Since 8/3 (same date as the new release and same day we got hit with a big storm and had to shut down fast when our ups alarm sounded) we can’t update avast pro 4.7 on our PC xp sp2. I get error message" Downloading file: servers.def.vpu" Then after a wait I get message " Cannot connect to servers". I have Zone Alarm and have it configured to accept all the different aspects of Alwil application, so I can’t imagine it’s really that. I’m stumped. Please, someone, suggestions?? Thanks in advance.
Have you tried a repair of avast in Add/Remove programs? You need to be on-line to do this.
Are you refering to a program upgate or vps? If it was a program update, the version number of avast.setup has changed and za isn’t recognizing it. Remove avast.setup from za and have it ask for premission.
Into the firewall settings, the following programs should be allowed to connect:
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashWebSv.exe (avast! Web Scanner)
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashMaiSv.exe (avast! e-Mail Scanner Service)
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\avast.setup (avast! Update executable). This is a temporary file that just appears when an update (check) is about to launch, and disappears again afterwards.
Don’t need rights to connect:
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashServ.exe (avast! antivirus service)
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\aswUpdSv.exe (avast! Update Service)
Hi Uberevangelist,
I’m in more trouble now than before. I first took avast out of Zone Alarm to get ZA to ask (which it did not). I rebooted (which evidently was a mistake), got the computer frozen, unfroze it, tried again, finally put Avast back in Zone Alarm in the program section the way it always was.
It’s just as you describe EXCEPT for the temp file which is not there and may never have been there for all I know depending on when that storm hit us and when Avast did its update.
Anyway, NOW I can’t surf the internet. I can get onto my opening page, but can’t get to Google or to avast.com or to your forum. I’m on my husband’s laptop which has all the same stuff and same settings as my PC and is fine.That wasn’t involved in the storm Friday.
I wanted to just call it quits and uninstall avast! and reinstall it from the copy I had downloaded to my hard drive, but that is a version 4.6 it seems which is the first one I got and is dated 1/15/07. I still don’t know what to do about my browser. This is a mess. Can you help?
I can’t even reach anyone in sales via my computer to do a download using my license till I fix the browser so I can reach avast.com servers. Thanks
Invoke an update and ZA should ask for avast.setup right to access the Internet. Look at the path, it’s different from the other files.
Just these two websites ???
Can you browse other sites?
Please, stay with the last version 4.7.1029. 4.6 version is quite old and miss a lot of fixes/features of 4.7.
Can you rephrase? What is the problem, exactly?
Hi again,
I can get on the internet if I stop avast! Then I can browse everything normally. Otherwise I’m stuck on just my homepage and my server’s webmail page. I can’t access anything else in my Favorites or by typing in anything. I can’t access avast’s servers for sure.
I did check to see that ashWebsv is listed in Zone Alarm on the program file as trusted and having internet and server access (same for all the avast stuff, everything I could click on).
When I turned Avast! back on, I asked for a program update and ZA did a request, I did an allow and remember this action check box – to no avail. The program still didn’t update. Still couldn’t connect to the servers.
so until Avast works, I can’t browse the internet and I can’t update it and I don’t know what to do.
Suggestions? Thanks (isn’t there some way I can get an up to date version that isn’t corrupted? I think the storm did me in on this one – we had lightning strikes like I’ve never seen, and the UPS alarm went off before we could shut down.)
What does a person do if their version is corrupted? Do I have to buy a new one?
Remove all avast entries. Boot. Try again to answer yes to the access questions of ZA.
I suggest an installation from the scratch:
- Uninstall avast from Control Panel first.
- Boot.
- Use Avast Uninstall for complete uninstallation.
- Boot.
- Install again the last version.
- Boot.
- Check and post the results.
Hi,
on installation from scratch, how do I install agin the “last” version? Are you referring to the one I have from January of 07 that’s labeled 4.6? If you mean the one just before August 3, how do I save that one to reinstall it after I’ve uninstalled from the Add/Remove programs? I think I’m not understanding something important here. Please explain. Thanks
Oh, by the way, I previously did remove all the mentions of avast from ZA and booted, I’ll try it again, anyway. What more harm can it cause?
Here we go…I’ll be back in a few moments
I believe Tech means use the version you already have, or it could be Tech means the latest version.
However I would suggest if you are going to to a clean install it would be best to have the Latest Version (not last version).
Download the latest version of avast http://www.avast.com/eng/programs.html and save it to your HDD, somewhere you can find it again. Use that when you reinstall.
Having used the Add remove programs for the uninstall, then reboot, then run the uninstall utility, reboot, install the latest version of avast, reboot.
atwest, download and install the latest version (not an old one).
Hi,
I tried all the fixes and since non worked, I tried the add/remove which didn’t work, so I used the uninstall utility which I’d downloaded. That worked (I think). I rebooted as it directed, installed the latest version from the website that the other person provided (sorry I left my brain somewhere else – I knew to do that, didn’t I?), rebooted, gave my license ID on the Registration, it said OK. OK.
HOWEVER…ZA doesn’t seem to want to accept any of the items from Alwil/Avast4/etc., etc. into the Program section so I can update. I have the latest program I think, 4.7.1029. When I click on updating, I get no response, even to say I’m up to date. I’m trying to check on my iAVS version. The one I have now is VPS 000761-2. Before I had VPS 000763.4. Doesn’t that sound like I should be doing an update of the iAVS?
Oddly, I can get on the internet and browse, even though Avast has no settings in the program section of ZA. That will be a problem for scanning and updating I assume. What do I do next? keep rebooting? Thanks for sticking with me. I’m running out of steam
I suggest you uninstall ZoneAlarm and test.
If it works, i.e., if you can update avast, browse, etc., install ZA again or consider using Comodo free firewall (better, safer, free also).
Hi,
I’m going to take your suggestion, but do it in the morning when the brain is fresher. ZA has been a bit of a pain, so I wouldn’t mind a change. Actually we transferred from Computer Associates to ZA thinking it ZA would be better and didn’t even take the free one, but the package deal for 3 computers. The logic was that you get what you pay for. (?) I’m not familiar with Comodo, I’ll take a look, you make it sound good, do you use it and how does it interact with Microsoft stuff and Avast and good old Spy Sweeper (another pain). As you can see, I have very computer safety conscious children who don’t even live here.
Thanks again for today. I hope to report tomorrow that all is resolved. Goodnight.
Don’t worry. There is an user forum for help and here there are lots of Comodo users.
Very stable and safe.
Comodo works perfectly with other Microsoft stuffs (you will disable XP firewall to use it) and avast.
Hi again,
It’s morning here,
I just turned off the ZA for a moment and updated the program to download a few extra files and updated the virus iAVS very easily. So the problem is a glitch in the ZA. I’ll try an uninstall and reinstall and see what happens. I don’t recall if there are any program updates for what I have, but I think I can get in contact with their support team by phone easily enough still if needed. I wouldn’t mind keeping it till the subscription runs out at the end of the year so I feel I get my money’s worth this time. If not – well, I’m looking into Comodo as you suggested. Thanks again for your help.
just use the free comodo pro firewall and you will be happier-me and lots others here use it and no problems-za-when i used it was always a pain ??? 
http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/
Go ahead… ZoneLabs support is known as a very bad one. Wish you luck.
Since 4.7.892 version of September 25, 2006, avast gets improved detection of ZoneAlarm Pro (to prevent unnecessary WebShield incompatibility warnings). Anyway, if the question appears and you are using ZoneAlarm Free you should click YES to turn off webshield transparent mode proxy.
More info: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=1647.msg15960#msg15960
Unfortunately changing the Firewall only means that you’ll then have to allow avast! to connect to the internet
when asked to do so by the new Firewall.
Or, you can follow the original suggestion and allow avast! connection rights in ZA.
I agree with Tech that Comodo is a better Firewall but if you don’t give the right permission, you’ll still have the same problem.
Hi Bob3160,
My problem, as it turned out to be, was that both my Avast! and my ZA had become corrupted by the storm that hit us and the untimely shutdown of the computer. Giving rights to ZA was not a problem in the past, it just didn’t work this time because of the corruption of the application once I had Avast! replaced. The reason I simply uninstalled ZA and reinstalled the latest version of it, was that any fix was going to wipe out all my configurations and settings, so I took the easy way out and replaced the whole thing.
I looked at Comodo and went to its Forum. I looked at and read the problems that people were having with it. I’m not a newbie to Firewalls having lived with the vagueries of Symantec for years and years before calling “Enough”. I know how to configure one and I was not impressed by Comodo problems I saw on the Forum, at least not enough to dump the “devil I knew” for one I didn’t know.
This may not be the best way for you very high Tech people, but I just couldn’t spen any more time on this problem. I have my own little world to run and need tools in working order. Truthfully, the scariest problem of Comodo was that users couldn’t uninstall it – I don’t need THAT sort of aggravation for sure.
Thank you, everyone, for all your help, it really has been good and I really needed the support since none of these programs offer phone support for the non-commercial user (unless you’re willing to pay about $3 a minute for it–and that’s highway robbery). I’m good to go now. Thanks again. Hopefully I won’t be back too soon crying for help.