Avast, Thunderbird and W98

[eva_74]

Hi to everybody!
I've tried to find a solution for my issue in your forum but with any success, then I've dicided to post here in order to find a solution.

In a pc with W98 I'm using Thunderbird as mail client. Two days ago I've installed Avast (that I'm currently using on my laptop with XP).
Unfortunately every time I start the pc I receive 4 popup messages concerning SMTP, POP3, IMAP and NNTP alarms as follows:

Avast! Alarm in mail protection
Avast! Will not be able to protect the incoming (outgoing) emails (protocol POP3/SMTP/IMAP/NNTP). Error: 10093

I've tried to manually configure (as explained in the guide) Avast and in TB I've put 127.0.0.1 as POP and SMTP server with users settled as XXXX#pop.yyyy.com but TB gave me server errors and it's not able nor to download or receive emails.

This is the current configuration in avast4.ini

[MailScanner]
SmtpListen=127.0.0.1:1621
PopListen=127.0.0.1:1622
ImapListen=127.0.0.1:143
NntpListen=127.0.0.1:1623
UseDefaultSmtp=0
DefaultPopServer=pop.tiscali.it
DefaultSmtpServer=out.alice.it
ShowTrayIcon=1
AutoSetProtection=1
PopRedirectPort=110
SmtpRedirectPort=25
ImapRedirectPort=143
NntpRedirectPort=119
IgnoreAddress=
IgnoreLocalhost=1
AutoRedirect=1

Have you any idea of what I can do to fix this bug?
Thank you!

[Jahn]

Hi eva, welcome to the forum.

I think this is related to your firewall blocking Avast mail service. The computer I'm on right now doesn't have Avast installed, but from memory it's called something like ashmail.svc.

[ProgrammerGuy]

Your firewall needs to allow ASHMAISV.EXE, if in fact your firewall is the problem... 

[eva_74]

Sorry, I cannot understand. I have a physical firewall in the US Robotics router I use for ADSL.
But it's the same router I use with my laptop (with Avast and XP) without any problem.
How can I set the router firewall in order to allow ashmaisrv.exe to work? 
Furthermore Avast don't have any problem with updates, so if aswUpdSv.exe works fine maybe also ashmaisv.exe can work the same...

[Vladimyr]

Hi eva_74

I'm not sure why your port settings are:

SmtpListen=127.0.0.1:1621
PopListen=127.0.0.1:1622
NntpListen=127.0.0.1:1623

Does your ISP use SSL encryption? Because avast! cannot scan encrypted transmission.


Here's mine: Mozilla Mail with Windows 95

Server Type: POP
Server Name: 127.0.0.1
User Name: MyUserName#mail.optusnet.com.au
(According to the info you provided, yours would be: YourUserName#pop.tiscali.it)

[MailScanner]
SmtpListen=127.0.0.1:25
PopListen=127.0.0.1:110
ImapListen=127.0.0.1:143
NntpListen=127.0.0.1:119
UseDefaultSmtp=0
DefaultPopServer=mail.optusnet.com.au
DefaultSmtpServer=mail.optusnet.com.au
ShowTrayIcon=1
AutoSetProtection=1
PopRedirectPort=110
SmtpRedirectPort=25
ImapRedirectPort=143
NntpRedirectPort=119
IgnoreAddress=
IgnoreLocalhost=1
AutoRedirect=1

[eva_74]

I don't use any encription.
The settings I have in Avast comes from wizard...  but I've tried to set mine as your Avast without any success... now I have error 10048 for all protocols who said me that all ports (25, 110, etc) are already in use.
I've checked with TCP view but any other application is using these ports...
I'm going crazy....

Also TB don't accept 127.0.0.1 as servers nor for incoming or outgoing.

[Mike Buxton]

Hi eva,

I use W98SE,  Avast Home  and Tiscali (non-Italian).

Earlier this month I added Thunderbird (with a few hours of trial and error).

There are quite a few friendly, and helpful experts who contribute here but,
since I am anything but expert, I will leave it a few days to see how you
get on before I even try to help.

I am impressed and most pleased with Avast (after some 10 months) so I
wish you every success.

My regards

PS
I wonder if you have used  the Avast Web Shield (perhaps with  Local Host 12080)
and the Standard Shield ( perhaps with an Eicar test) before you proceeded to
setting up Thunderbird?

[alanrf]

We would need to know a little bit more about the account setup in Thunderbird that you are trying to get avast to scan.

The port numbers you are using are certainly non-standard.  avast can only scan connections that are non-secured and these are usually port 110 for POP and 25 for SMTP. 

If your account in Thunderbird is using a security setting of SSL (or TLS) then avast cannot scan this mail account and trying to make avast do so will block access to the account.     

[eva_74]

We would need to know a little bit more about the account setup in Thunderbird that you are trying to get avast to scan.

The port numbers you are using are certainly non-standard.  avast can only scan connections that are non-secured and these are usually port 110 for POP and 25 for SMTP. 

If your account in Thunderbird is using a security setting of SSL (or TLS) then avast cannot scan this mail account and trying to make avast do so will block access to the account.     

I'm sorry but I'm using standard ports in TB, 110 for pop and 25 for SMTP and any SSl or TLS.
That's the reason WHY I cannot understand WHY Avast isn't scanning my emails... 

Mike... after your post I've better checked Avast settings and maybe you cannot understand my surprise when I've seen that only the standard shield is working!!! No web, no email... well... maybe I need another antivirus....?

[Mike Buxton]

Hi again eva,

There is nothing wrong with Avast:

If you use Internet Explorer load it then
Tools>Internet Options>Connections>Settings
then
tick Automatically detect settings
tick Use Proxy Server
at Address type Local Host
at Port type 12080
save

If you use another browser eg Firefox the process will be similar.

If you use more than one brower have all with the above setting.

Tell us if the Avast Web Shield is working

If it is then try Thunderbird again.

Personally I consider it a waste to time to check emails but that is another question.

If you still have a problem let me know at what time tomorrow (local Italian time) you can be on line tomorrow and we will try to join you.

My regards

[eva_74]

Hi again eva,

There is nothing wrong with Avast:

If you use Internet Explorer load it then
Tools>Internet Options>Connections>Settings
then
tick Automatically detect settings
tick Use Proxy Server
at Address type Local Host
at Port type 12080
save

If you use another browser eg Firefox the process will be similar.

If you use more than one brower have all with the above setting.

Tell us if the Avast Web Shield is working

If it is then try Thunderbird again.

Personally I consider it a waste to time to check emails but that is another question.

If you still have a problem let me know at what time tomorrow (local Italian time) you can be on line tomorrow and we will try to join you.

My regards

Hi Mike, thank you so much for your help.
However setting IE (and Firefox) as above (I've tried before reading your post...) the brower is not able to connect to internet, exactly as Thunderbird do.
I think that the problem is in both cases (email and Web scan) the dialogue with Avast; in both cases is not possible to pass through Avast nor as proxy or email server.
I cannot understand what can interfere with those settings but anyway it happens....
The only thing I've seen is that even without setting any proxy (in way to be able to connect to internet) the blue ball rolls when I'm using Firefox (default browser), but when I open Avast I don't find any web page scanned.
I know how Avast works as my husband use it on his laptop, but I've seen many difference in Avast on Xp environment as in W98 so I'm not sure that if I don't see any web page scanned, Avast is really not detecting any web page really, even if the blu ball is rolling. 
If you have any magic idea for me, I hope to be able to be online tomorrow morning between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m....
Thank you so much for your help. 

[Mike Buxton]

Good morning eva,

I will check at least every 20 minutes or so to see if/when you come on line.

When you do I will add a new thread trying to get expert help here.
Apart from that I will add anything new below, after quoting the time (hopefully in Italy)
followed by a line.
11.25 am------------------------------
=====================
Unless there is another suggestion - could we try to get:
Avast Web Shield working first and then attack the Thunderbird problem
In case it may help others to help eva:
Thunderbird Portable and Firefox v 2.20 Portable can be downloaded (for hard drive or USB use from PortableApps)
11.28 am-------------------------------
=====================
eva
Did you have another AV(s) (e.g. AVG 7.5) installed  before?
Most unlikely perhaps, but is a firewall blocking anything?
11.30 am - over - -------------------
==========================

eva, I'm not available fo a while - so I've asked for expert help in a new thread.
1.45 pm--------------------------------
==========================

[eva_74]

Mike, sorry for my late...

In the past I've installed AVG antivirus, but I've removed everything about it...
Regarding the firewall there's only the router firewall but I don't think this is the cause, as I use the same router with the laptop with Avast without any problem...

I agree with you, now it's better to find a solution to start the web shield.

[Jahn]

To be sure AVG is completely removed run the uninstaller at http://www.avg.com/download-tools and reboot.

[eva_74]

To be sure AVG is completely removed run the uninstaller at http://www.avg.com/download-tools and reboot.

Thank you for the suggestion!
Even if the old antivirus was Anti-Vir instead of AVG (my mistake), no Anti-Vir components are actually present in the system.