Cannot Connect to Server for Updates

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

I am at my wit’s end. I cannot get updates anymore. My settings are on automatic updates. I have AntiVirus 4.8-1201. The update would occur with every start-up.

Recently, I had some automatic updates with my Windows Security features. I think that is when my problems started. I checked the Windows Firewall and made an exception for the Avast Program.

Relatedly, another program that requires connection to the vendor database for updates also is failing because of connection errors. I also made an exception for this program as well.

Any advice on what other settings could be blocking my pc from connecting with the update servers of these software program’s vendor websites?

Thanks in advance.

2

what os and firewall, any antispyware

your version is out of date
you might just uninstall COMPLETELY

http://www.pchell.com/virus/uninstallavast.shtml
run the small fix

then go to the bottom of the pchell page and run any other uninstallers listed that might be relevant
especially if your computer came with Norton or McAfee or Panda installed

then
Using the AntiVir Registry Cleaner

If for some reason the normal uninstall does not work, you may have to download AntiVir’s registry cleaner utility to remove all traces of it from the registry and allow you to reinstall it.

  1. Click on the following link and download the AntiVir Registry Cleaner to your desktop

http://dl.antivir.de/down/windows/registrycleaner.zip

Which will clean up misc other problem AV registry entries (EVEN IF YOU HAVE NEVER HAD ANTIVIR)

  1. Create a folder on your desktop called Antivir and Unzip the file to your desktop

  2. Double-click on the file called RegCleaner.exe to run it

  3. Since the program is German, you’ll have to click on the button called “keys asulesen” to search the registry for any issues. Then place checkmarks next to the registry entries you wish to delete.

  4. Finally, click on the button called “loschen” to delete the keys

  5. Restart your computer and try to reinstall your antivirus

remove any references to any and all AV from your firewall
Reinstall latest version of Avast
update and configure permissions for your firewall

3

Please, post the last 200-250 lines of avast log: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\log\Setup.log

4

I apologize, but I uninstalled the Avast AV program prior to reading your message. Here is what was left in that folder that you asked for those 200-250 lines:

8/7/2008 9:18:43 PM 1218158323 user 884 Storage query “INSERT INTO LocalProperties (Object, Property, Val) VALUES (2, ‘ScanPackers’, ‘EXE;WinExec;Streams’);” failed. Error description: “unable to open database file [14]”.
8/7/2008 9:18:43 PM 1218158323 user 884 Storage query “DELETE FROM LocalProperties WHERE ((Property = ‘ScanAreas’) AND (Object = 2));” failed. Error description: “unable to open database file [14]”.
8/7/2008 9:18:43 PM 1218158323 user 884 Storage query “INSERT INTO LocalProperties (Object, Property, Val) VALUES (2, ‘ScanType’, ‘Content’);” failed. Error description: “unable to open database file [14]”.
8/7/2008 9:18:43 PM 1218158323 user 884 Storage query “INSERT INTO LocalProperties (Object, Property, Val) VALUES (2, ‘ScanTypes’, ‘AllFiles’);” failed. Error description: “unable to open database file [14]”.
8/7/2008 9:18:43 PM 1218158323 user 884 Storage query “INSERT INTO LocalProperties (Object, Property, Val) VALUES (2, ‘ScanFor’, ‘Standard;Polymorphic;Macro’);” failed. Error description: “unable to open database file [14]”.
8/7/2008 9:18:43 PM 1218158323 user 884 Storage query “INSERT INTO LocalProperties (Object, Property, Val) VALUES (2, ‘ScanFullFiles’, ‘1’);” failed. Error description: “unable to open database file [14]”.
8/7/2008 9:18:43 PM 1218158323 user 884 Storage query “INSERT INTO LocalProperties (Object, Property, Val) VALUES (2, ‘ScanIgnoreTargeting’, ‘1’);” failed. Error description: “unable to open database file [14]”.

5

Thanks for your assistance. I have a question related to your instruction to,
“6) Restart your computer and try to reinstall your antivirus
remove any references to any and all AV from your firewall
Reinstall latest version of Avast
update and configure permissions for your firewall”

Do you mean for me to try to reinstall the Avast AV program that I removed? And then update to the latest version of Avast? I just want to be clear on what you are advising me to install.

Thanks for your help.

Edited to add that I my OS is Windows XP and I am using Windows Firewall.

6

Download a new version of avast
the one you have was out of date anyway so a good time to start fresh
especially since I do not know which or how many other AV’s have been installed in the past
old AV’s are always a source of hard to diagnose problems

later we’ll get you a real Firewall
several threads here on the forum to browse

I guess I should have said to download the new version before nuking the old