Would it be possible to backup Avast Updates ?

[MrNajem]

Hi Members & Moderators

I am wondering if it would be possible to backup Avast Updates ? I know that there's a Manual Update available at Avast website ,
 but I want to make it myself not download it .

Thank you for your support in advance
Regards
Muhammad Najem

[DavidR]

I don't believe it is so easy in avast 5.0 as the update process involves many different files, unlike in 4.8 where it was one file the 400.vps file.

[MrNajem]

I don't believe it is so easy in avast 5.0 as the update process involves many different files, unlike in 4.8 where it was one file the 400.vps file.

How many files ? 20 maybe ? or 30 ?
even if they were in different locations , it's OK

If you know those files , I would really appreciate it
if you list them to me . 

[DavidR]

I don't know, all I do know is that there is no longer a 400.vps file which used to contain the complete signatures.

Now there are folders relating to vps version numbers at about 45-50 MB each there might be the current version and the previous one as both could be in use. there is also aswdefs.ini which records which the latest version is, but I believe there are other connections, registry, etc. which also play a part.

The short answer as an avast user like yourself, I simply don't know the full technical workings of the new avast5 update process.

[MrNajem]

I don't know, all I do know is that there is no longer a 400.vps file which used to contain the complete signatures.

Now there are folders relating to vps version numbers at about 45-50 MB each there might be the current version and the previous one as both could be in use. there is also aswdefs.ini which records which the latest version is, but I believe there are other connections, registry, etc. which also play a part.

The short answer as an avast user like yourself, I simply don't know the full technical workings of the new avast5 update process.

Thank you very much for all your help and support 

I think now we just have to wait for a moderator to give us the answer
and explain this to us , or maybe someone or even the development team can
program a tool which does this . 

[MrNajem]

Am I gonna get any help here ?
Does any one know the answer ?

[coolsilver]

If you want to backup avast fully I would recommend backing up the entire program directory as well as the application data folders. For definitions you can backup the folder for the definitions you wish to keep or the entire defs folder..

C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Alwil Software\Avast5\
Vista and Win 7
C:\ProgramData\Alwil Software\Avast5\

Looking into it there are more than one version of definitions in the Program Files location:
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\defs\
There are multiple folders usually 2. One current and previous.


My guess if you just want to backup the definitions you can back up the entire folder such as 10021100 for today. If you need to go back looks like you can modify the awsdefs.ini for the previous folder name and restart the system.
I would also recommend moving the new definitions you had issues with to a different location in case avast sees the newer version and tries to use them again.

[igor]

Might work, but not guaranteed (i.e. might stop working any time, even if it does now). For example, there also might be some related info in registry - so copying only the files may get the program into an inconsistent state.

Honestly, there's absolutely no need for backing up the current definitions (if anybody reinstalls the program, which is a rare thing itself, they can simply download the new ones) - so there are no plans to spend time on it.

[MrNajem]

Thanks guys , It did work without any problems .. so far 
I will only use this method when I have to transfer updates to a
PC with no internet connection . 

Thanks again for your great help and support