Update help

[Trish]

When I look in 'About Windows Microsoft Antispyware'
below is what it tells me:

Microsoft AntiSpyware Version: 1.0.615
This version expires on: 31/12/2005
Spyware Definition Version: 5739 (28/07/2005 23:27:37)

It says 5739, but it's not holding, it keeps updating
over and over. I thought it was sorted on 1.0.615 as the
last update from 5735 to 5737 updated ok. How can I get
this one to stick. Thanks.

 

[Mikolaj]

When I look in 'About Windows Microsoft Antispyware'

below is what it tells me:

Microsoft AntiSpyware Version: 1.0.615
This version expires on: 31/12/2005
Spyware Definition Version: 5739 (28/07/2005 23:27:37)

It says 5739, but it's not holding, it keeps updating
over and over. I thought it was sorted on 1.0.615 as the
last update from 5735 to 5737 updated ok. How can I get
this one to stick. Thanks.

You probably have wrong version of gcUnCompress.dll in the windows\system32
folder because installing new MSAS over older one. If the version you have
has length different from 95,448 (about 130kB for example) then it must be
replaced with proper one using Robin Walker's procedure:

"After much debugging, I have found that the problem with definition update
failures and repetition is because of an incorrect version of the file
gcUnCompress.dll in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ (for XP) or C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\
(for 2000 or systems upgraded from 2000).

The incorrect version is of length 130,272 bytes.
The correct version is of length 95,448 bytes.

To update your system to install the correct version of the file, do the
following:

1. In the System Notification Area, right-click on the MSAS icon and select
"Shutdown Microsoft AntiSpyware".
2. In Explorer, navigate to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\, locate the file
"gcUnCompress.dll", right-click on it, and select "Delete".
3. In Control Panel "Add or Remove Programs", select "Microsoft
AntiSpyware" and click button "Change".
4. Click "Next".
5. Select "Update Microsoft AntiSpyware", click "Next".
6. Click "Install".
7. When the re-installation finishes, click "Finish".
8. In Explorer, in folder C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\, check that
"gcUnCompress.dll" is now 95,448 bytes long, by right-clicking it and
selecting "Properties".
9. Launch MSAS, pull down the File menu and select "Check for updates" -
this time it really will update your definition files to the latest
version.
10. In Explorer, open the folder C:\Program Files\Microsoft AntiSpyware,
and satisfy yourself that the modification dates of the three definition
files have changed:
gcDeterminationData.gcd
gcThreatAuditThreatData.gcd
gcThreatAuditScanData.gcd

Done!"

This solution worked fine for MSAS revision 1.0.50x, but you may still
experience the problem with that dll file.

 

[Trish]

-----Original Message-----

You probably have wrong version of gcUnCompress.dll in the windows\system32
folder because installing new MSAS over older one. If the version you have
has length different from 95,448 (about 130kB for example) then it must be
replaced with proper one using Robin Walker's procedure:

"After much debugging, I have found that the problem with definition update
failures and repetition is because of an incorrect version of the file
gcUnCompress.dll in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ (for XP) or C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\
(for 2000 or systems upgraded from 2000).

The incorrect version is of length 130,272 bytes.
The correct version is of length 95,448 bytes.

To update your system to install the correct version of the file, do the
following:

1. In the System Notification Area, right-click on the MSAS icon and select
"Shutdown Microsoft AntiSpyware".
2. In Explorer, navigate to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\, locate the file
"gcUnCompress.dll", right-click on it, and select "Delete".
3. In Control Panel "Add or Remove Programs", select "Microsoft
AntiSpyware" and click button "Change".
4. Click "Next".
5. Select "Update Microsoft AntiSpyware", click "Next".
6. Click "Install".
7. When the re-installation finishes, click "Finish".
8. In Explorer, in folder C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\, check that
"gcUnCompress.dll" is now 95,448 bytes long, by right- clicking it and
selecting "Properties".
9. Launch MSAS, pull down the File menu and select "Check for updates" -
this time it really will update your definition files to the latest
version.
10. In Explorer, open the folder C:\Program Files\Microsoft AntiSpyware,
and satisfy yourself that the modification dates of the three definition
files have changed:
gcDeterminationData.gcd
gcThreatAuditThreatData.gcd
gcThreatAuditScanData.gcd

Done!"

This solution worked fine for MSAS revision 1.0.50x, but you may still
experience the problem with that dll file.

Thanks, but I already did all that some time ago, when
Robin first posted it. Are you saying I need to do it
again. Thanks.

 

[Trish]

-----Original Message-----
locate
the file to
the latest but
you may still

Thanks, but I already did all that some time ago, when
Robin first posted it. Are you saying I need to do it
again. Thanks.
.

 

[Norm]

I am in exactly the same situation.

Microsoft AntiSpyware Version: 1.0.615
gcUnCompress.dll is 95,448 bytes in length, Help About shows 5739 but update
loops.

Norm


Trish wrote:
|| -----Original Message-----
||
||| -----Original Message-----
|||| When I look in 'About Windows Microsoft Antispyware'
|||| below is what it tells me:
||||
|||| Microsoft AntiSpyware Version: 1.0.615
|||| This version expires on: 31/12/2005
|||| Spyware Definition Version: 5739 (28/07/2005 23:27:37)
||||
|||| It says 5739, but it's not holding, it keeps updating
|||| over and over. I thought it was sorted on 1.0.615 as the
|||| last update from 5735 to 5737 updated ok. How can I get
|||| this one to stick. Thanks.
|||
||| You probably have wrong version of gcUnCompress.dll in the
||| windows\system32 folder because installing new MSAS over older one.
||| If the version you have has length different from 95,448 (about
||| 130kB for example) then it must be replaced with proper one using
||| Robin Walker's procedure:
|||
||| "After much debugging, I have found that the problem with
||| definition update failures and repetition is because of an
||| incorrect version of the file gcUnCompress.dll in
||| C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ (for XP) or C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\ (for 2000 or
||| systems upgraded from 2000).
|||
||| The incorrect version is of length 130,272 bytes.
||| The correct version is of length 95,448 bytes.
|||
||| To update your system to install the correct version of the file,
||| do the following:
|||
||| 1. In the System Notification Area, right-click on the MSAS icon
||| and select "Shutdown Microsoft AntiSpyware".
||| 2. In Explorer, navigate to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\, locate the file
||| "gcUnCompress.dll", right-click on it, and
|| select "Delete".
||| 3. In Control Panel "Add or Remove Programs",
|| select "Microsoft
||| AntiSpyware" and click button "Change".
||| 4. Click "Next".
||| 5. Select "Update Microsoft AntiSpyware", click "Next".
||| 6. Click "Install".
||| 7. When the re-installation finishes, click "Finish".
||| 8. In Explorer, in folder C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\, check that
||| "gcUnCompress.dll" is now 95,448 bytes long, by right- clicking it
||| and selecting "Properties".
||| 9. Launch MSAS, pull down the File menu and
|| select "Check for updates" -
||| this time it really will update your definition files to the latest
||| version.
||| 10. In Explorer, open the folder C:\Program Files\Microsoft
||| AntiSpyware, and satisfy yourself that the modification dates of
||| the three definition files have changed:
||| gcDeterminationData.gcd
||| gcThreatAuditThreatData.gcd
||| gcThreatAuditScanData.gcd
|||
||| Done!"
|||
||| This solution worked fine for MSAS revision 1.0.50x, but you may
||| still experience the problem with that dll file.
|||
||| --
||| Pozdrawiam serdecznie / Kind regards
||| Mikolaj Kaminski
||| MS-MVP, Poland
||
|| Thanks, but I already did all that some time ago, when
|| Robin first posted it. Are you saying I need to do it
|| again. Thanks.
|||
| Have just checked again and it is '95,448'
||| .
|||
|| .

 

[Bill Sanderson]

If neither of you is behind a cache or proxy server, I'd recommend clearing
out temp files and temporary internet files, using the tool of your choice,
and, generally, just waiting.

I saw this symptom on a few machines with the last update, and it went away
over a weekend plus a few days--I'm not sure whether it was a cache clearing
out on the proxy server those machines were behind, or perhaps even an issue
with the load distribution system that Microsoft has in front of the source
servers.

--

 

[Kerry]

After waiting 5 hours I tried another "check for updates"
manual update. This time it "stuck."

It appears this is an architecture/infrastructure issue.
The back end servers aren't synching up for several hours
after an update is posted, or there is a cacing issue on
the Internt (but not a local PC cache issue).

-Kerry-

 

[Kerry]

If neither of you is behind a cache or proxy server, I'd

recommend clearing out temp files and temporary internet
files, using the tool of your choice, and, generally,
just waiting.

Clearing local temp caches doesn't fix this. You just
have to wait a few hours (or days, in the case before
this one, just last week) until the back-end servers all
synch up.

-Kerry-

 

[Arkangelsk]

Same problem here. Version 1.0.614 expiring 31/12/2005
and updating again and again from def 5727 to def 5739.
Followed procedure recommended by Mikolaj Kaminski and
BINGO - it worked fine.
THANKS A LOT !!!
Arkangelsk

 

[Mikolaj]

Same problem here. Version 1.0.614 expiring 31/12/2005

and updating again and again from def 5727 to def 5739.
Followed procedure recommended by Mikolaj Kaminski and
BINGO - it worked fine.
THANKS A LOT !!!
Arkangelsk

Actually it's Robin Walker's solution, not mine

And just by the way - you have not recent version of MSAS - the current one
is 1.0.615

 

[Robin Walker [MVP]]

You probably have wrong version of gcUnCompress.dll in the
windows\system32 folder because installing new MSAS over older one.
If the version you have has length different from 95,448 (about 130kB
for example) then it must be replaced with proper one using Robin
Walker's procedure:

No, No, No!!!

The "Robin Walker" procedure was specific to Build 614. There is utterly no
point in attempting it if you are running Build 615 or later.

The problem with the gcUnCompress.dll file was fixed properly in Build 615.

 

[Mikolaj]

No, No, No!!!

The "Robin Walker" procedure was specific to Build 614. There is utterly
no point in attempting it if you are running Build 615 or later.

The problem with the gcUnCompress.dll file was fixed properly in Build
615.

OK, so there is no possibility, that after the update from earlier version
of MSAS to 1.0.615, the wrong version of gcUnCompress.dll will remain in the
system32 folder?

And this means that the problem with definitions update for 1.0.615 occures
only because the distribution method/problems at the MS server side?

 

[Robin Walker [MVP]]

OK, so there is no possibility, that after the update from earlier
version of MSAS to 1.0.615, the wrong version of gcUnCompress.dll
will remain in the system32 folder?

No, Build 615 fixes that problem for ever. That is why 615 was released.

And this means that the problem with definitions update for 1.0.615
occures only because the distribution method/problems at the MS
server side?

Not quite. The problem can occur because the way in which MSAS makes web
requests (HTTP) means that it is vulnerable to being served stale versions
of any file from any web cache between MSAS and the actual update server.
Those web caches could be:
- on the user's own PC (e.g. Temporary Internet Files);
- within the user's ISP's infrastructure;
- maybe within Microsoft's or Akamai's infrastructure;
- the update server farm might itself be a load-balanced cluster of web
caches in front of the true update server.

There is no work-around for the normal end-user.

Everyone is going to have to get used to definitions updates failing until
all those web caches have refreshed themselves.

So don't rush to be an early adopter of new definitions versions.

The recent pattern is fairly clear: updates seem to be issued sometime on
Thursday Redmond time: Europe sees them sometime overnight before breakfast
on Friday morning. It would be sensible to set MSAS scheduled updates for
sometime on Fridays, by which time most caches should have refreshed.

 

[Mikolaj]

OK, so there is no possibility, that after the update from earlier

No, Build 615 fixes that problem for ever. That is why 615 was released.

OK

Not quite. The problem can occur because the way in which MSAS makes web
requests (HTTP) means that it is vulnerable to being served stale versions
of any file from any web cache between MSAS and the actual update server.
Those web caches could be:
- on the user's own PC (e.g. Temporary Internet Files);
- within the user's ISP's infrastructure;
- maybe within Microsoft's or Akamai's infrastructure;
- the update server farm might itself be a load-balanced cluster of web
caches in front of the true update server.

So if I understand what you try to explain to me (because of my english and
my other own limitations ) it looks that there is some problem with the
implementation of the update process, because it maybe only checks whether
there exist new definitions and does not check if the gathered ones (maybe
from cache somewhere between MSAS and update server farm) are the proper
ones (i.e. does not compare time stamp, size etc)?

There is no work-around for the normal end-user.

If I have properly understood you, that's right, sad but true.

Everyone is going to have to get used to definitions updates failing until
all those web caches have refreshed themselves.

So don't rush to be an early adopter of new definitions versions.

The recent pattern is fairly clear: updates seem to be issued sometime on
Thursday Redmond time: Europe sees them sometime overnight before
breakfast on Friday morning. It would be sensible to set MSAS scheduled
updates for sometime on Fridays, by which time most caches should have
refreshed.

Or just wait patiently until MSAS updates itself properly, despite constant
update alerts.

Thank you for your time and explanations.

 

[Kerry]

There is no work-around for the normal end-user.

Everyone is going to have to get used to definitions
updates failing until all those web caches have
refreshed themselves.

So don't rush to be an early adopter of new definitions
versions.

Understood. Now let me point out that Symantec/Norton
Antivirus has never had this issue updating virus defs
over the Internet. McAfee Antivirus has never had this
problem updating virus defs over the Internet. Lavasoft
Ad-Aware has never had this problem updating spyware defs
over the Internet. And 5 or 6 of the games on one of my
computers fetch patches and updates automatically from
the Internet without having this problem.

What you are saying is Microsoft can't architect an auto-
update solution that is as good as any of these other
applications (and even games, for goodness sake).

-Kerry-

 

[Robin Walker [MVP]]

What you are saying is Microsoft can't architect an auto-
update solution that is as good as any of these other
applications

Microsoft didn't architect this - they bought it from a third party.

 

[Kerry]

Microsoft didn't architect this - they bought it from a

third party.

True, but MS has had it now for how long? With how many
incremental builds in this Beta?

-Kerry-

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Microsoft is putting their effort into creating a beta2 version that will be
compelling.

They've issued 4 incremental fix versions to the beta1 code--.509, .613,
..614, and .615.

One could argue that the last two were a single fix--there were no code
changes, just a versioning change. I suspect .509 came about as a result of
a legal action in Europe.

I'm quite impressed, myself, at the durability of the beta1 code, but there
are lots of things we might want to see different about it that will have to
wait for beta2, I believe.

--

 

[Norm]

The problem cleared up a day later, so this seems tp corroberate the
observation re the Microsoft server distribution problem.

Norm


Bill Sanderson wrote:
| If neither of you is behind a cache or proxy server, I'd recommend
| clearing out temp files and temporary internet files, using the tool
| of your choice, and, generally, just waiting.
|
| I saw this symptom on a few machines with the last update, and it
| went away over a weekend plus a few days--I'm not sure whether it was
| a cache clearing out on the proxy server those machines were behind,
| or perhaps even an issue with the load distribution system that
| Microsoft has in front of the source servers.
|
|
| || I am in exactly the same situation.
||
|| Microsoft AntiSpyware Version: 1.0.615
|| gcUnCompress.dll is 95,448 bytes in length, Help About shows 5739 but
|| update
|| loops.
||
|| Norm
||
||
|| Trish wrote:
|||| -----Original Message-----
||||
||||| -----Original Message-----
|||||| When I look in 'About Windows Microsoft Antispyware'
|||||| below is what it tells me:
||||||
|||||| Microsoft AntiSpyware Version: 1.0.615
|||||| This version expires on: 31/12/2005
|||||| Spyware Definition Version: 5739 (28/07/2005 23:27:37)
||||||
|||||| It says 5739, but it's not holding, it keeps updating
|||||| over and over. I thought it was sorted on 1.0.615 as the
|||||| last update from 5735 to 5737 updated ok. How can I get
|||||| this one to stick. Thanks.
|||||
||||| You probably have wrong version of gcUnCompress.dll in the
||||| windows\system32 folder because installing new MSAS over older
||||| one. If the version you have has length different from 95,448
||||| (about 130kB for example) then it must be replaced with proper
||||| one using Robin Walker's procedure:
|||||
||||| "After much debugging, I have found that the problem with
||||| definition update failures and repetition is because of an
||||| incorrect version of the file gcUnCompress.dll in
||||| C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ (for XP) or C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\ (for 2000 or
||||| systems upgraded from 2000).
|||||
||||| The incorrect version is of length 130,272 bytes.
||||| The correct version is of length 95,448 bytes.
|||||
||||| To update your system to install the correct version of the file,
||||| do the following:
|||||
||||| 1. In the System Notification Area, right-click on the MSAS icon
||||| and select "Shutdown Microsoft AntiSpyware".
||||| 2. In Explorer, navigate to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\, locate the file
||||| "gcUnCompress.dll", right-click on it, and
|||| select "Delete".
||||| 3. In Control Panel "Add or Remove Programs",
|||| select "Microsoft
||||| AntiSpyware" and click button "Change".
||||| 4. Click "Next".
||||| 5. Select "Update Microsoft AntiSpyware", click "Next".
||||| 6. Click "Install".
||||| 7. When the re-installation finishes, click "Finish".
||||| 8. In Explorer, in folder C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\, check that
||||| "gcUnCompress.dll" is now 95,448 bytes long, by right- clicking it
||||| and selecting "Properties".
||||| 9. Launch MSAS, pull down the File menu and
|||| select "Check for updates" -
||||| this time it really will update your definition files to the
||||| latest version.
||||| 10. In Explorer, open the folder C:\Program Files\Microsoft
||||| AntiSpyware, and satisfy yourself that the modification dates of
||||| the three definition files have changed:
||||| gcDeterminationData.gcd
||||| gcThreatAuditThreatData.gcd
||||| gcThreatAuditScanData.gcd
|||||
||||| Done!"
|||||
||||| This solution worked fine for MSAS revision 1.0.50x, but you may
||||| still experience the problem with that dll file.
|||||
||||| --
||||| Pozdrawiam serdecznie / Kind regards
||||| Mikolaj Kaminski
||||| MS-MVP, Poland
||||
|||| Thanks, but I already did all that some time ago, when
|||| Robin first posted it. Are you saying I need to do it
|||| again. Thanks.
|||||
||| Have just checked again and it is '95,448'
||||| .
|||||
|||| .