Avast! Free Download Impossible With Dialup?

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Gentlemen,

I have a continuing problem with the all-or-nothing proprietary download/installers such as the one which Avast! seems to use.

My connection times out after somewhere around 11 hours and this effectively limits me to about 200MB.

I ran the installer for Avast! Free (Normal) and all I got when the connection dropped was an error box that read: “There Was An Error While Completing The Setup Process”. It advised me to restart the computer, so I did. I then noticed an icon for the installer on the desktop and clicked on it. I wanted to see whether it would resume the original download or just go back to the beginning. What I got was the same introductory box that I had originally asking me what kind of installation I wanted (Normal or Custom) and whether I wanted the Google Toolbar.

I made the same choices as I had previously and ran the installer for a few minutes. The central progress bar started off at the beginning rather than where it was before the connection failed. I then clicked the “x” in the installer window to stop it and I got the same Error box as before. This time, in addition to the original error message it read: “Do You Want To Quit Setup? You Can Run Setup Later Again And Finish The Installation.”

So, what’s going on, here? Does this installer support resuming from a broken download or doesn’t it? I don’t want to waste another God-knows how many hours if it isn’t set up for resuming.

If the installer must have a single, unbroken connection in order to do the job, can anyone fill me in on the approximate download size of a custom installation – say, without the features that don’t directly relate to to the antivirus function like the Software Updater, Browser Cleanup, Avast Gadget, Remote Assistance, etc?

Like I said, I can handle around 200MB with decent reliability.

Also, can Avast be downloaded directly with my own download manager? It supports resume with no problems. The connection can go out a dozen times and it wouldn’t matter.

I’m asking for strategies that might allow me to get a good installation by whatever means short of having to pay three or four times my current connection costs for basic DSL.

I’ve never had this sort of problem before! I had to give up Norton 360 which I was happy with because the updates from their (proprietary all-or-nothing) updater became so large that I couldn’t update the product anymore! This is BS.

Any information – workarounds if necessary – will be appreciated.

I can’t be the only one that still has a dialup connection. What do other people do for online protection?

Grant

2

Use these direct links in your download manager

Download the correct version of Avast
Avast Free
Avast Pro
Avast Internet Security
Avast Premier

3

Even with the direct links given the setup file can be very large as it contains everything including the virus definitions database - the avast free version is 87.6MB, which should be more manageable than the on-line installation which I don’t think is as compressed.

I would certainly consider asking a friend with broadband to download it or some local government office, Library, etc.

4

Thank you for that!

If the whole download for Avast Free is indeed 88MB including current AV database, it’s a piece of cake – even without the download manager.

I’ll give it a try and see what happens.

Anyone else with more to contribute, please do so.

Regards,

Grant

5

You’re welcome - it has been just over two years that I managed to get fast broadband where I live - so I’m well aware of the pain for those on dial-up.

6

90MB would have taken me over 5 hours on the typical speed I was getting from my (UK Onetel) dial-up service which stopped about 18 months ago.

One of the reasons I swapped to AVAST from MSE 4 years ago was that after a BSD problem I lost MSE and had to re-download the whole thing. The installer was tiny but when I went to use it I found the whole definitions package you were expected to download was well over 100MB. I tried to download it but my connection constantly failed before finish and would then re-start at the beginning all over again. :frowning:

AVAST then was much smaller and the definitions updates etc manageable. However I had to do two complete re-installs during the time I was on dial-up and I really didn’t want to go through that all again. Of course there were plenty of ways of avoiding such a problem but at that time I didn’t know about these options. What I did instead was use a UK PC magazine ‘free’ cover disc which included the then current AVAST installer and, I’m guessing, almost up to date definitions. What I do know for sure that is it saved me a hell of a lot of time and hassle.

Having been on reasonable speed BB for the last 18 months I really feel for those still forced to rely on dial-up. I dread to think of all the time wasted waiting for something like the <10MB Malwarebytes weekly definitions updates. On dial-up it would take 25 mins at least, on BB its done in well under a minute. As for Windows updates I shudder at the prospect of doing that at dial-up speed now.

7

Gentlemen,

An update for anyone still interested or contemplating trying Avast Free from their own dial-up account:

I downloaded and installed Avast Free from the link provided by essexboy and it was indeed 87.6 MB. Not a problem – got it in six hours or so.

It did NOT install with an up-to-date definitions database and I also could not get it to recognize my registration, even though I have an existing Avast account…Unless there’s a different kind of account needed from the one I signed up for in order to post on these forums.

Anyway, I found the little check box in Settings to identify my connection as dial-up and clicked the button to begin updating the virus definitions database.

Well, I got pretty much the same response as when I was trying to download the whole program through the little 4MB web-based installer: Endless downloading activity with almost zero progress to show for it. After 15 hours it was only on the third definitions file. It keeps aborting the download of these VPS files and going back to the beginning even when there was no interruption in the connection! After 15 hours (and one unavoidable disconnect) it finally registered a very slight progression of the status bar and managed to actually retain the first two VPS files and try four times to get the third. On the forth abort at around 40-something percent to go back and start again I said “f” it, and closed the program.

What’s weird is that this updater seems to be supporting resume (the lack of this feature being one of my big complaints in earlier attempts), but it hardly ever finishes downloading a file!

I found out that it’s possible to download and install the definitions database manually, thus bypassing the problematic Avast updater, so that’s my next move. Of course I have no way of knowing if the product will update itself properly after the database is made current, but one step at a time.

This database is supposed to be somewhere around 100MB. I can get that in 8 hours or so. So why has this #%$?! installer spent the last 15 hours to save two files that were such a small part of the whole that the progress bar barely even registered an advance?

Can it be that Avast just does not play well with 64-bit Windows 7? If so, I’ve seen no mention of it anywhere.

Why can’t something just freaking work the way it’s supposed to? Would this somehow herald the zombie apocalypse or something? Come on!

I’ll let you know whether the manual installation thing does any good and whether the program seems to be able to update itself afterwards.

Just as a precaution, you might want to be on the lookout for zombies…

Grant

8

Long time back I used to have dial up connection and it was a pain. A file size of 88MB will take me at least give or take 4 hours or more + interference via phone when mom or dad wants to pick up the phone for calls and I have to disconnect the internet and start all over + etc people trying to call my home can’t because I am on the internet. I got so much complaints from parents and people calling. This was around mid 1997-2005.

Why don’t you get broadband connection. Downloading is just a breeze and lighting fast :wink:

9

Igotyerna, I am still on Dial Up myself. To periodically download avast, its bulk VPS Update File and other Software Apps with huge file sizes, I just go to my sister’s house and use her High Speed Internet to download them all into my Flash Drive. Then I just bring my Flash Drive over here and slap it into my computer and I’m in business. No need for downloads of 4 or 6 or 11 hours tying up your computer.

So yeah, as was suggested by David, just ask a friend or a family member to let you use their High Speed Internet and take a Flash Drive.

10

thank you mee to : )

11

Gentlemen,

Turns out that the file size for the manual definitions download was only about 49MB. This makes the earlier attempts at streaming updates directly even harder to understand.

It took my connection about 3 1/2 hours to successfully download what the Avast downloader/installer couldn’t even come close to in 15 hours!

The manually downloaded database installed with no problem and Avast seemed to be able to keep itself updated automatically for the rest of the night. I was also able to register with no problem. Maybe the downloaded files fixed something. I don’t know. Will proper function continue? Who knows?

So far, through a lot of trial and error, it seems that I’ve satisfactorily answered my initial question: whether or not it’s possible to get a working, updated copy of Avast Free on dial-up. I must add that I chose a custom installation option when I ran the initial 87MB program and deselected most of the options that looked to have little to do with anti-virus/malware protection. This reduced the space needed for the program on the HDD and probably reduced the number of updates needed to make the installation current. How much of a difference did that make from a full (regular) installation? I don’t really know.

Someone else’s particular circumstances may differ considerably from mine, but what has worked for me is do the whole thing via manual download, bypassing the automated download and install process. The file sizes involved were no where near the limit of my connection, yet just could not be downloaded via the Avast-provided download/installer.

Staticguy: There are several reasons why I don’t have a high-speed connection. One is practical, the other is more philosophical. DSL and the like are way more expensive than my current connection, and the limitations imposed by such low bandwidth has trained me to use my online time more wisely – that is, I don’t waste time on porn and cat videos.

Chim and David: Using someone else’s high-speed connection is a good option – for the person of more normal circumstance. I have no friends or family to take advantage of. I kid you not! I might be able to use the public library for such things, but by the time I could get time on one of their machines and then hang around until the downloading was finished, that’s a lot of babysitting of the process. If I do it at home, it really doesn’t matter that much to me if the download takes longer. I can just start it going and then be about my business. Very little babysitting required. I would make an exception if I was trying to get a large, self-executing program like, say, Photoshop CS6 (1.2GB!).

Anyway, I just hope that Avast keeps doing its job, now. I’ve used up way too much time on this security app problem already.

Respect to those who’ve taken the time to respond!

Grant