I may have solved Outlook mail sending issue?

[PamJ]

I started a new thread on this issue since mine is WAY down the list and now the topic is "I think I fixed it" rather than it still being a definite issue.

I happen to read a suggestion in this thread by Gandalf1369 helping someone with FileZilla connection issues:

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=141307.0

I thought shoot, might as well try it for Outlook. The person could not connect and send files, but if he cut web shield off, he could. That was the same issue for me (and others around here); I could not send emails from Outlook, but if I turned off web shield, I could.

My Outlook sending port to my server is 80. So I did this in avast! Free:

1. Settings
2. Troubleshooting
3. Redirect Settings
4. Web
5. Removed 80 from the list of http ports

Immediately tried sending an email from Outlook and it worked. Tried five more times...worked every time. Rebooted the computer...still worked.

Regarding computer and AV stuff, I would categorize myself a tad bit above novice, so for you experts out there...is what I did okay? Am I still being protected by avast! Free regarding emails?

It's also great to know this ahead of time for FileZilla since I plan on using that as well on this new computer rather than what I have on my old computer.

Thanks!

[Pondus]

Am I still being protected by avast! Free regarding emails?

if not you are being protected by Microsoft ...if this is your Hotmail account
Microsoft protect all Hotmail accounts with TrendMicro on the mail servers

[PamJ]

No, it's not Hotmail, Gmail, or Yahoo.  It's the email account I use for my business with my domain. 

[Gandalf1369]

My Outlook sending port to my server is 80. So I did this in avast! Free:

1. Settings
2. Troubleshooting
3. Redirect Settings
4. Web
5. Removed 80 from the list of http ports

PamJ,

I'm pretty sure that by removing 80 from the http ports list you have seriously degraded your computer's protection when using a web browser.  It is my understanding that all web browsers use port 80 when they access the internet.  Avast's Web Shield constantly scans this port and, by doing so, prevents virus and malware from infecting your computer when accessing web pages.  I would definitely recommend that you add 80 back into the http ports list.

I realize that this will not help you at all in regards to your Outlook problem.  Unfortunately I don't use Outlook so I can't offer any help for that.  Perhaps if you search the posts here in the forum for other user's problems with Outlook you might come across a solution that works for you. 

Sorry I couldn't help with your email . . .

[PamJ]

Thanks, Gandalf. It was worth giving it a shot. I have sent a ticket in to avast! a few days ago and they responded asking for more information, which I provided. Hopefully, they'll be able to figure it out. If not, it's back to an earlier version of avast! free.

[Gandalf1369]

Pam,

Just had a thought - try this . . . .

From the avast GUI click "Settings" -> "Active Protection" -> "Web Shield" (click the gear symbol on the right) -> then while in the Main Settings window put a check mark in the "Scan traffic from well known browser processes only".

Hopefully this will allow you to send and receive emails thru Outlook and, at the same time, continue with complete avast! protection while browsing the web.

Good luck . . .

[PamJ]

Gandalf, that seems to have fixed the Outlook problem!! Thank you, thank you!! (Thank you!)

Although I have no idea what "Scan traffic from well known browser processes only" means, as long as I'm still protected and I can send Outlook email (which I depend on heavily in my business), this is FANTASTIC!

[Gandalf1369]

Excellent!!!!!   

"Scan traffic from well known browser processes only" simply means that avast! will only scan the in/out traffic from the most commonly used web browsers, i.e. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, etc., and leave all other processes alone i.e. Outlook, FTP programs, etc.  This way you are still fully protected when browsing the web.

Glad it worked!! 

[thekochs]

Excellent!!!!!   

"Scan traffic from well known browser processes only" simply means that avast! will only scan the in/out traffic from the most commonly used web browsers, i.e. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, etc., and leave all other processes alone i.e. Outlook, FTP programs, etc.  This way you are still fully protected when browsing the web.

Glad it worked!! 

Does this mean that emails coming "in" to Outlook are not scanned ?...in other words open to Virus on incoming emails ?
I say this because even with ISP scanners & anti-spammers Avast 8 has caught one or two a month that saved my butt.
I typically never have outbound scanned but inbound is kind of critical IMHO.

[Gandalf1369]

Does this mean that emails coming "in" to Outlook are not scanned ?...in other words open to Virus on incoming emails ?
I say this because even with ISP scanners & anti-spammers Avast 8 has caught one or two a month that saved my butt.
I typically never have outbound scanned but inbound is kind of critical IMHO.

Good point.  I'm pretty sure that ALL email will still be scanned assuming that you have checked "Scan inbound mail (POP3, IMAP4)" and "Scan outbound mail (SMTP)" in the Mail Shield Settings.  Hopefully someone with more knowledge than me will be able to definitively answer you question.

[thekochs]

Does this mean that emails coming "in" to Outlook are not scanned ?...in other words open to Virus on incoming emails ?
I say this because even with ISP scanners & anti-spammers Avast 8 has caught one or two a month that saved my butt.
I typically never have outbound scanned but inbound is kind of critical IMHO.

Good point.  I'm pretty sure that ALL email will still be scanned assuming that you have checked "Scan inbound mail (POP3, IMAP4)" and "Scan outbound mail (SMTP)" in the Mail Shield Settings.  Hopefully someone with more knowledge than me will be able to definitively answer you question.

Wow.......sure hope someone from Avast chimes in.....what it sounds to me (no expert by far)...is that "Scan traffic from well known browser processes only" allows "servers" that are not "major" to come thru un-scanned....seems like a various dangerous option.  PamJ, in Avast 2014 is there place to see if emails are scanned ?.....as you know I have not made the jump to V9 & in V8 (see pic attached) you can see last email scanned, qty, etc.  I thought I read somewhere in V9 this is no longer ?

[PamJ]

That thought had occurred to me as well, wondering if mail would be scanned.

I sent myself a couple of emails then checked statistics (see process below) and it seemed they were still being scanned:

1. Choose Statistics on the left of main avast! Free window.
2  This puts you in a window that on the left says Realtime Data
3. Under the moving graph of shield activity is a list of the last five or so scans (Last Scanned Items). When I send or receive email, it's showing up there as being scanned.

Again, I'm assuming this means emails are being scanned properly. Avast, are they?

And what does this change with checking the box "Scan traffic from well known browser processes only" actually do with web browsing, avast? Would love someone from avast! to let us know if this is a safe solution to the Outlook issue. I'm hoping it's the excellent solution it seems to be. 

Attachments so historical data with the mail shield graph and the realtime data showing that an outbox email was scanned with the subject line.

[RobGD3]

I just tried Gandalf's fix with Outlook Internet Security, and, it seems to work there, too.

Avast did respond to my ticket, and suggested that I "repair" Avast IS through the uninstall programs tool in Control Panel.  Did that this morning, and it had no effect...the issue was still there.  I replied to their ticket response with that info.

I'm still interested why the webshield module affects email.  When using Outlook, as a POP3/SMTP client, I wouldn't expect there to be any traffic on port 80 (related to sending email, anyway), and wouldn't expect a web module to cause any issues.  I would expect the mailshield to potentially cause issues (that would only make sense).

Cheers,
..rob

[PamJ]

Rob, if you haven't already, I would suggest checking the port your server is using for outgoing email (SMTP). Mine was originally 25, but now it's 80. And because it's 80, that might be my issue since that's also apparently a port for web browsing, or something like that. I had to go to port 80 earlier this year for outgoing mail when 25 stopped working. I'm going to see if I can switch back to 25 and maybe that will clear the problem for me. I still have not received any advice from my ticket, but I'm sure not going through the trouble of a "repair" if I don't absolutely have to, especially since it didn't help you any. (Since 80 is one of several ports on servers that can be used for email, it still needs to be addressed by avast.)

[RobGD3]

Pam,

You're right, my outgoing mail port is, indeed, port 80.  What kind of cockamamie crap is that!?!?  SMTP has been port 25 since, approximately, the beginning of time; while HTTP has been port 80.

<grumble grumble> Who the hell moves email on port 80!? 

Did some double checking...we use GoDaddy to manage our email remotely.  I used their auto set up tool when setting up Outlook.  A check on their configuration screens shows that they take smtp traffic on port 80, 25, 3535, and 465 (ssl).  I switched Outlook to port 25, and it seems to have worked.  However, I went and un-checked the "well known browser processes" box, and we're back to failing to send email.   

I thought you were on to something (at least related to why the webshield is preventing email traffic, if the email traffic is on the HTTP port, it would make sense).

Just got another response to my Avast trouble ticket.  The suggestion this time is to uninstall Avast (using their uninstaller in Safe mode), then reinstall.  I don't have time to go through all that right now, so, it'll have to wait for a little bit till I have some time to mess around with it again.

cheers
..rob