Updating Avast Engine

[blue2]

Hello. I'd like to update the Avast engine on my wife's machine which is currently running v4.8.1201 while the current version is 4.8.1335 (Ok, so she missed a few updates, but as all has been well, I hadn't bothered.) Before doing so, a few brief questions:

(1) When I downloaded the 4.8.1335 engine package a few weeks ago that version had a size of 35,272,712. Today's download indicates 36,182,432. Since these are the same versions, what changed?

(2)  Is it advisable to update from within the program or has that often/sometimes caused problems? Is it preferable to do a complete uninstall, remove additional remnants, and then do a clean install, as per previous posts on this:

0. DISABLE SELF-PROTECT MODULE  (my addition)
1.Uninstall avast from Control Panel first.
2. Boot.
3. Download the latest version of Avast Uninstall and use it for complete uninstallation.
(Boot into Safe Mode, execute the uninstall utility, remove Avast)
4. Boot.
5. Install again the latest avast! version.
6. Boot.

If the current version that is running has no issues and the internal update function is reliable, that sounds easier (and a removal/clean install could be done next if the auto-update doesn't go as planned). But if there are some known potential issues with auto-update, I'd just as soon move right to a clean install.

(3) If a clean installed is preferred, is there a way to keep the configuration settings? (assuming that those from 4.8.1201 would apply to the current version, 4.8.1335.

Thanks in advance for any advice/clarifications you can provide.

blue2

[spg SCOTT]

Hi blue2,

I'll try to answer your questions, although I may need correcting

1)I think this may be due to additions to the virus database

2)You can try an update from within the program, and if it doesn't work then you can follow this:

*** It is a good idea to download the newest version of avast before starting this***
 

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. Maybe you should boot in Safe Mode.
4. Boot.
5. Install again the latest avast! version.
6. Boot.
7. Check and post the results.

3)I am not sure about this one, I don't think so.

-Scott-

[DavidR]

If you are going to do a clean install it is always advisable to first download the programs 'first' before uninstalling the existing version or you go on-line with no protection.

Download the latest version of avast http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html and save it to your HDD, somewhere you can find it again. Use that when you reinstall. Ensure that you scroll down and select the avast direct download link for the English version and not Cnet as that is for an on-line installation (not what you want to do). - Direct download for avast Home, English version, http://files.avast.com/iavs4pro/setupeng.exe.
Download the avast! Uninstall Utility, find it here and save it to your HDD.

• 1. Now uninstall (using add remove programs, if you can't do that start from the next step), reboot.
• 2. run the avast! Uninstall Utility, reboot.  If step 1 failed it may be necessary to run this from safe mode, once complete reboot into normal mode.
• 3. install the latest version, reboot.

[blue2]

Thanks for your replies.

(1) The virus database being updated within the install could explain it, though it would be nice to know this for sure because AV and security programs often have MD5 signatures, which would clearly change if the virus signatures are being continually updated whiile the engine program number is staying the same. So one would never know if it was trustworthy, particularly if it came from a source other than Avast. It'd be nice to confirm definitively that this is the reason.

DavidR, from the file size, I believe that these are the "installation packages" as I called them, NOT the small online install utilities. So yes, I do have them (two of them of different sizes). Of course I have latest Uninstall utility as well.

(2) I believe what I posted as the clean install procedure was the same as yours, with the addition of disabling the self protection component (which I imagine might cause an incomplete uninstall) and I inserted the Avast clear procedures. However, that still doesn't give me a handle if Avast is RECOMMENDING an internal update or a clean install, based on countless user experience? It the internal update works 99% of the time, I'd start there. If it fails 10% of the time, I'd probably go straight to the clean install route.

(3) Since I did quite a bit of tweaking to the version currently installed, I imagine that the internal update would save this configuration and just update the scanning engine. Is that assumption correct? But if I have to go the remove and clean install route, I was trying to understand if it uses the same ini file (that I could save before removal and then re-apply) or if there was another way to save the configuration and not have to tweak all over again.

Thanks again for any clarity that you can provide.

[Black3agl3]

(2) I believe what I posted as the clean install procedure was the same as yours, with the addition of disabling the self protection component (which I imagine might cause an incomplete uninstall) and I inserted the Avast clear procedures. However, that still doesn't give me a handle if Avast is RECOMMENDING an internal update or a clean install, based on countless user experience? It the internal update works 99% of the time, I'd start there. If it fails 10% of the time, I'd probably go straight to the clean install route.

Based on my personal experience, the avast update has never failed... except for once or twice when my pc was not connected to the internet

[DavidR]

<snip>
DavidR, from the file size, I believe that these are the "installation packages" as I called them, NOT the small online install utilities. So yes, I do have them (two of them of different sizes). Of course I have latest Uninstall utility as well.

(2) I believe what I posted as the clean install procedure was the same as yours, with the addition of disabling the self protection component (which I imagine might cause an incomplete uninstall) and I inserted the Avast clear procedures. However, that still doesn't give me a handle if Avast is RECOMMENDING an internal update or a clean install, based on countless user experience? It the internal update works 99% of the time, I'd start there. If it fails 10% of the time, I'd probably go straight to the clean install route.

(3) Since I did quite a bit of tweaking to the version currently installed, I imagine that the internal update would save this configuration and just update the scanning engine. Is that assumption correct? But if I have to go the remove and clean install route, I was trying to understand if it uses the same ini file (that I could save before removal and then re-apply) or if there was another way to save the configuration and not have to tweak all over again.

There is a very small on-installation that I would suggest anyone using it is mad, as it would either mean they have another AV installed (other than avast) or is on-line without protection. This is why I make it clear to download the full installation.

#2. What you posted as to the order is most certainly not the same, as yours has you on-line with your trousers round your ankles.
First according to what you posted, are
uninstalling the existing avast, reboot.
go on-line get the uninstall utility, run it, reboot.
go on-line get the latest version of avast.

It is this going on-line without protection that both Scott and myself are concerned about.

#3 Doing an internal Program update (as opposed to a virus signature update) would update to the latest program version and get the latest VPS version and retain the existing tweaks.

However from your original post I thought you had decided to go down the clean install route.

[blue2]

DavidR, there's no need to be concerned about the protection issue and sorry if there was any confusion. (I accidentally copied the word "download" in point 3). In any case, since I use MY machine to download all the needed files (with a different AV, Hips, firewall etc.) and am updating my wife's machine, there's no need to focus on this.

My issues were different.

I gave you the file sizes, since "small" is relative and I would not know which is small unless I downloaded both of them I believe that the file sizes I indicated confirm that it is the full installation packages and I was merely inquiring why the file sizes and MD5s are different on two different downloads.

I had NOT decided to go the clean install route, without first having some more information. I wanted to know how successful updating internally is as some AVs do NOT recommend such "over the top" updates, particularly when the engine has changed significantly. That's why i made a point to specify that the update is from v 4.8.1201 to v 4.8.1335. There were a few missing updates in between. The advantage of a forum such as this is NOT having to test something that others have already tested. So are there lots of failed "over the top" updates?

I also mentioned that as I was hoping to keep all the tweaks in place, I wanted to know if there is a way to save these settings manually (the ini file?). If an "over the top" install would mantain them, that's a further convenience to an over-the-top install.

I hope that is clearer.


   

[DavidR]

Yes, it is clearer and avast is very tolerant of Program updates from within the program, I have never had one fail in over five years that I have had avast.

There are 330KB downloads from Cnet (download.com) and that basically initiates the download of the full installation file and installs it directly. The full installation file is now in the region of 36MB, so that is what I meant by small a 330KB on-line installation process.

avast has a built in integrity check to ensure that the files downloaded during the programs update function are valid and not corrupt. As you say it would be difficult to put an MD5 on something that is constantly changing for incremental updates that would differe from user to user.