Avast! disconnects my dial-up when I update

[superk2007]

Whenever I update while I'm on-line or get the "update available" popup, Avast! disconnects my dial-up even if I don't update. It's a real problem to reconnect. I have this happen on both my ME and XP OS computers. The only ways I've found to resolve this are: run the update before I load my browser (doesn't always work--still get disconnects on-line), or set update to manual. Is there another solution?

[Lisandro]

avast does not connect (dial) and does not disconnect (shut down the connection).
It does not have any of these features.
You can set the dial-up option into Connections tab of avast settings. Can you try?

[DavidR]

Whenever I update while I'm on-line or get the "update available" popup, Avast! disconnects my dial-up even if I don't update. It's a real problem to reconnect. I have this happen on both my ME and XP OS computers.

Then you have to look at common factors between the two, like is this the same ISP, is it the same browser, etc. ?

The only ways I've found to resolve this are: run the update before I load my browser (doesn't always work--still get disconnects on-line), or set update to manual. Is there another solution?

As Tech says, avast has no functionality to start or end a dial-up connection and by what you say it may be a browser issue (though that isn't consistent). What browser are you using and have you tried using another browser ?

Does your ISP require you to use a proxy to connect to the internet ?
If not, check the Program Settings, Update (Connections), Proxy... button and ensure you select 'Direct connection (no proxy)' and not 'Auto detect (use Internet Explorer settings)' this has on occasions caused a problem.

If you do use a proxy tick the Specify proxy server and enter the details.

[superk2007]

It's still happening.

I have set my dial-up settings in the control panel to "Never connect to the internet"; The "connections" setting in avast! is "I always use dial-up". Currently, it is happening on my desktop which has ME; when I first found avast!, I downloaded it to my laptop, which had XP Home 2-Pak and it happened then. I was able to solve the problem on my laptop but don't remember what I did, and can't on my desktop.

I now run avast! from my desktop: I dial-up, don't load my browser, right-click the avast! button, click update, avast! downloads and installs the updates, and then disconnects my dial-up. ALWAYS, and only when I update avast! The only way I've found that doesn't interrupt my browsing is to set avast! to manual, and then try to remember to update it frequently.

[DavidR]

You shouldn't need to run avast from your desktop, it should start automatically on boot and you should have an 'a' icon in the system tray bottom right near the clock.

There is an icon on the desktop but that is for initiating an on-demand scan, it does a memory check and then opens the Simple User Interface were you can select what to scan, etc.

I'm a dial-up user and I have the Update (Basic) settings set to Ask and for me that works fine, no disconnections, etc.

I asked a couple of questions, the answers might help us pinpoint the problem.

[superk2007]

On my laptop, I was able to set avast! update to "ask" and it worked fine. However, on this computer, when I'm on line and click the "update available" pop-up, it updates and disconnects. My laptop is being replaced by the manufacturer because it had unresolvable memory problems, and the replacement hasn't come, yet. It will have either XP Pro or XP Home, and I'll see if it works on that one. Since I've had the problem on two different computers which aren't networked so each had it's own avast! download, I can only think it's an avast! problem. Maybe others have experienced the disconnect, but resolved it.

I really like avast! and this won't stop me using it, but I'd like the problem to go away. Thanks.

[CharleyO]

***

I am also on dial-up and have never had a disconnect problem while downloading avast updates for the past 4 years or so. These are done automatically without input from me. What browser are you using on this ME computer?


***

[superk2007]

My default browser is Firefox. Some programs (like RealArcade) switch my browser to IE. When I update avast! from my quick-launch tray, apparently it doesn't upload either brower because no browser screen shows up (my desktop remains on-screen).

[DavidR]

Well the crazy thing is that avast isn't actually using your browser to do the update, so I can't see where the interaction is coming from. That is why I asked about your ISP (?) and if a proxy is used ?

If this were an issue of avast then we would see lots of topics on the forums about it and this is the first I have seen of the problem as you describe it.

[Lisandro]

When I update avast! from my quick-launch tray, apparently it doesn't upload either brower because no browser screen shows up (my desktop remains on-screen).

avast won't start the browser to update...

[superk2007]

Correct. Avast! does not load my browser. However,

1. I get a pop-window saying that avast! is contacting the website;

2. It downloads the update;

3. Then I am disconnected from my dial-up;

4. I re-establish my connection (not browser), and sit back and wait;

5. I get a pop-up saying the update has been installed and that it took this-many seconds (less than a minute), and I am disconnected again.

6. This process takes at least five minutes.

I'm tired of being told that Avast! doesn't do this. I talked to my ISP and we reinstalled my connection and a few minutes ago, while I was checking my mail online, the avast! pop-up saying there is a new download, popped up. I clicked it to download. I got the notice that avast! was downloading, and then was disconnected. I reconnected, got the installed message, and was disconnected again.

Avast! does everything it's supposed to: scans at startup, scans while I'm online, scans when I manually ask it to (using the desktop icon, not the tray icon to run the scan). It doesn't disconnect while scanning. It only disconnects when updating, and it does it EVERY TIME between the download and install, and again after the install.

I'm removing avast! from this computer and will wait until my laptop is replaced and use avast! on it. The time spent on this is outrageous and regardless of whether or not you've heard of the problem before, it exists. Perhaps this should be referred to your programmers rather than technicians. I believe there is a bug in the update module which causes problems with some OS's, with browsers, or with dial-ups.

Thank you.

[Vladimyr]

Well the crazy thing is that avast isn't actually using your browser to do the update, so I can't see where the interaction is coming from.

Is this true? Avast requires IE4 or later. I assumed (silly of me I know but heh... it happens) that IE components were used to establish HTTP connection with an Avast update server.

[DavidR]

No it doesn't connect using IE, as my memory serves it is about displaying the help file which uses the IE functionality for display of the contents, the same requirement of many help files. IE is an integral part of the OS and is used in many areas that you might not be aware of, Windows Explorer for the display of folders, Outlook Express for the email Preview Pane, Help files and the Help and Support function.

[Vladimyr]

Thanks

[DavidR]

Your welcome.