Author Topic: Online vs offline installer  (Read 8182 times)

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Offline TheOwner

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Online vs offline installer
« on: March 25, 2017, 01:05:20 AM »
Is there any real difference between online/offline installer? On forum Avast team says online is recommended, but why? I think more reliable will be offline, because it is connectivity independent. But i never tried offline, i would like to know other people opinion. Thanks.

Offline DavidR

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Re: Online vs offline installer
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2017, 01:40:48 AM »
Of course there is a difference, as you yourself point out just one.
Points you don't mention#;
1.  if you already have an AV (other than avast) you don't want to use the on-line installer as this would be trying to install avast on a system that already has an AV. Potential for conflict.
2.  if you uninstall your current AV before doing an on-line install you have a limited risk through being on-line without an active AV.

Who on the forum Avast team says online is recommended ?
The majority of those that I know prefer to download the full off-line installation file.
Downloading the off-line installation file, you can retain that copy should you need it at some point to do a clean reinstall.
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Offline bob3160

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Re: Online vs offline installer
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2017, 02:06:52 AM »
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Offline merckxist

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Re: Online vs offline installer
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2017, 10:19:04 PM »
Of course there is a difference, as you yourself point out just one.
Points you don't mention#;
1.  if you already have an AV (other than avast) you don't want to use the on-line installer as this would be trying to install avast on a system that already has an AV. Potential for conflict.
2.  if you uninstall your current AV before doing an on-line install you have a limited risk through being on-line without an active AV.

Who on the forum Avast team says online is recommended ?
The majority of those that I know prefer to download the full off-line installation file.
Downloading the off-line installation file, you can retain that copy should you need it at some point to do a clean reinstall.
For the most recent release, the OP, MartinZ, included "(recommended)" with the list of online installers.

OTOH, I, too, use the offline installer versions for the same reasons you cited. I like to have a local copy of at least one prior version in case something goes sideways with the latest release and I want to drop back to a version that had been more stable in my environment, at least until whatever issue I encountered has been mitigated. I don't recall having any installation issue with installing a new offline release on top of an existing version, even while remaining online.

Offline Alikhan

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Re: Online vs offline installer
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2017, 10:35:55 PM »
There's nothing wrong with using the stub online installer.

The online installer does check for any prior anti-virus before installing, the only difference is it downloads the latest packages such as latest virus definitions and then installs. The download has to complete before it starts installing else it wouldn't install. It ensures you have the latest version.

I don't see many risks when running the online installer, you download the 5-6mb executable file, remove your current version, reboot and then run the online installer.

Many anti-virus use this method such as ESET who have been using their "smart" (online installer) for a few years which is recommended on the site. When you download from the site, it automatically downloads the online installer by default. Ofcourse, there's an option for offline installer too but I see no problems with using either.

There were previously some SFX issues with the offline installer which the online installer didn't have so each have their advantages/disadvantages. You can also say that the online installer downloads less since if you do a custom install, it wouldn't download all the other components.
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Offline chris..

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Re: Online vs offline installer
« Reply #5 on: March 26, 2017, 01:25:14 PM »
There's nothing wrong with using the stub online installer.

I don't see many risks when running the online installer, you download the 5-6mb executable file, remove your current version, reboot and then run the online installer.
Yes , but only when you are able to access server

Some of us got issue to download online files
Code: [Select]
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2017-03-08 17:50:47Errordldwrap[8888,8892]HttpGet: An error 41227 (0x0000A10B) [Downloader system error] has occured when downloading a file from 'http://r5525652.iavs9x.u.avast.com/iavs9x/prod-pgm.vpx'. Next try: 9
2017-03-08 17:50:47Infoservers[8888,8892]ChooseServer: selected server 'Download v6834318 AVAST9 Server' with current url 'http://v6834318.iavs9x.u.avast.com/iavs9x' of type 'URL_TYPE_DOWNLOAD_PROGRAM'.
2017-03-08 17:50:49Errordldwrap[8888,8892]HttpGet: An error 41227 (0x0000A10B) [Downloader system error] has occured when downloading a file from 'http://v6834318.iavs9x.u.avast.com/iavs9x/prod-pgm.vpx'. Next try: 10
2017-03-08 17:50:49Infoservers[8888,8892]ChooseServer: selected server 'Download h0637628 AVAST9 Server' with current url 'http://h0637628.iavs9x.u.avast.com/iavs9x' of type 'URL_TYPE_DOWNLOAD_PROGRAM'.
2017-03-08 17:50:51Errorpkgengine[8888,8892]LoadLatestProdAndParts: download product file 'prod-pgm.vpx' has failed. Status: 41227 (0x0000A10B) [Downloader system error]
All right after using offline installer

On the other hand , no more ask here for old version (there are a lot) when you have taken care to download all your offline versions days they are available
Better to have an older working version than a new one that blocks everything, ...,at least the time to understand
« Last Edit: March 26, 2017, 01:34:07 PM by chris05 »

Offline TheOwner

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Re: Online vs offline installer
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2017, 06:51:38 PM »
So for example. If i have offline installer for older version. If i install this, installer check for updates and install newest version anyway? Or offline installers never connect to the internet and install that old version? It will be better if  all offline installers will have version number in name. And there should be also download archive for older versions.

Offline chris..

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Re: Online vs offline installer
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2017, 07:09:27 PM »
It's not offline or online installer who will decide to check or not for the update .
It's only you whatever the version who will decide by update setting (manual->you stay with old version or automatic->new version will be installed)

Offline TheOwner

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Re: Online vs offline installer
« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2017, 07:41:31 PM »
It's not offline or online installer who will decide to check or not for the update .
It's only you whatever the version who will decide by update setting (manual->you stay with old version or automatic->new version will be installed)
I don't ask for this. I install Avast only if previous version was clearly uninstalled.

Offline chris..

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Re: Online vs offline installer
« Reply #9 on: March 31, 2017, 08:31:17 PM »
So , same answer but by an other way...
Quote
If i have offline installer for older version. If i install this, installer check for updates and install newest version anyway?
If you have your own offline installer you have downloaded 2 , 3 , ... monthes ago ,
2 possibilities:(anyway not during the instalation but after)
Yes if you set update program to "automatic"
no if you set update program to "manual"

Quote
Or offline installers never connect to the internet and install that old version?
offline installers always install the version you have downloaded (old or new) , it's only after some time  (you can set this time)avast connect to internet to check new version.
Here again : same 2 possibilities as I said before

Quote
It will be better if  all offline installers will have version number in name. And there should be also download archive for older versions.
It is avast who decides not to propose it, I think it is voluntary to avoid attempting the users to go back
However, it is not completely necessary to have the version number in the name, you can easily find it in the properties of the file (right clic on)
Edit:in fact you can find "build version" in properties , not main version name but it does not change so much....and only for "offline version"

Unlike the on-line installer, the offline installer will not connect to check for updates during instalation , but only after ... if you have decided
« Last Edit: March 31, 2017, 11:39:52 PM by chris05 »

Offline TheOwner

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Re: Online vs offline installer
« Reply #10 on: March 31, 2017, 10:32:41 PM »
Thanks for info, but one thing is strange. If i download online installer, there is written version  12.3.3154.0, but if i download offliine version, there is written 17.3.3443.0 (Both downloaded from this forum version 17.3.2290+2291).
« Last Edit: March 31, 2017, 10:39:57 PM by TheOwner »

Offline Para-Noid

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Re: Online vs offline installer
« Reply #11 on: March 31, 2017, 10:40:06 PM »
What is the version number after installation?
What really matters is the version number after the install is completed.
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Offline TheOwner

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Re: Online vs offline installer
« Reply #12 on: March 31, 2017, 10:42:28 PM »
I used offline installer so Avast says 17.3.2291 (build 17.3.3443.0)

Offline DavidR

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Re: Online vs offline installer
« Reply #13 on: March 31, 2017, 11:18:47 PM »
Thanks for info, but one thing is strange. If i download online installer, there is written version  12.3.3154.0, but if i download offliine version, there is written 17.3.3443.0 (Both downloaded from this forum version 17.3.2290+2291).

It doesn't matter what the version/build number of the online installer you download, it is designed to download and install the latest avast version and its components.
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Offline Dinobot2

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Re: Online vs offline installer
« Reply #14 on: December 11, 2022, 12:38:23 AM »
Of course there is a difference, as you yourself point out just one.
Points you don't mention#;
1.  if you already have an AV (other than avast) you don't want to use the on-line installer as this would be trying to install avast on a system that already has an AV. Potential for conflict.


Bumping this five-year-old thread because I want to ask: does "AV other than Avast" include Microsoft Defender? I've never used the offline installer and anytime I've had to install Avast I used the online installer (since that's the one that it gives you from their website), and It doesn't appear to conflict with Defender - it just turns off Defender (or at least the real-time functions) and Windows Security will recognize Avast as the computer's main AV.

I know the initial post is from 2017 which is when a lot of people were still using Windows 7 and therefore Third-party antivirus like Norton and McAfee were a lot more widely used than now, so I wanted to make sure. I haven't noticed any issues with using the Online installer while Defender was still active, but perhaps for future use it's good to know.