Hi guys,

FAO - Users experiencing the Connection Error problem whilst updating.

Lavasoft have asked us to see if there are any of you out there who would be interested in helping Lavasoft solve this connection error problem.

It would involve trained Lavasoft staff accessing your computer through a remote desktop connection. Rest assured they would only be looking for problems related to Ad-Aware and you would be able to see everything they do on your computer - you could also close the connection at any time.

If you are interested in really helping Lavasoft solve this problem then please post here. Lavasoft will monitor this thread and will PM any of you who offer with further details.

Please ensure you have a CLEAN SYSTEM. There have been many reports where the user later finds they have malware installed on their computer which was blocking the updates. Once clean, they were able to access the updates. Please read the following note:



Please do not post 'no' replies either.

On behalf of Lavasoft, thank you.

Casey

Hello,

I would be interested in letting your admin try to solve this connection error using my computer.

Thank you.


Reply: Thank you. I have let Lavasoft know. They will hopefully get in touch soon. Casey

I'm having the same problems, and I'd like an admin to take a look at my connection.

Thanks.

Edit: I'm not sure if something changed on my end or the Lavasoft end, but my connection problem seems to have been solved. I had two laptops that couldn't connect as of a day or two ago, and today they can update without any issue.

Thanks.

Hi guys

We will have a look in to setting up a remote session with one of our developers next week.

I will PM on you Monday about it...

Thanks a lot for your help everyone!

Jeff - Lavasoft

Hello
I would be willing to work with Lavasoft on the connection error problem.I have a clean system and I can manually download the metafile.dat
powerman708

{email address removed}

Mod. Edit. Removed email address for privacy. Lavasoft will contact you through the PM system on this forum. Casey

I would be delighted to assist in any way possible. When I click on the download, it opens a file of code! wow! help! You may access my Vista operated Toshiba at will. My last successful update was May 25, 2009. The last successful file in the download was the third file after the "Sedona......" file.
Thank you for any and all help you can provide, help4me

Any way I can help I will if it means fixing this problem. I just recently got AdAware back on my computer after uninstalling the 2007 version a year ago. The updates wouldn't download for me, and with me on dial-up when I'd do them manually it was taking forever so I said forget it. Two weeks ago I had a tune-up done on my laptop and the computer lady downloaded the Anniversary Edition for me since it wouldn't take her too long. Everythiing has worked perfectly until today when I was just about done with a long update and I got the connection error. Thinking my connection might have been interrupted I did it again and same thing. I went to the FAQ and found where there was a work-around with this, telling me to do this: *Go to, C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware and right click on AAWService.exe, select properties in popup menu and in the Compatibility tab. Change the Compatibility mode to "Run this program in compatibility mode for: Windows XP" , click "apply" then "ok". Do the same for Ad-AwareAdmin.exe and then retry the web-update.
but when it tells me to go to the exe. files of Adaware and change the compatibility mode to WINXP, there is no option of WINXP. So what do you do then? I only have options of WIN95, WIN98, WINME, NT and 2000. So am I suppose to change anything at all? I'm kinda clueless on this.

Thanks,
~Royjean~

Forgot to say, me too, when I click on the download Lavasoft asked us to, the metafile.dat, same as help4me, I got a whole page of codes, was that were we were suppose to see? My last successful def file download was May 24, 2009.

Hugs,
~Royjean~


I know I'm "replying" to my own message but did want you all to know, even if there was no pulldown option of changing the Compatibility mode to WINXP with the work-around suggestion by Lavasoft, I changed it to WIN98/ME instead, and it worked. It took me two times trying to install the def updates but it worked, no connection error this time. So don't know if it was because I went into the exe files and changed stuff or not, or per chance it just decided to work. Yea!!

Hugs,
~Royjean~

Happy to help
Have "connection error" on Vista SP2 using Ad-Aware 8.0.5
Did all the suggested workarounds
desk top interact, firewall settings, XP sp2 compatability, can display .dat file, etc.
Nothing works
If you want more info. please email needs.
Regards
Dave

Hello. I prefer and want to continue using Ad-Aware 2008. However, I would be very happy to allow LavaSoft to access my machine. I can download and view the .DAT file (which is a list of values and keys) and I have a clean system (Dell 4700, Win XP SP 3, Ad-Aware 2008 Version 7.1.0.8 Defs 0148.0040, and Norton Internet Security 2009 Version 16.5.0.135). Please accept my apology in advance if they want only AA AE users. Thank you.

I, too, am experiencing the connection error message on loading the AE and none of the workarounds suggested have been successful. I would be happy for lavasoft support to access my machine to sort the problem. One oddity is that my AVG is not announcing that the Lavasoft application has been installed, yet there it has been. I have an XP machine.

Best Wishes

Would certainly entertain a visit by Lavasoft into my computer to see what has happened. My connection error started right after downloading the new IE 8. I have deleted and reinstalled Ad-Aware with the same problem. I have two computers, both with Vista and Ad-Aware works fine on the desk top and a connection error on the laptop. Any help is appreciated.

Mo

Thanks Lohiro. Just read your post and went to Vista Compatibility mode and used Windows XP. Ad-Aware downloaded fine.

I get connection errors. I've tried all the workarounds. The workaround that instructs me to select "xp" under compatability, does not exist in my pulldown menu, nor does "Vista". I can select Win95/98/ME/2000/NT....everything but my OS which is XP SP3. I just paid for this software a couple of weeks ago and have yet to get it working; I can't register it, I can't update it, nothing.

Me too!
Please help

When I first installed the program it updated normally, but after it rebooted and then I tried to update it wil not work. I'm running Windows Vista, and tried the fixes with no change.

same here give it a try

I can not update definitions. Connection Error message appears. I would like LavaSoft tech support to help out with this problem.

I would be happy to have Lavasoft access my Vista machine and determine why I cannot update Ad-Aware. I can download the manual load from their site, and I can download the file from the link you provided. When I hit ad-aware updates, it immediately goes to "Connection ERROR, CHECK YOUR SETTINGS.

I'm interested in helping. I have two computers connected through the same IP address, with Ad-Aware AE on only one of them. The problems are on my 32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 machine, with nearly all updates, which passed my antivirus program and my two other antispyware programs today. One thing I noticed today is that Windows Defender was blocking a hosts file update, which I'd guess was leftover from the last time I was able to run Ad-Aware AE. However, telling Windows Defender to let the hosts file change happen did not help, and neither did reinstalling Ad-Aware AE.

The problems started about the time I downloaded the Vista SP2 update, Internet Explorer 8, and a software update for Windows Defender, reported a lot of newsgroups spam from a very active spammer who was able to fake some of the post headers, and did a few things I've forgotten - about a month ago. I think I joined Microsoft's group for voting on what's spyware to be blocked by Windows Defender about the same time, also.

My computer is one that was upgraded from XP to Vista Ultimate. Up until Ad-Aware AE version come along, this program worked perfectly. Like everyone else with this "Update Connection" problem, I did everything that was advised by Lavasoft, or other everyday users without success. This week I installed a unrelated recommended program called ADVANCED SYSTEMCARE (ASC) @ http://www.iobit.com/ . You only need to install the FREE version. Once installed, do a cleanup, reboot, etc, run ASC. I then tried Ad-Aware UPDATES FROM THE LAVASOFT FOLDER IN THE START ALL PROGRAMS, and guess what Ad-Aware AE Updates now works like it should. Once it work from that angle I tried Ad-Aware from the "pinned Start menu" and a desktop shortcut with no problem. So give it ago, install ASC and see what happens. Obviously, I do not know how and why it fixed the problem, at least it now works

If Lavasoft will still accept help from users, I'd like to try—let me know. I’ve encountered most of the errors and issues posted in the various Lavasoft forums, and none of the workarounds helped. I successfully downloaded the metafile.dat as requested. Even though I'm still on Ad-Aware 2008 (Free), I hope the solution will eventually apply to all of us.

Could there be a conflict with the duplicate Internal Name shown on the Version tab of Properties for aawservice.exe and Ad-Aware.exe? Is it possible this duplicate name, Ad-Aware, causes communication problems between aawservice.exe (in the SYSTEM account) and the Ad-Aware.exe (in a user’s account)? That confusion might prevent the service from establishing a second process in the user account, which may be necessary for access to the definitions file and logs in the user account folders, as well as successful communication between processes in the two accounts.

Is the Error Control value shown in System Info for aawservice supposed to be "Ignore"? Is that why the application eventually works after aawservice stops hoarding CPU & memory, even though the error message said the application would terminate? If control is really just passing on through without proper error trapping, does this defeat the purpose and security of having aawservice start in the SYSTEM account? Could that also contribute to misleading errors some of us have had, such as the definitions file being out-of-date when it really is not?

Or could the communication and access issues be resolved by changing the Service Type (shown in System Info) for aawservice from “Own Process” to “Share Process”?

I apologize for such a lengthy post. I realize a moderator may need to edit or split this up. I also posted in the 2008 forum looking for anyone with a configuration similar to mine who is running error-free. I also describe my workaround in that post.

I've finished running my antivirus program and my now other three antispyware programs (avast! Antivirus, Spybot - Search & Destroy, Windows Defender, and Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware) to prepare for remote testing. Two cookies were found; not significant threats, and their removal did not help. Windows Defender told me that it had blocked an attempt to write to the hosts file, but did not say when or by what program. Telling to to allow the write did not help. No other threats were found. These results look to me like part of the fix should be to add the files to tell Windows Defender where Ad-Aware came from, and if possible, that is allowed to write to the hosts file.

Could the other people who have seen this problem mention whether they also have Microsoft's Windows Defender program installed, since recent updates to that program look like at least part of the cause?

I'm unable to run Ad-Aware AE long enough to check which version number I have, but I could have easily missed the last update of the software part; I know I've missed a few of the database updates.

I'm interested in participating. Just bought a new Dell laptop with Vista. Have tried all fixes and none work. Have run all scans and system is clean.

Hi,
Ive tried your solutions to this problem and nothing is working. I'm to the point to where I'm going to just use another program. I have used Ad-aware pretty religiously for the past several years and this is the first big problem I have encountered. I would love to help, but u see there is a problem. You ask for us to "Please ensure you have a clean system", but is that not why I use the program in the first place? Without being able to update, how am I supposed to ensure that I have a clean system? U need to fix this problem quick guys, because if everyone else with this problem is as upset as I am then you all have a huge problem. Please let me know if there is ANYTHING i can do to try and help.

Nick

this is what I did. I did the workaround 1.

QUOTE from workaround 1
Here's an update to the connection error, two workarounds have been found. Try seeing if they work for you, if they don't then please let us know in the ongoing thread. FYI Lavasoft are still looking into this problem...

Workaround 1:
Go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services
Locate Lavasoft Ad-Aware Service.
Stop the Service (if started) and then right click > properties.
Under Logon, check Allow service to interact with desktop, click OK and restart the service.

For me it was stopped and the Allow service to interact with desktop was checked.
I switched setting to automatic.
then I clicked on the start service[color="#0000FF"][/color] link and then went and tryed to run Ad-Aware and it worked.

I hope the links work

Click to view attachmentClick to view attachment

I doubt that that's the problem I have - my virus scanner and my other three spyware scanners have no trouble getting updates for their definitions. However, I might have a variant of it that blocks only Ad-Aware SE updates, but not also its web sites.

I haven't tried the work-arounds yet - I'll see if I can try them today.

Is there a way to check the version number of Ad-Aware SE when the program will not stay open long enough to use the usual way?

Workaround #1 failed - Lavasoft Ad-Aware Service was not on the list.

Workaround #2 failed - I was able to change the compatibility mode, but with no change in the problem. Also, mode Windows 98 SP2 was not listed; Windows 98/ME was the closest. Also, the
UAC request to let me run the program in administrator mode was hidden behind the main Ad-Aware SE window, but displaying it and approving it did not help.

Workaround #3 failed - Terminal Services was not on the list. It may be significant that I run these menus in Classic View mode.

I'm still not sure if I have the latest version of Ad-Aware AE - is there a way to check the version number if the program won't stay open long enough to use the usual method?

Also, it may be significant that Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.62 maintains a hosts file if you use the Immunize function. There's a possibility that it includes a bad entry for your update site(s). I believe I've just downloaded an update to version 1.63, so I'll see if that helps.

The Spybot - Search & Destroy update today was larger that usual, but not a new version. Some symptoms of my problem that may be different from the others: High disk activity most of the time for at least a week; some due to hard faults. Something seems to be reserving blocks of memory without marking them as for a specific process; Windows Task Manager shows at least 50% of the physical memory in use when the resulting slowdowns occur, but usually not much more. The memory is shows as for specific tasks, or for the system, does not add up to 50% of the total. This apparant memory leak occurs both on my 32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 machine, which has 2 GB physical memory and uses Ad-Aware AE, an antivirus program, and three other antispyware programs, and on my 64-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 machine, which has 8 GB and uses a different security package.

On both of my machines, I usually have workunits from a number of BOINC projects running, including some for which I'm participating in the alpha tests or beta tests of new versions of their software, and also Windows Mail with a rather heavy load of read and unread newsgroup messages (probably a few hundred thousand on each machine). These BOINC projects are mostly related to medical research, and all from groups that seem more interested in getting the work done for which they need BOINC to let the public use their computers to help, than in deliberately messing up computers.

Do you know any programs suitable for monitoring such memory usage under Vista SP2? Windows Task Manager has already been tried, and does not show enough information.

The only way I know of to check the version is clicking the "About" icon in the lower-right corner of the GUI. Unfortunately, my exe file properties still say version 8.0.0, so the actual version number is embedded somewhere else.


I haven't had any problems with Spybot immunization/host file, only the Ad-Aware warning when Spybot first opens. But I'm in a totally different situation - I have XP, immediately turned off AAW auto-update after installation in April, then manually updated only once, so I'm still on version 8.0.3. I don't think it's Spybot's host entries which are causing the problem - with so many people posting, I think a trend would have developed.

I would say a trend developed a long time ago, but they are failing to act on it.
it is on their server side.
Either they don't have an IT guy who can fix it, or they can't/won't upgrade their old slow hardware.

Everything is slow when it comes to them, the updates are slow downloading, and this place is slow.

The fact that this is the ONLY program that i have to give my router special permission for their IP address in order for the updates to work properly says it all.

I'd bet that the majority of people without issues don't have much in the way of a firewall, since the updates seem to rely on pings, and since most software and hardware files tend to block that, the lavasoft servers sit there continuing to wait for reply's before continuing to send packets.

It would be nice to see them have other places host the update file, similar to spybot. i suspect that would alleviate a large majority of issues.

even if they can pick a host elsewhere to have them and allow a "test" of participants to have the program update from that host instead should show a major improvement.
6+ months of issues and they haven't resolved it yet?
come on.

I think you misunderstood my post or I don't understand yours. I was saying that if Spybot's immunization was causing the problem, it would have emerged as a common thread thus creating a trend. Slow servers and/or firewall permissions would be a different problem from Spybot's host file blocking.


Spybot allows users to choose the mirror location from the updater, but are you sure Lavasoft doesn't use mirrors? They may have embedded it in the code, we just can't see it.

Yeah, sounds like we got a bit combined on topics.
I agree that spybot immunization probably isn't the issue either.

Doesn't look like they have any mirrors, and i think that may be some of the issue.
It always seems to go to the same IP address for updates, and if i block it, the updates fail without trying any "alternate IP's"

the IP it tries is :
82.99.19.110

maybe others can test this out as well and see if their issue can't be narrowed down even more, or if they are going to alternate ip addresses for updates?


also to narrow things down more, Ad-Aware does seem to use a different server on install. which may explain why people get it installed, but then can't run updates.
I renamed core.aawdef and tried to start the program, and it sat there on the "loading screen" for a while, and my log shows it accessing 69.28.151.90 which is a Limelight Network Server.
once it downloaded it then it started up.

so it's possible it may access more than one server on install, but then goes to the same one for everyone for updates.

If others could test this out and Lavasoft could chime in, maybe the issue can be resolved once and for all?

found the problem. All the work arounds i found in the lavasoft site and this forum didnt worked (e.g. the compatability settings, interactive logon, terminal service).

But when i checked my mcaffee firewall settings i found ad-aware admin application and ad-aware service application being blocked for some reason. I personally didnt do this. And im the only one using my comp.. anyways, i enabled them, tried to do an update and its now updating!

Last Update: 2009-08-01
Definition File: 0149.0018

So better check your firewall settings as well..