What does Avast do with infected e-mails?

[testy]

When I selected delete it moved it to the deleted items folder.  Is the virus still there?  I had three e-mails that Avast identified with viruses and I selected delete on the first and it sent it to the deleted items folder, the next two I just had it moved to the chest.  I have spam sent directly to deleted items folder so I don't have to remove them manualy.  Does Avast remove the virus or does it just move it to the deleted items folder when selecting delete?

[testy]

Nevermind, I figured it out.  It "was" spam so it would have gone to deleted items with or without a virus.

[DavidR]

What it does is dependant on two factors what email program you are using (?) and what you choose for avast to do.

MS Outlook (not express) plug-in/provider allows for the infected email to be sent to different folders, etc. The Internet Mail provider doesn't have this feature, so delete should do just delete the incoming email before it hits your inbox (in the localhost proxy), so it shouldn't go to the deleted items folder.
The order in which avast scans email before the spam filter to clear infected emails, otherwise this is what will happen when the spam filter is able to process email before avast.

I use MailWasher and I really like it because it deletes spam from the mail server and it catches the odd virus also. Once it has done its job and I click process email it deletes all those flagged to be deleted and then calls the email program which downloads the remaining emails that avast scans.

This way I don't have to have the email and anti-spam filter coordinated, and I exclude mailwasher from being scanned by avast as it only checks a small part of the email and in text mode, so I feel the risk is very, very small. This is a boon for me on dial-up not having to download email before filtering the spam.

[testy]

I sent myself a test e-mail with eicar and Avast did strip it of the file and labeled it as such.

After struggling with spam filters for 2 years I finally realized I don't need one. (none worked to my satisfaction) I use Outlook Express, and I finally figured out (I'm slow) that it can all be done with message rules. Two in fact.  If it's not from somebody in my address book, 99.9% of the time its spam.  My first filter has anybody from my address book- stop processing rules, it then goes to my inbox.  2 rule is all messages go to deleted items folder.  Works perfectly.  I just quickly scan deleted items folder before I close to see if anything I want is in there.  (I had do the same with  all spam filters just to make sure nothing was misidentified) The beauty of this over spam filters is those annoying new spams that have the ad contained in a .gif file is also directed right to your deleted items folder.  Those always slip right past spam filters. I always knew there had to be a way but not till I tried Thunderbird did I realize how to write the rules.

[Lisandro]

If it's not from somebody in my address book, 99.9% of the time its spam.
My first filter has anybody from my address book- stop processing rules, it then goes to my inbox.

How did you do that? Have you just few contacts in the address book?

After struggling with spam filters for 2 years I finally realized I don't need one. (none worked to my satisfaction)

Don't want to be a pain, but did you test Spamihilator?

[testy]

Yes, I tried about 20 different spam filters.  The best one, Cloudmark worked the best but cost 40 bucks a year.  My filter works just as well.  I have a lot of addresses but it all goes into the same rule.  Its so easy, I always thought you had to make a rule for each entry and you don't.  The rule is created as like this:  "Where the from line contains people"  Second part  "Stop processing rules"   Down at the bottom when you have to select people, after you click it a "Select People" box pops up. It has a button "address book", you then select all the people in your address book.  Second rule# -   "For all messages"  "move to specified folder"  you can then select deleted items folder or create your own "Spam" folder. (must creat Spam folder before creating rule) Works like a charm.  If you do find anything that goes past, you right click e-mail, "add to address book".  Then go and add new contact to the first message rule, very easy.  Thunderbird is even easier, it has an option in its message rules that you can select "isn't in my address book" then send it to Spam folder.  Only one rule in Thunderbird is needed. It is even easier to add new contacts, just right click and add to address book, no need to modify the  rule.

[Lisandro]

Yes, I tried about 20 different spam filters.  The best one, Cloudmark worked the best but cost 40 bucks a year.  My filter works just as well.  I have a lot of addresses but it all goes into the same rule.  Its so easy, I always thought you had to make a rule for each entry and you don't.  The rule is created as like this:  "Where the from line contains people"  Second part  "Stop processing rules"   Down at the bottom when you have to select people, after you click it a "Select People" box pops up. It has a button "address book", you then select all the people in your address book.  Second rule# -   "For all messages"  "move to specified folder"  you can then select deleted items folder or create your own "Spam" folder. (must creat Spam folder before creating rule) Works like a charm.  If you do find anything that goes past, you right click e-mail, "add to address book".  Then go and add new contact to the first message rule, very easy.  Thunderbird is even easier, it has an option in its message rules that you can select "isn't in my address book" then send it to Spam folder.  Only one rule in Thunderbird is needed. It is even easier to add new contacts, just right click and add to address book, no need to modify the  rule.

Thanks... very comprehensive and useful