updates notifications are gone

[Jack 1000]

This is the best feedback of a topic that could otherwise be confusing.  It might still be confusing for others, but I think I understand.  I have a question with regards to the following:

then 2 tray notifications were displayed simultaneously; one for the usual database update, and one for the program update availability.

Now I have never, ever seen this behavior, even going back to my days with Avast 4.8.  When you say the Program pop-up notification updates AND the program virus definitions updates appeared simultaneously, do you really mean that you saw TWO pop up notification boxes at the same time above the clock with one saying:

"Your Virus Definitions Have Been Automatically Updated" and right next to it, the other box saying, "A New Version of the Program is Available-Please Update Now?"  Ever since Avast 4.8, I have only seen one box at a time.  My experience has been as follows:

You will get the "New Program is Available" when Avast releases the notification every four hours when Avast turns on the program notification.  Virus Definitions updates, if available, happen at the same time that the Program Update notice is displayed.  What this means is, you can and will get the "Program Update" pop-up until the cows come home as long as it is set to "Ask" when a program update is available. If there is a definition update, you will receive it under the hood, when the Program Update pop-up happens.  If there is no definition update, you will still get the Program Update pop-up notice every four hours, until you download.  The program update notice might be displayed up to 12 hours in random intervals.  However, it will always be a part of the update cycle until you update the program.

The point is that I believe when you get the Program Update Pop-up, Avast checks under the hood for definition updates at the same time.  Now, test my theory:

First, write down your current anti-virus definitions number and save it

Next time you get the "A new version of the program is available" as a pop-up, see if the version number has changed or not.  To double-test, wait till the next day and see if there is a version number change when you get the program pop-up notice.  If there is, you have nothing to worry about.  If there is no change in the anti-virus definitions version number, than perhaps my theory is not correct, and you do need to Update the program to get the database message going again.

We will see what the community has to say about this.

Jack

[ady4um]

I have to date received 2 notifications of an update.
1. Desktop running Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit (using avast! IS)
1. Netbook running the same operating system. (using avast! Free)

I also have another desktop and a Notebook with the same OS
that never received any program update notifications. (using avast! Free)

The settings on all 4 machine are identical (default)

Thank you for reporting. Can you remember if you saw both tray notifications (database update and program availability update)?

In theory, if a new program update is available AND at the same time a new database update was performed, 2 tray notifications should be displayed simultaneously. But this is not happening in my system, and only one tray notification is showing up.

Of course, if no new database update is available, then the database update tray notification will not be displayed, and that is completely normal.

If by any chance you haven't updated the program yet (in those systems you described, for example), then please check this issue during the next automatic update check.

TIA.

[ady4um]

This is the best feedback of a topic that could otherwise be confusing. It might still be confusing for others, but I think I understand.  I have a question with regards to the following:

then 2 tray notifications were displayed simultaneously; one for the usual database update, and one for the program update availability.

Now I have never, ever seen this behavior, even going back to my days with Avast 4.8. When you say the Program pop-up notification updates AND the program virus definitions updates appeared simultaneously, do you really mean that you saw TWO pop up notification boxes at the same time above the clock with one saying:

"Your Virus Definitions Have Been Automatically Updated" and right next to it, the other box saying, "A New Version of the Program is Available-Please Update Now?" Ever since Avast 4.8, I have only seen one box at a time. My experience has been as follows:

You will get the "New Program is Available" when Avast releases the notification every four hours when Avast turns on the program notification. Virus Definitions updates, if available, happen at the same time that the Program Update notice is displayed. What this means is, you can and will get the "Program Update" pop-up until the cows come home as long as it is set to "Ask" when a program update is available. If there is a definition update, you will receive it under the hood, when the Program Update pop-up happens. If there is no definition update, you will still get the Program Update pop-up notice every four hours, until you download. The program update notice might be displayed up to 12 hours in random intervals. However, it will always be a part of the update cycle until you update the program.

The point is that I believe when you get the Program Update Pop-up, Avast checks under the hood for definition updates at the same time. Now, test my theory:

First, write down your current anti-virus definitions number and save it

Next time you get the "A new version of the program is available" as a pop-up, see if the version number has changed or not. To double-test, wait till the next day and see if there is a version number change when you get the program pop-up notice. If there is, you have nothing to worry about. If there is no change in the anti-virus definitions version number, than perhaps my theory is not correct, and you do need to Update the program to get the database message going again.

We will see what the community has to say about this.

Jack

Jack, I have already tested all those possibilities, and even more. I explicitly checked the database date/version each time. I explicitly checked the frequency, the logs, the GUI. I explicitly calculated the expected time for the tray notifications to show up, and then waited in front of the monitor to see those tray notifications.

I also checked booting and connecting to the Internet more than once a day, but I also leaved the computer "on" and connected during more than 24 hours without disconnecting it.

I performed all those checks with the default settings, and with my customized "some shields off" settings again. That's why I took several days to come back to report.

To be perfectly clear, I am NOT saying that the database is not being updated. I haven't yet updated the program, and the database keeps being updated each time there is a new database available. This has never been the problem. Not now, not during all these months that the program update tray notification didn't show up.

As I said, it seems that during the last (not-so-few) months, only the database update tray notification was displayed, and now that I have a program update pending and the program update tray notification finally is being displayed, the program update tray notification is "replacing" the database update tray notification, instead of what I was expecting, that is both tray notifications being displayed under the conditions I already described some 3 posts ago (counting this same topic, of course).

About the 2 simultaneous tray notifications, indeed I have seen this situation before (until last year, before all this strange behaviour appeared).

During one "update check", when both, a new database was updated, AND a new program release was available, I used to see the program update tray notification above the tray area, and above that, I saw the database update tray notification. I might remember those 2 interchanged (program update above database update tray notifications), but with no doubt at all, I used to see those 2 simultaneously (last year, not now).

For those that might not be sure what exactly I mean with the word "above", what I mean is that I clearly used to see BOTH windows (tray notifications) simultaneously. They were NOT one "over positioned" the other. There used to be NOT "superpositioning". They were clearly displayed, both, at the same time.

Once again, the database update tray notification was NOT being displayed (nor alone, nor together with the program's notification) IF the check resulted in no new database available. But when the update check results in a new database being available and successfully updated, the correspondent tray notification should be displayed according to the Status Bar settings and the Monitoring settings.

I hope I am being clear enough about the conditions for both tray notifications being displayed (or, to be accurate, when both "used to" be displayed).

So, Jack, it used to be almost exactly as you first described in your previous post, with the only difference that they were not one "next" or "besides" the other in "a row", but they were displayed both "in a column".

I want to insist on my request on feedback, questions, other users' experiences, and maybe some "inputs" from some forum user from Avast Team, before I decide to apply the program update (which I'll eventually do some time in the following days). If I could see those 2 tray notifications being displayed simultaneously before updating the program, that would be VERY welcome .

TIA.

[CraigB]

I have to date received 2 notifications of an update.
1. Desktop running Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit (using avast! IS)
1. Netbook running the same operating system. (using avast! Free)

I also have another desktop and a Notebook with the same OS
that never received any program update notifications. (using avast! Free)

The settings on all 4 machine are identical (default)

I also have not had any program update notification's on all three of my systems here (2x win7 64 and xp32 and i was updating my brothers computer on monday which was still running 6.0.1000 because he had not recieved any popups about the program update either.

[sandeep108]

Well I did get an update notification (blue box) on an XP installation that had not been used for some days. It also had a link "update now" which opened up the GUI and started the program update. So I guess v6 does have it working. Avast! must be delaying the notification to balance out the server loads.

I also got the program update tray notification at the same time as the definition update notification, green was on top, blue below.

[Jack 1000]

Learning a lot!!!!  Thanks everyone!

Hey, if any of you see the two update boxes on the top and bottom like described above, could you remember to do a screen capture? (Hit Print Screen.) Than open it up in Paint, do a CTRL+V for paste, and save it as a Jpeg?  Than post the screen shot here?  I totally understand what the OP says now!  Thanks!  It would just be kind of fun to see an update situation that I have not seen in Avast EVER! LOL!

Jack

[ady4um]

From the several situations described here, I think that Avast Team should recheck their severs, IMHO.

Last year I was receiving both tray notifications. Then I only received database tray notifications. Now I only receive program tray notifications (I guess, until I decide to actually apply the program update).

Other users are reporting in this topic different behaviours, during those same periods of time and using several different stable releases.

Currently, while I am receiving one of the tray notifications since several days ago, others are receiving both of them (as I used to, until last year); other users are not receiving program notifications during long periods of time and during several stable releases (as I was, until several days ago), and other users have never seen both tray notifications simultaneously.

All these different behaviours are being seen using several different stable releases, but until now (with some few reports), we can't identify some specific common denominator.

My first conclusion (no real probe though) would be that the stable version being used is not the main factor for these strange behaviours. It seems that the new release that users are trying to update to, or they are suppose to update to, is also not the main factor in this context either.

It seems the different behaviours might be related to different servers (hardware and software combinations).

We should wait some additional days though, because the CURRENT differences might be caused by the spreading of the program update in some reasonable period of time, so to avoid servers' crashing. But, the more permanent and/or older strange behaviours can't be explained by the distribution cycle.

If we wait 1 or 2 additional weeks, and the tray notifications situation would not be more stable between different users, then we might be able to conclude that something is not running as it should somewhere in some of all Avast' servers.

Once again, I have no real proof. Those first conclusions might end up being wrong. I am only basing them on the current reports of different behaviours and different experiences.

We might find out that the problem is related, for example, to the specific OS (XP, Vista, Seven) or "edition" (Basic, Home, Professional, x86 - 32 bits, x64/amd64 - 64 bits).

According to the current reports, the issue is, apparently, NOT related to a specific Avast build number, nor to a specific Avast "edition" (Free, Pro, AIS...).

If users keep updating and reporting their experiences here in this topic, we might be able to help Avast Team to find out the problem, resolve it, and avoid it in the future.

If someone can think of additional tests that have not been reported yet, I am open to suggestions, before I decide to perform the program update.

So, please keep reporting changes. A user that sees either the same behaviour, or a different behaviour, from those described here by several different users, in relation to tray notifications while being around the period of time that we should expect a new stable program update availability tray notification, is VERY welcome and is needed.

Not many frequent forum users actually wait for those program update tray notifications. Instead, they update manually when they already know there is an available program update. So each user's experience reported here can count so to help resolve this.

TIA.

[Jack 1000]

Can we sticky this thread please, because of the importance of this topic?  (At least until this update business is resolved by a general consensus of the community and to the OP's satisfaction?)  Thanks!

Jack

[bob3160]

Can we sticky this thread please, because of the importance of this topic?  (At least until this update business is resolved by a general consensus of the community and to the OP's satisfaction?)  Thanks!

Jack

Post's in here keep it visible. Sticky isn't needed. IMHO

[SafeSurf]

Can we sticky this thread please, because of the importance of this topic?  (At least until this update business is resolved by a general consensus of the community and to the OP's satisfaction?)  Thanks!

Post's in here keep it visible. Sticky isn't needed. IMHO

I totally agree with Bob.  This thread is getting too long as it is and perhaps could have been made into a poll to shorten it, but too late now.

[Jack 1000]

Brought Vlk's important update note in a duplicate thread to be closed over here by request:

I agree that the thread is long.  However, as useful and helpful information is contained within, that is what is most important. One of the best things Vlk could consider, would be when Program Update pop-up notices are set to begin, to put that information in a sticky thread about new versions, (which gets pinned as they come out.)

Avast Community Staffers and Users-Consider My Example Below:  THIS IS AN EXAMPLE ONLY!  NOTHING TO DO WITH NEW RELEASES.  Using this to show a point.

Example Only: Topic Title: (Pinned) Avast New Program Update Available: Version 6.1.75 Date July 3, 2011

Post #1: Looks good on Windows 7 here

Post#2: No Problems on XP here

Post#3: My Boot Scans are freezing

Post#4: Instructions for Removal of Avast for Clean install and Reinstall to post#3

Post#5: MESSAGE FROM VIK: We are planning the roll-out for pop-up notifications for this version on July 20th, 2011.

Post#6: Thanks Vlk for that information.  Users now know they can wait till July 3 or so to get the update through the Program GUI or hold off until July 20th, which is the approximate time the new version pop-up notice will appear.  If the date gets changed, Vlk, or another Avast administrator posts about it in the forum topic pinned up about the new release.

Jack

The v6 program update schedule is now set to complete by July 11.
That is, by July 11, all users should be messaged about the latest version (including v5.x users).

Thanks
Vlk

[ady4um]

Can we sticky this thread please, because of the importance of this topic?  (At least until this update business is resolved by a general consensus of the community and to the OP's satisfaction?)  Thanks!

Post's in here keep it visible. Sticky isn't needed. IMHO

I totally agree with Bob.  This thread is getting too long as it is and perhaps could have been made into a poll to shorten it, but too late now.

Being the OP of this long topic, I'd like to comment on some of the posts here.

About sticking this topic, I agree this is not really needed. Most users won't want to read so many posts in one topic. Moreover, I have already seen at least 2 additional topics around this same issue (tray notifications), which gives more opportunities for the people of Avast to see this issue.

In theory, it would be useful to have all those topics concentrated in only one, but clearly Avast Team is not interested in commenting/posting/reading a long topic like this one. So at least they are providing useful info in those other topics.

About this topic being (too) long, I also agree. But the reason is that most of the first posts/pages were related to somehow "convince" frequent users to test this issue, or even to consider it "an issue".

I can count less than 10 posts really providing useful info / feedback / testing.

In addition, frequent forum users that participated in this topic could had potentially tested the problem when the latest stable release was out, but instead they decided to discared it and go ahead with the manual program update (which means that the program update tray notification would never be displayed anyway, and the inconsistencies would never be discovered). Of course that's their prerogative, but if more frequent users would had tested the issue and would had came here to report their findings, this topic would have been shorter, and it would have contribute much more in the effective solving of the problem.

I also want to comment on what is the "real" problem. *I* don't have a problem. *I* can manually update the program, no matter if the incorrect tray notification shows up, or if no notification is displayed at all.

We have already reports of users saying that the program is not being updated, and *that* is already happening to some millions of Avast users. Of course I don't know about the real statistics coming from Avast's Servers. But just imagine say 10% of "normal" users not receiving program update tray notifications and not opening the GUI. Even with 1% or users, you would be already in the "million" order of magnitude.

Besides the program update tray notifications, we now know that there are some inconsistencies around this issue. As already explained, some users are seeing 2 tray notifications simultaneously, some 1, some the other, some none, and some users are waiting for automatic program update (instead of the default "ask") and that's NOT happening either.

Should I mention also the yellow exclamation mark that DavidR says it should be there, but never shows up? (Once again, *I* personally don't need it and don't even want it, but, should it be there or not?)

So, although I do NOT think this topic needs to be a sticky, I indeed think that Avast Team MUST take care of this problem ASAP.

From what Vlk commented in other topic, it seems that the distribution cycle takes 2 months.

First, the cycle relates to whether a program update tray notification shows up and when, but it doesn't explain all those inconsistencies.

Second, in less than (the last) 6 months, which would be somehow "equivalent" to 3 complete cycles, we had the stable releases of:
5.1.864
5.1.889
6.0.1000
6.0.1091
6.0.1125

(more than 3 stable releases). So I guess this is part of the problem. So maybe the complete distribution cycle should be shorter, until the stable releases are "more stable"? It is also possible this absent of tray notifications is part of the testing / distribution strategies and techniques. If that's the case, simply come here and tell us. We'll receive it as known fact, instead of being a "problem".

Still, the 2 months cycle does NOT answer all the inconsistencies.

Now, about being "too late" to make a poll, we could still open a new topic, with a simple explanation, the request to test the tray notifications while waiting for a program update, and report it in the poll. Add a link to some of the topics talking about the issue, open the poll to more than one vote per user, and make *that* poll a sticky so more users would see it during the next, say, 3 months after the next stable release (more than one cycle).

Just the same as requesting translations, Avast Team could make a sticky poll, requesting to test tray notifications while waiting for an available program update. The poll could include all the several behaviours we have already described here in this topic, and even include the behaviours while selecting "automatic program update" (which seems to be also "failing", as shown in some other topics).

We could still keep receiving comments here, reports, questions, and other not-so-relevant posts too . The reality is that until and unless the people of Avast Team (that take care of Servers and distributions) won't double check their systems, won't recheck the discrepancies with Avast's devs, and won't come here (or some other new cleaner topic) to talk with the users about this issue (meaning, specifically requesting from frequent users and beta testers to test it), we will keep "talking", and no real solution would be achieve.

Although this topic (and several of my own posts ) is already "too long", I hope other users come here to report. If they open additional topics about the same issue, although not ideal, it would be useful too.

If there is an interest of opening a new poll and making it a sticky, I'll be happy to discuss it here (in this long "dirty" topic), so the poll would be "clean and simple" but effective so it would be useful FOR AVAST TEAM.

@AVAST TEAM, it is time (after several months of inconsistencies in this matter) that YOU double check this issue , with or without polls/stickies/topics/bug tickets.

[bob3160]

This thread has turned into a book.
Most posts are long enough to be chapters.

If you happen to miss an update, it isn't the end of the world
as long as your virus database is being updated and that's never been an issue.

Till this program update notification problem is fixed, simply check the UI every once in a while. 

[igor]

There is no fixed cycle - the value is controlled by the serves, can change every day (if needed).
The notifications behave exactly the same as the automatic updates (regarding the time spread).
Since the spread is kinda "random"... sure, you can see a notification on one computer, but not on another machine of yours.

[ady4um]

If you happen to miss an update, it isn't the end of the world
as long as your virus database is being updated and that's never been an issue.

Till this program update notification problem is fixed, simply check the UI every once in a while. 

These type of comments, absolutely missing the main point of this topic, as if you are NOT really READing any of the previous posts, or any of the other topics about this same issue, is the real reason why this topic became such a long one.