engine & virus defs: current installed version - 100823-0
installed program version: 5.0.677
O/S Xp
other ware:
online armor - it is allowed through online armor for updating.
malwarebyte’s
avast! won’t update either the engine OR the defs automatically or manually since late Aug. I am the Admin for our home PC and nothing changed around that time. I have kept waiting and trying to update manually in hopes it MIGHT be something that would resolve itself. and I’ve tried the “Change/Update” from the avast setup window through Control Panel/Add & Remove Software… I’ve done everything but an uninstall/reinstall attempt. and going to that extreme is kinda like taking the engine out of a car to change the oil, IMHO. I’ll do it if anyone thinks it might help, but it’s aggravating that something like that has to be done on ANY software, even though it’s now expected from the Windoze O/S.
any ideas?
I’ve tried searching here for “won’t update”, “can’t update”, and “update problems”, with no solutions.
there is no actual error message. when I click on “Update engine and virus definitions” from the Maintenance screen, it indicates “Updating” and “Step 1/1” briefly, then “Step 1/2”. and it indicates first “Initializing” and then which file it’s trying to D/L. the “Overall Progress” bar never reaches more than a few millimeters of progress. then it indicates “Total Time: 2s” or sometimes “Total Time: 3s” with an “OK” button at the bottom. that’s all it ever has done since late August.
it is basically the same thing when attempting to update the Program.
Try a repair of avast. Add Remove programs, select ‘avast! Anti-Virus,’ click the Change/Remove button and scroll down to Repair, click next and follow.
If that doesn’t work I think it will probably mean a clean reinstall:
Download the latest version of avast, 5.0.677 http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/setup_av_free_eng.exe and save it to your HDD, somewhere you can find it again (if you didn’t save your last download). Use that when you reinstall.
Download the avast! Uninstall Utility, aswClear5.exe find it here and save it to your HDD (it has uninstall tools for both 4.8 and 5.0).
Now uninstall avast! (using add remove programs, if you can’t do that start from the next step), reboot.- 2. run the avast! Uninstall Utility from safe mode, first for 4.8 if previously installed and then for 5.0, once complete reboot into normal mode.- 3. install the latest version, reboot.
Have you considered disabling OA to test if avast updates ? ( from the OA menu > close and shut down )
While OA is very good it can sometimes loose a rule or setting, it may show its allowed avast to update in the firewall rules but for one reason or another that rule may become corrupted. This is something I think most firewalls can exhibit from time to time.
The OP in the quoted thread is using AIS…different from the OP in the current thread.
The OP in the quoted thread realized he/she had to be the admin. and needed to uninstall multiple versions of Avast to resolve the problem, which is different from the current OP’s issue.
The best fix for the current OP is what David suggested, and that is to try an Avast Repair. If unsuccessful, then do an uninstall using the Avast Uninstall Utility Tool in Safe Mode and do a clean install of Avast.
@ heraldhamster,
Make sure Avast is a Trusted exclusion in OA: Open the OA GUI > Options > Exclusions > Add…a pop-up will appear and click on C:\Program Files\Awil Software. Do the same with any other security software you use. Likewise, add OA to Avast’s exclusions: Open the GUI > Settings > Exclusions > Add…a pop-up will appear and click on C:\Program Files\Online Armor* …click on the box to the left of the name to include all files.
Let us know if you have any additional questions. Thank you.
yes, thanks, I have disabled OA & tried an update. no good.
well, there’s no “Repair” button in Ctrl Panel/Add-Remove Programs/avast/Change-Remove. all I have available from there is “Change”, “Uninstall” or “Update”. I’ve tried updating from there as well, and changing. nothing new, still same for updating virus defs &/or engine.
I’ll try an uninstall & reinstall in Safe Mode. will keep updated…