Bad Checksum from all servers for months

I

IanSn

New member
For several months now I've been getting bad checksum errors no matter which mirror I go to. Nothing will work.

It worked fine before.

Been downloading the update file from this site for ages.

Could there be a problem with my installation?

cheers,
Ian
 
Hello,

If you search for updates and a 'HTTP Error 403' or 'bad checksum' is displayed, this has a simple reason - millions of people trying to download from the same server.

In order to overcome the problem, please have a second look at the update-menu-bar after searching for new updates. Therefore choose the update site from the navigation bar on the left. Now you'll see the update menu bar. It has a pull-down item to select a mirror. Click the arrow beside it, and select a different location (try the ones located nearest to you first), where you'll most probably have better chances to download. For a better understanding we have placed a picture at this link on our website website.
In section 4 you'll see how to select a download location nearest to you.

If this sounds too difficult please try to download the updates manually.
Here are the direct download links:
Link 1
Link 2
Just download and run that file - it is self-installing.

The information about "bad checksum" is also available in our FAQ.

For more information please do also have a look into our forum.

Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot
 
Thanks, I knew that already.
It says in the first line of my question that I've tried all the mirrors.

Never mind....
 
IanSn:

The integrated update facility within Spybot-S&D starts by downloading the following file:
  • http://www.safer-networking.org/updates/spybotsd.ini
That file contains a list of the update servers, the available updates and the MD5 hash value of each of those updates.

A "Bad checksum" error indicates that after an update file was download (or the transmission was prematurely terminated) there was a discrepancy between the expected MD5 hash value of the update file contained in the spybotsd.ini control file and the actual MD5 hash value of the file downloaded to your system. There can be several causes for "Bad checksum" problems. For example:
  1. The spybotsd.ini control file is an old copy of the file because either a local proxy server or an ISP proxy server is caching an old spybotsd.ini control file and not recognizing a new file is available.
  2. The download of an update file timed out and the transmission of the file never completed normally.
  3. There was a problem with the transmission itself resulting in a corrupted downloaded file caused by poor quality network facilities (noise/interference on the transmission facility).
  4. The file(s) uploaded to the various mirror sites or the MD5 hash value in the spybotsd.ini control file for those updates were mismatched. Although this is a rare occurrence, human errors have occurred in the past where incorrect files have been placed on the update mirrors or incorrect MD5 hash values have been placed in the spybotsd.ini control file. This type of failure is normally universal to all users or at least to all the users of a particular download server. Because of the nature of this type of problem, it is usually reported by multiple users and quickly rectified.
Your problem seems to be unique to your system since the problem of bad checksums on all mirror sites for several months has not, to the best of my knowledge, been reported by other users.

I suggest that you attempt to investigate the possibility that the "Bad checksum" errors are due to one of the possible causes I listed as 1,2, or 3 above.

__________

If that does not resolve your problem, it would also be helpful if you indicated what Windows operating system are you running as well as the version of Spybot - Search & Destroy and the update level are you running (Spybot » Help » About).

If you are not running Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.6.0.30 or above, I suggest that you upgrade Spybot. The download for Search & Destroy 1.6.0 is available here.

If you are running Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.6.0.30 or above, you can manually update the detection rules by downloading and executing the spybotsd_includes.exe file. The file is located on the following Web page:
The current download item is:
  • Detection updates© 2008-12-23 - product description
    md5: BD64B1DC3B37E637A1CFE2D016D8C7DA

    This updates the detection rules. Only needed if you do not want to use the update function integrated into Spybot-S&D.
Since there is a possibility that the "Bad checksum" errors you are getting are due to a transmission problems, I strongly suggest if you use the spybotsd_includes.exe to update Spybot's detection rules that you verify the MD5 hash value of the spybotsd_includes.exe file you download before attempting to execute the file.
 
Hi, many thanks for this.

Based on what you were saying I checked the firewall - it seemed to be blocking an IP from SCHLUND-CUSTOMERS during the attempted update.

Set up a new rule to allow it and looks like it works. :eek:

At least I think it does, there are no new updates available at the mo!

Odd thing is, I never had this problem ever before. Maybe the location was changed?

I'll post back in case this is the solution for others.

all the best,
Ian
 
To late to edit that last one - -

Re the above -
It was an outgoing rule, btw.
And all SpyBot progs were previously allowed on any IP, so I'm not sure how this IP was being a problem or what prog generated that traffic.

Any suggestions on that one welcome!

cheers,
Ian
 
I too have been having this problem for about 4 months. I tried re-installing twice but everything would download except for the advanced detections which seemed to be stuck in time at 10-22-2008. I turned off the option for using the proxy for updating and finally, I was able to get the advanced detections to update. I am using Privoxy version 3.0.6.
 
For me this turned out to be the firewall blocking an IP address (in Germany - I'm in the UK).

Discovered this by checking the firewall log at the time I was attempting to update and seeing what was being 'dropped'.

I allowed the IP address that had been blocked and the problem went away.

I'd been using SpyBot with no problem for many years. This coincided with a switch of ISP actually, and there have been other similar dropped connection problems since I first posted here. All solved in the same way.

Interesting articles upcoming in the 'Global Telecoms Business' mag on big changes in IP land, btw. They want to make more money out of us all. (Not at ad for the mag, I just happen to know about it!)

Ian
 
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