Avast has not updated in more than 24 hours. I can’t see on Avasts website where to find the version number of the current definitions so I can see if I have the latest ones or if I have a problem. Recall, that I have been using another vendor’s product where I keep a tab open perpetually on Opera so I can check several times a day to see what are the latest definitions and if I have them or not. (I was not being paranoid, that vendor until recently had a terrible problem with updates for the free version).
I feel a bit lost here since I can’t see how to tell if I have a problem updating or if I have the latest definitions. I know Avast usually updates at least once a day and it has been longer than that. I just tried a manual update and was told YESTERDAY’S definitions were the latest. How do I confirm if that is true or if I have a problem?
I can’t remember a “terrible” problem on updating avast. That vendor’s installation should have a problem… Impossible to say without further info. Impossible to judge also.
Check the avast log: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\Setup\setup.log
Or just believe in avast interface saying you have the latest version.
I haven’t had one since I started up my computers yesterday :-
Also…
Can remember a few weeks ago that we did go a whole 24 hours without an update :o
But most days…
My Avast 5 Free usually updates 1 - to - 2 times per day.
Sometimes… 3 8)
Can I Just Say…
I’d rather trust a security software that only updates when there is actually something to be updated 8)
Rather Than…
A security software that updates every 5 minutes - With What? :-\
Just for the sake of saying… " Our software delivers updates every 5 minutes "
Just remember that the webpage is not immediately updated. Release the update to the users has priority over the webpage (thanks, it’s logical to stay this way).
I wasn’t referring to Avast having a problem with updating the free version. I was referring to the other vendor that I used for three years having a notorious problem with updating the free version until last November when that vendor completely revised its updating system. There are still problems anytime there are unusually large updates. No problems for paid versions with that vendor though. Sometimes one could not update for a week or more. I mentioned that as an explanation for why I am concerned about updates for Avast. I had reason for considerable concern with the other vendor and I couldn’t find any way to check to see if Avast was updating correctly.
The Avast installation log doesn’t have anything about CURRENT updates…why did you say check it? With the other vendor I used, I was able to check the logs for each update. Can I do that with Avast? I don’t see where all the logs are located.
Simply trusting that the interface is correct and I am up to date is hard for me to do because the other vendor I had said that also and yet I would find errors when I checked the logs and I was NOT up to date…corruption in files, all sorts of reasons why you cannot trust the popup. Avast is not perfect. No AV is perfect so I want to be able to check to see if I am getting the updates in a timely manner. I am not a newbie that doesn’t know they need to check and may sure every day that everything is working correctly.
Yes, that is what I was looking for. Thank you! But it appears out of date so I am not sure it is very useful.
I am not impressed by those vendors that update every 5 minutes (or claim they do but they really just check for updates or dole out the updates one by one so it is every 5 minutes). But generally there should be a daily update I would think except maybe on weekends. AV vendors cannot begin to keep up with the volume of nasties we see these days. That is one reason for heuristics and behavioral zero day protection mechanisms. Still, it is not unrealistic to expect a daily update seems to me (or even more than one).
The current update was yesterday and there has not been an update today yet.
I booted my XP Pro system about an hour ago and that’s when avast! lets me know there is a new update.
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It’s very rare that Avast doesn’t at least have one definition update within a 24 hour period.
Think in 12 months… I’ve only ever seen it happen 3 times :-\
I’ve just booted up my Desktop and Avast 5 automatically updated 8)
So!
Don’t think it will be too long… Before the Avast Lady visits my Laptop too ;D
I see… the other vendor could be only A-V-G or A-V-I-R-A. Both notorious for their BAD update scheme: few servers available, automatic for only some times a day, etc. etc. A huge limitation. Poor A-V-G or A-V-I-R-A users… Avast has never this weird behavior.
The logs should have the info about the updates. The GUI also has it.
The log is for advanced users. It should contain that info:
11.03.2010 21:13:35.000 1268352815 (null) Return code: 0x2000000A [Another instance of setup is already running. Please wait until it finishes and then try to run it again.]
Avast Free AV checks for updates every 4 hours. Avast Pro AV and IS check every 1 hour.
Thank you Tech. I appreciate the code listings. That is a long log! But it is what I was looking for.
The other vendor has pretty much fixed the update problem for their free users. They completely overhauled how the updates for paid and free products were done and it is working much better. I note that Avast doesn’t appear to be trying prematurely to use IPv6 addresses for updating. That was a terrible problem with the other vendor fox six months last year before they finally removed the IPv6 addresses. (Their updater would try over and over and over to connect to IPv6 addresses which most DNS servers return now along with IPv4 addresses but few ISPs, at least in the USA, have even begun testing of IPv6 addresses for their networks much less have migrated to them. So, it was extremely frustrating to see error after error in the update logs all having to do with the updater not being able to access those addresses. XP users had the problem even and XP doesn’t even have IPv6 capability unless you download and install it.
Anyhow, I got an Avast update shortly after I started this thread. I should have waited another hour or two but I learned useful things in this thread so I am glad I started it.
No, I don’t have it on silent update mode. Gee, the popup is so gorgeous (I love green color and it is transparent too) I wouldn’t want to not see it! But Avast is on a VIRTUAL machine and that machine is sometimes minimized to the taskbar of the Host XP machine when I am using it so an update could happen during that time and I would not see any popup.
I don’t think I am having a connection problem. Avast just updated a little later yesterday than usual. Today, is Saturday so there may be no update. It is just about the time now that I have noticed Avast updates but this is the weekend now and maybe no updates.
At one time, way back when, the “normal” (i.e., when things were relatively peaceful on the internet) schedule for avast def updates was twice a week, typically Tuesdays and Fridays. Nowadays it’s twice daily – of course, if things get frantic (either huge increases in new malware, or even just the need to fix FPs), we’ll see them even more often.
We went though a period over the winter when we were usually seeing just one daily update over the weekend, but I suspect that it was a result of manpower problems while the Alwil team was frantically trying to get v5 into shape. But (perhaps Vlk or whoever can confirm this?) it seems like they’re trying to get back to twice daily (minimum) even on weekends and holidays.
But Avast is on a VIRTUAL machine and that machine is sometimes minimized to the taskbar of the Host XP machine when I am using it so an update could happen during that time and I would not see any popup.