New to Avast! I have some Questions!

[Timo Schmidt]

Hi folks!

Today I downloaded Avast! Home Edition and installed it using the Key which was sent by the manufacturer of avast! .

Now the questions:

1. eMail-Support:

a) I have Microsoft Outlook XP (2002) SP3 as standard-client. Do i need all providers in the resident guard? For example the "Internet-Mail" seems to be useless in my opinion coz i have only Outlook... or do I need this service?

b) I have 2 eMail-Accounts: When I install avast! it asks me to protect all my accounts (I set the selection box and the option box "automatically protect all new created accounts). After this selection avast! shows a screen where I must insert my smtp and pop3 server. But you can only set ONE pop3 server and ONE smtp server. Why does avast! show this screen (I set "protect all my accounts" before!)


2. Starting avast!:

When you first start avast!, there appears a message which introduces how to use avast! There you have the choice to turn of this message by clicking on "never show these tips on avast!-startup" (I have the German version so I dont know if this is translated correct). The problem is that next time I start avast! the message is up again (no matter if I click on the select-box or not).
Is there a possibility of removing this message at startup through registry?



Sorry if my English isn't understandable when you first read but I would be grateful if the members who understand this posting could help me


Thanks


Timo

[GaryGo]

It is possible that you use Outlook to read Internet Mail.  the alternative, for Outlook is to read mail from an Exchange server, but most home users do not subscribe to an Exchange service.  So in fact, it's probably the Internet Mail scanner that will be the most active.

[S.Z.Craftec]

Hello Timo,

Your English is perfect, don't worry about that... I'll try to give you some answers (I'm just avast! additional skin designer) until someone from Alwil experts notice your post and try to give you more advanced answer... so, let's go...

1.) a) No you don't need to have Internet mail provider started unless you are going to use Outlook Express too. If you are using Microsoft Outlook you need Outlook/Exchange provider. For all other providers, it depends on you, do you want them to be started or not. Standard shield should be always active though...

b) If you selected to protect all your accounts, then all of your accounts are protected... don't worry. It asks you for your preferred POP3 server. Read carefully again. Those 2 that you select will be your default ones...

2.) It's not bug in avast! That's the problem with one of Internet Explorer security updates, believe me. I found some answers for my friend 'cause he had same problems as you are having right now... Just go here: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=811630 and apply that patch to your Internet Explorer.

Hope this helps a bit...

[GaryGo]

SZCraftec, are you saying the Avast does not use the Internet Mail provider to scan Internet Mail when retrieved by Outlook?

I stand by my earlier response (for the moment).  Just because Outlook is in use does not mean that Exchange is in use.  In fact, my own Outlook installation has a separate service for retrieving Internet (as opposed to Exchange) mail, and I do not get email from an Exchange server.

The original poster does not say if he's reading Internet or Exchange email.  He may be mistaken in saying the Internet Mail is not in use.  All he says is that he uses Outlook, not Exchange.

Sincerely,
Gary

[Lisandro]

SZCraftec, are you saying the Avast does not use the Internet Mail provider to scan Internet Mail when retrieved by Outlook?

I'll answer by Sasha (if he does not mind  ). No avast! does not use the Internet Mail provider to scan by MSOutlook. It uses an special plug-in that can be configurated by the other provider (Outlook/Exchange)

Don't worry you do not use Exchange...

About the help, more information about the avast4.ini file you can see here. See section, [Simple] and item ShowHelpCheckList. If 0 than it shows the Help Check List at startup. If 1, avast! will hide it! Maybe you have to boot your system  

[GaryGo]

I just noticed that Internet Mail is not scanning any messages.  Only Outlook/Exchange is scanning messages (even though I do not use Exchange).

I stand corrected, the Internet Mail provider is not used by Outlook.

Thanks,
Gary

[Lisandro]

I just noticed that Internet Mail is not scanning any messages.  Only Outlook/Exchange is scanning messages (even though I do not use Exchange).

I stand corrected, the Internet Mail provider is not used by Outlook.

Thanks,
Gary

Yes, you understand correct. The Internet Mail provider is not used by MS Outlook but only with Outlook Express (and other pop3/smtp email clients).

Did you get rid of that pop-up help?  

[Timo Schmidt]

Hi again!

WOW! So many answers! Didn't expect that

1 a) OK - I checked which provider is used by Outlook and it seems to be "Outlook/Exchange" because when I download my emails avast checks it even with uninstalled "Internet Mail" Provider

1 b) I also recognised that avast! checks all eMail accounts in outlook XP no matter which values you entered in the Standard/prefered SMTP/POP3 Server tab in the eMail-Protection-Wizard (why this option then  ).


2. Hmmm... somehow I managed to get rid of this compiled HTML-Thing. First I tried it with the avast!4.ini (like techincal described) - no success -the Value returned to 1 when I started avast!. Then I repeated this procedure but i left the avast!4.ini open (with the  show helpchecklist set to 0). Then i closed avast! and opened it again and set the check-box. I closed the avast4!.ini (by saving it before) and then avast!.

And now it doesnt show this ugly box Don't ask me why...


Finally I'm happy that so many of you helped me out of this stuff and gave good explanations and hints to get avast! running smoothly


Tanks 2 U all again!


Greetings

Timo

[Vlk]

GaryCo, the Outlook/Exchange providers handles all Outlook versions in all configurations (no matter if they're set up to run in 'Collaborative mode' or 'Internet Mail Only', no matter if they're poping mails from Exchange servers or any other).

The name Outlook/Exchange refers to the ancient 'Exchange client' program that used to accompany Exchange Server 5.x and eariler. That one is covered by the provider as well (in fact internally it's an early version of Outlook). This also applies to the 'Windows Messaging' application that was part of the original Windows 95 - same thing.

Hope this clears it a bit,
Vlk

[Lisandro]

WOW! So many answers! Didn't expect that

Wellcome to forums!  

1 b) I also recognised that avast! checks all eMail accounts in outlook XP no matter which values you entered in the Standard/prefered SMTP/POP3 Server tab in the eMail-Protection-Wizard (why this option then  ).

To send files to avast! team for analysis, for instance. Some other programs could you the pop3/smtp protocol and avast! will use the default one. Never mind, as we said, avast! supports multiply pop3/smtp servers.