Eset support does NOT reply to customers

Three times I asked Eset's support via the web interface. NO REPLY.
I filled _completely_ all the fields. I bought two licenses, one for me (lic # removed), another for my son (lic # removed).


November 29, 2003, I asked Eset's support to send them a jpeg with some errors I had when updating. December 1, Mark from eset.sk replied: "you can send those screenshots to my email address."
I did it the same day. I am still waiting for Eset's reply.


December 2003 both computers started with a blue screen uppon shut down: Amon.sys "driver_unloaded_without_cancelling_pending_operations" and the computer didn't power off. It always restarted.
I searched google groups and only found one post without any reply.

I found NOD32 Kernel Service was running under Local System account. I changed it to run under .\Administrator account and those BSOD stopped.

I sent an email to the guy that posted the post, Mr. John Grossman, and he told me he also asked Eset's support and they told him to follow the instructions on the following website to install a fix for this issue:
http://www.nod32.com/support/amonfix.htm:


In february 2004, I bought 150 licenses for my firm (lic # removed).
After install, some laptops remain with the initial servers, www.nod32.com, www.eset.sk, www.esetsoftware.com and *not* u1-u4.eset.com, and I am not able to update via the internet. Server connection error. I am still waiting for Eset's reply.


Three days ago, Paul Wilders gave me an e-mail address where I could send netd32.exe file, a virus NOD32 didn't detect as a virus on my computer. I checked the file with KAV and McAfee on other machines, and they both say it is a Virus. I am still waiting for Eset's reply.


I DO NOT understand. Word of mouth is the cheapiest publicity. It is NOT enough to win VB100 awards. I like NOD32, but the support... give me a break

edited to remove license numbers - Detox

 

Hi ,

for angelo:

sorry for that inconvenience. Pls. drop me a personal message with your e-mail address from which you sent the requests - we will check it.

for ronjor:

The contacts are at:

www.eset.com

About Eset->Contacts

Rgds.,

jan

 

Angelo,

I feel your pain and don't understand the issues with support either. I'm going through a similar problem. Fill out the website form, send it off, an initial e-mail response on the first couple of exchanges, then it seems to drop into a black hole.

I don't know if I'd call my own problem severe. I'm seeing an intermittent inability to update because my username and/or password is being rejected by the ESET servers. Here's a short snippet of some recent entries in my event log

Time   Module   Event   User
3/18/2004 6:03:42 AM   Update   Function: DownloadAuthorization, parameters: , return value: 401   
3/18/2004 6:03:42 AM   Update   Update attempt failed (Incorrect username or password.)   
3/18/2004 5:03:41 AM   Update   Function: DownloadAuthorization, parameters: , return value: 401   
3/18/2004 5:03:41 AM   Update   Update attempt failed (Incorrect username or password.)   
3/18/2004 4:03:39 AM   Update   Function: DownloadAuthorization, parameters: , return value: 401   
3/18/2004 4:03:39 AM   Update   Update attempt failed (Incorrect username or password.)   
3/17/2004 17:03:42 PM   Kernel   The virus signature database has been updated successfully to version 1.674 (20040317).   
3/17/2004 16:03:38 PM   Update   Function: DownloadAuthorization, parameters: , return value: 401   
3/17/2004 16:03:38 PM   Update   Update attempt failed (Incorrect username or password.)   

The process succeeds with a frequency that is sort of fine, but this shouldn't be happening and I am concerned that a time will come in which the periodic successes are no longer there, so I'm now checking the event log on a daily basis. I think the problem is on ESET's end, but I'm not sure of even that and the silence from ESET for the past few days has been very disappointing. NOD32 has some very good points, timely customer support does not appear to be one of them. You note that word of mouth is the cheapest publicity, that's very true. It's also among the most damaging when it's negative, which is why I simply don't understand this situation.


Blue

 

Thank you all very much

word of mouth is the most damaging when it's negative, you're right and it's needless to say.
It takes years to build a good reputation, and few seconds to destroy it completely.

Eset has a good product. Pls OPEN YOUR EYES Eset, before someone is not on our mood to advertise your product. And REMEMBER you are FIGHTING with big big Companies, and this is also needless to say.

Regarding calling from Portugal the US for support, are you speaking about a toll-free number <gr>?. No, that's not the way. Better they reply customer's questions...


Meanwhile, I have a dream... NOD32 version 3

 

We apologize to those who haven't received timely response recently. Due to a virus epidemic and CEBIT exhibition you may note a little delay in responding. However, we will do our best to answer your inquiries in as short time as possible. Also please bear in mind that in order to relieve us from replying to repetitive queries it is highly recommended that you read the FAQ or search this forum for a solution to your problem provided by an Eset's moderator.

General suggestions to the problems mentioned above:

Incorrect username/password (at an attempt to update):
=======================================
Please copy&paste your username\password from the initial email you received from Eset. If it does not work, your license must have already expired (the initial email should contain this info)

Incorrect username/password (at an attempt to download NOD32):
===================================
First of all, make sure you entered your user/pass correctly. To make sure, please copy&paste them from the initial email. If you are a home user, please make sure you download the standard version (not the admin one)

Error connecting to server:
===================
1. make sure an Internet connection is already established at the time you perform update
2. make sure the update server is set to Choose automatically (unless you update from a local mirror)
3. if you use a firewall, make sure the nod32krn service has access to the Internet permitted
4. if you don't use a proxy server, please make sure it is disabled in the Advanced update setup. Otherwise, please configure it according to the settings provided by your network administrator tor (the proxy server setting can be found in the Internet Explorer connection setup)
5. make sure you are able to ping our update servers (u1.eset.com-u4.eset.com), otherwise there is a network problem on your side

 

Thanks Marcos, but those suggestions have basically been followed in my case at least. I can't speak for others

It does not work and my license is valid until August 2004. I have cut/pasted/manually entered both the original username/password and a new password supplied by ESET.

I also followed this as described. I have problems when the automatic update is having problems. I have had it succeed during periods when the auto update seems to be working.

1. I'm on broadband - always active.
2. It is.
3. I have tested it with my firewall (Outpost Pro) shutdown - still had the problem. Didn't examine this extensively. Will check on permissions settings within Outpost.
4. I'll have to check these details. Basically the install is the default one.
5. Well, I do get the password dialog boxes from ESET's site, so I assume that it's OK and I can access virtually every other site on the planet, so I don't think that is the problem, but I will explicitly ping during a period when the update function is failing.

Once again, thanks Marcos. NOD32's a good product, I'd be disappointed if these relatively minor issues start to outweigh the product functionality in the minds of potential customers. But, as I'm sure you know, for most of us the functionality of AV is only occasionally tested in our own hands. Unlike other software, trust in the vendor plays a huge role in the perception of product performance.

Blue

Just a couple of updates now that I'm back in front of my PC.....

3. I have nod32krn.exe identified as a Trusted application with Outpost. Also, I'm running the most recent build of version 2.1 in the event that matters.
4. Proxy is not enabled.
5. I can ping the servers (all 4) with no problem even though Update still fails at virtually the same time.

Right now, Update has been trying once an hour all day and has been failing all day with the same messages shown above. It also fails if I manually initiate the update. It fails when the dialog box prompting for a username and password (after an initial failure on a manual update) has the entries repasted directly into it.

I'm willing to try anything ESET suggests but, aside from Marcos' suggestions above, there have been no additional suggestions from ESET support and not a whole lot has occurred to me either since this is the only app (out of many) experiencing any problems right now.

 

I understand, I apologize, it's good to have this forum.
I think people that finds this forum, already know your FAQs upside down, and do have correct user ids, passwords, have no doubt they are connected to the internet, do have their proxy settings correctly setup.

If you read my post that started this thread, I don't get answers from you beginning November 29, 2003.

No flame, Marcos. We understand January, February where dramatic regarding Virus, Cebit is now, we are sure you receive *lots* of questions from computer illiterated people and how difficult it is to deal with this. But that's your job. eg I sent you a file 4 days ago and don't know why on computers with KAV and McAfee they say netd32.exe is a virus, and Eset's support does not drop me a line of words... :-(

 

BlueZannetti, make sure you enter your UN and PW into the Control Centre,Update,update,Setup. If you have a pop-up box that asks for UN and PW, and enter it there, it ONLY works ONCE, and it will continually thereafter request a UN and PW, until you place it in "Setup".

The best way is to copy and paste from the email sent to you when you first purchased Nod. MAKE SURE you are NOT copying a "space" before or after both the UN and PW, I have seen this many a time with some of my customers.

Failing this, go back to your reseller and tell them your situation, a new UN and PW will need to be issued.

Once in a blue moon a UN and PW goes haywire...

Hope this helps

Cheers

 

Thanks Blackspear, I've already gone this route. Manual entry as well as the recommended cut/paste steps. I've used both just in case.

I guess this is what disturbs me. I have gone to my "reseller". My "reseller" is ESET LLC Online. They've already provided me with a new password. That password has worked once and failed all other times. That was my last contact with my reseller. Both e-mail replies to the original e-mail exchange with ESET and additional requests for support from the website have gone unanswered. Looking at my Event log, I've had successful recent updates as follows

Time   Module   Event   User

3/17/2004 17:03:42 PM   Kernel   The virus signature database has been updated successfully to version 1.674 (20040317).   
3/15/2004 15:10:03 PM   Kernel   The virus signature database has been updated successfully to version 1.668 (20040315).   
3/15/2004 7:09:45 AM   Kernel   The virus signature database has been updated successfully to version 1.667 (20040315).   
3/14/2004 12:11:37 PM   Kernel   The virus signature database has been successfully updated to version 1.665 (20040314).   
3/14/2004 12:11:36 PM   Update   NOD32 Antivirus program components have been successfully updated.   

I realize that currently I'm only a couple of days out of date right now, so I'm probably not in a major bind, but I have paid to be current all the time. As it is, I would likely have been trying to work this out behind the scenes and not mentioned it on this forum except that I saw Angelo's lament. I am a firm believer that individuals as well as companies can't fix problems or behaviors that they don't realize are a problem. Angelo pointed out some issues with ESET support. For those contributing to the discussion it is important to understand that his experience in not unique.

The characteristic of my immediate problem that really puzzles me is the intermittent nature of it, although it seems fairly consistent now. The successful updates on the 15th and 17th are surrounded by failures. I have no idea why they succeeded and others failed. Both were automatic updates run by NOD32, not manual ones by me, so I know that the username/password entered in NOD32 is "correct". After all, it HAS worked.

Just to emphasize that I am not a customer on the edge of expiration, here is the license grant statement from my original ESET LLC Online e-mail.

You are hereby granted an End User License to use NOD32 on:
1 - computer(s) until 3 August 2004

Well, that fits my name rather well I guess ....

Blue

 

Ok then, I would download a fresh copy of Nod from the USA website using your UN and PW.

1. Uninstall Nod.
2. Delete the Eset folder found in Program Files on your "C" drive
3. Use a registry cleaner and remove any last remaining reminants of Nod
4. After all of the above, install a fresh copy of Nod.

This should fix your problem... I haven't found anything that doesn't work after doing the above.

Hope this helps...

Cheers

 

Blackspear,

That's a very reasonable suggestion. The problem is that when I try to do that (as noted above in my response to Marcos), I am faced with the same problem. A dialog box pops up requesting a user name and password. I enter my current information and it is refused. I'm not trying to be difficult here, but I'm caught in a bit of a quandry.

Blue

 

Back to this thread's subject, ?probably? Eset was overlooking my questions because when I bought the licenses I gave one e-mail address, nod32@xxxxxxxxxxx.com, and when I mail them I use my regular e-mail address. I always do this. I have two domains both with catch-all feature. When someone asks me for an e-mail address, I always give such an e-mail address. In the event I start receiving spam for this particular address, it's only to dump it. I must stop doing this and now I am going to search how to change the e-mail addresses I gave Eset when I bought the licenses.

 

Well then you are in a quandary, send Paul a email with the original email sent by Eset, that has your UN and PW in it. When they issue a new UN and PW, follow my previous post.

Let me know how you get along...

Cheers

 

This may be a moot point, but are you using a different localisation or codepage than usual? Just wondering of the character mappings were correct when you were entering the password stuff. No multilingual setup on your box, is there?

 

Thanks Paul, The e-mail's been sent, but it seems like there may be some general issues with the Eset servers from some of the other messages posted. I realize that the weekend is now upon us, and that slows down any response - which is fine (I like my weekend's too...

Blue

 

When the answer has been discovered, please keep us in the loop, even if it was something obvious, as it may help me in the future with a clients computer

Cheers

 

Blackspear,

I'll make sure I do that, and thanks for your attempts to debug it from afar. As you've already seen, there are a couple of other threads here and one small one over at DSLReports that seem to describe similar symptoms. Not sure if they are connected, but it sure seems suspicious to me, and my interpretation is that there's a bit of a problem either with Eset's servers and/or the username/password database.

Right now, I'm still being refused an update. My definitions haven't been successfully updated since the 1.674 version - the current version is 1.682 according to the Eset website. I've also had three instances of "error connecting to server". Whatever the cause, I'm sure a solution will emerge over the next few days.

Blue

 

To all,

Many thanks for your help. My problem seems solved now. I guess there were some temporary issues with the servers. However, on communicating a new password to me during a late hour and facing the upcoming CeBIT crunch, the wrong password was forwarded to me. The circumstances leading to this were very understandable and do fall into the domain of "all good intentions will be punished". It didn't work because, well, it shouldn't have worked. On my part, I never retried the original password. I should have, I thought about it, but assumed no, it wouldn't work and I didn't want to dig through my e-mail archive again.

Lessons learned....

1. Keep that original username/password at the ready and try it even if you think it's been changed.

2. Eset support will come through. It may not seem quick, but let's put this in perspective - my first contact with Eset was Mar 14th, today is the 20th - beginning of problem to end in less than 6 days. Some major AV's do not update this frequently. In fact, the last time I required support from another AV vendor, the problem resolution took ~ 150 days and you can follow the history in these threads over at DSLReports:

My initial report of the install issues
A following thread with the same problem and the resolution

Naturally, since I was no longer a customer, I couldn't take advantage of that eventual solution.

3. Sometimes the gratification of a solved problem isn't immediate. If you're not being actively harmed by the situation (I wasn't), remaining patient and not getting too stressed over the problem does help (I tried).

Best regards,

Blue

 

Thanks for keeping us in the loop, well appreciated. I keep a record of my customers full details, including UN and PW, as I have seen this before, even though I go to great lengths to ask them to keep the UN and PW email that we send them in a safe place We would still have a call about once a week asking for a copy of their UN and PW.

Good to see that it is all sorted for you...

Cheers