FAQ

There are several ways to update the AVG program:

1. Run the AVG user interface (use the AVG icon on your desktop or Start->All Programs->AVG 8.5->AVG user interface or double-click the AVG icon in the lower-right corner of your screen).

• Click on the Update now button in the left part of the AVG user interface.
• Open the Tools menu and select the Update option.

2. Right-click the AVG icon in the lower-right corner of the screen and select the Update now option.

If you are experiencing the Access is forbidden by the server error, please do as follows to rectify the situation:

• Download the AVG service utility from the location below to your computer (we recommend saving it to your Desktop) and run it using double-click on its icon:
  http://www.avg.com/filedir/util/support/rmagent_en.exe
• Launch the "rmagent.exe" file that can be found in newly opened explorer window. When informed about the result please confirm it by clicking the OK button and close the rmagent window.
• Reboot your computer.
• Then please try to update your AVG. Update should proceed now. When update succeeded run the complete scan and if there is any infection found, delete it.

In case that the AVG update does not work properly after following previous steps, please contact us using our contact form:

• Open the following page:
  http://www.avg.com/support-existing
• Enter your license number and press the Continue with Technical question button.
• Select the recommended contact and click the Continue button.
• Select the appropriate information about your AVG and experienced issue and click the Continue button.
• In the next window please press the Continue button once more.
• In the last window please fill in your personal information and description of the situation.
• As an attachment please use the rmagent_files.tar file, which is located in the C:\AVGTemp folder.
• After attaching the file please press the Continue button. All information will be sent for further analysis.

In case you have changed Dial-Up connection to Broadband, it is required to change also the AVG configuration to be able to update.

You can set this the following way:
- open AVG
- go to menu Tools - Advanced settings - Update - Dial-up

- disable the option "Use dial-up connections"
- confirm settings with OK 

You should be able to perform an update using your new Internet connection now.

 

Note:
In case the new (broadband) connection is done using DSL modem, which is connected via USB interface directly to your computer, it is needed to keep the original dial-up settings.

The Database is outdated message is displayed, when the database is older than one week. To resolve this situation, please proceed as follows:

1. Try to update AVG
   
   • Open main AVG window by double-click on AVG icon on your Desktop or in system tray.
   • Click button Update now.
   • If a list of available updates is shown, click Update.
   • If the update proceeded correctly but your AVG still reports outdated virus base, continue with step 2.
2. Check your system date and time
   AVG will inform you, when your computer date is set incorrectly (at least by 24 hours by default). In such case, please proceed as follows:
   Windows XP or 2000
   
   • Either double-click on the time display in the lower-right corner of the screen.
   • Or open Start - Settings - Control Panel - Date and time.
   • Make sure the date and time are set correctly.
   Windows Vista
   
   • Either click on the time display in the lower-right corner of the screen and select "Change date and time settings".
   • Or open Start - Control Panel - Clock, Language, and Region - Set the time and date - Change date and time.
   • Make sure the date and time are set correctly.
   • Try to update AVG.
3. Try to delete the temporary update files
   
   • Information on how to delete the temporary update files can be found in respective section of FAQ 1599.
   • After deleting the temporary update files please try to update your AVG.

In case AVG can not be updated due to issues with connection to our update servers, please refer to FAQ 928.

If you are using proxy server for connection into the Internet, you need to modify configuration of AVG update process this way:

Launch AVG User Interface -> from top menu "Tools" select "Advanced settings" option -> in the left navigation tree select "Update" -> "Proxy"
From the combo box menu located on the right hand side of this dialog select whether you want to:

• Use proxy
• Try connection using proxy and if it fails, connect directly

The proxy server settings can be configured either manually or automatically.

Manual configuration:
If you select manual configuration (check the Manual option to activate the respective dialog section) you have to specify the following items:

• Server – specify the server’s IP address or the name of the server
• Port – specify the number of the port that enables Internet access (by default, this number is set to 3128 but can be set differently – if you are not sure, contact your network administrator)

The proxy server can also have configured specific rules for each user. If your proxy server is set up this way, check the Use PROXY authentication option to verify that your user name and password are valid for connecting to the Internet via the proxy server.

Automatic configuration:
If you select automatic configuration (mark the Auto option to activate the respective dialog section) then please select where the proxy configuration should be taken from:

• From browser - the configuration will be read from your default internet browser (supported browsers being Internet Explorer, Firefox, Mozilla and Opera)
• From script - the configuration will be read from a downloaded script with the function returning the proxy address
• Autodetect - the configuration will be detected automatically directly from the proxy server

 

AVG is using a standalone utility to detect the proxy server settings in supported Internet browsers. This utility checks the proper configuration according to the update process settings. Then the result is saved and used by AVG Update Manager.

 

The proxy server settings can be taken from the following Internet browsers:

• Internet Explorer
• Mozilla
• Mozilla Firefox
• Opera

 

Note:

The update started by Scheduler cannot take the settings from any web browser. In this case the update is running under the SYSTEM account and there is no proxy server set for this user.

If you want to update AVG from local storage (CD, directory on HDD, USB Flash drive) you can do it this way:

• Open AVG User Interface
• From top menu "Tools" select "Update from directory" option
• Navigate to the folder where AVG update files are stored and click "OK"

AVG update files can be downloaded from:
http://www.avg.com/update

Please note that it is not possible to update AVG from a folder in the following locations:

• shared folders (without access rights for Everyone or System)
• substituted drives
• emulated drives
• other resources with limited access for System account

After a recent major program update, you may encounter a repeated request for restart displayed by AVG. This situation occurs when some AVG files can not be updated correctly. The easiest solution in this case is running repair installation of your AVG:

• Open the Download section of our website and click on the name of the product you are using.
• Click on Download AVG now (paid version).
• Choose to download the file to your computer (i.e. do not run it immediately) and select a target location, e.g. your Desktop.
• After the file is downloaded, please locate it and double-click on it to start the installation process.
• Proceed with the installation. When prompted, select Repair installation.
• Finish the installation procedure and restart your computer.

In case of any further problems, please contact our Technical Support.

After you install AVG, the First Run Wizard asks you (among others) how often you wish to update your AVG. The available options are Every 4 hours, or Every day. Keeping your AVG up-to-date is crucial to ensure that all newly discovered viruses will be detected as soon as possible.

Since AVG updates are not released according to any fixed schedule but rather in reaction to amount and severity of new threats, it is recommended to check for new updates at least once a day. Checking every 4 hours will guarantee that your AVG Virus base is kept up-to-date also during the day.

For more information on how to set the AVG update schedule, please see FAQ 1234.

 

If you are using MS SteadyState, AVG may lose its updates after every restart/revert of the computer. To prevent this, you can use the script available in the Tools section of our website.

If you receive the "Invalid update control CTF file" message during AVG update, most probably the update control files are corrupted. In this case it is necessary to delete these files. During a next attempt to update AVG, new control files should be downloaded and update process should be completed without any difficulties. Please kindly follow these steps to delete mentioned control files:

• Run the AVG user interface (double-click the AVG 8.5 icon on your desktop).
• Open the Tools -> Advanced Settings... menu.
• Navigate to the Manage option in the Update branch.
• Press the Delete temporary update files button.
• Try to update AVG.

If the issue persists, then please follow steps below:

Your Internet settings are not correct

Even if your Internet connection is working correctly, incorrect DNS servers may be filled in, affecting AVG update. This can be caused e.g. by some virus that was previously on your computer.

• Open menu Start -> (Settings) -> Control Panel.
• Double-click on Network connections.
• Right-click on the connection you are using and choose Properties.
• Double-click on Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) item on the General tab.
• Please check (and modify if necessary) the settings of IP address and DNS servers according to your Internet Provider settings or choose the Obtain * * DNS server address automatically option.
• Confirm the settings by clicking on the OK button.
• Close the window.

If the issue persists even after performing the steps above, please contact us using the Get Help Online option in AVG Help menu.

More information about contacting AVG Customer Services can be found here: How to contact Customer Services

In case you start to receive error message "Update failed - the connection with update server has failed" and your internet connection is working properly, please perform the following steps:

• Run the AVG user interface (double-click the AVG 8.5 icon on your desktop).
• Open the Tools -> Advanced Settings... menu.
• Navigate to the Manage option in the Update branch.
• Press the Delete temporary update files button.
• Try to update AVG now.

If the issue persists even after performing the steps above, please contact us using the Get Help Online option in AVG Help menu.

More information about contacting AVG Customer Services can be found here: How to contact Customer Services

"Manage" option is accesible from the Advanced settings of the AVG program -> Update branch. It includes the following options for AVG update administration:

• Delete temporary update files
  When this button is pressed, all temporary update files (.bin) on your computer are deleted as well as the update control files (.ctf). This helps when the update control files are corrupted or when it is not possible to update the AVG program. Temporary update files are stored by default in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\avg8\update\download. After pressing of the "Delete temporary update files" button and confirming the deletion of the files, all files in this folder should be deleted.
• Revert virus database to previous version
  This button provides you with the option to return to the previous virus database. You can use this function in case that there is a false positive and it is needed to continue in using the detected file with AVG protection enabled. After pressing this button and confirming that you want to return to the previous version, AVG reverts back to the state before the last virus database update, so that a new false positive is not detected. When there is new virus database update published (and a false positive fixed) you can update directly to a new version without this false positive.

AVG contains a feature that checks your computers date in order to prevent displaying incorrect information about status of your virus base updates. In case a discrepancy is detected, the following message is displayed:

Your computer system time seems to be inaccurate. This may lead to false virus database up-to-date reporting. Please correct your system time if possible.

In order to fix your computer date and time and restore the correct function of AVG update, pelase proceed as follows:

• Open menu Start -> (Settings) -> Control Panel -> Date and Time.
• Please select the correct date and click the OK button to confirm.

In some unique cases, the mentioned message can be displayed incorrectly, even when your computer date and time is correct. In such a case, you can disable this check in AVG the following way:

• Run AVG.
• From top menu Tools select Advanced settings… option.
• Select Update from the left navigation tree.
• In the section Additional update options uncheck the Check computer time option.