AVG 8 not updating?

wenbo · Joined: Sep 15, 2003 Posts: 321 Location: Ontario, Canada

Hello Gnomies

Is any one else having a problem with AVG 8 not being able to update? For the past 2 days it can't seem to connect to the server. I managed to get it to install one update but there's more and it just won't do it no matter how many times I try.

They're supposed to be one of the best anti-virus programs out there but how good can it be if they keep having problems with their server and I can't install updates?!

Lucas_Am · Joined: Jul 03, 2008 Posts: 2

Wenbo. I was having that problem too. It seems like with the last update AVG messed something up and the program can't connect to the server to retrieve more updates. I fixed it by downloading and manually installing the most recent updates. After I did that the program didn't have a problem connecting to the server to look for more updates.

If you're using AVG free make sure you download the updates for the Free Version!!!.

Hope this helps. It did for me!

Lucas

Lucas_Am · Joined: Jul 03, 2008 Posts: 2

To download and install updates manually.

Go to http://free.avg.com/ww.download-update

Download the updates you need to a spot on your hard drive

In the AVG Control Panel Click on "Tools" and "Update From Directory..."

Select the directory that you saved your updates in and click OK.

AVG should now update itself with the files you downloaded.
Afterwards you should be able to download updates again directly from the server.

Hope this helped

Lucas

The Franchise · Joined: Oct 27, 2004 Posts: 440 Location: Arkansas

Wenbo,
I too had the problem.Uninstalling AVG 8,getting rid of all references to AVG,, to Grisoft, and then reinstalling AVG 8 did the trick for me.Had the problem on 2 pc's but not on a 3rd one.
Jimmy

wenbo · Joined: Sep 15, 2003 Posts: 321 Location: Ontario, Canada

zlim · Joined: Mar 11, 2005 Posts: 2422

I currently have two computers (down from three) running AVG 7.5. Earlier this year one of the computers would not update. I could not understand why. It took me several days and lots of posts on the AVG free forum until I discovered the cause. AVG's server was blocked in the host file of one computer. I know I did not put the entry there. I was also not the only person to have the entry in the hosts file so I suspect a glitch on AVGs end placed it there.
Anyway, if you can't update, it might be worth a look in the host file to be sure that 193.86.103.19 guru.grisoft.com is not an entry. Maybe for v8, the IP is different.

goretsky

Hello,

I have seen this happen before with other security software when the addresses of their update servers have changed and the client software cannot pull down a new list of addresses for some reason.

As ZLim noted, this problem can also occur if you hard code the update server's IP addresses in your hosts file and the IP address changes. I know that sometimes people do this if they are having persistent network connectivity issues or for performance reasons (e.g., to speed up the lookup request for the update servers), but IP addresses can and do change from time to time, so one could accidentally prevent their security software from getting updates.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1134 Location: Central FL, USA

Worldwide, AVG (Grisoft, Inc. ) is one of the largest suppliers of AV/AS software. They protect everyone from little ol' Granny Whipple to major corporations.

With version 8.0, the demand for their services (updates, etc. ) has increased considerably, putting more and more demand on their update servers.

If you own the Retail (PRO) version of AVG 8.0, you can set your scheduler to get an automatic update every 4 hours, or even less.

Unlike other companies that only post updates to their software once a week or even less, AVG posts updates continuously during the day, seven days a week.
Doing manual update checks during the day, I've received as many as four updates during one business day.

I get my updates just like everyone else, from the same server, once a day by the Automatic Update Scheduler.
Yes, I've had server access failures too. It happened to me again yesterday, .....I just tried again later and got my update.

But HEY, AVG, the best AV/AS program I've ever evaluated is still, FREE!!!

Nothing bad will happen to you if you miss one update now and again because the server is busy. Just try again later.

Doc Cool

Dee101 · Joined: Dec 09, 2007 Posts: 23

One of the things I noticed was an update to the update manager that was only happening when speicifically requested. Mine has been more stable since doing that.

wenbo · Joined: Sep 15, 2003 Posts: 321 Location: Ontario, Canada

Doc, why do you always have to be so nasty?

The reason for my post was I wanted to know if anyone else was having the same problem, no griping, no belly aching just a simple question. I wanted to know if it was a problem on my end or a problem in general.

You know the old saying, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"

heavenbound1998 · Joined: Mar 02, 2004 Posts: 6

That's just the way Doc is. He was the same as when he was the Shadow. This is a help forum his posts make you want to go elesewhere to find help. Not friendly at all. Come on Doc lighten up all ready. Evil or Very Mad

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1134 Location: Central FL, USA

I was trying to explain the problem, thus my statement that I experienced the same thing and why I believed that it happened, and that I also thought it was really no big deal.

I didn't see anyone else giving a comprehensive explanation of the problem.
I just gave my own take on the problem and my own solution.

Sorry if my attempt at humor got someone upset....it sure wasn't meant to.
Apologies!

I'll edit my post so it doesn't go down in the archives as such a negative.
After re-reading it, I can see why it could be taken as such.
Again, Apologies.

Doc

goretsky

Hello,

Disclaimer: I work in the security space at a company which competes with AVG in several areas, so please keep that bias in mind when reading this message.

Update servers are one of those things all antimalware vendors have to manage; the company has to balance equipment, network and security costs, look at sales forecasts to determine capacity upgrades, and so forth. In the case of AVG, I suspect they have a good idea of what their current and planned future usage is, so I would imagine their update servers are properly architected to handle the current load.

What may be going on is some backlash against the LinkScanner technology integrated in the new version of the software from the recent Exploit Prevention Labs acquisition. In a nutshell, this technology works downloading the links on web page such as search results and then checking them for exploits in the background before they are clicked on. It is actually a pretty good idea, however, the way it is implemented can cause extra traffic to web sites, which increases their bandwidth costs and can look like click fraud to advertisers. This was mentioned a few weeks ago here on technology news web site The Register, however, it got rather ugly when technology commentary website Slashdot wrote about it here, opening with "Slimy anti-virus provider AVG...." with several comments giving instruction on how to redirect the LinkScanner traffic back to AVG's web sites, essentially performing a DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack against them.

AVG (formerly Grisoft) has been around for a number of years, as have the folks who started Exploit Prevention Labs. They are all well-known and respected within the anti-malware community and while it is unfortunate that their attempt to make the Internet a little safer for their customers is causing trouble for some web sites, responses like the aforementioned instructions to attack AVG's web site are disappointing and troubling.

When problems like this occur, you do not solve them by giving out instructions on how to attack someone's web sites. In some ways it is the network traffic equivalent of dealing with a false positive alarm report on a company's file by an anti-malware vendor: You fix them by writing polite letters explaining how the situation affects you and ask to work with the offending company on how to resolve the issue.

One thing I will say about AVG, though, is they have top-notch talent on board, and I am confident they will come up with a solution that addresses concerns about bandwidth utilization from the web provider community and the security needs of their customers.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

clhenry

For me it seems like between 9 and 11 am i get the error can't connect to server. I just go on about my business, and about 3 pm it kicks in and notifies me of a new update. Makes me think the server is just overloaded at times.

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1134 Location: Central FL, USA

It's probably like you said....server overload at certain AM hours, because everyone in the world using AVG FREE has their auto-updater set to update in the AM.

Resetting your scheduler for an evening hour would probably solve the problem of server access.

Just a thought......

Doc Cool

KittenFood · Joined: Aug 16, 2008 Posts: 2 Location: Seattle

Hi! Obviously I'm a newbie, but I have a Q along these lines as well.
I booted up this afternoon and my AVG had a warning (!).
So, I brought up the interface only to be told "a bin file is missing".
My thinking was if its broke, un & reinstall. I tried that and the same thing
happened. It will not update, and gives me the 'missing bin file' error.

I wonder if anyone knows how to find out WHICH bin file they are griping about, if there is any way to find out, and if this is part of the server problem they are obviously having (pages not loading, retry connection coming up constantly, etc.)

I now have a 3rd copy (yeah, I uninstalled/re-dled it twice...) of v.8
but any advice I read here doesn't seem to fit. Or perhaps it does I'm just not getting it.

Anybody know what's happening? I CERtainly don't want to install McAffee!!
That seems to be my only option though, if I can't get AVG (the best!) up and running. BTW I am using the Free product, so the advice in some of the posts do not help. Also I run Firefox, and it ran fine on that..until today.

Thanks for any help anyone can give me!

-KittenFood

zlim · Joined: Mar 11, 2005 Posts: 2422

Be patient. If you browse the forum http://freeforum.avg.com/list.php?12,page=2
you will see that this is happening to a lot of people.
I just received the error myself.

In a day or two, head to the AVG free forum and a fix will be posted.

http://freeforum.avg.com/read.php?12,142806,backpage=,sv=

as a matter of fact, my AVG now corrected itself.

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1134 Location: Central FL, USA

Too bad 'Elaine' closed that thread.
I wanted to throw in an "Atta Boy!". Oh well......

I got a few in, in other threads.

Ya jus gotta luv those guys that work so hard to give us such a good AV/AS/AT product for FREE!
(that's, Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware & Anti-Trojan protection)

Cheers mates,
The Doctor Cool

If you don't live in Florida, consider yourself Lucky,
because we've got a nasty little tropical storm/hurricane bearing down on us.
FAY is on her way! Mad

KittenFood · Joined: Aug 16, 2008 Posts: 2 Location: Seattle

Well lucky me! I booted up this afternoon and no problems, no bin file missing--update successful.
Thanks to all who replied, and I hope you all have the same easy experience with this terrific product that I did! Smile

-Kitten Food

rovingcowboy · Joined: Jan 26, 2003 Posts: 1218

yes there was another snafoo on the 16th of the month.
but it was fixed on the 17th.

if you ever get that again.
just go to the site listed above at avg to get the update you need
or go to majorgeeks.com and get the update you need.
and load it manualy
that will work and then they might get the error fixed by the next time you update.

the missing bin file was one that was to be in the update and was more then likely forgotten when the zipped it up.

Smile