Author Topic: Avast not updating (virus def's) / manual update FAILS!!  (Read 10267 times)

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qhash

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Avast not updating (virus def's) / manual update FAILS!!
« on: December 27, 2008, 08:33:52 PM »
Hi,
I am using a free version of Avast. Untill now i did not have any problems with it. My license file is valid to 1st January of 2010. Every time my system starts, the red box appears in the right-lower corner of the screen saying that I am using an old virus defitions file. When I try to update using Avast itself, nothing happens ( clicking update button does not give any result). I tried to download and run virus defitions - after running the downloaded file i receive a following error:

Can't install VPS update. Please report following error codes:
Ver: 4.8.1229
SI:0x00000002
ST:0xFFFFFFFF
LE:0x00000000

If someone had a similiar problem, please help. Thanks in advance.

Jtaylor83

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Re: Avast not updating (virus def's) / manual update FAILS!!
« Reply #1 on: December 27, 2008, 08:41:44 PM »
What is your firewall?

Do you have any other resident scanners?

« Last Edit: December 27, 2008, 08:46:15 PM by Jtaylor83 »

qhash

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Re: Avast not updating (virus def's) / manual update FAILS!!
« Reply #2 on: December 27, 2008, 09:01:20 PM »
I don't have any other resident scanners, I use windows firewall.
EDIT:
Going to Add/Remove programs in controle panel and clicking Change/Remove on Avast makes a control panel window blink one time and nothing happens. Might it be a virus blocking my Avast ? I have checked my system with ComboFix, but nothing was found.
« Last Edit: December 27, 2008, 09:13:46 PM by qhash »

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Avast not updating (virus def's) / manual update FAILS!!
« Reply #3 on: December 27, 2008, 09:18:01 PM »
Can you upgrade your program to 4.8.1296 version and try?
I suggest an installation from the scratch:

1. Uninstall avast from Control Panel first.
2. Boot.
3. Download the latest version of Avast Uninstall and use it for complete uninstallation.
4. Boot.
5. Install again the latest avast! version.
6. Boot.
7. Check and post the results.
The best things in life are free.

Offline DavidR

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Re: Avast not updating (virus def's) / manual update FAILS!!
« Reply #4 on: December 27, 2008, 09:43:15 PM »
I don't have any other resident scanners, I use windows firewall.
EDIT:
Going to Add/Remove programs in controle panel and clicking Change/Remove on Avast makes a control panel window blink one time and nothing happens.

Well your second post shows that there is something wrong with your installation as it should give a number of options once a pop-up window appears.

One of the error numbers in your first post is 0x00000002 = The system cannot find the file specified. This also tends to support there is something wrong with your installation as does the nothing happening when you click the update button.

When you say you don't have any other resident scanners, did you have another AV in the past ?
If so what was it and how did you remove it ?

The above are common causes for the Red circle and some of the avast modules not being enabled to avoid conflict.
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qhash

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Re: Avast not updating (virus def's) / manual update FAILS!!
« Reply #5 on: December 27, 2008, 10:01:07 PM »
Tech, thanks for your advise, but I can't uninstall my Avast. Change/Remove button in Add/Remove programs does not work at all. Is there any other way to uninstall Avast?

In my current OS I have never had a different scanner than Avast. I am using Windows XP with all the newest updates. I did not make any changes to my system, the only problem was that it was infected by some kind of a worm spreading through pen-drives (system got infected even though I had auto-run disabled). I have cleaned it up using ComboFix. It shows no infections nor suspicious hidden processes.

I am also using Lavasoft AdAware 2007, forgot about that, but if it is ON or not, situation is the same.


Offline DavidR

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Re: Avast not updating (virus def's) / manual update FAILS!!
« Reply #6 on: December 27, 2008, 10:09:17 PM »
Then you start the process from step 3. However you will need to run the Uninstall Utility from Safe mode as what part of avast that is installed is running. Or you would have to disable the self-defence module (Program Settings, Troubleshooting section).

AdAware is a large waste of space, it is no longer in the top rank of anti-spyware, so it is easy to forget about.

If you haven't already got this software (freeware), download, install, update and run it, preferably in safe mode and report the findings (it should product a log file).

1. SUPERantispyware On-Demand only in free version.

2. MalwareBytes Anti-Malware, On-Demand only in free version http://download.bleepingcomputer.com/malwarebytes/mbam-setup.exe, right click on the link and select Save As or Save File (As depending on your browser), save it to a location where you can find it easily later.
« Last Edit: December 27, 2008, 10:11:20 PM by DavidR »
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

qhash

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Re: Avast not updating (virus def's) / manual update FAILS!!
« Reply #7 on: December 28, 2008, 03:54:34 PM »
Thanks a lot to you guys for your support

. I have used the Avast uninstall programme and everything seems to be working fine now. I thought it will be some kind of a worm/malware. Its good it was just a file corruption problem.


Raven1971

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Re: Avast not updating (virus def's) / manual update FAILS!!
« Reply #8 on: December 28, 2008, 03:55:55 PM »
I've got the same problem - the Virus Database hasn't updated in some time, I had that same bl%%dy pen drive virus that is apparently no longer there (though I can't open my hard drives simply by clicking on them since that virus was detected), and when I click on update it doesn't do anything. I can't seem to uninstall Avast either to install the new version, which otherwise won't install (nor will programme updates).

As I'm by no means a computer expert, I'm at wit's end...  :'(

Offline DavidR

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Re: Avast not updating (virus def's) / manual update FAILS!!
« Reply #9 on: December 28, 2008, 04:10:08 PM »
Well with the same problem, please answer the same questions which were asked in the first reply for this problem ?

However, based on the problem with uninstall, you should do a clean reinstall as suggested in Reply #3 above but follow my comment in Reply #4

Quote from: DavidR
Then you start the process from step 3. However you will need to run the Uninstall Utility from Safe mode as what part of avast that is installed is running. Or you would have to disable the self-defence module (Program Settings, Troubleshooting section).
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

Raven1971

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Re: Avast not updating (virus def's) / manual update FAILS!!
« Reply #10 on: December 28, 2008, 04:15:43 PM »
How do you enter "safe" mode? I try rebooting, and under the old windows system there was the option during the boot to press F2, but I don't see that option with XP. Sorry to be a bother with these simplistic questions, but I'm not very familiar with computers.

Offline DavidR

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Re: Avast not updating (virus def's) / manual update FAILS!!
« Reply #11 on: December 28, 2008, 04:42:32 PM »
F8 is the normal key to interrupt boot so you can select safe mode (thought you could first try disabling the avast self-defence I mentioned), see booting into safe mode http://www.pchell.com/support/safemode.shtml
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

qhash

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Re: Avast not updating (virus def's) / manual update FAILS!!
« Reply #12 on: December 29, 2008, 07:18:03 PM »
Start pressing F8 after all boot screens dissapear, before the Windows XP logo is displayed.

Offline DavidR

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Re: Avast not updating (virus def's) / manual update FAILS!!
« Reply #13 on: December 29, 2008, 07:50:01 PM »
It is almost too late to wait until boot screens disappear, just start pecking away on the F8 key as soon as your system starts to boot, I only stop when I get the display offering the different boot options.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security