server.def not found by system during attempted updates

[darkwolf]

I have 5.1.889 installed over the top of 5.1.864. When I manually try and run the updater I get a error:

Last encountered error: The system Cannot find the file specified.
Total time: 7s

watching it connect I see it finds servers.def,vpx, but it stops and gives me the error message when it tries to find servers.def. Is this at my end or your end?

[nmb]

May be on our end. Will be fixed sooner than you think : http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=69326.0

[darkwolf]

Thanks for letting me know. I have been trying manually, but get no joy as I get the error message each time.

[DavidR]

Try a repair of avast. Add Remove programs, select 'avast! Anti-Virus,' click the Change/Remove button and scroll down to Repair, click next and follow.

You should also add to the topic that nmb gave and email your setup file to Vlk as he asked for in that topic.

[xqrzd]

I am also having this problem, avast has popped up several times saying it failed to update. Clicking the update option still fails. I upgraded from the previous ais beta. Repairing/restarting didn't work, I'm going to try full uninstall/reinstall.

[darkwolf]

@ David:

I have posted in that thread, and I have no idea where the setup file is kept in XP Home.

I just tried the repair you mentioned, no joy. I am going to wait until tomorrow and see if it updates period on it's own, if not I will uninstall, remove all reg keys and folders for Avast and do a clean install of 5.1.889.

Since this is a servers.def issue, that puts it in your hands David, at Avast itself in the update servers. Correct?

[DavidR]

It is here, C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\Setup\setup.log

The servers.def file is located on your local system and it is that which contains the locations/addresses of the avast update servers. It is also in the same location, C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\Setup\.

[darkwolf]

FailSafeServer=http://download840.avast.com/iavs5x

Is that correct for the failsafe server?

[DavidR]

Is that all there is in it ?
Mine has 398 servers listed and the file is 133KB.
I don't have a FailSafeServer listed, but download840 is listed as server 81 in mine:

[server81]
name=Download840 AVAST5 Server
url=http://download840.avast.com/iavs5x
stats=http://download840.avast.com/cgi-bin/iavs4stats.cgi
submit=http://sm00.avast.com/cgi-bin/iavsup2.cgi
submit5=http://b001sm.avast.com/cgi-bin/submit50.cgi
geoIP=http://geoip.avast.com/geoip/geoip.php
wrc=http://p003ig.avast.com/test1/ratings
weight=2

[darkwolf]

OK, I goofed, sent the wrong setup file to VIK.

Your file is the servers file, right?

[darkwolf]

I am going to just do a clean install of avast. that should fix this issue.

[DavidR]

OK, I goofed, sent the wrong setup file to VIK.

Your file is the servers file, right?

The servers.def file isn't the one that Vlk wanted, but the setup.log file. The extract I gave is from the servers.def file, you need to have the file types displayed in windows explorer as there are a few servers.?x? files in that folder.

I am going to just do a clean install of avast. that should fix this issue.

Personally the repair option should be your first option and only if that didn't work would I go for a reinstall.

[darkwolf]

I had done a repair, it did not work. In fact I tried two, one from the installed program itself instead of uninstalling, and one from the program installer which I downloaded to do the reinstall, neither worked.

I rebooted into Safe Mode, Administrator account, uninstalled Avast in Add/Remove Programs, then went to Program Files and removed the Awil Software folder, I ran RegScrubXP and CCleaner to clean the registry totally. Then I checked by eye. Once it was all gone I began a "clean" install from a downloaded installer. Then rebooted to Normal Mode and checked for updates, worked fine, so it was something that corrupted Avast. I have scanned since then and this system is clean.

Just updating the thread.

[DavidR]

Thanks for the update, glad that it is now resolved and working for you.

[MaxLV]

Thanks for the update, glad that it is now resolved and working for you.

It's STILL NOT WORKING. Either automatic updates of virus def files or manual updates are getting server error messages of http 412 or http 512 file not found! There is SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE UPDATE SERVERS!!!!!

I gte this error on all three computers running Avast Internet Security 5.1.889.