4.8.1282 freezes Outlook Express

[thebluejay]

Sorry to report this but version 4.8.1282 freezes Outlook Express running under Win2K. E-mails will open, but clicking on a link in an e-mail message causes a freeze-up and Outlook Express needs to be shut down using the Task Manager. Reinstalling version 4.8.1201 did the trick for me while versions 4.8.1227 and 4.8.1229 also caused the same difficulty.

[DavidR]

No such problem with XP Pro, OE6 SP3 and avast 4.8.1282.

Firstly avast doesn't scan the link or the web page unless your browser opens to start loading that page and the web shield would scan the page. But, you aren't even getting that far.

Did this previously work with 4.8.1227 and 4.8.1229 before you updated to 4.8.1282 ?

[thebluejay]

Well, I found the problem. After doing countless uninstalls and reinstalls of various versions and cleaning up the registry till I was blue in the face, I finally discovered that the issue was with my firewall. After allowing Avast free access in and out through my firewall, everything returned back to normal (even with the latest update) and Avast is performing exactly as it should--that is, beautifully!

[alanrf]

This is not an exactly unknown or unreported confluence of avast and firewall. 

To possibly help others who may encounter this issue now and in the coming days can you please advise us of the firewall product you are using?

[DavidR]

As Alan mentions it isn't that unusual as after a program update (any program that connects to the internet certainly) your firewall might block it because the program having been updated has changed.

The problem in this case appears to be that your firewall (you didn't say which) isn't very polite  and notify you of the changed status and ask if it is OK to allow (or you have disabled that function).

[thebluejay]

The firewall I am using is Sunbelt Personal Firewall 4.6.1839.0. I am quite surprised that this happened since the firewall generally does advise me of any changes and asks if I want to approve them. In any event, I just installed the 4.8.1290 update of Avast and it works beautifully--and no change was required to my firewall settings.

The help was much appreciated.

[Lisandro]

and no change was required to my firewall settings.

Do you mean the firewall did not advice you that avast changed? It should...
Maybe removing avast entries and allowing them again solve the glitch.