[Fixed] ClamWin Portable 0.99.4 definitions update failing

I am having the same issue.

I remember years ago something similar happened, but how it was resolved I don't remember.

A temporary fix:

https://portableapps.com/comment/23299#comment-23299

Here's what's going on: http://forums.clamwin.com/viewtopic.php?t=5227

To quote forum moderator GuitarBob's post, "Clam AV has dropped any version before 0.100.0. ClamWin uses the Clam AV database, but it can not be updated because the latest ClamWin verson is only 0.99.4, which was from about 2 years ago." There is a somewhat elaborate fix available to restore automatic downloads, but "...ClamWin appears to be an abandoned project..."

To do the fix do the following:

Get ClamWin Portable and Install the Latest ClamAV Files to It
(1) Download ClamWin from PortableApps and install it somewhere away from the ClamWin you normally use. For my purposes I have installed it to W:\ClamWinPortable -- you will need to adjust that path to suit whatever you have on your own computer.

(2) Goto the following webpage: https://oss.netfarm.it/clamav/ and download the 32bit build of the latest ClamAV (currently clamav-x86-0.103.0-r1.7z Mingw-w64 32bit build). Once downloaded unpack the file to a folder titled clamav-x86-0.103.0-r1 For my purposes I have unpacked it to the folder W:\clamav-x86-0.103.0-r1 -- you need to adjust that path to suit whatever you have on your own computer.

(3) In your ClamWinPortable setup drill to the folder W:\ClamWinPortable\App\clamwin\bin

(4) In a separate Window open the folder W:\clamav-x86-0.103.0-r1

(5) In the W:\clamav-x86-0.103.0-r1 folder select all the content except the two files titled clamav.reg and freshclam.conf. Now *copy* all the files you selected over into the W:\ClamWinPortable\App\clamwin\bin folder -- you will need to overwrite the files that already exist in there when prompted.

(6) Now that the copy is complete in the W:\ClamWinPortable\App\clamwin\bin folder open the file in there titled freshclam.conf in Notepad and delete ALL the text in that file. Now paste ALL of the following text into that Notepad window:


DatabaseDirectory ..\..\..\Data\db
DatabaseMirror database.clamav.net
DNSDatabaseInfo current.cvd.clamav.net
UpdateLogFile ..\..\..\Data\log\ClamScanLog.txt
LogVerbose yes
NotifyClamd .\ClamWin.conf
Foreground yes


Now save that Notepad file and close the Notepad window.

(7) Now launch the file: W:\ClamWinPortable\ClamWinPortable.exe And just follow the prompts to update the virus definition files. Note: that when the download of the definition files is happening the window will look strange to what you are used to; it will scroll an awful lot and if you click on the window you might get 'not responding notice', don't worry about this it is updating. If you drill to the folder: W:\ClamWinPortable\Data\db and watch there you will see that files are being created (though it all takes a bit of time so be patient). At the end of the update routine you should have three files in the 'db' folder, namely; bytecode; daily and main.

(8) Once it is updated you are ready to scan, though you might want to adjust your settings to those you prefer.

To Test If ClamWin Can Still Find Viruses
(1) Go to the following webpage: https://www.eicar.org/?page_id=3950 and read that page.

(2) Download the four virus test files offered there. To download them right-click on each link and select Save Link As...

(3) Now that you have the files downloaded just have ClamWin test them to see if they get identified as a viruses, they should be. All done, you now know that ClamWin is working.

P.S. How long this 'fix' for ClamWin will work is anyone's guess. If ClamAV alter the ClamAV engine in such a way that ClamWin can no longer interact with ClamAV properly then it will all turn to dust. So I would advise trying to contact ClamWin folks and ask, beg, demand an update for ClamWin. There is a ClamWin forum here: http://forums.clamwin.com/index.php So could maybe try and get a ClamWin update by requesting such there.

Hope this helps for now.

And i usually get my daily.cvd file from the clam.av site. The main/daily/bytecode is not at all present in the download section. the problem is at the clam.av site as well. and I hope they don't abandon this tool as a whole.

This issue is fixed in today's release. The updated 0.103.0 ClamAV components are bundled with the last ClamWin version. I used a modified version of what Abraxian mentions above (thanks!). Everything should work out of the box for both new and existing users. Definition updates work (but will result in long logs on screen showing download progress) and scanning works as well.