Can't connect to server message

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hi Folks,

I have downloaded the free version of Avast but I keep getting the message ‘cannot connect to server’ when it performs the automatic updates.

I get the same message when i try to upgrade manually, even though my internet browser works fine, any ideas?

Any help greatly appreciated!

John

2

Try this: Settings - Updates - Direct Connection (No Proxy)
asyn

3

Thanks asyn, tried that but still no joy, same message ‘can’t connect to server’ comes up
John

4

Which version of avast…?
Which OS…?
Other security related software installed…?

5

Hi asyn,

I’m running Windows XP professional 2002 service pack 3.

Avast version 5.0.677 I downloaded two weeks ago from website.

No other sercurity systems operating.

Cheers john

6

What is your firewall ?
If other than winXP firewall - Does it allow avast.setup internet access ?

  • If it does delete the entry for it and do a manual update, this should force the firewall to ask permission again.

Have (or did) you another Anti-Virus installed in this system before avast, if so what was it and how did you get rid of it ?

7

hi David, thanks for chiming in.

I appear to have windows firewall operating and Ashampoo too.

Both appear to be allowing nearly all programes to access the net, my previous version of Avast worked fine before I thought I better download the latest version, since I did it cannot seem to connnect to server to do the automatic updates.

I haven’t changed any of the firewall settings, so puzzled why avast can’t connect to the net.

Do you think I should only have 1 firewall, (to avoid conflicts?) and if so, which would be best, Windows or Ashampoo?

Cheers John

8

Ah Ashampoo, this forum is littered with the very same problem with the ashampoo firewall.

I would have though that the windows firewall should have been off with ashampoo installed as not many firewalls recommend (or are compatible with) leaving the windows firewall on.

Whilst this might cause a conflict between firewalls, I don’t know if it might present itself in this way as the XP firewall has zero outbound protection. So I feel you need a third party firewall that offers outbound protection. I just don’t believe ashampoo is the one.

The previous version of avast might have worked, but that is the nature of firewalls to monitor (and ask/block) changes when programs update these components change. So you could do as I said and delete the entry for avast.setup in ashampoo and see if that works.

9

Ashampoo is known to block avast.
You have to uninstall it.
asyn

10

is there any way to keep ashampoo and use avast 5?

11

We haven’t seen it in the forums (and there have been several) when there is a problem with it blocking avast, even when allowed in ashampoo it is still blocked. Then we would suggest deleting the entries for avast in ashampoo, to force it to ask permission again, that didn’t work. Even when ashampoo was disabled it blocked avast.

Only when it was uninstalled did the avast updates get through.

With another firewall installed, no problem with the avast updates.

I will leave you to draw any conclusions and decide what to do.