.
I’ve tested that feature for a few days. Again, I agree with you, it’s becoming a bloatware… ZA has both antispyware and antivirus…
On contrary, I think antispyware is nearer to antivirus technoloagy and not firewall.
David
Thanks for that information. Now I realize I don’t understand the purpose of a Firewall or what it does. In my ignorance I thought it blocked access to a PC and only allowed access to what the PC user had configured it to allow. If it does this how do you develop it?
It’s not like an AV program which must be currently updated because new nasties are being created daily and new detection processes must be enter in to the program to combat these. So if the firewall only gives access to what the user permits how do you update that. Sometimes the user’s brain might need updating but thats a different kettle of fish.
Peter sits back awaiting comments about how my brain needs updating asap. ;D
Peter
Blocking access to your system is only part of the equation and this outpost 1.0 does well enough. The problem with this is there are many devious types out there to deceive you into clicking a link, etc. that you inadvertently download something malicious. This is not blocked by a firewall as it is a user initiated download and will pass right through your firewall as it should, otherwise legitimate downloads would also be blocked.
The real work nowadays is outbound protection, stopping what has entered your system from phoning home with your user names, passwords, etc. or downloading more of the same, which will also waltz straight through your firewall (initiated by something/one on your system).
It is possible for a program (malicious) to launch another legitimate program and have it do its bidding. Outpost pro has a hidden process check to cater for this and works very well for what are termed leak tests. However, I have recently raised a support request and a Agnitum forum thread about an exploit that can bypass even that check. So it is essential to keep a firewall up to date to counter these developments.
Unfortunately, I doubt that the free firewalls are likely to keep up as this development costs money.
The companies could use the policy of free for home and paid for commercial use. Thanks Alwil
David I agree with you but I’ve got to allow it through my Outpost undeveloped firewall so it’s my decision not the firewalls. Do you agree that I have the ultimate decision on what goes through my firewall. OK things might get in under a false name or in disguise but surely a competent PC user will immediately notice changes in their PCs behavior and rectify it.
As for the idea that corporate business users should pay for the freeloading home users it doesn’t deserve my expletive comment even though I’m a freeloading home user. There’s more to it than that or can you explain after years of advert support the free Opera browser it has now become an ad free browser anyone can download for zilch.
Unfortunately, I doubt that the free firewalls are likely to keep up as this development costs money.
David look back at my comment about the free Opera browser then explain your doubts. :
Peter
No I don’t agree that ultimately you have the choice of what goes through your firewall. That is the whole point programs can exploit the firewall and you will never now it is making an outbound connection, re read what I said.
Spyware and malware may well not want you to know and go to lengths to either hide or keep a low profile so you don’t see an appreciable change in your PCs behaviour, not to mention the competency of the user most are ignorant of the subtleties of malware.
Effectively they had to, it had less than 1% share of the browser market and it wasn’t going anywhere, that would obviously change when it became free without ads (I didn’t swallow the altruistic drivel drivel they had on the web site when it went free). I have no idea how they could give up the ad stream revenue, obviously they found a way, why they didn’t do this sooner is the question.
I have and I can’t understand how they could do it without the ad revenue supporting the free product otherwise they would have done it in the first place.
Most of the free firewalls don’t have the full functionality or protection of the paid for version and that is why many but the pro version. Development costs money and if you only have a free product someone has to pay or you need a generous benefactor.
David
Just lets agree to differ :-*
You believe everybody’s out for money and I believe there are benefactors, sitting on their millions wanting to help their less well of brethren in any way they can.
Of course I don’t believe that but it’s a possibility I mean look at Opera, the safest browser on-line
Why are you panicking about outward breeches of the firewall? I mean an alien dialer is hardly likely to sneak out as part of OE or IE so the user has to authorize it. Are you saying all users are fools? All right David I know I’m taking firewall protection to it’s basic level but if it’s configured correctly and it does what it says it does what’s wrong with that. Is it wrong to put the onus of protection on the user especially if it’s a freebie?
Peter