The following is on an XP SP3 desktop. Installed is Avast version 8.0.1482. I thought I would take Software Updater out for a spin and for the most part it worked quite well. But there is one odd and frustrating exception.
Firefox was out of date on the first scan as were a few other programs. As I updated each program it disappeared from Avast’s list of programs needing updates (I am only showing out of date programs at the moment). But when I update Firefox to the latest version 19.0, Software Update continues to show “Preparing” for Firefox. (For the record, the “More Details” shows the latest version as 19.0, the very version I now have on my PC.
I have tried re-scanning on several occasions. Restarted the browser and computer. Removed Software Updater. Restarted the computer. Re-installed Software Updater. Restarted Computer. And yes, I have even clicked the “Show up-to-date programs” button. Still, Firefox remains in the “Preparing” stage.
I understand this is minor, considering all the issues you must have with a new release. But i though I would share this to see if anyone else has encountered this issue, and perhaps solved it.
A repair wouldn’t fix it anyway, the software updater database is the issue, if that doesn’t have the latest version of a program in its list then you are likely to get anomalies like this. The software updater database I believe gets updated as part of the virus definitions update.
So some programs may take time for the database to catch up.
I don’t know why you are monitoring firefox as it has auto update unless you have that disabled.
Personally I never bothered installing the software updater module as I take care of my own updates.
Software Updater has Ver 19.0 as the latest version. Doesn’t this suggest the database is up-to-date? And for the record, there has already been a virus definition update.
Why am I monitoring Firefox? Because as I said, I am taking the Software Updater out for a spin. I want to see if it is working properly. I install Avast on most of my clients’ machines and they will likely notice things like this. Also, while Firefox has an auto-updater, it doesn’t regularly update if you don’t use it often. Since Chrome is my default browser, Firefox gets used rarely. But I do use it once in a while, and have used it in the past week, yet it was still on Ver 17.
I will be following this thread. I have a Windows 7 machine that is doing this exact same thing with FireFox, but on my Vista machine Avast is happy with FireFox.
It is suggesting it is up to date, I don’t know if the “Preparing” for Firefox that you mentioned somehow meant the version would still be the old one and not 19.0.
So a restart of firefox after an update, I would have though would complete the 19.0 update.
I think we will see some wrinkles in this very new software updater function.
I had this same problem on my Win XP machine. The Updater was showing Firefox at v18.0.2 and Firefox was showing v19.0. The Updater was stuck ‘Preparing’. I went to the Avast, Settings, Software Updater page and Reset the Software Updater database. This solved the problem.
I was working at a client’s house today and her Windows 7 PC had the exact same issue. I could have sworn I checked the settings and found no control for Software Updater–but there it is. I plead early-onset Alzheimer’s!
Mine doesn’t recognize the flash update. I update and Avast keeps nagging me. And when I shut the annoying “feature” off it turns itself right back on. Very annoying. Let me shut it off for good or I will be forced to find another virus protection program. Avast is turning into bloat ware.
I don’t use the software updater, so I didn’t install it on my custom install, you can remove it completely.
XP - Add Remove programs, select ‘avast! Anti-Virus,’ click the Change/Remove button and select Change, click next and in the next window you can uncheck the Software Updater option.
Vista, win7 - Control Panel, Programs & Features, uninstall a program, select ‘avast! Anti-Virus,’ click the Uninstall/Change and select Repair, click next and follow.
You may need to reboot after the change.
That said, can’t you simply have the software updater not monitor flash as a temporary measure, which should be resolved when the database catches up to the latest release.