Updates at program start

[davstar]

Hi,
I have noticed that SD 5.5.0.204 doesn't always obtain the latest updates at PC startup. Today I downloaded them manually shortly after startup.

In General Settings I have the following choice:

Smart Update action - Download and install updates (notify me)

I also have a schelduled task:

Search and Download Updates - On Program Start

I would appreciate any insights.
Regards,
Dave

[AChen]

If you have this option 'Search and Download Updates - On Program Start' then all updates will be downloaded, in your case, there could have been updates released during the period of startup and the manual update. While Smart Update action - Download and install updates (notify me) checks for updates roughly every 6 hours.

[davstar]

Hi Anthony,
I had the same thing this afternoon during startup of the PC. Nothing was updated automatically but when I manually updated shortly after startup there was a database update. Coincidence?
Might it not be that SD is trying to update before the internet connection is established?
I never had this problem with SD 4.1 and I notice that NOD32 is updating automatically every time at startup.
Regards,
Dave

[AChen]

Hi Anthony,
I had the same thing this afternoon during startup of the PC. Nothing was updated automatically but when I manually updated shortly after startup there was a database update. Coincidence?
Might it not be that SD is trying to update before the internet connection is established?
I never had this problem with SD 4.1 and I notice that NOD32 is updating automatically every time at startup.
Regards,
Dave

I'm going to run a few tests with this and I'll get back to you :)

[davstar]

Hi Anthony,
Here is the startup log for this morning where the same thing happened. Again I downloaded manually soon after SD was finished installing. The log seems to record the scheduled task at startup.
--------------------------------------------------
7-3-2008 8:15:48:625
Service Started
Spyware Doctor Service Application started
7-3-2008 8:15:48:734
OnGuards status
All OnGuards were Enabled
7-3-2008 8:15:49:203
Immuniser Results
ActiveX section has been immunised, Processed 17 items.
7-3-2008 8:15:50:453
Scheduled task started
Initialising Scheduled task: Search and Download Updates
7-3-2008 8:16:25:875
Immuniser Results
ActiveX section has been immunised. No items were processed.
7-3-2008 8:19:36:31
Immuniser Results
ActiveX section has been immunised. No items were processed.
-------------------------------------------
Has no one else experienced this?
Regards,
Dave

[davstar]

Hi Anthony,
This morning at PC startup I got a warning message from SD. As I suspected it appears that the program is trying to update BEFORE my internet connection is established.
Via the online Technical Support page I read that I should download an updated version 2.6.1.2076 of update.exe. This would replace version 5.5.0.53.
Is this still relevant to my situation?
Regards,
Dave

[Reodor]

To my experience it hardly never gets updated at start-up, but more or less at random. As long as up-dates, failed, successful/attempted are not recorded in the history file it is next to impossible to keep track of.
Initializing the tasks probably only means it starts 'counting down' for next scan/up-date according to preset in the 'schedules' folder. If You add up-dates in 'scheduled tasks' to close after You normally start the comp, this will be ,hopefully, performed.

[davstar]

Hi Reodor,
Thanks for your reply. As you can read above there have been updates manually available immediately after program start so updates are not being automatically downloaded at that time. As I understand it SD normally checks automatically for updates every 6 hours.
Of course an update (if there is one) at computer startup is essential for an optimal protection.
As this seems to be something that is known to PCT I'll be interested in their reply.
It would indeed be handy if this sort of error information was included in the history file as one can easily miss a popup notification.
Regards,
Dave

[ohso]

> Of course an update (if there is one) at computer startup is essential
> for an optimal protection.

Yes and no. There is an intelligent approach to "updating at startup" and an idiotic way.

Sometimes when you are working on computers you have to restart them numerous times, e.g., you are testing something and you change one thing at a time to see if it made any difference.

So it's really idiotic to _simply_ run the update .exe after every restart.

The intelligent way is for the app to check the _time_ of the last update. If it's recent, then don't run the update.

[AChen]

Could you try the following, cancel all the auto updates during startup and via smart update options. Wait until a new update is available, then run a manual update to see that a db is available, cancel the Smart Update-> Now schedule an update for the next start-> Reboot the pc-> check history in SD to see that the update was run-> also check on my GUI to see that a Smart Update was run less than an hr ago-> Now try running a manual Smart Update again.

[davstar]

Hi Anthony,
Thanks. I'll get back to you on this.
Regards,
Dave

[davstar]

Hi Anthony,
SD has just automatically updated via Smart Update even though the action was:

''Notify me of available updates" :confused:

I have now changed this to:

"Do not check for updates"

So I'll have to check manually.
For this test I have removed all scheduled tasks for updates.

Regards,
Dave

[Reodor]

Hi Anthony,
SD has just automatically updated via Smart Update even though the action was:

''Notify me of available updates" :confused:

I have now changed this to:

"Do not check for updates"

So I'll have to check manually.
For this test I have removed all scheduled tasks for updates.

Regards,
Dave

Don't be to sure that works! It is just 'paying back' for all the 'up-dates failed' in the past! :D

[davstar]

Hi,
I feel a headache coming on :(
regards,
Dave

[davstar]

Could you try the following, cancel all the auto updates during startup and via smart update options. Wait until a new update is available, then run a manual update to see that a db is available, cancel the Smart Update-> Now schedule an update for the next start-> Reboot the pc-> check history in SD to see that the update was run-> also check on my GUI to see that a Smart Update was run less than an hr ago-> Now try running a manual Smart Update again.

Hi Anthony,
I've carried out the above and the results were as follows:

1. Check history in SD to see that the update was run
Answer - Yes it was
2. Check on my GUI to see that a Smart Update was run less than an hr ago
Answer - No it wasn't
3. Now try running a manual Smart Update again
Answer - Updates were still available for download.

I noticed the following error notification contained in the file SUErrorLog.txt:

Exception in GetXMLFromServer
Socket Error # 11001
Host not found.
Exception in RetrieveUpdateList
Socket Error # 11001
Host not found.
This section was repeated numerous times

There were two others entries containing the following:

Exception in GetXMLFromServer
Socket Error # 10050
Network is down.

This file had a date/time stamp just after the above scheduled run for updates.

Homepage URL=http://www.pctools.com/nl/

Regards,
Dave

[AChen]

From the test, it looks like a problem with the auto updates. Could you provide us with the SUErrorLog.txt and I'll escalate this to the developers to analyze.

[davstar]

Hi Anthony,
File sent via email to support.
Regards,
Dave

[davstar]

Hi Anthony,
Just for the record the probem is still there with SD 5.5.0.212.
Regards,
Dave

[AChen]

Hi Anthony,
File sent via email to support.
Regards,
Dave

Could you send me the ticket number as I'll need the info to pass on to the devs :)

And thanks for the update with the latest version info.

[davstar]

Hi Anthony,
Sorry don't have a number (yet) but the program updated correctly at startup this morning so perhaps this is solved for me.
Regards,
Dave

[davstar]

Hi Anthony,
I had the same problem this morning. There is also a problem with the Ticket Number as I had given Support the wrong email address. Hopefully this will be sorted out soon.
Regards,
Dave

[davstar]

Could you send me the ticket number as I'll need the info to pass on to the devs :)

And thanks for the update with the latest version info.

Number sent via PM,
Regards,
Dave

[davstar]

Hi,
For interested parties, I am investigating this issue with Support. When I learn more I'll report here.
Regards,
Dave

[Reodor]

Hi,
For interested parties, I am investigating this issue with Support. When I learn more I'll report here.
Regards,
Dave

Got any head ache yet?;)

[davstar]

Hi,
Well I did a complete clean reinstallation of 212 two days ago and now there are no problems at startup and a scheduled Smartupdate at program start is being carried out without error. I received no error message when I originally installed 212 over 204 but something does seem to have gone wrong :confused:

Regards,
Dave