Author Topic: Avast 4.6.763 and mail scanning problem  (Read 4648 times)

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strangequark

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Avast 4.6.763 and mail scanning problem
« on: January 29, 2006, 07:28:21 AM »
After installing Avast! Home Edition 4.6.763 I have a problem scanning outgoing mail, an ordinary email is OK, the problem starts with attachments. As soon as an attachment is between 1 & 2 Mb Avast hangs on the scanning causing a SMTP error message, even a small attachment takes an extra long time to go. I've turned off the out going mail scan for the time being and the problem goes away. Just wondered if anyone else has experienced the same thing. My email client is Moz Thunderbird 1.5.

Offline alanrf

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Re: Avast 4.6.763 and mail scanning problem
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2006, 07:33:04 AM »
What exactly is the error message you are seeing?

What is the type/upload speed of your internet connection?

strangequark

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Re: Avast 4.6.763 and mail scanning problem
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2006, 07:46:10 AM »
my connection is 1.5Mb ADSL , I've been on to my provider and there is no problem with them, being of a sceptical nature I had a friend on the same provider, who hadn't updated Avast yet, to run some tests, all went fine.
The error message is_
" The message could not be sent because connecting to SMTP server { my server} failed. The server may be unavailable or is refusing SMTP connections. Please verify that your SMTP server setting is correct and try again"
As I say it works fine when the Out Going scanner is turned off.

strangequark

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Re: Avast 4.6.763 and mail scanning problem
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2006, 07:48:41 AM »
sorry upload speed 256kb

Offline alanrf

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Re: Avast 4.6.763 and mail scanning problem
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2006, 07:58:21 AM »
I am using the same version of avast! as you and the same version of Thunderbird.  I just sent a 1.3Mb file to myself, it was sent as usual and I just received it on the account it was sent to.

The error message you are seeing is certainly not typical of problems involving large attachments (which are usually timeout type messages, not refused connections).

It might prove useful to create (for a while) a more detailed avast! log of your mail connections.

You can get the mailscanner to log your connections by editing the avast4.ini file (in  Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA folder).

In the section headed:

[MailScanner]

add the line:

Log=20

and save the updated file.

The log will be in Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\log\ashmaisv.log

It would probably be worthwhile to send a short message (since that seems to work) followed by a message with a large attachment (that seems to fail).

If you wish to share your log by posting it here be sure to check it first and obscure any personally identifiable information.


strangequark

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Re: Avast 4.6.763 and mail scanning problem
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2006, 08:11:06 AM »
Thank, will try that. The only other change on my computer in the last 24 hrs was a new version  of Process Gaurd, 3.3 Beta 1, which was installed yesterday, I didn't notice any difference in anything untill the new Avast went in.

strangequark

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Re: Avast 4.6.763 and mail scanning problem
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2006, 10:14:42 AM »
OK, here's the LOG file you wanted [ or at least the bit that that pertains to the problem], I sent 2 files named "Test 1 small" and "Test 2 big", number 1 was nothing and number 2 was just over 2Mb. All personal data, ip's etc. replaced with ??????????????



 

Offline alanrf

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Re: Avast 4.6.763 and mail scanning problem
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2006, 01:25:52 PM »
By the way, a belated welcome to the avast forum.

The maximum that you can upload with an upload link of 256 kbps is about 30Kb of data per second (give or take a kb or two).  So the maximum you would be able to upload in one minute is about 1.8Mb. 

I say in one minute because that is the default timeout value of Thunderbird 1.5 (it was 45 seconds in earlier versions). 

With the outbound mail scanner of avast active the message is delivered very quickly by Thunderbird to avast (inside your system - that's why you see the delivery bar move very quickly).  Avast then scans the message and avast takes over the delivery to your mail server rather than Thunderbird, so then you see the delay while avast is actually delivering the message.

The log you posted shows that avast was sending mail blocks from 18:20:04 until 18:21:04 (ie exactly one minute) when the connection was timed out by Thunderbird.  It shows that about 1.6Mb of the message was delivered before Thunderbird shut it down. 

There are two possible steps to take, one with Thunderbird and the other with avast.

The first step is to increase the timeout connection in Thunderbird.  With version 1.5 this can now be done in the Thunderbird interface.

In Thunderbird, from the menu bar select Tools > Options > Advanced > General tab then enter a higher number of seconds in the Connection Timeout box - perhaps 150.  Then click OK on that panel.  Restart Thunderbird.

For avast, one tweak that could speed up the outbound transmisson of the message blocks by avast to more closely match the way that Thunderbird would send the message blocks:

edit the avast4.ini file in the avast4\data folder.

In the [MailScanner] section add a line:

SendInBlockingMode=1

and save the file, probably best to stop and restart the Mail Scanner.

The Thunderbird change should be enough - the avast change will help a bit.




strangequark

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Re: Avast 4.6.763 and mail scanning problem
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2006, 09:00:54 PM »
Good stuff  :), the T-Bird hack did the trick. Thanks very much, really appreciated. First time I've had any type of problem with Avast, the only AV program I reckomend to others. Again thanks.

Pcchris

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Re: Avast 4.6.763 and mail scanning problem
« Reply #9 on: January 30, 2006, 05:09:57 AM »
Thanks Alanrf, I was having the same problem with my computer; Tbird 1.5 and Avast 4.6. I am on dialup, and could only send one attachment at a time before the server would time out. Adjusting Tbird's timout setting solved the problem, and I have just added the line you suggested to my Avast.ini file.
Now if we could just get Avast and Propel to play together..... :)

Chris

Offline alanrf

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Re: Avast 4.6.763 and mail scanning problem
« Reply #10 on: January 30, 2006, 05:42:57 AM »
Pcchris,

I do not think that the avast!  tweak I recommended will have any noticeable advantage in a dial up environment (it is intended to really get the maximum throughput out of higher speed connections) but it won't do any harm either.

Let's hope that the avast! team have at least looked at the Propel issue.