Before I start, I just want to start off by saying what a great job you guys are doing and what great feedback you guys are providing for a software you are distributing free over the internet. I play Blizzard's mmorp World of Warcraft, I pay USD$15 per month, and their customer service/feedback is shameful at best, atrocious most times, and plainly offensive to be perfectly frank.

Secondly, I just want to post my little disclaimer at risk of making a newbie forum poster error. I have read Kimrodney's post on the 28th April 2006 regarding error messages when trying to update definition files. I'm posting here because I'm not entirely sure the question was answered, and I am actually having the same problem.

I am running Ad-aware Personal SE, build 1.06r1 on a Wondows XP system. When I click the "Check for updates now" link to update my definition files, the process freezes at 5% and the message besides the progress bar reads: "Error retrieving update".

I have been using this software for a long time now, and have not had this problem until recently. (I say recently, not now, because I'm not sure when the last time it was when I attempted to update the definition file). And this puzzles me because I have not installed any new software recently. I did renew a license for my Zonealarm firewall, but that did not require me to download any new software add-on, nor did it alter any of my firewall/antivirus settings.

Since discovering the problem. I have uninstalled and reinstalled Ad-aware Personal SE multiple times and restarted my computer multiple times, all to no avail. Each time the same problem. My "hosts" file under the System 32 subfolder has no line referring to Ad-Aware. I have now manually downloaded the latest definition file from the www.lavasoft.com website by following links. This appears to work fine and my definition file is now updated as of 09.05.06.

If there is a fix to this issue, or if this is a known issue, please let me know. Although I can keep my Ad-aware up to date by manual downloads at the moment, I do get a little nervous when the software is seemingly not working as intended: I don't know if it just a setting/installation error I've made, or if my system or my Ad-aware has been compromised somehow by spyware/virus.

Thanks for your time in advance. Would much appreciate any help.

borzy,
I recommend that you do a thorough Disk Defragmentation,
followed with Check or Scan Disk depending upon your version of Windows then
Please can you make sure that you have Ad-aware SE Build 106 and have used the WebUpDate feature to get the latest Definition file
The appearance of hanging usually occurs when 'Scan archives' is selected. Its not actually stopped scanning however. What's happening is Ad-aware is de-compressing/ unzipping files to check the contents for suspicious files, the Ad-aware re-compresses the files. This can take some time.
If this is the setting that's effecting your scans,
Try this
Open your Ad-aware,
Click the "Settings" (The Gear) button at the top right to display the "Settings" main menu.
Click "Scanning".
Un-Tick 'Scan within archives' and
then Click on "Scanning Engine"
then un-Tick (un-check) "Unload recognised modules during scan"
then Click on the Proceed button.
Also try shutting as many programs/process as possible. (I.E firewall Anti-Virus etc.) Please make sure that you
Unplug/disconnect your Modem before disabling your Anti-Virus/Firewall
Just remember to turn them back on
Then scan with Ad-ware by doing a "Full Scan" and post your logfile here by using the "reply" feature,

GRAFX

Hi Borzy...

is your problem still happening...

I had the same problem, then it suddenly went away...

I did a manual update, checked it out, still not working.

Next day, it was working...

Let me know how you get on...

Michael

I had the same problem. I have ZoneAlarm personal firewall on my computer, and it turned out that that was the culprit (usually ZoneAlarm asks if I want to allow a program, in this case it did not).

Everything was resolved by turning off ZA to do the update.

Hope this helps.

judging by the pinned post at the top of this forum, the server was down - I tweaked my ZoneAlarm on one of the settings and I started again, but it might have been a coincidence that the server came up at the same time???

Anyway, it's all working again, time to move on to other problems

Happy computing everyone
Michael

I, too, have been using Adaware successfully for years! it's installed on my desktop and my laptop. A few days ago, the laptop crashed with a blue screen of death when I tried to update definitions. I removed and reinstalled software...same thing. The desktop was still okay, so I assumed I had some strange infection. I reformatted and reinstalled windows.... I was able to do one update and scan. The computer is clean. Today, I updated and got the same blue screen of death!!!!!. Worse, I could not get to lavasoft site. I used Add/Remove and deleted adaware, and now I can get to lavasoft website. The desktop is still ok. The only difference is that laptop is xp pro and the desktop is xp home.

A google search and here tells me I'm not the only one who's got this problem.

The dump was approximately....

"A problem has been detected. To prevent damange...etc.
Driver_IRAL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
Remove software....Disable BIOS memory options, caching or shadowing....

STOP:0X000000D1
(0X8240000,0X00000002,0X000000,0XF80D5A98)....