Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: heldercsousa on August 09, 2005, 04:30:21 PM
-
::)
Hello...
I have a message appearing all the time ... it is the following:
***********************************************
Avast!: Connection timeout
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet connection timeout elapsed. Continue wainting?
(explorer.exe -> mta-v25.level3.mail.yahoo.com:25)
***********************************************
It appears all the time, about 20 messages at the same time.
I know it is from the e-Mail Scanner Service. It looks it´s malwares acting. But I have already runned SpyBot Search&Destroy, Adware and Avast Antivirus, and these messages are keeping.
Would I format my hardDisk? Is there another solution?
Thanks ...
-
See if increasing the timeout in your email client as well as avast4.ini solves it.
-
I know it is from the e-Mail Scanner Service. It looks it´s malwares acting.
Well I would say it is the email scanner as something is trying to improperly (in my opinion) use explorer.exe to send email, so it may well be some form of malware or spambot, etc.
I would suggest a visit to Eddy's web site.
HiJackThis - Eddy's Website (http://82.75.52.232/) click the "HiJackThis Section" and also the "Malware removal instructions and applications" section, and follow the directions there and get back to us if you need more help....
Do you have a firewall if so I would block explorer.exe from accessing the internet; I have done this on my system as there really is no reason to use explorer.exe (save time, etc.) rather than your browser or ftp program, etc.
-
I had the exact same problem just yesterday and i increased the timeout setting in avast(not in the *.ini file though) i couldn't find any such setting in my email client(mozilla suite) but it seems to be working now as far as i can tell.
-
I had the exact same problem just yesterday and i increased the timeout setting in avast(not in the *.ini file though) i couldn't find any such setting in my email client(mozilla suite) but it seems to be working now as far as i can tell.
They are, generally, into the email account settings and not into the program settings...
But I'm not sure as I don't use Mozilla Suite.
-
I think we are missing the point here, why extend the timeout delay for a possible malicious use of explorer.exe to send emails?
***********************************************
Avast!: Connection timeout
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet connection timeout elapsed. Continue wainting?
(explorer.exe -> mta-v25.level3.mail.yahoo.com:25)
***********************************************
The connection timeout may be caused by the non-standard way they are being sent (just a thought), but in any case it is suspicious, so why extend the timeout and potentially allow the email/s to be sent.
@ heldercsousa
I'm making the assumption that you are not sending any email at the time this comes up?
Are you able to send and receive email using your email program?
-
;D Just wanted to say thanks for the tip. I, too, was getting the Timed Out error in 2 different places each time I tried to access 2 of my regularly accessed sites. Increasing the timeout settings in the Internet Mail section of Avast to 500 worked like a charm.
On my wish list: An instruction/help section in Avast to explain what some of these sections handle. I have no way of knowing what some of the settings are for. Some of the things it asks if I want to block or allow, I have no idea what they are so how do I figure out what to allow or deny? ??? It's very confusing for someone who has just installed the program and doesn't know what some of the innerworking programs/files on their computer do.
-
>I would suggest a visit to Eddy's web site.
HiJackThis - Eddy's Website (http://82.75.52.232/) click the "HiJackThis Section" and also the "Malware removal instructions and applications" section, and follow the directions there and get back to us if you need more help....<
I wanted to download the Hijackthis file from Eddy's malware site but all I got was a screen with no link to a download, and was in non-English: (Gebruikersmap niet beschikbaar
De door u opgevraagde gebruiker heeft geen webspace, of de webspace van deze gebruiker kan niet worden getoond. )
I have been getting this Connection Timeout with my msimn.exe as I use OE, I have stretched my timeout in OE to the max but am still getting the 'timeout warning'.
I really want the Hijackthis file because Adaware contains files that are password protected because Avast reports it cannot scan due to password protection. and I've never used Spybot before, I am very leary of any spyware program but really want to try Hijackthis. I would prefer downloading from a site that is recommended HERE because I feel safe with recommendations from this forum vs. just doing a Google Search.
Could someone recommend a reliable site to download Hijackthis, an English version that I could read. I only know English (my downfall).
TIA, katy
-
1. the Hijackthis Section is in english and dutch.
2. There is also a download section.
3, If you download Eddy's Log File nalyser, I believe there is also a copy of the hijackthis.exe file.
4. Don't worry if avast can't scan some password protected files in either the adaware or S&D folders as both programs protect their quarantine/backup/recovery files, so they aren't detected again.
Program & Tutorial - Also useful as a diagnostic tool - Download HiJackThis.zip (http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/hijackthis.zip) - HJT Information HiJackThis Tutorial 1 (http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/tutorial42.html) or HiJackThis Tutorial 2 (http://www.tomcoyote.org/hjt/#introduction)
For an on-line analysis - HiJackThis Log file - On-line Analysis (http://hijackthis.de/index.php)
Ignore any 023 reference to avast processes, this is a hiccup in the HJT 1.99.1 (especially missing file entry for avast), if you need any help with any of the analysis let us know.
OR HiJackThis Log file - On-line Analysis 2 (http://hjt.iamnotageek.com/)
-
The message i saw on my computer had nothing to do with explorer.exe and the pc is clean for sure so nothing suspicious going on here the only thing was i left my email client opened over the night when i got this "timeouts" i still can't find any such setting in mozilla suite and trust me when i say i checked every setting possible but no luck.BTW i ran housecall, avast , ad-aware , spybot , a2 scanner , hijackthis , kaspersky online scan , x-cleaner online and all said i was clean so i'm pretty sure the PC is clean ;) I gotta restart now i got new security updates from MS.
Mikey
-
So in effect, you didn't have the exact same problem as 'heldercsousa'
I had the exact same problem just yesterday
If Mozilla's email is any thing like Thunderbird you ave to change the user.js file.
This is for Tbird so I don't know if this would work for mozilla email as it may have a different setup as it is a suite and not stand alone as Tbird.
Thunderbird does not provide a way of changing the POP3 timeout in the GUI. You need to create a user preference override.
You can do this by creating (or adding to) a file called user.js in your Thunderbird profile folder.
To change the POP3 timeout add the lines:
// Increase pop3 timeout:
user_pref("mail.pop3_response_timeout", 90);
In this example the timeout is set to 90 seconds (instead of the default 45 seconds of Thunderbird). Adjust the time as you need.
-
I tried to do a scan on HiJack... but there is no scanner for Tennessee so I don't guess I'll try that. Anyone know anything about Noadware.net?
-
I helped a friend set up Avast desktop, and he's having a similar problem. He's a bit of a luddite, and I have yet to see this for myself, but he did report this same error message, coming up about 19 times.
His PC is brand new, and I set him up with Avast, Thunderbird, Firefox, and Ad-Aware. He's only been using it for a couple days. It seems much more likely to me that there is some kind of configuration error, than malware, at play here.
I did set up an Avast SMTP alert to send me an email when viruses are found, so it's possible that is what is causing the problem? I tested it and it worked at the time, but maybe there is something I didn't think of.
-Pete
-
It seems much more likely to me that there is some kind of configuration error, than malware, at play here.
Very often this is the problem indeed... specially when we can't discover the cause :'(
I did set up an Avast SMTP alert to send me an email when viruses are found, so it's possible that is what is causing the problem?
I think not but who knows. But if this is a timeout problem, can we know again what is really happening and which steps does the user take to solve... I'm lost right now.
-
It entirely depends on what similar means, me need exact information to attempt to give an accurate answer/suggestion otherwise we are guessing too.
If he is getting timeout warnings in Tbird I suggest he (or you) find the user.js file (or create one it is just a text file) and add/edit the points I made in post, Reply #10 above.
I too doubt it is virus activity otherwise your friend would be telling you about the alarms so there wouldn't be any email virus warnings being sent to you, so that shouldn't be the cause.
You don't say the circumstances of when he got the warnings, sending email (with or without attachments) or receiving email?
-
Thanks for the replies. I still have not been able to get to his house, and will post back when I am able to look at it myself, and get more specific answers to your questions.
I must say, I'm a little leery of changing the .js file as you suggest, without understanding a little better what this relationship between Thunderbird and Avast is. I don't want to try to fix a problem that's not the one we're having.
DavidR: If it IS Thunderbird that's having the problem, why is Avast reporting it instead of T-bird? If it's a POP problem, why is it reported on port 25 (SMTP)? Any ideas?
Thanks,
-Pete
-
As far as I'm aware not being able to see his screen, it would first be the email client that reports a timeout and gives the option to wait. You/he can test this by extending the connection timeout in avast or ignore timeouts. Not being a Tbird user but the timeout as far as I'm aware covers outgoing and incoming email.
why is it reported on port 25 (SMTP)? Any ideas?
Any information like the error message.
If he is sending an email with a large attachment it is quite possible that whilst it is being scanned the connection timeout warning will pop-up.
We need more detailed information or we are working in the dark. Not to mention working through you instead of direct. I'm offering a suggestion that has worked for others with Tbird, your choice and it can't do any harm.
-
David, all very helpful info. I did a lot of googling, and though I can't find anything definitive, it does appear that the POP setting in Thunderbird probably covers outbound SMTP traffic as well, as you say.
I'm going to start him off by disabling outbound virus scans, and see if that resolves his problem. Then we can take it from there.
Much obliged,
Pete
ps. Here is a link and a bit of text that seem relevant, the better results from my google hunt...for the benefit of anybody else trying to research this stuff...
----
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Modify_Thunderbird_settings
----
(I forget the source for the text below)
39) If you're using Thunderbird in Proxy Mode, get a lot of spam and Thunderbird keeps timing out, you can add the following line to the Thunderbird 'prefs.js' file:
user_pref("mail.pop3_response_timeout", 600);
The number [600 in this case - we trap a lot of spam] is the time in seconds Thunderbird will wait before timing out. This line must be added when Thunderbird is NOT running. The 'prefs.js' file is located in a subfolder of the Library/Thunderbird/Profiles folder [ours was named default.yr1] on Mac OS X. On Windows it was in the
\Documents and Settings\Application Data\<username>\Thunderbird\Profiles\default.tkl
folder [you must have 'show hidden files' turned ON to see the 'Application Data' folder]. We figure UNIX and Linux users know what they are doing and can find it on their own.
NOTE: from what I read elsewhere, it is better to put this command in "user.js" than "prefs.js". user.js is read after prefs.js, and overrides its settings. It's intended for user settings, not global settings.
-
Nice to see that you have just confirmed what DavidR told you about how to change the timeout setting in Thunderbird (which is also in a number of other threads here if you cared to search).
I have yet to see scanning by avast be responsible for timeouts in either sending or receiving mail with Thunderbird. Timeouts can occur if you are sending or receiving a very large message (usually large attachments) on a slow connection - the overhead of avast actually scanning the message is very small.
NOTE: from what I read elsewhere, it is better to put this command in "user.js" than "prefs.js". user.js is read after prefs.js, and overrides its settings. It's intended for user settings, not global settings.
That is the standard recommendation because it at least it gives you a log of the overrides you have made. However the contents of the user.js file are just copied by Thunderbird into the prefs.js file and will stay there until Judgement Day. If you ever want to remove the overrides they must be removed from both the user.js and prefs.js files.
However it is bit academic to talk about changing Thunderbird until you have been able to see the timeout messages being reported by avast. If it is reporting explorer.exe sending SMTP (as with the originator of this thread) then I think you need to be asking an entirely different set of questions.
-
Alan-
Thanks for the info, you make several points that are very helpful.
As to confirming David's point: expert or not, he made this point "as far as he's aware." For the sake of anybody reading this thread in the future, that seems to me worth confirming. Also, I have done a great deal of searching, and (at least to my rather inexperienced approach), a definitive answer on this point has proven quite elusive.
I can see how my posts would be a bit frustrating, and I'm sorry for that. When I said this issue was "similar", I wasn't sure whether it's similar to the original problem or Darth Mikey's, and I should have made that clear from the start. I am still unsure on this point - all I have to go on is the first part of the text of the Avast error, not including the originating program's name.
At any rate, I am grateful for the information both of you have provided, as it has tied together the bits and pieces I've found on the net quite nicely. If and when I have the opportunity to look into the problem more closely, I'll have a much better grasp of what to look for and/or try, thanks to your insights.
Thanks again, and I'll report back if I find anything relevant.
-Pete
-
Hi guys!
Just to avoid some confusion i don't know if i said this here or in another thread but the error messages i was getting was related to javaw.exe and as far as i can tell that's not an email program, and the reason for this javaw.exe running all the time on my machine is a nice bittorrent client called Azureus which works trough Java :) Anyway increasing the timeout in avast! seemed to have worked for me but that still doesn't explain why this is happening ???
Cheers
Mikey