Author Topic: Program Auto Update Question  (Read 4180 times)

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dispatcher21

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Program Auto Update Question
« on: May 10, 2011, 09:12:22 PM »
Under the general settings, I have Engine and Virus definitions and Program to auto update and ask if a reboot is needed.  It has always updated definitions no problems, but has never auto updated the program.  For the .91 or whatever is was and the newest .1125, when I checked the Maintenance/Update area, I saw an update was available and had to manually update it but it has never auto updated itself and asked to reboot.  Is it acting as it should be doing this?  I guess I always assumed that it would update itself and let me know to reboot if a program update came out.

Offline DavidR

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Re: Program Auto Update Question
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2011, 09:30:46 PM »
Program Updates have always been set to Ask, so you sound get a pop-up to say when one is available. For obvious reasons Program updates won't be automatic, a) they are generally much larger than the virus definitions & engine update; so you wouldn't want it starting when you were busy.

The program update cycle is over 7 days to spread server load.

The Program update does ask you to reboot after updating, it did on mine after I carried out a manual program update on both my systems.
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Jack 1000

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Re: Program Auto Update Question
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2011, 09:54:54 PM »
Program updates will appear in the GUI when an Avast program update is available.  They may not show up in the pop-up notifications box for several weeks or even months depending on how well the manual update is going around the world.  Pop up notices for Avast updates are not pushed out until Avast is really sure that bugs and issues are worked out.

Turn around time for pop up notices can be anywhere from 1-3 months for new Avast versions. (Users are always free to Update the program from the GUI when ready if they don't want to wait.)  I have been updating through the GUI, giving a grace period of a few weeks, when new versions come out.  Barring bugs or a need to manually update the software, I'm doing an experiment to see how long it will take before the next pop-up notice shows above the Windows Clock that a Program Update is available.

Some users are concerned why it takes so long for the pop-up notices to show after a program update is released.  When I had Avast 5, I would get the pop-up notice about 4-5 times a year.  Update durations for program releases are about every 3-6 months. Therefore, users won't see the pop-up notice for Program Updates very often.  Hope this helps!

Jack

ady4um

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Re: Program Auto Update Question
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2011, 09:55:44 PM »
The program update cycle is over 7 days to spread server load.

The Program update does ask you to reboot after updating, it did on mine after I carried out a manual program update on both my systems.

@David, as presented in the topic http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=76977.0, let's hope this is not only for manual program updates as in your case, but for tray notification of program updates, as dispatcher21 expects.

I will wait for the changelog to be updated, and then I will count 2 weeks (not just one) for the program update tray notification to show up. I hope it does.

Offline DavidR

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Re: Program Auto Update Question
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2011, 10:52:11 PM »
Personally I never wait for the update notification, like watching pain dry. Since I'm a regular forum user once I see that an update is available I get it there and then.
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ady4um

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Re: Program Auto Update Question
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2011, 02:00:15 AM »
Personally I never wait for the update notification, like watching pain dry. Since I'm a regular forum user once I see that an update is available I get it there and then.
David, that's not the point. Of course, you *have* the possibility to manually update. But the point is that there is a specific setting that the user chose, and Avast should respect it.

Moreover, think about millions of users not checking the status of Avast in the GUI, and not coming here to follow the development (both being totally comprehensible, understandable, acceptable). They are not having the latest stable version, if they are not seeing the program update tray notification.

Jack 1000

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Re: Program Auto Update Question
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2011, 05:15:52 AM »
Personally I never wait for the update notification, like watching pain dry. Since I'm a regular forum user once I see that an update is available I get it there and then.
David, that's not the point. Of course, you *have* the possibility to manually update. But the point is that there is a specific setting that the user chose, and Avast should respect it.

Moreover, think about millions of users not checking the status of Avast in the GUI, and not coming here to follow the development (both being totally comprehensible, understandable, acceptable). They are not having the latest stable version, if they are not seeing the program update tray notification.

+1!

There are millions more who depend on the System Tray update notifications, than those who come to the Avast Forum and open the GUI to check for updates.  You wouldn't want to go for a week or more without a virus definitions update, or have the license expiration notification not show so you can re-register and go with an unprotected computer? So why should the pop-up notices for Program Updates be any different?

Jack

Offline DavidR

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Re: Program Auto Update Question
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2011, 03:27:01 PM »
They are different because the two are different.

We aren't talking about the Virus Definitions as they are AUTOMATICALLY installed by default, Program Updates are set to ASK and that should generate the pop-up notification of an update being available not that one has just been done.

The problem is that the program update cycle can be up to 7 days to spread server load all 130 million plus active users can't get the program update at the same time. So when it is your turn in the barrel you get the pop-up notification of an update being available.

If you happen to look in the GUI and see one is available then grab it as you may have missed seeing the notification pop-up of an update being available or that change in the UI pre-dates the actual pop-up (which I guess happens after the avast.setup checking for updates). When the program is out of date you should also see a change to the avast tray icon as the Program Version is one option monitored by the Status Bar settings.

Of course there is nothing to stop the user changing the Update settings to auto update for the program also.
« Last Edit: May 11, 2011, 03:28:39 PM by DavidR »
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ady4um

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Re: Program Auto Update Question
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2011, 04:15:12 PM »
They are different because the two are different.

We aren't talking about the Virus Definitions as they are AUTOMATICALLY installed by default, Program Updates are set to ASK and that should generate the pop-up notification of an update being available not that one has just been done.

The problem is that the program update cycle can be up to 7 days to spread server load all 130 million plus active users can't get the program update at the same time. So when it is your turn in the barrel you get the pop-up notification of an update being available.

If you happen to look in the GUI and see one is available then grab it as you may have missed seeing the notification pop-up of an update being available or that change in the UI pre-dates the actual pop-up (which I guess happens after the avast.setup checking for updates). When the program is out of date you should also see a change to the avast tray icon as the Program Version is one option monitored by the Status Bar settings.

Of course there is nothing to stop the user changing the Update settings to auto update for the program also.
David, Do I have to repeat once more what I have already explained several times in several topics related to this issue? I myself have opened a topic for this program update tray notification issue.

I understand EXACTLY the points you just mentioned, and I have no way to probe to you that I did NOT miss the tray notification about a program update being available for download. Moreover, if *that* were the case, Avast should have the possibility to show it again (unless the user sets it otherwise).

I have no way to probe to you that the program update tray notification has not being displayed for several stable releases since last year.

To be clear, for any other user that haven't read (yet) my several posts and explanations about this issue, I'm not talking about antivirus database tray notifications.

The OP in this specific topic said he uses automatic updates. I am using "ask" (which is the default for millions of Avast users for program updates). Neither of us see the program update tray notification. I won't speak on behalf / instead other settings / other users, specially when I'm not so sure which is the expected behaviour in their systems.

In MY case ("ask"), NO tray notification about PROGRAM updates being available for download is being displayed. Not for 1 week, not for months, and I haven't missed it. It is not being displayed, when it should.

Can I update the program manually? OF COURSE. Is this such a big problem FOR ME? No, it is not. Is this a POTENTIAL problem for millions of users not checking/opening the GUI? YES.

Only 1 week? Acceptable? If there are no special security issues, I would wait for 2 weeks too. Only 3 or 4 program updates during one year, as it used to be? Let's say we accept that too.

But, no program update tray notification at all, for months and after several stable releases being out there, with the official public changelog history being updated? I don't think that is "normal", and that is more an Avast problem, rather than a problem of a specific user/system.

Most frequent users coming to the forum are updating their programs manually, without waiting for a tray notification, so most of the frequent users here won't have any problem, and won't notice any problem.

But, What about those millions of users not coming to the forum and not opening the GUI?

As I already explained in the topic I opened, once more I'll resist the temptation of updating the program manually using the GUI, until I see the tray notification, just to probe my point. If enough users can do the same and report it, then "maybe" Avast Team will finally notice it. Sadly, it seems not so many frequent users are willing to do the same.