Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: synapse321 on August 25, 2006, 02:59:05 PM
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OS: win xp pro
Adware SE installed.
Reinstalled avast with the latest version.
On startup I get a red error message:Information about current update:
Last encountered error: The system cannot find the file specified.
Event log states:Function setifaceUpdatePackages() has failed. Return code is 0x00000002, dwRes is 00000002.
Any ideas why I can't have automatic updates but can do a manual update?
Thanks
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Yes, wondering eyes want to know!!! 60!
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Try a repair of avast. Add Remove programs, select 'avast! Anti-Virus,' click the Change/Remove button and scroll down to Repair, click next and follow. You need to be on-line to do this.
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Last encountered error: The system cannot find the file specified.
Maybe, maybe, you can download servers.def from here: http://download1.avast.com/iavs4x/servers.def
Save it to C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\setup folder
Start the update again.
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I have not participated very much in this problem other than to note that it is happening with a frequency above and beyond "just one of those things".
However, a few days ago, exactly this error was received by one of the users I support. I had little choice but to take a look.
I have looked ... to say that I am disappointed in avast is a considerable underestimate.
I will say that this error message represents about the most nonsensical and completely lazy design that I have yet seen in avast. Whoever in avast developed the code that puts out this error message to a user should, if still employed, be considered for an immediate remedial design course.
I hope that an avast team member will advise that the startup/update process is being thoroughly reviewed in response to the problem reports in this forum. If so I will happily await an update from the team.
If the avast team thinks there is no real concern ... let's chat.
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I have to agree, that this error message is less than helpful, having identified that a file is missing is it not beyond the realms of possibility that the missing file name be reported in the error message.
When going to the windows Event Log the user is presented with an even worse state of affairs, even less information than the original message. This same information is replicated in the avast Log Viewer (this is after all where the windows event log infor comes from) and is useless to the user and only helpful to avast, unfortunately they aren't looking at the error and to a user it might as well be a foreign language.
Example of one from my Log Viewer, Warning section, entries for this type of error:
19/08/2006 16:46 SYSTEM 1344 Function setifaceUpdatePackages() has failed. Return code is 0x20000004, dwRes is 20000004.
Now what does that mean to your average user, nothing.
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The 'real' errors are in setup.log
What may be the source of errors I don't know, but I suppose it has to do something with your user rights misconfiguration. It's not a common error at all.
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I'm not overly concerned for me as I know why my update failed, the dial-up connections occasionally drops and I get one of these (I just used mine as an example, unfortunately not the same error, just the general information format not being particularly helpful).
What is concerning is the unhelpful error the user is presented with The system cannot find the file specified. Is there no way that the file name can be incorporated into the (The system cannot find the file specified) error message ?
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Is there no way that the file name can be incorporated into the (The system cannot find the file specified) error message ?
It won't be bad...
But, is exactly servers.def file the one is being missed here or not? By Kubecj words we need to see the contents of setup.log file.
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Is there no way that the file name can be incorporated into the (The system cannot find the file specified) error message ?
It won't be bad...
But, is exactly servers.def file the one is being missed here or not? By Kubecj words we need to see the contents of setup.log file.
That's the problem, even us, as theoretically more experienced avast users haven't got a clue as to what it is and have to offer best guess or standard response, repair (no use if it is not an avast file) of servers.def (which we can't establish as it doesn't get as far as checking that file), so it is all guesswork.
If a user is expected to head for the setup.log to investigate then something also need to be mentioned in the error message or Log Viewer entry.
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Here is an extract from my setup.log for this particular error. As can be seen it is cycling through the various download locations in the servers.def (or vpu) file
<snip>
16:45:58 dbg/int while trying to get file 'servers.def.vpu', error 0x20000004 has occured, try 47
16:46:00 min/pkg ERROR:HttpGetWinsock, WinsockTcpConnect() returned 0x00002AF9
16:46:00 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server 'Download26 AVAST server' from 'main'
16:46:00 nrm/gen SelectCurrent: selected server 'Download70 AVAST server' from 'main'
16:46:00 min/pkg GetPackages - set proxy for inet
16:46:00 nrm/int SYNCER: Type: no proxy
16:46:00 nrm/int SYNCER: Auth: no authentication
16:46:00 dbg/int while trying to get file 'servers.def.vpu', error 0x20000004 has occured, try 48
16:46:02 min/pkg ERROR:HttpGetWinsock, WinsockTcpConnect() returned 0x00002AF9
16:46:02 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server 'Download70 AVAST server' from 'main'
16:46:02 nrm/gen SelectCurrent: selected server 'Download58 AVAST server' from 'main'
16:46:02 min/pkg GetPackages - set proxy for inet
16:46:02 nrm/int SYNCER: Type: no proxy
16:46:02 nrm/int SYNCER: Auth: no authentication
16:46:02 dbg/int while trying to get file 'servers.def.vpu', error 0x20000004 has occured, try 49
16:46:04 min/pkg ERROR:HttpGetWinsock, WinsockTcpConnect() returned 0x00002AF9
16:46:04 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server 'Download58 AVAST server' from 'main'
16:46:04 nrm/gen SelectCurrent: selected server 'Download9 AVAST server' from 'main'
16:46:04 min/pkg GetPackages - set proxy for inet
16:46:04 nrm/int SYNCER: Type: no proxy
16:46:04 nrm/int SYNCER: Auth: no authentication
<snip> End of event
16:46:44 dbg/int while trying to get file 'servers.def.vpu', error 0x20000004 has occured, try 70
16:46:46 min/pkg ERROR:HttpGetWinsock, WinsockTcpConnect() returned 0x00002AF9
16:46:46 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server 'Download49 AVAST server' from 'main'
16:46:46 min/gen SelectCurrent: unable to find any suitable server in 'main'
16:46:46 dbg/int while trying to get file 'servers.def.vpu', error 0x20000004 has occured, try 71
16:46:46 min/int tried 71 servers to get file 'servers.def.vpu', but failed (0x20000004)
16:46:46 min/fil GetNewerStampedFile:GetFileWithRetry failed: C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\_av_proI.tm~a02164\onefile, servers.def.vpu, error: 0x20000004
16:46:46 min/pkg Download servers.def, servers.def.vpu failed with error 0x20000004.
16:46:46 min/pkg ERROR:HttpGetWinsock, WinsockTcpConnect() returned 0x00002AF9
16:46:46 min/pkg ERROR:HttpGetWinsock, WinsockTcpConnect() returned 0x00002AF9
16:46:46 nrm/gen InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server 'Download49 AVAST server' from 'main'
16:46:46 min/gen SelectCurrent: unable to find any suitable server in 'main'
16:46:46 dbg/int while trying to get file 'servers.def', error 0x20000004 has occured, try 1
16:46:46 min/int tried 1 servers to get file 'servers.def', but failed (0x20000004)
16:46:46 min/fil GetNewerStampedFile:GetFileWithRetry failed: C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\_av_proI.tm~a02164\onefile, servers.def, error: 0x20000004
16:46:46 min/pkg Tried to download servers.def but failed with error 0x20000004.
16:46:46 min/gen Err:Cannot connect to download49.avast.com (unknown:80).
16:46:46 nrm/pkg Transferred files: 0
16:46:46 nrm/pkg Transferred bytes: 0
16:46:46 nrm/pkg Transfer time: 0 ms
16:46:46 vrb/fil NeedReboot=false
16:46:46 min/gen Return code: 0x20000004 [Cannot connect to download49.avast.com (unknown:80).]
16:46:46 min/gen Stopped: 19.08.2006, 16:46:46
Now there is a lot of information there but for your average user this information isn't really helpful but would no doubt be very useful to Alwil. But, you don't want to have to have the information analysed by Alwil every time this happens.
I also look forward to a response by the Topic's originator, if what we suggested worked and also an extract of his C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\setup.log
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DavidRR: just the standard 'no connection' in your case, whatever reason that may be (bad dialup conn, bad dns, wrong fw settings).
Regarding the error message - since the error returned is just doubleword, it means just what it means and can't contain any additional info. That's why there's overly-verbose setup.log for.
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Thanks Kubecj, I'm aware why this particular error occurred, as I said I'm not concerned with my problem, simply trying to use it as an example of what a user sees and how can they decipher it to help them resolve there problem.
Unfortunately we haven't had any further input from synapse321 and it is there problem were concerned with, plus more meaningful error for users than 'The system cannot find the file specified.'
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Let's cut the fluff from the avast team and nonsense guesses about rights.
I have my user's error log for this problem and the error message is identical to that which started this thread. It says over and over "cannot find the file specified" once for ever avast server in the servers.def file and then one more on top of that for the servers.def file.
There was and continued to be absolutely no problem with the user's servers.def file, no need to repair avast and no need to re-download the servers.def file.
I am sorry to be critical but the error log is just as useless to the average user, and the comments here from kubecj leave me feeling that, on this issue, the avast team is "asleep at the wheel".
What this error message meant - plain and simple - was that avast could not connect to any avast server.
Why cannot it just say that to the user instead of that garbage message?
It's not a common error at all
If it is not a common error then why are there so many complaints about the VPS update process in this forum?
What may be the source of errors I don't know
Isn't it the job of the avast team to try to overcome not knowing the problems users are having?
I rather suspect that you are not seeing too many complaints about this from the nice clean controlled environment of your business users. However, many of your users are running the rather cluttered, uncontrolled environment of home systems where many of them hardly ever see a program they don't want to download.
Nowadays everyone and his dog wants to have a process run at startup to determine if there are any updates to run or new advertisements for their software to show or simply to get them connected to their DVR and to their favorite IM/VoIP/game. That's all on top of the ever present Windows update process.
The avast VPS update is competing with all this. I do not know the design structure of the startup processes but have to wonder if one of them running at "below normal" priority is contributing to this problem at a time of system and network stress.
It is worth noting that Tech's recommendation to increase the startup delay does seem to be effective in helping a number of users overcome this problem, unfortunately the delay option is not available via the gui and requires users to manually edit the avast4.ini - which should not be the way average users have to manage avast.
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I have my user's error log for this problem and the error message is identical to that which started this thread. It says over and over "cannot find the file specified" once for ever avast server in the servers.def file and then one more on top of that for the servers.def file.
Simply - if your resolver does not resolve the server's address, then this (I admit a bit misleading) message appears. That's exactly the message Windows return on this.
What this error message meant - plain and simple - was that avast could not connect to any avast server.
Not exactly. It means that your system is unable to resolve the dns names.
If it is not a common error then why are there so many complaints about the VPS update process in this forum?
There is _one_ known problem in avast's updater - it sometimes 'forgets' the servers.def file. The source of the problem is unknown and althought I know my colleague did something to fix it, I'm not sure if the fix is in the latest version or not.
The other problems are just the plain joe user's misconfigured firewalls. Before calling me names again, go thru all the recent posts on the theme and you'll see.
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As far as I know there have been significant changes in the way version 4.7.871 handles the servers.def, and respective problems related with it.
V871 contains defensive algorithms there are used when the servers.def file is detected to be trashed. So, in reality, there should never be a reason to manually download this file any more.
Is the original poster using build 871?
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Vlk,
thanks for the clarification. My user was on 871 with this problem.
kubecj,
I do not want to make this personal - I did not call you names. I said and I will repeat more clearly that you give me the impression that you are casually unconcerned about this issue. Perhaps we will have to disagree on our respective readings of the problem reports in this forum and I will accept that you must have folks reporting comprehensive problem analyses.
8/19/2006 8:36:23 AM general InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server 'Download32 AVAST server' from 'main'
8/19/2006 8:36:23 AM general SelectCurrent: selected server 'Download30 AVAST server' from 'main'
8/19/2006 8:36:23 AM package GetPackages - set proxy for inet
8/19/2006 8:36:23 AM internet SYNCER: Type: use IE settings
8/19/2006 8:36:23 AM internet SYNCER: Auth: another authentication, use WinInet
8/19/2006 8:36:25 AM package ERROR:GetInetFile, CreateFile( "I:\Temp\_av_proI.tm~a02696\dld1.tmp") returned 0x00000002
I am not sure how you would deduce from this entry in the error log that there was a DNS error return. Even if there was a DNS error for every server then (good grief) the point is do not tell the average user that you have DNS errors.
Put your DNS errors in the log by all means (why not say that in the log by the way?).
Tell the average user that there is a problem in plain simple terms that will make some sense to the user.
There is _one_ known problem in avast's updater
Great, then I assume you guys are working on it - but it is the unknown problems you need to be looking out for isn't it?
Just a thought - at startup there is no DNS cache yet, at the back of my mind I recall something about a limit on the number of outstanding DNS queries that are allowed. If that is the case and avast is contending with all the other startup programs and running at "below normal" priority isn't avast more likely to be the one getting DNS errors?
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8/19/2006 8:36:23 AM general InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server 'Download32 AVAST server' from 'main'
8/19/2006 8:36:23 AM general SelectCurrent: selected server 'Download30 AVAST server' from 'main'
8/19/2006 8:36:23 AM package GetPackages - set proxy for inet
8/19/2006 8:36:23 AM internet SYNCER: Type: use IE settings
8/19/2006 8:36:23 AM internet SYNCER: Auth: another authentication, use WinInet
8/19/2006 8:36:25 AM package ERROR:GetInetFile, CreateFile( "I:\Temp\_av_proI.tm~a02696\dld1.tmp") returned 0x00000002
I am not sure how you would deduce from this entry in the error log that there was a DNS error return.
Nope, this log is different to the one you've posted previously. This definitely says that user can't write to I:\Temp\_av_proI.tm~a02696. Not sure why.
Tell the average user that there is a problem in plain simple terms that will make some sense to the user.
If Windows internet library does not tell me, I can't tell you. There may be 1000 and 1 error why I didn't get the file from the source (and since the source in self-extract file is equivalent to the 'internet' source, the error messages must be sometimes the same).
Look, the installer/updater/uninstaller is the part of avast! everybody uses. It's therefore the most intensive 'user tested' part of avast!. As the Vlk said, the servers.def problem should be fixed now, so right now there is 0 known (and reported) problem in the updater. Yeah, there may be the cosmetic bugs (saying file not found instead of getting great lengths to know what Wininet didn't like), but these do not pose 'problem' in using the program, therefore their 'fixing priority' is low.
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8/19/2006 8:36:23 AM general InvalidateCurrent: invalidated server 'Download32 AVAST server' from 'main'
8/19/2006 8:36:23 AM general SelectCurrent: selected server 'Download30 AVAST server' from 'main'
8/19/2006 8:36:23 AM package GetPackages - set proxy for inet
8/19/2006 8:36:23 AM internet SYNCER: Type: use IE settings
8/19/2006 8:36:23 AM internet SYNCER: Auth: another authentication, use WinInet
8/19/2006 8:36:25 AM package ERROR:GetInetFile, CreateFile( "I:\Temp\_av_proI.tm~a02696\dld1.tmp") returned 0x00000002
I am not sure how you would deduce from this entry in the error log that there was a DNS error return.
Nope, this log is different to the one you've posted previously. This definitely says that user can't write to I:\Temp\_av_proI.tm~a02696. Not sure why.
My guess would be a misconfigured TEMP folder.
But if you weren't using those stupid runtime functions, but rather Windows API directly, you'd get a (slightly) better error code :P
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This is the temp folder that has been used with avast by this user for in excess of a year and is the system temp folder. Avast is also installed on the I: drive and seems to have no problem writing (its error log for example) there.
Can you be clearer about the "stupid runtime functions" please?
By the way precisely the same error log is to be found posted in June by a user in the avast Swiss forum ... the only difference is the drive is C: and the temp file is using the windows defined defaults for placement of the temp folder.
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My guess would be a misconfigured TEMP folder.
But if you weren't using those stupid runtime functions, but rather Windows API directly, you'd get a (slightly) better error code :P
Ha ha ha. :P
Cross checked the runtime, wouldn't get anything more interesting anyway. Would lose easy cross-compiling on other systems though (and without the need of hundreds of #ifdef). Big deal. ::)
Alanrf, the 'runtime part' of igor's msg was pointed to me ;)
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Then slap Igor for not supporting the team ... and I'll give him kudos for honesty.
By the way, I think you are still misunderstanding my point about the error message.
I'm not asking that you tailor an error message to the user for every error condition, your logs are clearly the place for the error reporting details.
But the net here is that (for whatever reason) avast could not connect to any server to get the update.
So a simple "avast could not connect to the internet" would be a lot clearer as a "coverall" to the user than the error messages now.
That's all.
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Cross checked the runtime, wouldn't get anything more interesting anyway.
Well, you'd distinguish between "File not found" and "Path not found" at least.
But the net here is that (for whatever reason) avast could not connect to any server to get the update.
Not in your case I think - it seems like a misconfigured %TEMP%.
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No it is not a misconfigured temp.
This is the temp folder that has been used with avast by this user for in excess of a year and is the system temp folder. Avast is also installed on the I: drive and seems to have no problem writing (its error log for example) there.
Edit: I just connected remotely to this user's system. avast is still installed on the I: drive and avast's webshlock.txt file was created successfully at the last system start and is in the I:\Temp folder which is defined in the WinXP system variables as the temp folder location. All the user's system starts since the problem have been without errors from avast, but I did have him edit the avast4.ini file to delay the avs update process to 90 seconds after the incident occurred.
By the way precisely the same error log is to be found posted in June by a user in the avast Swiss forum ... the only difference is the drive is C: and the temp file is using the windows defined defaults for placement of the temp folder.
http://forum.avast.ch/viewtopic.php?p=22&sid=384604c7fdf2476812623a0abcc062f7
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All of this was "then", and this is "now". Sixteen months later, I have version 4.7-892, and everytime I reboot, I get the dreaded red box that says "Cannot find specified file."
As an uninformed user, all this tells me is Avast isn't working because there's a file either missing or unavailable. Can you be a little more specific?
In reading the forum, this is apparently an ongoing problem?
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As an uninformed user, all this tells me is Avast isn't working because there's a file either missing or unavailable. Can you be a little more specific?
Can you update? Manually, automatically? Every time or just you can't after login?
Against what are you complaining?
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The program is "complaining"...that it "cannot find the specified file"...whatever that is? I don't know if it's not automatically updating or what. I assume the red warning window isn't a good thing, but it doesn't give me a clue as to what to do about it.
Are you suggesting it's OK to simply ignore the problem?
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I assume the red warning window isn't a good thing
It's not. You're not able to update :'(
but it doesn't give me a clue as to what to do about it.
Basically, check:
1) If the servers.def file is corrupt or 0KB (C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\servers.def).
You can try and download the servers.def file, http://files.avast.com/iavs4x/servers.def and replace the one in the avast setup folder.
2) If your subscription allows the update right now (i.e., if it is not expired).
3) If your firewall settings and allow avast.setup to connect.
If you're not sure, just turn off your firewall (to be sure the update failure is not due to it).
Maybe you should 'remove' avast.setup entry, try to update, receiving a new alert from the firewall, allowing it and checking it to remember.
4) Check your proxy settings into avast!:
Left click the avast icon > Settings
Update (Basic) > Details > Proxy
Make sure your browser is not set to "Work Offline" (this option is generally in the File menu).
If it doesn't help, try switching from "Auto-detect" to "No proxy" (I'm assuming you're not connecting to the Internet via proxy).
You can run proxycfg -d in a DOS window to make your computer connect direct, without proxy. You can run proxycfg -h for help.
Are you suggesting it's OK to simply ignore the problem?
For sure not... you need to update...
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jmarkt
any change in the status of your problem?