No email scan in SeaMonkey

[R.Fenton]

I am not a novice, but I'm still having problems with a SeaMonkey/XP installation. After downloading and installing 4.8 home edition and letting it scan all drives and partitions (zero infections), I noticed it was not scanning my SeaMonkey (Mozilla) email. I first consulted the HELP menu (well done btw!) but it directed me to an email Wizard that does not exist in my Start Menu (my 3 choices are Anti-virus, Web Site and Help). I then noticed the warning about not installing while your email client was running, and although I was fairly certain it wasn't, I un-installed and re-installed anyway just in case. I still have the same problem - no matter what settings I choose (Insert note in clean messages received / sent) the 'Scanned count' number stays at zero and there is no message added to incoming or outgoing mail.  Ideas?

[alanrf]

The simplest thoughts that come to mind are the limitations of the scanning by avast.

In XP systems avast scans by default any email connections (irrespective of email client) using only the unsecured POP port 110, SMTP port 25 and IMAP port 143.

If your email connection is made using any secure connections then (by the very nature and intent of secure connections) avast cannot scan those.

We can proceed somewhat further to help ... but are you using secured connections (SSL/TLS) for your email? 

Since you are a SeaMonkey user there is also the possibility that you are using add-ons to access Webmail like Hotmail/Yahoo ... if so then please advise  ... and again further help is available.  

[R.Fenton]

Thanks alanrf, for trying to help.  I'm importing / exporting to / from a POP-3 g-mail account using SSL (pop.gmail.com - port 995 and smtp.gmail.com - port 587) using the SeaMonkey mail client as per Google's instructions.  This all began after I updated my WinXP-pro to SP3 and noticed my previous anti-virus program (AVG-free) was no longer checking for viruses. Perhaps gmail provides sufficient virus protection that I don't need to worry about this?

[DavidR]

Gmail does scan its emails, you can also go a long way to help yourself, but not opening attachments or clicking on links in unsolicited email. Even if it supposedly comes from friends (but is out of context) as the from address is easily faked.

When avast 5 comes out (no firm dates) that should be able to scan SSL/TLS email.

[R.Fenton]

Thanks David R. for the helpful input - and the sneak-peek at version 5... 

I guess I won't worry about Avast not scanning my mail but I'm still perplexed about why I don't have an  'email Wizard'  when the Help page on the topic claims I should.  After all, Micro$oft stll requires me to keep IE and Outlook installed and updated, so why don't I have a Wizard?

[DavidR]

You don't need it as you have XP and for that avast's email protection is transparent, no need to set anything up.

From the same reference you quoted about the Mail Protection Wizard:

If you use avast! 4.5 or newer and your operating system is Windows NT, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista or 2008, you don't have to do any special settings, even for other email clients. avast! 4.5 features a new method of email protection that is very easy for the user - it works completely automatically.

The wizard is only required for earlier OSes, win9x, winME, so you aren't missing anything.