AVG 8 Free update failure

AVG 8 Free fails to update with message about failing to contact the update
server.
Update server given as in Tools/Advanced is
http://guru.avg.com/softw/80free/update/

Connection is via router and cable.
Never a problem with AVG Free 7.5 which I've gone back to for now.

Suggestions please.

Henry

[daverob]

I get a Forbidden when trying to access that url direct. That means it
expects an ID from AVG 8 in order to update. If you can't connect via
AVG's update routine, it's probably not providing the correct ID.

The following speculative solution is based on the assumption that the
problem is not a bug in AVG but arises from your system's configuration
in some way. If you still have AVG 7.5 on your machine, ie, inactivated,
not uninstalled, it's possible that the update routine sends the AVG 7.5
ID - depends on how the path to the ID is written and/or what registry
keys are used. Try uninstalling both AVG 7.5 and 8 (I assume you have
the install files available), then reinstall AVG 8 and try again. You
may have to do a through registry clean, I don't know how well AVG's
uninstall works.

For the record :-
Downloaded installation file.
AVG 8 Free claimed to remove 7 when installed so I let it.
Updates gave message
"The connection with the update server has failed"
Found update files, downloaded to disc and updated from them.

Tried a repair from the installation file but no change.
Uninstalled AVG 8 Free via its utility.

Installed AVG 7.5 Free from magazine CD.
Updated several times to get to latest state.

Asked here for help and Kurt responded

Following Kurt's suggestion, uninstalled AVG 7.5 free via its utility.
Re-installed AVG 8 Free from previously download file.
Update problem persists.

Is your firewall blocking the update server? The only system I have seen the
problem on is on dial-up which I kinda expect since it is not connected. I
have helped install several times and they all removed 7 fine and installed.
It sounds like you may have something blocking it...

On recommendation from the forum, uninstalled Ashampoo firewall and updates
now work.
Presume a conflict somewhere as setting rules in Ashampoo firewall or even
switching it off did not help.
I installed over avg 7 yesterday in a test partition. It updated this
morning with no problem except there isn't any notification it's doing
so. I'm using Zone Alarm, no problem. ZA asks permission if it needs to,
as far as I know it won't block unless a site has been previously
blacklisted. I'll test for a few more days and if all ok I'll update my
working partition.

I initially installed over 7.5.
The Ashampoo free firewall did not ask permission for anything to do with
AVG
Following advice from the AVG forum I manually added rules to give all the
executables in the AVG folder full permission but still the update failed.
Same situation with the firewall switched off.
Only uninstalling it cleared the problem.
Now using XP firewall (and a router) having found out how to get XP to allow
access to my little network.

Looks like you may have missed my solution.
Repeated below.
The forum mentioned is at http://freeforum.avg.com/
You have to register to be able to post.
.........
On recommendation from the forum, uninstalled Ashampoo firewall and updates
now work.
I initially installed over 7.5.
The Ashampoo free firewall did not ask permission for anything to do with
AVG
Following advice from the AVG forum I manually added rules to give all the
executables in the AVG folder full permission but still the update failed.
Same situation with the firewall switched off.
Only uninstalling it cleared the problem.
Now using XP firewall (and a router) having found out how to get XP to allow
access to my little network.

[Gillian]

Thank you F or your helpful reply to Bagwash, as I was in a similar problem - New Free AVG8 with Ashampoo firewall and problems with updating. I have now managed to update using your instructions of manual updating but now need to find a permanent fix.

On my PC I use Zone Alarm and have no problems with the new AVG8, but on my laptop I have installed Ashampoo. I used to use Zone Alarm on both computers but for the last year or so I have used Ashampoo on the laptop since I discovered some incompatability (never did find out the reason for the problem) which solved itself after I had uninstalled Zone Alarm and started using Ashampoo.

I obviously cannot revert back to Zone Alarm to fix my AVG problem as I then would once again encounter the problem for which I had previously swopped firewall programs and wonder if anyone has any suggestions for a permanent fix. Obviously I can continue to update manaully but that is a pain.

Gillian

[dormanp]

My problem appears to be even more severe. I have disabled even my Windows firewall but still received the error message that the connection to the update server had failed. Then I followed the advice to manually download the bin files, which I did, and put them in a newly created subdirectory, all by themselves. When I selected the "update from directory" option in AVG and navigated to my new folder, I still received the "can't connect" error message. What's left to try?

(I do not have 7.5 sitting on my computer; there are no other resident firewalls.) (But why should even the manual update option fail?)

I have found a solution which has worked for me while keeping Ashampoo in the AVG forum shown below. Zyni42 recommends modifying the entry for AVG8 in the Windows Services Manager (you can reach this from the Start Menu through Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Services). Highlight AVG8 WatchDog, right-click on it and choose Properties. Select the Log On tab and check the "Allow service to interact with desktop". Reboot and the updates should go through. I have no idea why this works, but it does.

I have found that the manual update fails the first I try it but if I click for it to do it again it then has always worked. Bizarre, but at least it gets updated until a fix comes along

This works for me (accessing services through control panel/administrative tools rather than the method described). It's updating fine now.

Hi, I have the same problem, ive just downloaded the new AGV free
update 8.0 onto my XP.

The problem is that everytime I turn my computer on, my computer tells
me that "my connection with update server/manager has failed.

So I have to update manually each time I turn on my computer, even if
its just five minutes later.

What can I do to rectify this ?

My problem was a bit different.
I could not update at all, not even manually.
I just the message you have quoted.
Got my solution via the AVG forum.
http://freeforum.avg.com/
Look in AVG 8 Free Edition - Installation Issues
You will have to register to post.
If you post make sure you read the sticky "BEFORE YOU POST HERE README" ,
then provide ALL the information requested.
Failure gets you a sharp reply but no answer until you do comply.

My problem turned out to be an incompatibility between AVG and Ashampoo
firewall.
I dumped the firewall and now just use XP's firewall.

Well on two machines that I have dealings with, I had shut down ZA or
so I thought and seems AVG stopped updating, reinstored ZA with its
updates and away went AVG and up dates.
I will have to try to uninstal ZA and see what happens. MS firewall
was also turned off.
Thanks to the guy who told me about Malware’ Anti-Malware, worked a
treat.

[Davout]

I had the same problem, without changing anything in my firewall/antivirus etc, and the only way I managed to update was to close (shut down) the AVG program while on windows (not a computer restart), reopening it and then trying to update. Suprisingly it worked!

Edit: Hmmm I have the same problem again. While searching other forums I found out that you're given a low priority ID when you're a free user and that if you keep trying it'll eventually update. I unistalled AVG and installed AVAST.

[andyxxx]

I had this too and looked at the avg faq and it mentioned dns, so i changed the dns server in the router from the isp one to my own input one (open dns servers) and hey presto all 3 of my pcs now update fine.
The avg server must be blocked by my isp or something like that, her are the servers i used.........

Primary DNS 208.67.222.222
Secondary DNS 208.67.220.220

Hope this works for you to.

I did it in my router, you want the router setup page (if you have a router)
open a web page and type
192.168.0.1
(into the address bar)
then you will have to login, with a sky router its
admin
sky
on some its
admin
password
the settings are in basic settings, look for dns there should be 8 boxes to fill in.

[lbon]

In addition to what has been proposed above here is my (solved) case:

- The automated updated failed with avg 8 free edition installed in Feb. 2009.
- In the Advance settings option, I saw that the URL is http://guru.avg.com/soft/80free/update.
- It appears that this URL is outdated (no reply for a ping). The actual one is http://free.avg.com/soft/80free/update.
- As I couldn't change this in the avg advance settings (perhaps because this is a free version), I put in my local <windows-directory>/system32/drivers/etc/host file the followng entry:
64.74.243.12 guru.avg.com # 64.74.243.12 is the free.avg.com address

Then it worked.
Good luck.

[keithholly]

Oddly the guru url works on 3 other computers through the same router, and was working on the 4th until a few days ago.
Thanks to ibon I can now update without that clumsy download.

[flynlyon3]

I attempted to edit the host but am having a hard time. When I click on hosts, I was not sure what to open it with and selected Notepad. I tried to put the "64.74.243.12 guru.avg.com # 64.74.243.12 is the free.avg.com address" command in and save it, however, it will not allow me to save. Thanks for any help in advance.

It is likely you are using some anti-malware software that changed the
file's attribute to "Read Only." ^1

You will have to disable that software, and in Explorer, right-click and
choose Properties, and remove the Read Only attribute. Then you can edit
it.

1. It's really pointless, as it is quite simple for the malware to
remove that attribute and fsck up your file.

Could you list the changes you made to the Host file again please.

I'm having the same problem.

It's right up there in the thread.

[JohnnyFriday]

I followed your procedure as I was having the same avg 8 update error (server connection failed). Changing the win32 Host file worked like a charm. Thanks.

(I joined the forum simply to share my appreciation)

[govgen]

Try later. AVG sometimes sends strange messges, usually on weekends when there is no one at their site to notice/fix it.


5 minutes later the forbidden message is gone and update failed notice message is there. LOL