For a couple of days now, every time I startup my Win XP Pro (quite up-to-date with patches) I get a big red box and clicking it shows an “Avast! Antivirus Setup” dialog saying “Last encountered error: Can’t select any server for download ing (from 0).”.
My other 2 systems are fine.
How to fix?
Thanks
Maybe you need just change (or add) AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds value into the [InetWD] section of avast4.ini file.
You could set the number of seconds to wait before attempting to update. The default is 30 but it may not be enough in some DSL systems. In this case, you can try increasing this e.g. to 60 (1 minute). That should be enough.
More details here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=1647
Hope this helps 8)
Hi Tech,
No joy adding that.
I get the same error trying to manually update either the “!AVS update” or the “Program update”.
It looks like some IP address somewhere has been clobbered.
License still has over a year to go, so I doubt that’s the issue.
Any more ideas?
Thanks.
Check the size of your server defs file if it is 0bytes then run a repair of Avast and that should download a new copy. It is in the Alwill set up folder
What is your firewall ?
Ensure that it allows avast.setup access to the internet.
EssexBoy… the file is not 0 bytes. It and 2 sidekicks are 9K, nK ans nK.
I also can’t figure out how to run a repair… clicking change/remove in Windows add/remove programs produces a brief flash, then nothing else and no change to the screen.
DavidR… the Windows firewall has been on and unchanged (manually by me) for over a year now.
This is getting to me now.
thanks for the ideas.
If you delete the file, a new one will be downloaded if you start an update.
Go to Control Panel > Add/Remove programs > avast! antivirus > Remove. Then choose Repair function in the popup window (Repair). You must be connected to the internet while repairing.
If this does not help, can you uninstall / boot / install / boot again?
Tech,
The Windows Add/Remove will only make a brief flash when I click “Change/remove” on Avast4.
So I have no way to remove or repair it.
Is there an Uninstall? I don’t see anything in Avast’s setup subdir suggesting that.
By the way, I deleted Servers.def and no change.
Download the avast uninstall tool then redownload and install the latest version http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_uninstall_util.html
This is getting frustrating…
I uninstalled, re-booted, then downloaded/installed the latest.
It reported errors during install and the log has far too much for me to make any sense of it. The thing is a rainbow, with no apparent pattern to the colours.
At this point I don’t have an Avast on the system.
It’s been so damned reliable for almost 2 years.
I wonder if Microsoft’s latest “update” - only of their “Windows Update” software itself was installed but it deemd it necessary to bring along WITHOUT WARNING its ‘version verification checker’ - has anything to do with this?!?!
I’ll keep looking for what to do next.
thanks
But, cant you try to post at least the last lines of the log? This clean` install is showing me the problem is not exactly on avast… maybe another security program, or antivirus, or even the firewall…
Happy to oblige… here’s the tail end for your review:
18:51:15 vrb/pkg IsFullOkay: vpsm-61703.vpu - not okay
18:51:15 vrb/pkg IsFullOkay: vpsm-61703.vpu - not okay
18:51:15 dbg/pkg Full of package vpsm was set to 1
18:51:15 vrb/pkg IsFullOkay: news409-31.vpu - not okay
18:51:15 vrb/pkg IsFullOkay: news409-31.vpu - not okay
18:51:15 dbg/pkg Full of package news409 was set to 1
18:51:15 nrm/pkg DldPackage: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\av_pro_core-2f6.vpu, returned 0x00000000
18:51:15 nrm/pkg DldPackage: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\av_pro_dll409-147.vpu, returned 0x00000000
18:51:15 nrm/pkg DldPackage: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\av_pro_hlp409-24a.vpu, returned 0x00000000
18:51:15 nrm/pkg DldPackage: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\av_pro_pro-1d6.vpu, returned 0x00000000
18:51:15 nrm/pkg DldPackage: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\av_pro_skins-13.vpu, returned 0x00000000
18:51:15 nrm/pkg DldPackage: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\avscan-231.vpu, returned 0x00000000
18:51:15 nrm/pkg DldPackage: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\winsys-1.vpu, returned 0x00000000
18:51:15 nrm/pkg DldPackage: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\winsysgui-1.vpu, returned 0x00000000
18:51:15 nrm/pkg DldPackage: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\vps-61700.vpu, returned 0x00000000
18:51:15 nrm/pkg DldPackage: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\vpsm-61703.vpu, returned 0x00000000
18:51:15 nrm/pkg DldPackage: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\news409-31.vpu, returned 0x00000000
18:51:16 min/pkg vps: needs to be updated [061703]
18:51:16 dbg/gen progress end - 1
18:51:16 min/gen setup: updated
18:51:16 min/gen setif: updated
18:51:16 vrb/fil SetExistingFilesBitmap: Setting group av_pro_sysx because of existing file C:\WINDOWS\system32\OleAcc.dll
18:51:16 vrb/fil SetExistingFilesBitmap: 814->6->6
18:51:16 vrb/pkg FilterOutExistingFiles: 143 & 6 = 138
18:51:16 vrb/pkg Extracting from av_pro_core-2f6.vpu (0)
18:51:16 vrb/sys Reboot set by changed resident C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\aswmon.sys
18:51:16 min/sys Error copying driver file C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\aswmon.sys (0x00000003)
18:51:16 vrb/sys Reboot set by changed resident C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\aswmon2.sys
18:51:16 min/sys Error copying driver file C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\aswmon2.sys (0x00000003)
18:51:16 vrb/reg Set registry: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\aswMon2\DisplayName=avast! Standard Shield Support
18:51:16 vrb/reg Set registry: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\aswMon2\ErrorControl=1
18:51:16 vrb/reg Set registry: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\aswMon2\Type=2
18:51:16 vrb/reg Set registry: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\aswMon2\Start=2
18:51:16 dbg/gen progress end - forced
18:51:16 dbg/gen progress thread end
18:53:21 nrm/pkg Transferred files: 11
18:53:21 nrm/pkg Transferred bytes: 10572801
18:53:21 nrm/pkg Transfer time: 16 ms
18:53:21 vrb/fil NeedReboot=false
18:53:21 min/gen Return code: 0x20000011 [The package is broken.]
18:53:21 min/gen Stopped: 29.05.2006, 18:53:21
Thanks again.
Tech,
I did a restore point from before the last Windows Update, which updated the update program itself and unsolicitedly added the Microsoft genuine advantage verification program (or whatever they call it)).
Anyway, after doing so I UNinstalled Avgast again, then re-installed AND NOW IS IS WELL AGAIN!!!
Thanks for your help, all.
I’ve never believed on Microsoft System Restore feature… when you need it, you`ll be left alone on the side of the road…
Anyway, glad you finally win the battle 8) 
According to the log, it seems that somone set some restrictive access rights on the C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers folder (so avast couldn’t write any files to it). Is that possible?
I have the same problem here, but I don’t consider rolling back Windows updates as a viable option. If a Windows update is causing this, chances are all of your users are going to have the problem sooner or later. When do you plan on having an update on your side that solves the problem?
Hi vlk,
Well if rights were changed, I didn’t do it. I don’t know how. And I never fiddle with system files/directories.
It’s working now and I’m happy again < s >
Last Windows updates should not change the access rights to drivers folders… anyway, rolling back by Windows System Restore won’t solve anything as usual, it’s a joke feature of Microsoft: when you need it does not work 
Strange… what Alwil can do? ???
Everything seems to be working in my installations and a lot of others. Are you sure the problem isn’t on the firewall? Or the automatic upated at boot (logon) time ONLY?
I don’t think there’s anything AlWil can do, other than be aware of this situation.
Windows Update has always been a very serious concern for me because it doesn’t ask BEFORE doing something… at least not enough information/options.
I feel quite sure that the Avast! problem was directly related to the Windows update but of course no way to prove it.
AlWil already did a great help by having this forum.
I hope I have another almost 2 years of trouble-free use of Avast!.
cheers
System Restore has always worked for me and it seems like it worked for other users in solving this issue so I don’t really see how this anti-MS rant helps… This being said, thanks a lot for your great reactivity.
Nothing changed on the firewall and the problem is both on auto-update on boot and on manual updates. I have the exact same symptoms as the other user.
If there is anything I can provide to help (logs, anything), just tell me.