Avast 6 Manual Virus Updates

[jack.benzing]

So, I downloaded Avast 6 about three weeks ago and have been waiting to see if the VPS update has changed in its size from 31MBs as I do not have unlimited downloading capabilities where I am currently located. Is there a way to determine if the VPS has been updated prior to downloading (other than by size (i.e. 31MB))? I figured in three weeks since my initial download of the software, there should be at least greater than 1MB of updates to process...? Am I looking in the wrong place to download updates manually? http://www.avast.com/download-update

Any/All help is appreciated

[INGBEAN]

Hello jack.benzing!

First of all, welcome to the forum.

You are looking at the right place. But the description of the download size is not correct.
The VPS update has the size of approx. 49 MB (I tested it today).
Download the file, put it (for example) to a USB-stick and then you can update your avast! installation.

UPDATE: Now I see in 2 different threads that the vpsupd.exe-file seems to have an error (again)! :'(
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=89454.msg733582#msg733582
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=92135.msg732967#msg732967
So please wait for updating until Lukas or another avast!-Team member gives an information that the problem is solved.
This seems to happen often since 2 months (release of version 6.0.1367).

Have a nice day!

INGBEAN

[Eddy]

Size doesn't show if there is a update or not.
Size can stay the same if there is e.g. a correction to a already excisting detection or if a old (obsolete) detection has been removed.
To see if there is a update look HERE and compare the latest version number with the one you have installed.

[Gopher John]

Unless there is a reason to download the full VPS update, there is likely less bandwidth used with the incremental updates over that 3 week period.  It would be safer to let Avast update it's definitions regularly, and save the bandwidth besides.

[INGBEAN]

Update to my upper post:

Lukas has written that the vpsupd.exe should work again.
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=89454.msg733680#msg733680

And yes, if you want to look for the latest detection version you can follow the Link that Eddy has posted.

INGBEAN

[ady4um]

To put things under proportion, if you have "some" internet connection, usually it would be better for you to download from the avast GUI itself, rather than downloading the full VPS. Here is why:

_ Full VPS update: between 31 and 50 MB (it varies).
_ Each partial update (using avast built in update) is usually between 10KB and 400KB. There are (VERY infrequent) exceptions, where the full VPS update is downloaded again.

So for low bandwith or wherever the download usage is somehow limited, it is still recommended to download partial (normal) updates. You may want to change:

avast main GUI -> settings -> update -> auto-update interval

from 240 minutes to 720 (12 hours), which matches the usual frequency of definitions updates in avast's servers. Of course, this means that you should leave the definitions updates as "automatic".