Program Update Never Finishes

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

An Avast Free alert said it needed a program update, so I clicked on the update button and nothing happened. I opened the user interface and clicked the Update Now button. The “checking for application update” message never ended. I tried the download link on the Avast web page and the download never finished. I did the manual download of the online installer and when I ran it the small window with the animated progress bar opened and remained on the screen at least another hour before I closed it with Task Manager. The offline installer did the same.

Windows 10 Pro, latest version.

2
  • Other security related software installed…?
  • Which AV(s) did you use before Avast…?
3

I have been using Avast for years. I use ZoneAlarm free for firewall. Any other security programs, such as Malwarebytes, are used only for occasional scans and are not running in the background. The computer is shut down at night and started in the morning. Again this AM Avast said it needed a program update, so I clicked Check for update and the never-ending “Checking for application update” is still going. The virus definitions are still updating automatically.

4

First, be sure to get rid of all remnants of any prior installed AV(s)…!!
→ https://support.avast.com/article/11/

Then:

  1. Download Avast Free Antivirus: https://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_free_antivirus_setup_offline.exe
  2. Follow instructions: https://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility (Run this tool for all prior installed Avast versions…!!)
  3. Reinstall Avast with the downloaded installer from point 1.
  4. Reboot.

PS: Regarding Avast & Malwarebytes, see: https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/200324-exclusions-for-avast-users/

5

Thanks. That worked.

6

You’re welcome.