"Onilne Content is Unavailable" issue continues...

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hello, again,

I THOUGHT I created a ticket for this some time ago, but I can’t find it now, so, as this issue continues to happen, I thought I should start a new topic here, and I hope someone can please assist me…

I have Avast Free (v11.1.2253, Virus definitions 160327-2) on my WinXP PC, and, yes, my PC is quite able to go online (if not, I couldn’t create this topic :slight_smile: ). However, two (2) things are happening regarding Avast…

  • My System Tray continues to show a “lightbulb” with a red circle that has a white “x” in it, and, when I hover my mouse over it, a ToolTip pops up that says, “Avast SecureLine: Disconnected”.

  • When I right-click on the icon, and then left-click on “Open Avast SecureLine”, Avast tries to connect to its servers, apparently, but I get a message that says, “The online content is unavailable…Please, check your internet connection and try again.” A “Reload” button also appears, but clicking on it doesn’t help.

I looked in the Forum here and found a few threads about this latter message (https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=178738.msg1265154#msg1265154 and https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=177548.30 among others) but they’re from at least November 2015…and it’s now March 2016 and I don’t think that what they describe as solutions could apply to my situation.

Do you have any insight into this, please?

Thanks so much,
Bram Weiser

2

https://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=80.0

3

Hi, Eddy, and thank you for referring me to a SecureLine board. However, I don’t ever remember subscribing to a VPN service, but have seen that lightbulb appear…and quickly disappear…for quite some time when my PC boots up. It’s the fact that it didn’t disappear today…and what happened when I tried to explore that…that caused me to start a thread here in the first place.

Even though I don’t formally have a VPN service (at least none I’m aware of), are you suggesting I post this same thread in that board, too?

Thanks again,
Bram Weiser

4

Even the free version of Avast has a limited time trial ov SecureLine included. Don’t know if you tried it and it’s now past the trial period.
Avast SecureLine is a paid product so if you use it past the limited time trial, it will let you know that it’s time to purchase a license.
Simple enough to remove:
Programs and Features> select Avast> select Modify> Uncheck SecureLine

5

Thank you, bob3160, I’ll look into that.

Still, I’m perplexed by the suddenness of the lightbulb not disappearing (I’ve been using Avast for quite some time now…years likely), as well as the whole “online content is unavailable” message that wouldn’t go away even though I WAS online just fine, thanks. Might you (or anyone else) please have any further thoughts about these?

Thanks again,
Bram Weiser

6

Remove SecureLine. Here’s a tutorial to help you accomplish that task:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIlmAUXecYg

7

Thank you, bob3160.

Let me update you and everyone else, please…when I booted up my PC tonight, the lightbulb disappeared just as it should…so that’s good news…BUT when I tried to sign in to the Avast User Interface, or when I tried to (re-)register my software because my registration will apparently expire soon, I AGAIN got the “Online Content is Unavailable” message.

Does anyone have insight into that, please?

Thanks,
Bram Weiser

8

That sounds like an Avast server problem.
I’m alerting Avast.

9

Thank you, bob3160.

Please note that, in my original post, I cited several other threads from months ago that had seemingly the same issue about that message, so this isn’t a new thing.

Thanks, and please keep me/us posted.

Sincerely,
Bram Weiser

10

All server on occasion are down for various reasons. You may just have visited that site at the wrong time. :slight_smile:

11

Thank you, bob3160, but, respectfully, that message has been happening for a while now, and, as it happened to others several months ago, as well as before that, I’m left to think it’s more serious than just bad timing.

Bram Weiser

12

Hi,

I have the same problem with the version 11.1.2253 on win xp sp3.

Thank you, Gilberto

13

It is a know problem that is going on for many months.
If you want to register the application, use the license file.

14

Thank you, Eddy.

Yes, I saw the threads that I mentioned in my original post but had hoped this was long since resolved…

How can I…

  1. let Avast know to keep me posted about getting this fixed, and

  2. use the license file for that…please recall that my version is Avast Free.

Thanks again,
Bram Weiser

15

Hi,

our servers are up and running but sometimes we encounter problem with DNS resolving on some ISPs ;-(

Could you please open command line and type:
ping ipm-provider.ff.avast.com
to check if you are getting packets?

Thanks a lot

16

Thank you, Martin Z.

I just tried that, typing your suggested command in the MS-DOS Prompt window, and the request timed out.

Also, my ISP is an oft-used one (Verizon FiOS here in NYC) so I don’t understand why that DNS issue you described would be happening with me, let alone all the others who previously reported this message, let alone all those who’ve experienced the same message but not said anything about it yet.

Sincerely,
Bram Weiser

17

Hmm that’s really weird, could you please also try ping www.avast.com?
and could you also check what DNS servers you use?
that’s command ipconfig -all (sorry if I am too much descriptive, maybe you are experienced geek ;-))

Thanks

18

Hi, Martin Z., and thanks again.

I just saw your note but won’t be able to respond formally about it until later tonight.

To answer your question, I do know some things about IT as it’s part of my job but, of course, there are things beyond my level of expertise, too. (For example, I know what a DNS is, and am familiar with ping-ing to gauge the speed of a connection, but not so much about the specifics of the commands you suggested.)

Will be in touch soon, and thanks again,
Bram Weiser

19

Hi, MartinZ, and my apologies for this (very) late follow-up.

Yes, thanks, I DO get packets as, in that DOS window, I see four (4) lines about traffic going between that site and me (maximum round-trip time, 32ms), and I DO get on-screen output when I type “ipconfig -all”.

The output shows the DNS Servers (multiple? I see just one IP address there) as 192.168.1.1.

Please note, though, that I still(!) get this “Online Content is Unavailable” message in Avast when I try to sign in from inside it, and it’s over 1-1/2 years since my original post in this thread about it.

Thanks again,
Bram Weiser

20

Change your DNS to the one from Google and check if things have improved/working.