Author Topic: red error popup from Avast?  (Read 6422 times)

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yankanuk

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red error popup from Avast?
« on: April 08, 2007, 06:49:14 AM »
Hi,
I totally uninstalled Norton using their new uninstaller and let Avast do a bootscan and all went well for 2 weeks. The the little red box popped up with this message:
1. In the red box it says - an error has occurred while attempting to
update! Click here for more information

2. When I clicked on "more information" the message was Information about
current update: "Last encountered error. The system cannot find the file
specificied.
Total Time 3.55

I then went to uninstall avast and tried the repair method...all went well for a few days and then the same pop-up.
So I totally uninstalled avast for home , defragged the drive and did a disc scan, rebooted and re-installed aNEW fesh copy from Alwil.
Worked great for a few days and then the pop-up returned.

Does anyone have any insight into this? I dropped Norton and AVG for Avast.
Thanks

Offline alanrf

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Re: red error popup from Avast?
« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2007, 07:48:10 AM »
Just to help us a bit more, can you provide your operating system? Was this error occuring at system startup?

After this problem occurs are you able to perform a manual VPS update?

Avast has made some changes to startup and to the VPS update process in the new release which is currently available as a beta to those who wish to test it (see the post as the top of the forum).  I do not know if you want to take the risk of testing a beta release of avast but it would be interesting to know if the new release avoids the update problems you are seeing.

Offline Lisandro

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Re: red error popup from Avast?
« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2007, 03:16:59 PM »
Please, post the last 100 files of avast log files:
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\log\Setup.log
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\setup.log
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getsteppin

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Re: red error popup from Avast?
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2007, 01:30:42 AM »
Check your internet 'connection' LED on your modem, when this happens.
If your DSL is like mine is, it does cutt off and on, no matter what is going on and WHEN the 'RED' barn door from Avast! pops up with what you described, I would suspect the hi-speed DSL is OFF (check the 'broadband' LED) for a tempoary length of time.
Check your firewall...router?.... and see if its active. Within the 'connection' information, there will be a sub title stating "Connection active/INactive...either or....'controlled by firewall'
Why the Avast! error in RED doesnt ask you to check DSL connection and refeers to the 'firewall', is beyond me, for Ive never found the firewall to be the problem.....its ALWAYS been the broadband is temporarily OFF.

hoped this helped.

getsteppin

jmarkt

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Re: red error popup from Avast?
« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2007, 01:10:33 AM »
I get the same thing, spasmodically.  Usually it's on reboot, but ocassionally it occurs during routine update.  For Tech, requested files are attached for me.

Need help please - thanks.

J. Mark

Offline Lisandro

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Re: red error popup from Avast?
« Reply #5 on: April 12, 2007, 02:49:24 AM »
For Tech, requested files are attached for me.
I cannot download (or open) the files...
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Offline alanrf

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Re: red error popup from Avast?
« Reply #6 on: April 12, 2007, 06:28:45 AM »
I have no problem in opening the files.

jmarkt

I hope you forgive me being, just a little, pleased with your post.  I was waiting for such a post today because ...

today is the day after Microsoft Tuesday and the problem you are reporting is precisely the same one I have reported as being associated with the period, every month, that Microsoft makes available its critical updates and, all too frequently, has to control access to servers to prevent overloading them.  Unfortunately, the way they delay users from accessing their servers at system startup does, I believe, also interfere - for some users of avast - with avast's ability to perform its VPS updates at startup.

This explains why it is spasmodic, once you have downloaded the Microsoft updates for this month then the problem will go away.

Ah, it is a sign! I just got the popup from Microsoft to say my monthly updates are ready to be installed.  Honestly .. just this second ... it hung around for ages earlier today because they are limiting access.

The avast folks have made changes in the new release (currently in beta - see the top of the forum) that modifies the way avast works at startup and to the way the VPS update works.  It will most interesting to see if you continue to experience this problem on future Microsoft Tuesday's or if the avast folks have managed to overcome this issue.

   
« Last Edit: April 12, 2007, 06:35:43 AM by alanrf »

jmarkt

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Re: red error popup from Avast?
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2007, 02:13:01 AM »
alanrf

That may not be my problem, in that the dreaded red box appeared again this morning on startup.  However, I had to install a new mouse, which necessitated another reboot, and Avast updated/loaded new definitions automatically that time???

I don't do windows auto update-perhaps I should?

jmarkt

Offline Lisandro

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Re: red error popup from Avast?
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2007, 03:05:04 AM »
Unfortunately, the way they delay users from accessing their servers at system startup
Or at any time...
I'm giving up on having automatic updates of MS just flooding my computer when I need resources.
Why? Why can't we control the priority of this stupid svchost.exe process of scanning the computer and downloading the updates...?
I turned off Automatic Updates. I'm not that off-line that can't know when there is one to download and I visit Windows Update site frequently. I just want to update when I want to update... there is no reason to use all the computer resources when I don't want or need.
Just my 0.02 against MS updates... I'm mad with them...
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Offline alanrf

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Re: red error popup from Avast?
« Reply #9 on: April 13, 2007, 05:03:26 AM »
jmarkt,

Quote
I don't do windows auto update

There are various flavor of auto-update:

i) turn it off
ii) advise there are updates to be downloaded
iii) download the updates and then advise me
iv) fully automatic updates

so perhaps you are using something other than (i).  You reported that this problem is sporadic; it requires an explanation of an event that happens only from time to time.

However, the problem you have reported has (every time I have seen the avast setup log for this error) been a case where something is preventing avast from writing to the windows system defined temporary file space.  I believe that certain types of automatic system cleanup utilities, if they run at startup, might also cause this interference with avast.

The avast team reports that the new update will go into production soon.  Please keep us informed of how this problem goes with you.
« Last Edit: April 13, 2007, 05:05:06 AM by alanrf »

Offline alanrf

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Re: red error popup from Avast?
« Reply #10 on: April 13, 2007, 05:12:55 AM »
Tech,

the user I support who was able to reproduce this problem consistently during the Microsoft update period has run, since then, with Automatic Update service set to manual.  A small script starts the Automatic Update service a few minutes after system startup.  Since that time he has never seen an avast automatic update failure at startup again. 

I do not say an absence of problems proves the point ... but an absence of problems does make for a happier user. 
 

   

Offline Lisandro

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Re: red error popup from Avast?
« Reply #11 on: April 13, 2007, 03:21:03 PM »
Tech, the user I support who was able to reproduce this problem consistently during the Microsoft update period has run, since then, with Automatic Update service set to manual.  A small script starts the Automatic Update service a few minutes after system startup.  Since that time he has never seen an avast automatic update failure at startup again.
My problem is not at startup but any time. MS Updates are taking a lot of time and resources. I have 1Gb of RAM and 2,8MHz of CPU... it's not *that* bad... I disable Automatic Updates... I want my computer back and the updates being running and installed at low priority. Does anybody know how to do this?
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getsteppin

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Re: red error popup from Avast?
« Reply #12 on: April 14, 2007, 03:34:42 PM »
IF in doubt run this>>
http://www.ccleaner.com

The 'CCLEANER'....aka, crapcleaner..... is free and works great with dedicated MS Defender, Avast!.

Offline Lisandro

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Re: red error popup from Avast?
« Reply #13 on: April 14, 2007, 03:40:52 PM »
The 'CCLEANER'....aka, crapcleaner.....
Use the Lite version, without Yahoo toolbar if you don't want to bloat your system...
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gunfighter

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Re: red error popup from Avast?
« Reply #14 on: April 14, 2007, 04:22:03 PM »
I to get the error about it unable to update P-4 800fsb, 3.2gig prescott processor, T-12 Tidelwave MB  1 gig memory, I try to run the update thru the web site and all is fine untill it trys to run and i get this error codes

Can't install VPS update. Please, report following errorcodes
Ver:4.7.942
SI: 0x00000002
ST: 0x00000002
LE: 0x00000000.