ESET Internet Security not Auto Updating

[Darth Vader 0]

Hi everyone,

I am a long time ESET user but was not able to log into my old account.  Had to create a new one.

I am running the latest version of EIS Version 14.0.22.0

The problem is I turn on my PC in the morning and EIS auto updates the signatures.  Then when I come home at night to unlock my desktop and I check EIS to see if it has been updated, it has not.  The gui will state that is has not been updated from the early morning when I was last using it.

This is my home PC so it is not in use during the day while I am at work.  It only seems to update when I force the update.  This is a brand new install of EIS.  I am running Windows 10 x64 Enterprise version (20H2).  

In all my years of running EIS or even NOD32 back in the day, I have never had this problem.  

My PC is not set to sleep.  I have all the power saving options turned off in the power settings as well as the NIC.  Is this a known issue by chance?  Would like some help in solving this mystery.

Thanks!

[itman 1,801]

This first thing to check is if Eset updates are failing for some  reason. Check Eset's Event log for any like entries in this regard.

The next thing to check is Eset's scheduled update setting.

Open Eset GUI. Then Select Tools -> More Tools -> Scheduler. Verify that the Update task for Regular Automatic Update is enabled and its frequency is set to the default internal of 1 hour per the below screen shot. Also take note of current Next Run and Last Run values. These will show if Eset's signature updating is indeed running as currently scheduled.

Note: I have modified my frequency setting to check every 30 mins. but this is not required.

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by itman

[Darth Vader 0]

Hi @itman

Thanks for your reply.  I should have mentioned that I went through all of that last night.  All is ok.  No errors in the logs.  Scheduler is also fine.

It did it again today.  Updated this morning when I fired it up. No updates were run at all today in the background.  EIS did update when I logged back into my account, but all day during the day, no updates.  Not even an attempt.

I should also mention as a fun fact.  This is a desktop.  I do not enable Webcam protection (since I do not own one) nor Anti-Theft.  

It is puzzling as this has never happened to me before in all the years that I have run ESET.  Not sure what is up with this machine.

It is an HP Z1 Entry Tower G5 if that helps at all.

Thanks.

[itman 1,801]

12 hours ago, Darth Vader said:

Thanks for your reply.  I should have mentioned that I went through all of that last night.  All is ok.  No errors in the logs.  Scheduler is also fine.

Did you verify that the Regular Automatic Update task in the scheduler is running every hour?

[Darth Vader 0]

11 minutes ago, itman said:

Did you verify that the Regular Automatic Update task in the scheduler is running every hour?

Yes.  I did notice last night that if I am logged in, it will update on schedule.  If I lock my PC and walk away, it is during those times that it will not update.  Strange.

[itman 1,801]

8 minutes ago, Darth Vader said:

If I lock my PC and walk away, it is during those times that it will not update.

This is by design.

Eset will not update if you are not logged on to the PC. It will perform a signature update immediately after logon if one is available.

[Darth Vader 0]

3 hours ago, itman said:

This is by design.

Eset will not update if you are not logged on to the PC. It will perform a signature update immediately after logon if one is available.

But I am logged into it.  It is just locked.  ESET has always updated regardless of being logged in or off of a workstation.  Both at home and at work where I run ESET.

[itman 1,801]

Are you sure you're not being signed-off and/or entry into sleep mode after a certain period of time while in lock screen mode?

Does the desktop when displayed upon resume from lock screen mode show Eset and Windows Security Center icons immediately on the desktop toolbar. Or, does it take a few secs. for these icons to appear? If the latter, you have indeed been signed off.

[itman 1,801]

What I will do is use lock screen the next time I am away from the PC for a long enough period to verify or not Eset will update in lock screen mode.

BTW - it is more secure to sign-off versus using lock screen when the PC is unattended for an extended period of time. In sign-off mode, the Internet connection will not be active.

[Darth Vader 0]

5 hours ago, itman said:

Are you sure you're not being signed-off and/or entry into sleep mode after a certain period of time while in lock screen mode?

Does the desktop when displayed upon resume from lock screen mode show Eset and Windows Security Center icons immediately on the desktop toolbar. Or, does it take a few secs. for these icons to appear? If the latter, you have indeed been signed off.

Before I go to work, I hit the Windows Key and L to lock it.  It is a local account, I don't log into an MS account or anything. When I get home at night it is indeed locked.  I wake up the monitors and I am at the lock screen and need to enter my password..  Everything is as I have left it from the morning and ESET is already in the taskbar.  After a short while, it will then update after I have unlocked the logon screen to get back to the desktop.  In all the years I have run ESET, this has never happened.

[itman 1,801]

Are you positive your network connection is active while in lock screen mode? Are other apps auto updating in this mode?

[Darth Vader 0]

On 1/28/2021 at 7:36 PM, itman said:

Are you positive your network connection is active while in lock screen mode? Are other apps auto updating in this mode?

Yes sir.

I still do not know what is causing this issue.  Unfortunately I have uninstalled ESET and installed another product.  That product seems to update in the background with no issue.  Maybe I will open up a ticket with ESET.  Thanks for your help.

[itman 1,801]

11 hours ago, Darth Vader said:

Maybe I will open up a ticket with ESET.

I would recommend that.

[itman 1,801]

FYI.

I had a "brain cramp" past moment. Forgot there is an easy way to check this issue.

Shortly after noon today, I checked Eset's scheduled update scan for time of next update check. It was set to 12:22 PM EST. I then put my Win 10 installation in to lock screen mode. Later returned to the PC around 2 PM and checked for time of last update check. It was 12:52 PM. Again note that I do update checking at 30 min. intervals. Also PC went into sleep mode shortly after 1 PM. Hence, no further update checks after 12:52 PM.

Bottom line is Eset does indeed check for updates while in lock screen mode. I can't attest for actual updating occurring because none happened during the test interval. So at this point, I would assume updating would have occurred if one was available.

Edited February 7, 2021 by itman