exclude path from scanning ... How?

[frodo]

Hello!

For other AV Software I had to exclude the Directory containing the Mailbox Files from scanning.

How could that be done for avast? I entered the path containing my thunderbird Mail directory:
c:\......\thunderbird\profile\xyz\Mail\ in peresident Settings, but it seems that avast still scaned the mbx files in the directory? Are all subdirectories also excluded?

Thanks for help or hint for documentation.
Version is the newest one 4.6-623

[Lisandro]

But it seems that avast still scaned the mbx files in the directory

Why do you think so?

Are all subdirectories also excluded?

If you add a wildcard * at the end of that path...
The path is checked as text. There is a size limit for it (lenght). Short paths (8 + 3 characters) are different from the long ones...

[frodo]

But it seems that avast still scaned the mbx files in the directory

Why do you think so?

I saw Norton Antivir and AVG removing the inbox files of opera and thunderbird, so that all messages are lost. So I usally excluded the path to the opera mail storage from the scanning path of Norton Antivir. So I think in this new configuration (avast and thundebird) it may be usefull to exclude the mailboxes as well.

It seems that avast doesn't find viruses in thunderbirds mailbox files. I did the following test:
deactivated avast, send a test e-mail with the eicar.com file, activated avast again, started a scan of local directories. It scanned the Mailbox files but didn't found a virus in it. But when I download the eicar.com file, avast alerts.

So it worked as I excepted it. But I don't now that for shure, that avast won't touch the mailboxes.

Are all subdirectories also excluded?

If you add a wildcard * at the end of that path...
The path is checked as text. There is a size limit for it (lenght). Short paths (8 + 3 characters) are different from the long ones...

Ok thanks, do you now the limit? I inserted the normal path with wildcards, seems to work.
Are subdirectories excluded as well if I enter a "*"?

[Lisandro]

It seems that avast doesn't find viruses in thunderbirds mailbox files.

For me (and a lot of users), it does... I don't know why you want to exclude the files (mailboxes) anyway.
You can let both Internet Mail provider and Standard Shield working.
Which is your operational system?

Ok thanks, do you now the limit? I inserted the normal path with wildcards, seems to work.

Most probably 255 characters.
 

Are subdirectories excluded as well if I enter a "*"?

Have to, this is how it works: search for a text string 

[frodo]

My Operation System is Win XP.

As I mentioned abouve I wanted to exclude thunderbirds mailbox files from on access and on demand scan because I saw other AV Software removing the inbox files. And I don't want to wait until avast does the same.

Did you check that out? I send me a test mail with the eicar.com testfile. Then I started the avast service, opende the mail programm but avast didn't find a virus in it, same with on demand scanning.

[DavidR]

As I mentioned abouve I wanted to exclude thunderbirds mailbox files from on access and on demand scan because I saw other AV Software removing the inbox files. And I don't want to wait until avast does the same.

The best way to avoid this is to follow the Thunderbird FAQs and don't use the inbox for general email storage - email comes in, read it move it to a more appropriate folder, personal, newsletters, pending, etc. The inbox is the most likely to suffer from corruption (certainly in OE) because it is open most of the time and if there is a crash it may be corrupted.

You would also be advised to back-up your email folders.

The on-access scan, scans incoming or outgoing emails and not email folders, the scanning of the folders would be on-demand when you scan the part of your HDD that the email folders are stored (this you can exclude, avast program settings, exclusions, add - navigate to the location and select it add the * wildcard at the end of the path to exclude all files in that folder).

[frodo]

I don't know exactly the way the avast on access Scanner works. But when I open thunderbird I see the Inbox.msf file in the list of the last scanned files. Also If I compose a new mail, I see the Sent.msf file in the list of last scanned files (in the overview). (if I don't exclude the path!)
And that is what I expect an on Access Scanner to do, if I open a file (or write it on the hdd) the AV Scanner shoul check the file. Wether it is the mail programm writing the mailbox file or the zip Utility unpacking a Archive.
And that is, where other AV Programms remove the maibox files of Opera M2 and thunderbird, when there is a Virus in it, that wasn't detected while checking incomming e-Mails (for example because of new Virus Signature file). When the Mail Programm then opens the mailbox file the on Access Scanner should alert, but if the mailbox file is removed then that may result in loosing alls mails.
So I wondered why the on access Scanner didn't alert, when opening or writing a mailbox file with thunderbird, that contains the eicar.com test file.
Norton AV in its standard settings removed the mailbox file containing the test virus, after opening the mail Programm.

That has nothing to do with the mail checking (that affects the mails befor they are writen to the inbox file on the hdd).

[Lisandro]

Frodo, I know that recently, avast improved its detection/scanning of the Outlook files (*.mbx).
Maybe, like you said, the *.msf bust be 'read' by the 'unpacking' rotine and avast do not have it...
Just a guess... Probably wrong, who knows...