Hello,
I just installed Avast Pro on Vista Ultimate32bit and I cannot get it to update. I’m using windows firewall and have allowed the majority of .exe’s to access outbound connection. Maybe I’m missing one I don’t know. I have set the ports to 80, 443, 12080. Do I need to add a missing port?
See attachment. I can’t make out the date of the definitions.
Hi, bridezilla924
Are you sure that AvastSvc.exe is allowed to connect the internet?
If not, you should allow it to connect to the internet.
If you you have installed with defeault setting, it is located under
C:/Program Files/Alwil Software/Avast5
Hope this helps
Hello bridezilla924 and welcome to the forum. 
In situations like this, it is usually the person’s firewall (FW) causing the problem, but it can also be a problem with the install since you just installed Avast Pro, remnants of previous security software, or malware can be an issue.
First, as the previous poster noted, make sure your FW is not blocking anything related to Avast. If you made changes in your FW to block certain exe. files, change things back to default for now unless you absolutely know the file is not Avast-related.
Second, make sure you use the default settings listed below for connections:
Please check the following to check the settings:
Open Avast GUI > Settings > Updates >
A. Engine and Virus Definitions:
B. Update Parameters: all boxes unchecked (default)
C. Proxy Settings: Auto Detect using IE Settings (default)
What other security software do you currently have or did you have in the past on this machine including antivirus (AV), firewall (FW), and other security programs, including trial versions? If they were in the past, how did you remove them (the vendor’s uninstaller’s tool or another way)?
Forth, did you reboot after your installation and put in your license information?
If you have done all of the above, I’d like you to try an Avast Repair:
Please report back with your findings. Thank you.
If your using the window’s firewall you shouldn’t have to add any exclusion’s to it for avast,best to restore default setting’s to the firewall and follow the instruction that SafeSurf has provided for you
Yes, this is the first thing I did.
[/quote]
Did you check the settings that I posted for you in my prior post?
I also asked you several questions that you have not answered yet (#3 & 4).
If your problem are not yet resolved, please respond to my previous post and I or other Avast Evangelists will help you. Thank you.
I was in the middle of posting screen shots to you of what I had and I lost my whole network. I’m using a live cd right now.
Avast became unusable because I constantly got “not responding” when I tried to open the gui for anything.
I’m using windows advanced security for a FW in Vista and it is set up with all incoming connections blocked and all outbound is blocked that doesn’t have a rule. I done a little test before I lost my network. I switched the outbound blocked to allow and avast updated which tells me that there is a .exe for a avast that needs access to the net or maybe a loopback rule.
The FW rules are made or linked to specific .exe in each program.
Another major problem I ran into that made everything worse was avast detected the shortcut to SuRun (as bad) as I was putting it on the desktop. I reported it as a false positive but it couldn’t be sent cuz at the time had no connection. I forgot I had this live cd (thank god I did).SuRun is a program that is used to elevated priviliges to your programs only when needed when running a standard account and Software Restriction Policy. Because of avast doing this I cannot use my standard account at all until they fix this FP.
SRP (Software Restriction Policy) will only let programs run that are in C:\Program Files or C:\Windows so if avast is running something from some where else there has to be a path rule set. Since I have never used avast with this type of setup I wouldn’t know.
As far as any other security program I had running is sandboxie, WF, avast that’s it.With SRP you don’t a bunch of security programs cuz nothing can install unless I install it and you need SuRun to install any program or run it.
I’m going to restore a image and start reinstalling everything over again but I will have to use the AV I was previously using until the FP is fixed and we figure out what and where .exe needs access to the net. I just bought a 2year license of avast. It’s going to be a long next few days. It will take some time to figure this all out.
I’m going to try to resend that FP from avast before I restore a image.
EDIT:
Where is .exe for web shield? What is the abbreviation for the file? I looked in program files and it’s not there.
I turned off the web shield and I get the net so web shield is blocking access. Where and whats the name of the file so I can add it to the FW and have internet access?
Okay, I have the web shield working but still cannot update.
Can you please give what .exe’s with what ports are needed for inbound and outbound and I will be out of your hair.
I found this on the net but don’t know if it still applies:
Allow aswWebSv.exe or ashWebSv.exe to TCP port 80 and permission to act as a server and accept incoming connections from local host on TCP port 12080.
[quote author=SafeSurf link=topic=66182.msg558351#msg558351 date=1289719875]
Hello bridezilla924 and welcome to the forum.
In situations like this, it is usually the person’s firewall (FW) causing the problem, but it can also be a problem with the install since you just installed Avast Pro, remnants of previous security software, or malware can be an issue.
No, I don’t have any .exe’s blocked.
2. Second, make sure you use the default settings listed below for connections:Please check the following to check the settings:
Open Avast GUI > Settings > Updates >A. Engine and Virus Definitions:
- Automatic Update (default)
- For “Manual” or “Ask When Update Available ” > Settings > Status Bar > Uncheck the last box
I’m not sure what you mean here. Maybe you can tell from the screen shot I will post.
B. Update Parameters: all boxes unchecked (default) - If you use DSL, you may want to set #2 above to "My computer is permanently connected to the Internet." - If you use dial-up, you will want to use #2 above to "I only connect to the Internet using dial-up modem."
Both unchecked
C. Proxy Settings: Auto Detect using IE Settings (default) - Some people have found that using "Direct connection / No Proxy" have worked for them. - Use "Specify Proxy Server" if you use a proxy and complete the information below it for the proxy server > click "OK."
Auto-detect settings
3. What other security software do you [u]currently[/u] have or did you have [u]in the past[/u] on this machine including antivirus (AV), firewall (FW), and other security programs, including trial versions? If they were in the past, how did you remove them (the vendor's uninstaller's tool or another way)?
Sandboxie, that’s it.
4. Forth, did you reboot after your installation and put in your license information?
Yes
I’m sorry, I come on the forum at late hours. Yes, you are correct with your above quote.
Your settings from your screen shot looks good.
When you uninstall Avast, follow this procedure:
Make sure when you uninstall your old antivirus (AV), that you follow your vendor’s uninstaller tool prior to re-installing Avast so that no remnants remain in your machine.
How to reinstall Avast:
Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you.
I mentioned in my post third one up that when I change outbound blocked rule to allow avast updates fine. Avast does not need to be uninstalled.
It’s missing a rule that’s why I asked previously what .exe’s & ports for inbound and outbound does it need.
Which of these (aswWebSv.exe or ashWebSv.exe) are we supposed to use?
In looking at my FW, the Avast related services that need to open for in/outbound for Avast to work is: AvastSvc.exe, avastUI.exe, and aswRdr.sys.
Again, if you are using Windows FW and you just installed Avast Pro, you should just use the default settings for your FW and Avast…you should not change any settings. It sounds like you made multiple changes to your machine since you installed the software; hopefully you kept track of everything so you can un-do it.
If anyone else has any other comments to add for this OP, it would be appreciated. The OP is using Windows FW.
I mentioned in one of my posts above that I don’t use the default settings for WF cuz it allows all outbound that does not match a rule and it’s not safe or secure. It’s wide open. I have inbound & outbound blocked with the exception of rules made for my programs so nothing else can get in.
You have no rules for aswWebSv.exe or ashWebSv.exe?
Do you have any outbound rules? I know you wouldn’t if your using WF default settings.
@ bridezilla924
From your first post, re ports, get rid of the additions you have made.
Port 443 is associated with https, secure connections and avast can’t scan encrypted traffic.
Port 12080, is a localhost port and that is where the web shield redirects port 80 traffic, so you have a circular redirection, which is likely to go round and round until it disappears up its own backside ;D
So set it back to its default of only port 80 being in that field.
The ashWebSv.exe doesn’t exist in avast5 that is a throwback from avast 4.8, you were given the correct one before, avastSvc.exe as that controls all the avast shields. However the avast.setup file requires outbound permissions as it is that which does the actual updates.
Hi David,
okay, this explains everything; I had port 12080 as a remote port not local. And port 443 will be deleted.
No need for ashWebSv.exe or aswWebSv.exe.
Thank you for the useful information.
You’re welcome.
I recently went through the experience of Avast not updating (Win 7, Win firewall). I have Avast on all 5 of my personal PCs, but only the one on my main laptop wouldn’t update; the odd thing being, it had updated previously (last update was 11/9). I would recieve the “Avast could not update” popup when I’d start my PC, and going to update manually, it would hang on “iniatializing”. I would even disable Windows firewall (even though it had worked previously), but to no avail.
Well, I went and manually update the definitions from here:
http://www.avast.com/download-update
I received a message stating my version was old (I had version 5.0.6) and thus refused to update.
Well, it was at that point I figured the program had become corrupt. I went to uninstall, and it wouldn’t uninstall via add/remove programs. So, I downloaded the avast uninstall utility:
http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility
I booted into safe mode, and ran the utility. Upon reboot, I ran CCleaner, just to be on the safe side, downloaded the latest Avast, reinstalled, and now can update! So, it seems somehow Avast became corrupt, no idea how, but figured some others running into the same issue might be helped (this may not help the original poster, but these forums pop up in google search). ;D
@ bridezilla924,
If you feel that your issue is now resolved/fixed, please go back to the first open post in this topic, click the modify button in that Post and change the title/subject, add [Resolved] to the beginning of the title so this thread can be closed.
Feel free to come back any time you need help, to learn something new, or just to ask questions. We are here 24/7 for your convenience. Thank you.
@ DavidR, Thank you for your input. 
@ somesome11, Sometimes a simple Avast “Repair” then reboot is all that is needed rather than go through the trouble of uninstalling and reinstalling as you did in your situation. Perhaps next time come to the forum (or do search on the forum) to ask a question as we are quick to respond to user’s needs. Thank you.
@SafeSurf, no doubt, I’ve followed several of the forums on my own troubleshooting, and took the advice that applied to me. Unfortunately, the repair ability wasn’t functioning either. But, uninstalling/reinstalling was no trouble, luckily avast installs quite fast, took me all of 5 minutes, figured that’d be a heckuva lot faster than posting and waiting for a response (not that the community hasn’t been quick from what I’ve seen, but troubleshooting is often a lengthy process). Had the reinstall not worked/fixed it, I would have posted (which is actually why I registered today). But, I figured I would give my 2 cents (sorry to hijack the thread at all) since like I said, these pop up in google search (how I orginally came to the forum), and it was relevant to the topic.
@ somesome11, Thank you for your comments.