Avast fails to update

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

I’ve got a home wireless LAN made up of two pc’s: the one connected to the internet is a desktop win98 with flat ADSL. Avast works and updates as soon as I’m connected to the Internet. This PC is behind Sygate firewall. Internet connection sharing is running on it. It has dynamic IP to the outside and fixed IP on the inside.

The second is a notebook with XP, without firewall, and connects to the internet through the desktop ICS and gets its own IP trough DHCP. TCP/IP, HTTP, FTP, SMTP, POP and all other services are running smoothly. Everything’s up and running.
I installed Avast 4.1 also on the notebook.

What happens is that the notebook tries to connect and to establish a connection to virus database and a window appear:

“Downloading file servers.def.stamp”, progress bar shows 100% and it stays still there. After few minutes, the red warning “unable to download…” appears in the right bottom corner of the desktop.

Clearly, I tried opening all access incoming and outgoing on the firewall for my table (192.168.0.x) for all protocols and all ports to no avail.

Any idea?

2

Please post the end of the updater log, \setup\setup.log. It should contain all relevant info, including the error codes etc.

BTW aren’t you connecting via a proxy server?

Vlk

3

12:16:40 min/gen Started: 28.08.2004, 12:16:40
12:16:40 min/gen Running setup_av_pro-1a2 (418)
12:16:40 nrm/sys Operating system: WindowsXP ver 5.1, build 2600, sp 0.0
12:16:40 vrb/sys Computer WinName: PORTATILE
12:16:40 min/sys Windows Net User: PORTATILE\Admin
12:16:40 min/gen Cmdline: /downloadpkgs /noreboot /updatevps /silent /progress
12:16:40 vrb/gen DldSrc set to inet
12:16:40 vrb/gen Operation set to INST_OP_UPDATE_GET_PACKAGES
12:16:40 min/gen Old version: 1a2 (418)
12:16:40 nrm/gen SGW32P::CheckIfInstalled set m_bAlreadyInstalled to 1
12:16:40 vrb/sys Computer DnsName: PORTATILE
12:16:40 vrb/sys Computer Ip Addr: 192.168.0.3
12:16:40 nrm/int SYNCER: Type: 0
12:16:40 nrm/int SYNCER: Auth: 0
12:16:40 vrb/pkg Part prg_av_pro-1a2 is installed
12:16:40 vrb/pkg Part vps-42403 is installed
12:16:40 vrb/pkg Part news-40 is installed
12:16:40 vrb/pkg Part setup_av_pro-1a2 is installed
12:16:40 min/gen Old version: 1a2 (418)
12:16:40 vrb/fil SetExistingFilesBitmap: 361->106->106
12:16:40 min/gen GUID: 84b79f26-b6ab-4d4f-a644-36359f78f013
12:16:40 nrm/gen Server definition(s) loaded for ‘main’: 8 (maintenance:0)
12:16:40 nrm/gen SelectCurrent: selected server ‘Download3 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
12:23:31 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server ‘Download3 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
12:23:31 nrm/gen SelectCurrent: selected server ‘Secondary ASW server’ from ‘main’
12:23:33 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server ‘Secondary ASW server’ from ‘main’
12:23:33 nrm/gen SelectCurrent: selected server ‘Download7 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
12:23:35 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server ‘Download7 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
12:23:35 nrm/gen SelectCurrent: selected server ‘Download6 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
12:23:37 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server ‘Download6 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
12:23:37 nrm/gen SelectCurrent: selected server ‘Download5 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
12:23:39 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server ‘Download5 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
12:23:39 nrm/gen SelectCurrent: selected server ‘Download1 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
12:23:41 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server ‘Download1 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
12:23:41 nrm/gen SelectCurrent: selected server ‘Main ASW server’ from ‘main’
12:23:43 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server ‘Main ASW server’ from ‘main’
12:23:43 nrm/gen SelectCurrent: selected server ‘Download4 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
12:23:45 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server ‘Download4 AVAST server’ from ‘main’
12:23:45 min/gen SelectCurrent: unable to find any suitable server in ‘main’
12:23:45 min/int tried 8 servers to get file ‘servers.def’, but failed (0x000004C7)
12:23:45 min/pkg Tried to download servers.def but failed with error 0x000004C7.
12:23:45 nrm/pkg Transferred files: 0
12:23:45 nrm/pkg Transferred bytes: 0
12:23:45 nrm/pkg Transfer time: 0 ms
12:23:45 vrb/fil NeedReboot=false
12:23:45 min/gen Return code: 0x000004C7 [Operazione annullata dall’utente.]
12:23:45 min/gen Stopped: 28.08.2004, 12:23:45

No Proxy

4

Any idea anyone?

5

Can you disable Sygate firewall while updating and see what you get?

6

It definitely was the firewall. Disabling Sygate allows Avast to update.

7

Are you allowing avast! updater to access the Internet?
avast.setup, ashdisp, setup.ovr, ashserv

8

Enabled ashserv.exe, ashsimpl.exe, ashdisp.exe, setup.ovr

Unable to find avast.setup

Still not working if sygate enabled.

9

Correction: avast.setup is present just on the notebook, but I’m unable to browse c:\program files\ from remote because of XP security rules.

10

Correction to correction: avast.setup is a temporary file. Unable to enable it.

11

Padanian1
Make sure that the following program is allowed internet access by your firewall:
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashUpd.exe

12

You won’t find as this is a temporary file caled setup.ovr when ‘fixed’.
I suggest you repair your installation through Control Panel or, if this does not work, uninstall and install again :wink:

13

As I said, sygate asks me to browse the directory containing the executable in order to let it through the firewall. But since sygate is on the gateway and avast is on the notebook, I can’t browse c:\program files on the notebook because c:\program files is a protected system directory for XP and it doesn’t let me browse it.

14
As I said, sygate asks me to browse the directory containing the executable in order to let it through the firewall. But since sygate is on the gateway and avast is on the notebook, I can't browse c:\program files on the notebook because c:\program files is a protected system directory for XP and it doesn't let me browse it
Ok, sygate seems to be the problem here. (logical thinking) Since sygate is on the "gateway" you should alter sygates settings on the "gateway"/"server" to allow Avast update. Read sygates manual on how to do so.

Ofcourse you can browse “\program files on the notebook” unless you login as user with limited rights and not as administrator. That folder is NOT a “protected system directory” as you point it.

Looks to me that you have problems with settings/rights

15

Looks to me I don’t. I shared c:\program files as read/write access to any user and can’t browse it from remote.
E.g. Adaware and spywareblaster perfectly update themselves from the notebook through sygate. Avast doesn’t.

16

Padanian, I agree with Eddy… You should be able to browse this folder (if it’s hidden, click on ‘show files’ links at right. Or, in Windows Explorer > Tools > Folder Options > go to the 2nd tab and the 5th option is something like ‘Show System Folders contents’.

17

Padanian1

Adaware and spywareblaster perfectly update themselves from the notebook through sygate. Avast doesn't.
Please re-read the above statement. Eddy is right, give avast access rights in sygate and your problems will be solved.
18

Unable to configure sygate in a workable way. Turned to Zonealarm and everything’s running fine.