Fixing the Symantec LiveUpdate Problem.

Thomas Shinder photo
Some of you might have noticed that you can’t update your virus definitions using the Norton Antivirus LiveUpdate feature after installing ISA Server. I ran into this one myself a few weeks ago. After a bit of head banging, I found a configuration that should work for everyone.

Some of you might have noticed that you can’t update your virus definitions using the Norton Antivirus LiveUpdate feature after installing ISA Server. I ran into this one myself a few weeks ago. After a bit of head banging, I found a configuration that should work for everyone.

If you have problems getting Live Update to work, take a look at the follow procedures.

Scenario 1: Browser Configured as a Web Proxy Client

Perform the following steps if you are using the Web Proxy client configuration:

1. Click Start and point to Settings. Click on Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel, click on Symantec LiveUpdate.
3. In the LiveUpdate Configuration dialog box, select the Internet Options in the Control Panel option.

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4. Click on the Proxy tab. Select the I want to use my Internet Explorer proxy settings option.

5. Click Apply and then click OK.

Scenario 2: Browser Not Configured as Web Proxy Client

In this scenario your machine is configure as either a SecureNAT or a Firewall client. When a SecureNAT or Firewall client sends a request to the ISA Server, the request can be handled by the Web Proxy service, or it can be sent directly to the Web server. How the request is dispatched depends on the configuration of the HTTP Redirector Filter. If you want to make life easy, you’ll configure the HTTP Redirector filter to forward requests directly to the Web server.

Note that, while configuring the HTTP Redirector Filter to send the requests directly to the server will make life easier for you when it comes to dealing with LiveUpdate, it will ruin your ability to force everyone to use the Web Proxy service. The reason is that if you want to force everyone to use the Web Proxy client to access HTTP sites, you must configure the HTTP Redirector filter to drop requests from SecureNAT and Firewall clients.

1. Click Start and point to Settings. Click on Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel, click on Symantec LiveUpdate.
3. In the LiveUpdate Configuration dialog box, select the Internet Options in the Control Panel option.
4. Click on the Proxy tab.
5. On the Proxy tab, select the I don’t connect to the Internet through a proxy server option. You select this option because the SecureNAT and Firewall clients are not aware of the Proxy server, and you don’t want the LiveUpdate feature to be aware of it either.

6. Now go to the ISA Server Management console at the ISA Server itself (I don’t trust the ISA MMC on remote computers; you can use Terminal Services though, if you want).
7. Expand your server name, then expand the Extensions node. Click on the Application Filters node. Double click on the HTTP Redirector Filter entry in the right pane of the console.
8. In the HTTP Redirector Filter Properties dialog box, click on the Options tab.
9. On the Options tab, select the Send to requested Web server option. Click Apply and then click OK.

You don’t need to restart the server. Now go back to the SecureNAT or Firewall client on the internal network, and enjoy the LiveUpdate feature, now that it works again!
 


About Thomas Shinder

Thomas Shinder photo Dr. Thomas W. Shinder is an MCSE, MCP+I, and MCT. He has worked as a technology trainer and consultant in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metro area, assisting in development and implementation of IP-based communications strategies for major firms such as Xerox, Lucent and FINA.

Click here for Thomas Shinder's section.

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