LiveUpdate cannot connect to server following upgrade

Norton Security | Norton Internet Security
1

Some weeks ago I upgraded 360 to ver 3 and immediately started receiving a message that the programme was “Unable to connect to the Norton LiveUpdate server. Please check your internet connection”.  Prior to this I had no problems at all. This error first appeared on a Dell laptop but about that time we also purchased a mini Asus which came with a trial version of NIS which I removed and replaced by downloading the latest version of 360 from my Norton account. Immediately I had the same problem. During all this time my desktop, which had not been upgraded to version 3 was working just fine. Being a glutton for punishment I upgraded the desktop, a Compaq, and yep, the problem appeared there as well.

 

Since then I have consulted at length with Norton technical advisers and read as much as I can find about what might be the problem.  I have tried reinstalling after using the Removal Tool, restoring, reformatting, searching for malware in normal as well as safe modes, all to no avail in terms of solving my problem.

 

But here is the strange thing.  When I take the laptops out of the house and connect to the internet in other houses, even in other countries, there are no problems and I can run LiveUpdate without a hitch. Also, when I use ‘dial-up’ from the house or elsewhere and then run LiveUpdate, it works, very slowly of course but it does work.  Does this mean that there is something wrong with the router?

 

I have no other problems with my internet connection. I live in Spain, 2 of the computers run in English while the 3rd runs in Spainish. All 3 run Windows XP Home edition and connect to the internet through a XyYEL model P660HW-D1 router which was provided by our local telephone company, who have also had a look at the problem without success.


None of the Threads I have read mention the apparent conflict of being able to connect in other locations outside the house but where there are similarities I think I have tried all suggested solutions.  Maybe I am making a mistake somewhere but can anybody help please?  This problem is consuming so much time it is now officially driving me crazy!

 

Many thanks.

 

2

I neglected to include in my original post that another forum where I had mentioned this problem had suggested that I raise the issue of needing help with my "maximum transmission unit (MTU) settings" when I am connected via ADSL.

 

I am sure this will make more sense to the experts than it does to me but hopefully it will help, and I will be grateful for all the help I can receive.

 

Many thanks.

3

Hi Matade

 

Are you using a modem/router with your DSL service or is there another router involved? Being that the problem is only in your house, I think it points to something having to do with your connection.

4

The user should also have a look in event viewer to see if there are any W32time errors showing.  Time errors might not show in the system clock, but they may interfere with some activations or automatic updates.  A time synch utility can solve any time errors that the Windows time synch utility seems to have trouble with.

5

Thanks for coming back.

 

The router is just that, a router.  The modem used for accessing dial-up is built-in to the computer.

 

 

6

Hi Matade

 

Have there been any recent flash updates for the router? Could the firewall in the router be interfering with your N360? Do you have any problems connecting to any other security sites?

7
delphinium wrote:
The user should also have a look in event viewer to see if there are any W32time errors showing.  Time errors might not show in the system clock, but they may interfere with some activations or automatic updates.  A time synch utility can solve any time errors that the Windows time synch utility seems to have trouble with.

Thanks for coming back.

 

I have had a look in the Event Viewer and in the System section found 4 W32time 'warnings' not 'errors', in the period 2 Dec, the date when the system was 'cleaned', until today. As this is a Spanish language system the word 'warning' is a translation of the type of event shown and may not be the same word used in an English language syatem. There are no W32time errors or warnings in any of the other sections.

 

If these 'warnings' relate to my problem I would expect a great many more than just 4 or does that not necessary follow?.

 

What follows is an example of the sort of Event I am seeing, with TRANSLATION

 

Tipo de suceso:    Advertencia         WARNING
Origen del suceso:    W32Time
Categoría del suceso:    Ninguno      NONE
Id. suceso:    36
Fecha:        13/12/2009
Hora:        12:38:23
Usuario:        No disponible               NOT AVAILABLE
Equipo:    COLIN

 

Descripción:
El servicio de hora no ha podido sincronizar la hora del sistema en 49152  segundos porque ninguno de los proveedores de hora ha podido proporcionar  un sello de hora que se pueda usar. El reloj del sistema no está sincronizado.

 

DESCRIPTION

THE TIME SERVICE HAS NOT SYNCRONISED THE SYSTEM CLOCK DURING 49152 SECONDS BECAUSE NONE OF THE TIME SOURCES HAS BEEN ABLE TO SUPPLY A USABLE TIME STAMP.  THE SYSTEM CLOCK IS NOT SYNCRONISED.

 

Is this what you would expect to see in my circumstances even though I have tried to run LiveUpdate many more times than just 4 during the period in question?

 

Thank you.

 

8
floplot wrote:

Hi Matade

 

Have there been any recent flash updates for the router? Could the firewall in the router be interfering with your N360? Do you have any problems connecting to any other security sites?

Thanks for coming back.

 

I think you are asking if the router provider or manufacturer has sent something down the line to modify the settings? If so, certainly none that I am aware of and frankly, I would doubt it. My contact with the router provider has not drawn any comment to that effect although the question was never raised.

 

I suppose the router firewall could be interfering but how do I check that?  Also, this problem materialised as soon as I updated 360 to ver 3 and one of my machines continued to run LiveUpdate in ver 2 format after the problem had arisen in the other two. Would that not suggest that the problem is directly related to ver 3 triggering a conflict somewhere, perhaps in the router, perhaps in the computer?  Maybe I should just dump the router although it is only one year old.

 

As to connecting to other security sites, I have no problem in accessing other pages in Symantec/Norton and have also accessed McAfee's site, but of course not to access their virus definition service as I have no basis nor right for doing so.

 

Thank you.

9

Matade:

 

Have you tried re-setting the router itself.  There should be a reset button on it, and try connecting all of the computers to the net.  Also, if you go into Network map, if you can see the router, set the connection to it to Full Trust.

10
delphinium wrote:

Matade:

 

Have you tried re-setting the router itself.  There should be a reset button on it, and try connecting all of the computers to the net.  Also, if you go into Network map, if you can see the router, set the connection to it to Full Trust.

Yes I have.  There is an on/off button as well as a reset button.  I understood that the reset button was related to the WiFi link but that as may be, pressing it does not seem to make any difference.  As to the on/off button I have used it to cut the power then switched off all the computers, leaving everything off for about 15 or 20 mins. I then switched the router on followed by the computers once the router had stabilised, all to no avail.  I have also tried switching the router power off then on again, leaving the computers on in the meantime, but no luck there either.

 

Not quite sure what you mean by "try connecting all of the computers to the net." I have had all the computers connected to the router by cable, alternatively the desktop by cable and the 2 laptops by wireless, but wireless or cable makes no difference.  Sorry if I am not following you but if I am missing your point please correct me.  As mentioned in my original post, I have been able to connect to the LiveUpdate server using dial-up. That applies to the desktop and one of the laptops; the other laptop does not have a modem.

 

The network map does not show the router.

 

Do you have any further thoughts related to my response to your own comment re W32time errors?

 

Earlier today I manually updated the virus definitions on all the computers using the 'Virus Definitions Update Page'.  Afterwards I had a look at the log (Log.IntelligentUpdater) and noticed that although I had receievd a message to the effect that the 'update' had been successful, within the log there were 2 or 3 lines indicating an error. I quote, "REG FAILURE: Failed while reading the value for key named".  Could this be related to my problem?The same error appears in the log for the 3 computers which I thought was a little strange

 

I am grateful for all the suggestions and ideas as well as the time being devoted to my problem.  Somewhere there must be a solution.

 

Thanks again.

11

Try resetting the DNS and Winsock in one of the affect machines.  This is a routing problem; I believe you have a corrupt DNS table in your system.

 

This will flush your DNS and reset the winsock:

Click Start > Run, type cmd.exe and click OK.


(Note: for Vista users, you will need an elivated command prompt > click START and type cmd in the START Search box; right click on cmd.exe listed at the top of the normal START list and choose "Run as administrator..." Then continue as below.)

ipconfig /flushdns [Enter]

netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt [Enter]

netsh winsock reset [Enter]

exit [Enter]

Let us know how this goes for you. You may have to wait about 15 minutes for the DNS records to rebuild and then reboot your system.

12
dbrisendine wrote:

Try resetting the DNS and Winsock in one of the affect machines.  This is a routing problem; I believe you have a corrupt DNS table in your system.

 

Thank you dbrisendine but I am afraid this hasn't worked either.  I followed your guide on one of the laptops as well as on the desktop but it doesn't appear to have worked with either.

 

But I have some more information.

 

After following your suggestion I decided to dump ver 3 on the desktop. This I did using Windows XP but I then ran the Removal Tool. I followed up by installing an old version of 360 that I had on my hard disk; I thought it might be ver 2 but it turned out to be ver 1. Finally I ran LiveUpdate repetedly, without any problem.

 

I finished up with 360 ver 1.3.3.5.  Can you guide me as to how I can get to ver 2?

 

In the meantime, LiveUpdate is seemingly running without problems on ver 1 !!  What can it be about ver 3 that is stopping me accessing LiveUpdate?

 

Another observation.  delphinium asked earlier if I could see the router on the Network Map to which the answer was NO.  In ver 1.3.3.5 when I go into Network Locations the only item I can see, which is listed under Trusted, is a Gateway Physical Address 00 02 CF DC 0F 05.  Could this be the Router? 

 

As I say, I cannot see the other 2 computers.  When I use the Network Map on one of the Laptops using ver 3, this Gateway Physical Address does not coincide with the Physical Addresses I can see for any of the 3 computers connected to the network.

 

If this Gateway Physical Address is the router, is it possible for me or somebody else to access the router to tweak a setting that might be the source of the problem?

 

Could it be that the fact that the router cannot be seen by the Network Map while using ver 3 is in fact the probem, that for some reason LiveUpdate on ver 3 cannot see the router and therefor thinks I am not connected to the internet?  I maybe clutching at straws here but somewhere there has to be an explanation.

 

Thanks again for your help - I hope you and everybody else will keep the suggestions flowing.

13

Some additional comments following on from what I wrote under message 12 above:

 

Following a manual update of virus definitions on one of the laptops, I note that every time I run LiveUpdate the Security History is recording an alert as follows:

 

Severity - Medium;  Activity - Unauthorised access blocked (Send terminate message to Window);  Status - Blocked;

 

ALERT DETAILS:

Actor - C:\windows\explorer.exe;  Actor PID - 764;  Target - C:\archivos de programa\norton 360\Engine\3.5.2.11\ccSvcHst.exe;  Target PID - 2356;  Action - Send terminate message to Window;  Reaction - Unauthorised access blocked;  Recommended Action - No Action Required

 

Other than the date & Time, no other information is available.

 

I have had a look at the Traffic Rules for the Firewall but everything seems to be showing the default settings although a few 'ticks' are 'greyed-out' and in one case there is no 'tick' at all. 

 

Could any of this be pertinent?

 

Many thanks.

14

Matade,

 

Just sent you a private message with some steps to try.  Let me know how it goes.  

 

Thanks,

15

Thank you - Unfortunately it didn't work but as the information gleaned from the exercise is only of application to my connections to my ISP, I have also responded by private message.

 

I look forward to hearing further from you.

 

Many thanks.

16

Unfortunately this matter has still not been resolved.  Has nobody got any other ideas?

 

Thanks for your time.

17

Hi Matade

 

Have you tried messing around with the languages on your computer?. I've seen some cases where the languages used have gotten mixed up. I believe that you are from a different country where English isn't the native language. Is it possible that you have some of the program in English and some in your native language and the program is getting confused as to what language to use? Please check out to see if you use Windows in a different language, then I think your N360 has to be in the same language. I'm not sure about this, but maybe that is a possibility that could be causing a problem.

 

 

Have you checked to see if your connection goes thru a proxy and if it does, have you set that up correctly? That's another idea I came up with, don't know if it has any relevance or not.

Message Edited by floplot on 12-26-2009 12:10 PM
18
floplot wrote:

Hi Matade

 

Have you tried messing around with the languages on your computer?. . . . . . . . . .

 

Have you checked to see if your connection goes thru a proxy  . . . . . . .

Many thanks floplot.  Yes u r correct, we do have different languages , I did think about the possibility of a conflict but then remembered that one of the laptops was bought in the US, is entirely in English as is Norton 360.  Accordingly I discounted this even though the other two compus have mixed languages.

 

No, I do not work through a proxy but as a result of a suggestion from DaveL I tried inserting a specific IP address for my local service provider; that didn't work either.

 

I appreciate the ideas.  Many thanks.

19

Matade:

 

Gateway Physical Address 00 02 CF DC 0F 05.              You will be able to check this by looking at the tag on your router.  That should be the address of your router. 

 

Also, I would recommend downloading and installing Demension4, a time synchronization utility, to clear up the time synch problem.  Some components of the auto liveupdate may be very sensitive to time synch issues.

 

http://www.thinkman.com/dimension4/

 

 

If you are still getting  Norton Tamper protection errors where IE is accessing 3.5.2.11, while you are running Version 1, there is a problem in settingswhere your machine believes that you are still running Version 3.  This will have to be cleaned up using the removal tool.

 

If Norton can see the router, there should be no issue with connection, unless the router is not configured properly.  The router should be able to list all of the machines that are connected to it.  Some routers, mine for instance, base all of the information on the Windows Home Group settings.  So if your home computers are not visible in the router settings, or if the access is not properly configured, some machines will have more or less access than others.

 

 

I would recommend running the removal toolat least twice with a reboot after each, re-installing Version 3, while disconnected from the router, reset the router, and reconnect to activate.  I would then suggest building another Home Network, using a slightly different name, to ensure all the settings are correct and that the machines are in synch and visible on your network map.

 

I don't know if version 2 is still available, but you would have to take all the same steps to update to that.  You may as well try to get Version 3 working.

 

I would also suggest a phone call to your ISP about router configurations, as I found them very helpful in solving some issues of my own.

20
delphinium wrote:

Matade:

 

Gateway Physical Address 00 02 CF DC 0F 05.              You will be able to check this by looking at the tag on your router.  That should be the address of your router. . . . . . . .

 

Thank you delphinium.  It is a bit late here so I will take up your suggestions tomorrow and let you know how I get on.

 

In the meantime, you are quite correct as regards checking the Gateway Physical Address on the back of the Router.  The address is in fact part of the Security Key and I didn't recognise it!

 

As I say, I will get into the other suggestions you make tomorrow but as regards the router address, why would it be that while I can see it using 360 ver 1 (that is all that shows up), I cannot see the router when I look for it on the laptops that are still running ver 3 although  I can see the other computers connected to the network?

 

Many thanks again.