Author Topic: Cannot run automatic updates  (Read 10548 times)

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Offline alanrf

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Re: Cannot run automatic updates
« Reply #15 on: September 15, 2006, 01:38:00 AM »
I doubt that this can be happening on every system. 

I suspect that the VPS update process has some timing mechanism for contacting each server, if it does not connect successfully then it moves on to the next server but would run out of servers without success.  It seems to me that in a "resource hogging" situation this would most likely affect older, less powerful systems (as was the case in the system used for testing).

I did not report this when it happened on my old system.  I wonder how many users, when this might only happen once a month for a day or two at most, would bother to report it.

If you think about it, this user reports no problems in a manual update.  Indeed quite a few folks have reported problems with automatic updates, but they can get manual updates.  So their systems are perfectly capable of performing the update function, it is nothing wrong with their connections, firewall etc.  It is just that something is preventing the avast update process from working properly at system startup. 

You (Tech), have often recommended the delayed option for updating, I think in most cases that works for folks by getting the avast update away from all the congestion at startup.  I just think that this Windows update issue is a more extreme case of startup congestion.       
« Last Edit: September 15, 2006, 01:48:43 AM by alanrf »

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Cannot run automatic updates
« Reply #16 on: September 15, 2006, 03:19:06 AM »
I just think that this Windows update issue is a more extreme case of startup congestion.
That makes more sense... but, in this case, any program that congest the web traffic could, in theory, create a problem to antivirus update.
It won't be an exclusive problem of Windows Updates as I thought (and blamed) before. So, my assumption and surprise can't be justified...
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Offline alanrf

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Re: Cannot run automatic updates
« Reply #17 on: September 15, 2006, 03:32:54 AM »
Not so fast young Tech ....

The thing that worries me about Windows update is that - for whatever reason, it blocks out avast update running smoothly, because the major components of Windows update are running at extremely high CPU usage - you will recall that in an earlier post I mentioned that the avast update functions are running at "Below Normal" priority - that means that avast update processes are hardly being scheduled to the CPU at all while Windows updates hoggs it.   

I have just run the Windows update on my old computer (p3 1GHz 512Mb RAM).  It has not been turned on for a few days, apart from that it was up to date with avast VPS and Windows XP SP2 updates so I knew it would need to run a VPS update on avast and the Windows updates for this month. 

I think that some of the differences I have logged in running avast update at the same time as Windows update are ... interesting.  I will post them a little later in this thread. 

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Cannot run automatic updates
« Reply #18 on: September 15, 2006, 03:41:45 AM »
The thing that worries me about Windows update is that - for whatever reason, it blocks out avast update running smoothly, because the major components of Windows update are running at extremely high CPU usage - you will recall that in an earlier post I mentioned that the avast update functions are running at "Below Normal" priority - that means that avast update processes are hardly being scheduled to the CPU at all while Windows updates hoggs it.
People using games complain about avast using band while updating...
So, at least, people should be able to CONFIGURE this priority... the ones that are not concerned, keep it on below normal.
The security paranoid (like me  ;D) could keep at high priority...

You (Tech), have often recommended the delayed option for updating, I think in most cases that works for folks by getting the avast update away from all the congestion at startup.
Anyway, I delay other things and keep avast updating  8)
I boot very often during day... I have scheduled avast to update much more frequently, unfortunatelly, than the VPS update period.
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Offline alanrf

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Re: Cannot run automatic updates
« Reply #19 on: September 15, 2006, 05:56:16 AM »
Quote
People using games complain about avast using band while updating...

Even though, as I said, avast was not getting much of a look in at the CPU I did notice at one point that once avast's setup.ovr did get the CPU it was consuming a very high level of CPU for a short time. 

I rather think that is what avast users are seeing - rather than any consumption of network bandwidth - and it would explain what I have described as "sluggishness" of my system during an avast update.

This is all quite interesting - takes me back to the days when I was coding deep in the kernel of an operating system - and worked on implementing that system for a major airline in Brazil - alas poor Varig ... how times have changed.
« Last Edit: September 15, 2006, 05:59:13 AM by alanrf »

Offline alanrf

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Re: Cannot run automatic updates
« Reply #20 on: September 15, 2006, 10:06:55 AM »
On a Dell system, P3 1GhZ processor with 512Kb RAM.

On Sept. 6th (for reasons nothing to do with avast) I restored the system using Acronis True Image to its state on Aug 18th.

On restarting the system avast needed to bring the VPS file up to date from 08/18 to 09/06.  The system logs show that avast updating process took less than two minutes to complete.

On Sept. 14th the system was next restarted expecting a monthly Windows update and a VPS update by avast.  This system has an avast4.ini override of AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds=90.

With avast running concurrently with Windows update's monthly update the VPS update (to 0637-1) on this system was successful:

Code: [Select]
17:05:41 Start of System Boot
17:05:48 Windows started
17:07:36 C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe /RunStoreAsComServer Local\...
17:08:19 F:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\setup\avast.setup /downloadpkgs /noreboot /updatenews /verysilent /nolog
17.08.20 Directory created C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\_av_prol.tm~a02788

File activity details omitted

17:14:37 Directory deleted C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\_av_prol.tm~a02788
17:14:37 F:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\setup\setup.ovr /stopstat /verysilent /noreboot
17:14:37 Directory created C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\_av_prol.tm~a03324
17:14:37 Directory deleted C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\_av_prol.tm~a03324
17:14:39 F:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\setup\avast.setup /downloadpkgs /noreboot /updatevps /verysilent /tray
17:14:39 Directory created C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\_av_prol.tm~a03336

File activity details omitted

17:14:51 Directory deleted C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\_av_prol.tm~a03336
17:14:51 F:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\setup\avast.setup /refresh /noreboot /updatevps /verysilent /tray
17:14:51 Directory created C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\_av_prol.tm~a03416
17:15:05 Directory deleted C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\_av_prol.tm~a03416
17:15:05 F:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\setup\setup.ovr /stopstat /verysilent /noreboot
17:15:05 Directory created C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\_av_prol.tm~a03468
17:15:06 Directory deleted C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\_av_prol.tm~a03468
17:15:19 F:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\setup\setup.ovr /showsummary /silent /noreboot
17:15:19 Directory created C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\_av_prol.tm~a03520
17:15:28 Directory deleted C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\_av_prol.tm~a03520

A total elapsed time for the avast VPS update of 7 minutes and 9 seconds.  I can only assume that it would take longer and be more prone to problems with a slower processor. 

Immediately after the Windows update process completed the system was restarted. Although there was no VPS update to be performed, contacting the avast server to determine that proceeded as follows: 

Code: [Select]
17:24:42 Windows started
17:26:57 F:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\setup\avast.setup /downloadpkgs /noreboot /updatenews /verysilent /nolog
17:27:01 F:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\setup\setup.ovr /stopstat /verysilent /noreboot
 

A total elapsed time for the avast VPS update check of 4 seconds when not running concurrently with windows update.

Note: On the system P3 733MHz system for which I reported a repeatable failure of the VPS update earlier in this thread there was no AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds override so that the interaction with the Windows update process would have been altered from that reported above, that combined with the slower system speed may have contributed to the VPS update failure.
« Last Edit: September 15, 2006, 10:12:37 AM by alanrf »

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Cannot run automatic updates
« Reply #21 on: September 15, 2006, 01:49:53 PM »
A total elapsed time for the avast VPS update of 7 minutes and 9 seconds.
...
A total elapsed time for the avast VPS update check of 4 seconds when not running concurrently with windows update.
...
Note: On the system P3 733MHz system for which I reported a repeatable failure of the VPS update earlier in this thread there was no AlwaysConnectedWaitSeconds override so that the interaction with the Windows update process would have been altered from that reported above, that combined with the slower system speed may have contributed to the VPS update failure.
For me is enough...
I want a HIGH PRIORITY avast update that other updates don't mess with...  :(
Won't Alwil team even comment this?  :-\ :'(
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testy

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Re: Cannot run automatic updates
« Reply #22 on: September 15, 2006, 05:45:55 PM »
I so glad I found this thread.  I think it was tuesday I came home from work, turned the computer on and went about my business.  About twenty minutes later I finally got back to the computer, I clicked on IE and it kept shutting down. The Avast error message popped up.  It didn't matter what I clicked on, nothing would open.  If I tried to open "My Computer", all I got was the little flashlight searching back and forth then nothing.  I was freaking out.  Then I noticed the little Windows Update icon on the taskbar. It stated downloading 0 % but never changed. The computer was essentially locked up.  After all this time, things I had clicked on about twenty minutes prior started opening. I finally got to windows update and turned it off and rebooted.  Went to windows update and tried to start it over, the little searching bar kept running and running, after about 40 minutes (I'm on high speed internet)it completed.  Thank God.  I have never had a Windows Update do that.  I changed the update setting in windows to only notify me if there is a update available. 
« Last Edit: September 15, 2006, 05:58:11 PM by testy »

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Cannot run automatic updates
« Reply #23 on: September 15, 2006, 07:46:03 PM »
The computer was essentially locked up.
This is what bother me... Why a security program is making things harder?  :(

I changed the update setting in windows to only notify me if there is a update available. 
A lot of people is changing the Windows Updates behavior: problems with patches, problems with connection...  :-\ :'(
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