My mom called me tonite, told me that she is getting red box, that says avast cant download updates. It is set up for dial up, not constant…Question is , is there something going on with avast servers today that would give her this error???
is the setting for permanent connection on?
check it…open avast main program…menu…settings…update(connections)
I too am getting errors during the automatic update 
- as at 10.12am US Eastern summer-time.
Avast presented a red box with the message that the virus definition file failed to load properly and the the package was broken. >:(
Subsequent attempts to force a fresh download have failed and a manual download from your web site reports that the file is older than the currently installed definition file.
Do you mean manual updates?
This is normal. Just indicate that your system is already up-to-date.
Just this morning I just received the red box also, stating it can not update. I am on cable, always connected, first time this has ever happened since ive owned avast. I have a feelign servers are down for avast, this could be the only explanation, now that it has happened to me also.
This was a fresh reboot, upon os coming on, message came up.
Shog, my mom is on dial, so marked as such…
I am on cable, therfore marked as such
Replying to prior posts…
"Quote from: oldphart on Today at 03:24:19pm
Subsequent attempts to force a fresh download have failed
Do you mean manual updates?
Quote from: oldphart on Today at 03:24:19pm
and a manual download from your web site reports that the file is older than the currently installed definition file.
This is normal. Just indicate that your system is already up-to-date."
The issue is not being clearly understood. This isn’t an issue about permanent connections - though, for the record, I do have a permanent 12 Mbps microwave connection and Avast is properly set to reflect this.
HERE IS THE ISSUE - presumably, today’s download which was incomplete (according to Avast) has been partially installed. If the file was incomplete, then some things are missing? But I am unable to overwrite the file with the correct one.
WHY?
What can I do to make it behave otherwise?
If the program is capable of detecting a broken download, then why doesn’t it also re-download the file automatically?
I believe all the downloaded packages are tested - and if they are found incomplete/broken, they are not installed (installing a broken package would make the installation unworkable, not just “missing some samples”).
As for the downloaded files - if you tried to download the files very soon after the update was released, it’s possible that the web wasn’t updated yet at the moment (the incremental update is delivered faster, of course, because it’s smaller).
What version of the virus database does avast! show now? What happens when you invoke the iAVS update from avast?
Good morning,
It is just 7.45 AM US Eastern Daylight Saving Time and I just turned my machine on for the morning, Avast just updated itself automatically to version 0420-1 from 0420-0 without any errors.
The ?partial/broken? update was to 0420-0, the same as was available for download yeasterday, but which reported itself as “ölder than the currently installed version” when a manual install was attempted yesterday.
Accordingly it looks as though the “broken” file was installed regardless and I ask how does one rip out the currently installed file to repllace it with a download copy if this ever happens again?
As Technical said - when the vpdups.exe file reports that it’s “older than the currently installed version”, it actually means that it’s “older or the same” - simply, that update is not needed.
So, in my opinion, it seems that your “subsequent attempt to force a fresh download” have succeeded and your system was up to date.
If really a broken file has been installed, avast! (when started) would show some error messagebox and wouldn’t start (something like “VPS file is corrupted/destroyed”). If it just said that a broken package was detected, it means it wasn’t installed.
how does one rip out the currently installed file to replace it with a download copy
I don’t know how to do such a thing - and I am not sure if there is any easy way.