Auto Updates Fail, Manual Updates work fine [SOLVED]

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hi there,

I seem to be having issues with getting automatic updates to occur over the past couple of weeks. However, when I run a manual update, it works like a champ. I have read through various solutions and fixes posted here and none of them seem to be working for me. These have included, uninstalling and reinstalling avast, removing avast.setup from my firewall config and readding it when prompted, removing the servers.def file and redownloading from http://files.avast.com/iavs4x/servers.def and setting the AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds= in avast4.ini file to up to several minutes. Here are the details:

Avast 4.7.942 (registered and good through 1 Oct 2007)
Windows XP

Here are some of the various error messages in the logs:

$AVAST_HOME\DATA\log\Warning.log
Function setifaceUpdatePackages() has failed. Return code is 0x00000002, dwRes is 00000002.
Function setifaceUpdatePackages() has failed. Return code is 0x20000004, dwRes is 20000004.
An error has occured while attempting to update. Please check the logs.

$AVAST_HOME\DATA\log\Setup.log
13:01:04 min/pkg ERROR:HttpGetWinsock, WinsockTcpConnect() returned 0x00002AF9
13:01:04 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server ‘Download53 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
13:01:04 nrm/gen SelectCurrent: selected server ‘Download38 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
13:01:04 min/pkg GetPackages - set proxy for inet
13:01:04 nrm/int SYNCER: Type: no proxy
13:01:04 nrm/int SYNCER: Auth: no authentication
13:01:04 dbg/int while trying to get file ‘servers.def.vpu’, error 0x20000004 has occured, try 99
13:01:06 min/pkg ERROR:HttpGetWinsock, WinsockTcpConnect() returned 0x00002AF9
13:01:06 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server ‘Download38 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
13:01:06 min/gen SelectCurrent: unable to find any suitable server in ‘main’
13:01:06 dbg/int while trying to get file ‘servers.def.vpu’, error 0x20000004 has occured, try 100
13:01:06 min/int tried 100 servers to get file ‘servers.def.vpu’, but failed (0x20000004)
13:01:06 min/fil GetNewerStampedFile:GetFileWithRetry failed: C:\WINDOWS\TEMP_av_proI.tm~a03148\onefile, servers.def.vpu, error: 0x20000004
13:01:06 min/pkg Download servers.def, servers.def.vpu failed with error 0x20000004.
13:01:06 min/pkg ERROR:HttpGetWinsock, WinsockTcpConnect() returned 0x00002AF9
13:01:06 min/pkg ERROR:HttpGetWinsock, WinsockTcpConnect() returned 0x00002AF9
13:01:06 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server ‘Download38 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
13:01:06 min/gen SelectCurrent: unable to find any suitable server in ‘main’
13:01:06 dbg/int while trying to get file ‘servers.def’, error 0x20000004 has occured, try 1
13:01:06 min/int tried 1 servers to get file ‘servers.def’, but failed (0x20000004)
13:01:06 min/fil GetNewerStampedFile:GetFileWithRetry failed: C:\WINDOWS\TEMP_av_proI.tm~a03148\onefile, servers.def, error: 0x20000004
13:01:06 min/pkg Tried to download servers.def but failed with error 0x20000004.
13:01:07 min/gen Err:Cannot connect to download38.avast.com (unknown:80).
13:01:07 nrm/pkg Transferred files: 0
13:01:07 nrm/pkg Transferred bytes: 0
13:01:07 nrm/pkg Transfer time: 0 ms
13:01:07 vrb/fil NeedReboot=false
13:01:07 min/gen Return code: 0x20000004 [Cannot connect to download38.avast.com (unknown:80).]
13:01:07 min/gen Stopped: 27.01.2007, 13:01:07

$AVAST_HOME\Setup\Setup.log
13:01:04 min/pkg ERROR:HttpGetWinsock, WinsockTcpConnect() returned 0x00002AF9
13:01:04 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server ‘Download53 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
13:01:04 nrm/gen SelectCurrent: selected server ‘Download38 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
13:01:04 min/pkg GetPackages - set proxy for inet
13:01:04 nrm/int SYNCER: Type: no proxy
13:01:04 nrm/int SYNCER: Auth: no authentication
13:01:04 dbg/int while trying to get file ‘servers.def.vpu’, error 0x20000004 has occured, try 99
13:01:06 min/pkg ERROR:HttpGetWinsock, WinsockTcpConnect() returned 0x00002AF9
13:01:06 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server ‘Download38 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
13:01:06 min/gen SelectCurrent: unable to find any suitable server in ‘main’
13:01:06 dbg/int while trying to get file ‘servers.def.vpu’, error 0x20000004 has occured, try 100
13:01:06 min/int tried 100 servers to get file ‘servers.def.vpu’, but failed (0x20000004)
13:01:06 min/fil GetNewerStampedFile:GetFileWithRetry failed: C:\WINDOWS\TEMP_av_proI.tm~a03148\onefile, servers.def.vpu, error: 0x20000004
13:01:06 min/pkg Download servers.def, servers.def.vpu failed with error 0x20000004.
13:01:06 min/pkg ERROR:HttpGetWinsock, WinsockTcpConnect() returned 0x00002AF9
13:01:06 min/pkg ERROR:HttpGetWinsock, WinsockTcpConnect() returned 0x00002AF9
13:01:06 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server ‘Download38 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
13:01:06 min/gen SelectCurrent: unable to find any suitable server in ‘main’
13:01:06 dbg/int while trying to get file ‘servers.def’, error 0x20000004 has occured, try 1
13:01:06 min/int tried 1 servers to get file ‘servers.def’, but failed (0x20000004)
13:01:06 min/fil GetNewerStampedFile:GetFileWithRetry failed: C:\WINDOWS\TEMP_av_proI.tm~a03148\onefile, servers.def, error: 0x20000004
13:01:06 min/pkg Tried to download servers.def but failed with error 0x20000004.
13:01:07 min/gen Err:Cannot connect to download38.avast.com (unknown:80).
13:01:07 nrm/pkg Transferred files: 0
13:01:07 nrm/pkg Transferred bytes: 0
13:01:07 nrm/pkg Transfer time: 0 ms
13:01:07 vrb/fil NeedReboot=false
13:01:07 min/gen Return code: 0x20000004 [Cannot connect to download38.avast.com (unknown:80).]
13:01:07 min/gen Stopped: 27.01.2007, 13:01:07

Any thoughts? Am I missing something obvious or am I just hosed?

Cheers!

2

hmmm… what firewall are you using?

3

Comodo Firewall Pro 2.4.16.174

I have had this working with both Zone Labs and Comodo.

Cheers!

4

Please, search the board for 20000004 error and try to find any solution for it.
I’m using Comodo and avast. No troubles with autoupdates.
Basically, check:

Did you check if your subscription allows the update right now (i.e., if it is not expired).
Did you check your proxy settings into avast? Left click the avast icon > Settings > Update (Basic) > Details > Proxy. Also, make sure your browser is not set to “Work Offline” (this option is generally in the File menu). If it doesn’t help, try switching from “Auto-detect” to “No proxy” (I’m assuming you’re not connecting to the Internet via proxy).

Also you can try changing update service’s login account, follow this:
Open services control panel (e.g. Start->Run, and type: services.msc
Double-click on avast! iAVS4 Control Service to show properties. Switch to LogOn page.
Enter administrator account name and password.
Do the same for avast! Antivirus service.
Then start update again.

5

I have searched the forums for that error code and gotten a lot of hits, but no real new thoughts or suggestions from the ones I have already tried.

I believe that my subscription allows updates “right now”, when I look in About Avast!.. under my reg key and it says “Updates expiration: Monday, October 01 2007 1:00:00AM”. But I would assume that is implied since I can do manual updates from either the prefs menu and from the right-click menu of the Avast icon on the task bar.

I forgot to mention in my original post that I have tried both the “Auto-detect Proxy” settings and the “No Proxy” settings each with the same result.

My browser is to Work Online.

I am now attempting to run both of those services as Administrator rather than as the Local Service account.

I’ll know in 30 minutes when the next scheduled auto update runs whether or not this was successful or not.

Cheers!

6

And the result is negative. Still no go on the auto-updates. Any other thoughts?

Cheers!

7

Are you using the Pro version?
How did you configure the scheduled autoupdate?
The minimum time for update in Home version is 240 minutes (http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=1647.msg10264#msg10264).

8

It is the Home Edition. I configured the scheduled update via the Program Settings menu → Update (Basic) → Details. Auto-update interval, Auto-update every ___ minutes. I says 30, but if you insist the minimum I can set it to is 240 minutes, then I’ll defer to you. The other way I’ve gotten it to attempt to auto-update is rebooting the computer.

Incidentally, I appreciate you taking the time to help me troubleshoot this.

Cheers!

9

I’m an user like you… they (Alwil programmers) set this minimum to 240 minutes to avoid servers fload.
Waiting for the feed back about the new update period…

10

No worries mate… I’m deferring to you as you are much more knowledgeable about this program than I am. :slight_smile:

Regardless of the update interval, I appear to still be having the issue as this morning upon turning on my computer… still no joy.

Cheers!

11

It would be useful to find out if the issue is related to your firewall. Did you try completely disabling it (maybe even uninstalling)? Does that make any difference?

12

Yes, I have tried that as well with no success. However, just to reconfirm that, I will shut down my firewall and give it a try again. Though shutting the firewall down on a windows machine is just asking for it. :wink:

Cheers!

13

I don’t thing Vlk means to permanently disable/uninstall the firewall just a short test to see if you can update automatically.

If you can do it before you shut the system down for the night, when you boot the next day avast should automatically check for updates once you have established a connection. You should see avast.setup in the Task Manager monitor its cpu activity does it peak and stay high, etc.

The auto update should cycle through the servers in the servers.def file trying to establish a connection, this should take at most 3-4 minutes so don’t stay on-line with your trousers down any longer than that.

Check if the update succeeded and or check the logs.

Enable or reinstall the firewall

14

Oh I know… windows machines without firewalls are hacker zombies. ;D

And yes… with the firewall disabled, Avast still cannot seem to contact the mothership automagically.

Any other thoughts?

Cheers!

15

Are you checking your avast logs and there is stamped that you could not get the update automatically?

16

I know a couple of weeks is a long time in the life of a system but can you tell from the logs the last time you successfully update at system startup and when it first failed.

Can you recall any system changes you made around that time?

The 2AF9 error in your log was reported a long time ago as meaning that “host cannot be found” (in this case the avast update server) suggesting a network connectivity problem or a blockage to it.

How soon after the automatic update failure “red flag” does your manual update work … immediately … after 10 minutes?

I know it sounds like a complete disconnect but do you have Windows Automatic Updates set to automatically update your system? Did you get your January updates a couple of weeks ago? (You can check in the Windows update log in your Windows directory). No, I’m not going to suggest that the updates from Microsoft caused the problem.

17

Yes, I have been checking all of the logs and yes indeed all of the times I have said they have failed, there has been evidence of these failures in the logs.

The only thing I can think of that occurred around the same time I stopped getting auto updates was I installed a game, KOTOR. Now since this is not an internet based game I can’t really see a clear cause and effect relationship, however maybe there is… but I would find it horrifying that this could completely whack something like this.

I am generally on a wifi connection so occasionally I have initial connectivity problems due to session negotiation, etc. However I have played with the “AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds=” setting and had that set up to 10 minutes and still no go.

To me, the baffling thing is that it works 100% of the time when I do a manual update and works none of the time when it tries to do it on it’s own, whether it’s at start up or after the requisite time to update. So unless it’s some freaky obscure firewall thing, I am stumped.

Tech, you said you use Comodo Firewall… could you post your relevant firewall config to see if mine looks similar?

Once again, thanks for all your help!

Cheers!

18
How soon after the automatic update failure "red flag" does your manual update work ... immediately ... after 10 minutes?

sorry i didn’t address this directly in my last post. the answer is both. i have tried to do a manual update immediately after the “red flag” pops up or after waiting a bit of time. depends on if i am sitting at the computer at the time. the result is always the same. i am able to get a manual update.

I know it sounds like a complete disconnect but do you have Windows Automatic Updates set to automatically update your system?

as for the windows updates… i have them set to download but not install. i generally try to wait a few days before installing them since i have been spanked before by crap updates from MS.

19

I think I’ll write down and does not post a screenshot as it won’t help that much in this case (configuration won’t be shown in the screenshot).
Into Comodo settings, the following programs should be allowed to connect:

C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashWebSv.exe (avast! Web Scanner)
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashMaiSv.exe (avast! e-Mail Scanner Service)
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\avast.setup (avast! Update executable). This is a temporary file that just appears when an update (check) is about to launch, and disappears again afterwards.

Don’t need rights to connect:
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashServ.exe (avast! antivirus service)
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\aswUpdSv.exe (avast! Update Service)

20

thanks for the config… I’m pretty sure those three files are allowed but I can’t check now as I am at work. I’ll confirm tonight at home.

Cheers!