Overview

You noticed that the LanGuard server fails to automatically get current updates, download the latest product files and vulnerability definitions. This leads to agent updates failing, missing patches not being detected, and affects the completeness of the scanning and remediation operations on network machines.

This article describes the process of clearing the LanGuard updates repository folder and manually performing a full program update.

Solution

One of the most common root causes for the LanGuard automatic updates failing is running an older LanGuard build. The updated definitions are only provided to the latest versions of the product that are released. If you are not using the latest product version - Upgrade the GFI LanGuard.

Another reason for automatic update failures can be the environmental changes preventing the LanGuard server from reaching the GFI Update servers. You can check this by trying to open http://lnsupdate.gfi.com/lnsupdate/index.txt in the Internet Explorer browser from the GFI LanGuard server. If this test fails, it is usually due to proxy settings, network firewall blocking access, or DNS resolution issues - troubleshoot the root cause with your network and security teams.

The rest of the possible causes are the updates repository problems, like folder corruption or stuck old updates disrupting automatic updates, which in turn means that the agents not updating as well. In such cases, it is necessary to clean the updates repository folder and initiate a fresh download from the GFI Website, following the steps below.

1. Ensure that the required antivirus exclusions are in place.
2. Stop all GFI LanGuard Services.
   1. Please follow one of the methods explained below.
      • Method 1
        1. Click on the Search icon () in your Windows Task Bar. 
        2. Type cmd and press Enter.
        3. In the Command Prompt pop-up window, type services.msc and press Enter.
      • Method 2
        1. Right-click on My Computer.
        2. Click Manage (as administrator).
           
           
        3. Click Services and Applications at the bottom of the left pane.
        4. Click Services on the middle pane.
           
           
   2. Right-Click each running GFI LanGuard Service and click Stop.
      
      
3. In your File Explorer, browse to C:\ProgramData\GFI\LanGuard 12\Update\ .
4. Within the provided path, Delete each file except for updatehistory.xml.
5. Start all GFI LanGuard Services.
   • Follow either of the methods provided in step 2, yet instead of clicking stop, in the end, click start.
6. Open the GFI LanGuard Console and go to the Configuration tab.
7. Click Check for Updates under Program Updates.
   
   
8. (optional) Specify the location from where the required update files will be downloaded and/or provide an alternate download path to store all GFI LanGuard updates.
   
   Click Next.
9. Select the checkbox at the bottom for "Update All Files (including the ones already updated)."
   
   
10. Click Next.
11. Click Finish.

Program Updates enable GFI LanGuard to download up-to-date definitions and check for newer builds. It is essential to keep them running in order to detect the latest vulnerabilities and maintain LanGuard scanning and remediation performance.

Testing

It should be stated that customers need to wait longer if running this process on virtual machines as it takes a lot of time to progress after installing the wsusscn2.cab file from Microsoft.

Wait and verify that all the packages are downloaded ...

and the installation is successfully completed.

If running on a virtual machine, it takes a lot of time to progress after installing the wsusscn2.cab file from Microsoft.

Once the manual update is completed, LanGuard has all the latest product files and definitions. Verify that automatic updating error messages and corresponding scanning/remediating issues disappear. If the issue persists, contact GFI LanGuard Support.