Help! Avast cannot connect to the server to update!

[DavidR]

Will Avast 5 solve this issue in a future version (if Avast 4.8 can update, then it's not an Ashampoo issue) or should I get rid of Avast 5?

There are numerous such examples in the forums that Ashampoo is blocking the avast.setup (updates) and once uninstalled and replaced by another firewall it miraculously works.

[icardoth]

Did you test removing avast entries of Ashampoo program list, boot, allow avast access again?

I just did it. No luck. Both Automatic and manual updates fail. Message is "can't connect to download738.avast.com (208.43.71.131:80) or something like that. Please consider I'm translating this message from mi Spanish language Avast.

Program updates also fail, but work from Control Panel -> Add/Remove programs -> Avast -> Update

Virus definitions updates only work by manually downloading vpsupd.exe.

I'm using Windows XP, Avast 5.0.594 and Ashampoo Firewall 1.20.

Thanks

[Gopher John]

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=61085.0 thread has 102 posts.  It took quite a while before the OP finally was convinced to uninstall AShampoo and use another firewall.  I wonder how many posts it will take this time.

[icardoth]

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=61085.0 thread has 102 posts.  It took quite a while before the OP finally was convinced to uninstall AShampoo and use another firewall.  I wonder how many posts it will take this time.

It's a matter of choice. What I want to keep? A not-fully tested release of Avast or my well known firewall? Should I change to Comodo firewall or to AVG or Avira? 

Avast developer team should take this in consideration and go back whatever they do to the update module, as it was in v4.8.

[Asyn]

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=61085.0 thread has 102 posts.  It took quite a while before the OP finally was convinced to uninstall AShampoo and use another firewall.  I wonder how many posts it will take this time.

Some prefer the long/hard way...
asyn

[Lisandro]

but work from Control Panel -> Add/Remove programs -> Avast -> Update

The same process is invoked in all these situations... Strange behavior that works sometimes and fails in others.
Please, upload (attach) the avast log: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\Setup\setup.log
(or the shorter C:\Users\All Users\Alwil Software\Avast5\log\Setup.log).

If the file is too big for the forum, post the last 400-500 lines of it.

[icardoth]

Please, upload (attach) the avast log: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\Setup\setup.log

Thanks, I'm attaching what I think is the relevant part of a big file (4500 lines).

[Lisandro]

server.def couldn't be downloaded.

Please, check:

1. Your subscription (license) status.
2. The system time and date.
3. If your firewall settings and allow avast.setup to connect. Maybe you should 'remove' avast.setup entry, try to update, receiving a new alert from the firewall, allowing it and checking it to remember.
4. Check your proxy settings into avast!: Settings > Updates > Proxy Settings. Try switching from "Auto-detect" to "No proxy".

0x20000004 error is a "proxy down" error, i.e., server unreachable (or, in other words, "cannot connect to the updating server"). Is there any other Firewall installed on the machine besides Windows own firewall? Have you had any previous anti-virus program installed on this computer before installing avast? The last way is check your hosts file to see if there are any entries that could be blocking avast's update servers. A blank "default" configuration of the windows hosts file should basically have only one entry (127.0.0.1 localhost).

[icardoth]

Thanks for your quick reply. I'm answering your part by part:

Please, check:

1. Your subscription (license) status.
2. The system time and date.
3. If your firewall settings and allow avast.setup to connect. Maybe you should 'remove' avast.setup entry, try to update, receiving a new alert from the firewall, allowing it and checking it to remember.
4. Check your proxy settings into avast!: Settings > Updates > Proxy Settings. Try switching from "Auto-detect" to "No proxy".

1. Avast 4.8 was activated up to November 2010 before upgrading to 5.0. No problems with that.
2. My system synchronizes itself to clock.psu.edu every time I reboot.
3. Yes, I've had more than one entry for it. I tried removing all of them and allowing Avast full Internet access when prompted. Didn't work.
4. Already done. No luck.

0x20000004 error is a "proxy down" error, i.e., server unreachable (or, in other words, "cannot connect to the updating server"). Is there any other Firewall installed on the machine besides Windows own firewall? Have you had any previous anti-virus program installed on this computer before installing avast? The last way is check your hosts file to see if there are any entries that could be blocking avast's update servers. A blank "default" configuration of the windows hosts file should basically have only one entry (127.0.0.1 localhost).

Yes, I've had Ashampoo Firewall 1.20. No prevoous Antivirus (besides Avast 4. Avast has been my only antivirus for many years. My hosts file only has the localhost entry.

Now I've removed Ashampoo Firewall and replaced it with PCTools FW. Avast is updating now, but I wonder why can't I use Ashampoo as firewall.

Thanks

[Lisandro]

but I wonder why can't I use Ashampoo as firewall

You're not alone. There are A LOT of Ashampoo users with the same problem.
I think Ashampoo team should take a look on this. I don't think the problem is avast related (as it works with all other firewalls).

[Asyn]

Now I've removed Ashampoo Firewall and replaced it with PCTools FW. Avast is updating now, but I wonder why can't I use Ashampoo as firewall.
Thanks

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=61083.msg517151#msg517151
asyn

[icardoth]

Now I've removed Ashampoo Firewall and replaced it with PCTools FW. Avast is updating now, but I wonder why can't I use Ashampoo as firewall.
Thanks

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=61083.msg517151#msg517151
asyn

There's a known bug in Ashampoo that prevents the popups from being displayed for services that don't have the "Interact with desktop" flag set (such as the avast service).

Interesting. Then I'd could manually add full access to whatever Avast process need it. I already tried it with AvastSvc.exe, and still no updates. Is there any other process involved?

[Asyn]

Interesting. Then I'd could manually add full access to whatever Avast process need it. I already tried it with AvastSvc.exe, and still no updates. Is there any other process involved?

Interesting, that you try to tweak it..!!
avast.setup is also involved...
Good luck,
asyn

[icardoth]

avast.setup is also involved...

Couldn't find avast.setup as a file, and as you've have said, it does not trigger Ashampoo FW. 

[DavidR]

avast.setup is only created at the time of the update and is located in the C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\Setup (XP Pro users) folder when created. So you could try manually creating an entry for it in ashampoo.