All Netscape Inbox mail corrupt after Avast scan

[Ed_P]

Yes, but:

I have emails going back YEARS.
AVs have been known to create false positives, Avast! included.

Thus it is possible Avast! could suddenly find a virus in an old email and wipe out all my emails. 

The next pattern update could fix the false positive problem but it won't restore the destroyed email files.

So, where should I put the exclusion?

[DavidR]

The first thing I would do is consider my back-up and recovery strategy to protect data I don't want to lose. The inbox is the one most likely to corruption/deletion (not just by and AV), mainly because it is the one open if you have any computer crash/problem.

So the Inbox shouldn't be used as a general storage folder, more of a pending tray in an office, when read it is actioned and filled in a folder more appropriate to its content.

The scan that would check those email database files is the on-demand scan and the Program Setting, Exclusions, Add is where you would input the path not to be scanned.

[Ed_P]

Thank you DavidR. 

[DavidR]

You're welcome.

[Ed_P]

-Minor follow up-

What's the correct way to specify an exclusion for a folder?

M:\Netscape\Mail

M:\Netscape\Mail\

M:\Netscape\Mail\*

Avast Help recommends the latter if the folder has subfolders but what if it doesn't.

[alanrf]

If, in the Exclusions section of the avast Programs Settings, you use the "Browse" button to make your selection then avast will make the correct entry for you. 

However, to the best of my knowledge, avast will not penalize you for an entry that seeks to exclude non-existent subfolders.

[igor]

Only the last mask excludes something - the first two are useless.