Avast! On-Access Scanner Providers

[Bellzemos]

Hello!

I would like to know more about these 3 proveders:
Instant Messaging
Internet Mail
Outlook/Exchange

I don't know if I need them (Outlook/Exchange proveder isn't running as it seems, but the other two are).

I'm using "Google Mail (Gmail)" for emails and "aMSN" for messaging. What do you suggest?

Can you also tell me which providers match which EXE files in task manager (ashServ.exe and all others)?

By the way, I'm using Windows XP.

So far I've been using all the providers (7 total/6 running) set on "high" and had no problems, but my system is a bit slow, so I would like to know which ones I could shut down and still have all the protection I need.

Thank you! 

[Black3agl3]

Hello!
I don't know if I need them (Outlook/Exchange proveder isn't running as it seems, but the other two are).

Hi
the outlook provider runs only if u start outlook

By the way, I'm using Windows XP.

So far I've been using all the providers (7 total/6 running) set on "high" and had no problems, but my system is a bit slow, so I would like to know which ones I could shut down and still have all the protection I need.

I think all r important...

Thank you!  

U r welcome

edit:

I'm using "Google Mail (Gmail)" for emails and "aMSN" for messaging. What do you suggest?

I've not tried any of these but I use WLM for messaging n Windows Live mail for e-mail...
U could try trillian for instant messaging ( never tried myself)

[Lisandro]

So far I've been using all the providers (7 total/6 running) set on "high" and had no problems, but my system is a bit slow, so I would like to know which ones I could shut down and still have all the protection I need.

Standard Shield should be configurated to work at "Normal" level, the best balance between protection and performance.

[mathboyx215]

Since you don't use outlook,your can turn off the outlook/exchange provider

[Black3agl3]

Since you don't use outlook,your can turn off the outlook/exchange provider

but, the provider doesn't run unless u start outlook, right?

[Lisandro]

but, the provider doesn't run unless u start outlook, right?

Right.

[Bellzemos]

First, thank you all for helping me.

So, I'll leave Outlook/Exchange provider on in case I'll ever start using it (not likely, but since it's not running at all I'll just keep it alert).

But what about Instant Messaging? I use a program called "aMSN" and I think that it's not covered with Avast protecton. Should I keep running the provider?

And what about Internet Mail? I only use Gmail and sometimes Yahoo Mail, all via Mozilla Firefox internet browser. So, do I have to keep that provider running?

I don't know so much about all that, so please tell me more.

About the Standard Shield - thank you for the advice, but I'll keep it in "high" mode, because I'm a bit of paranoid.

And again, please: Can you tell me which provider matches which EXE file in the task manager (ashServ.exe, ashWebSv.exe,...)? Which is for what?

Thank you!

[norel]

With regard to aMSN, it's not listed specifically in the list of programs to scan but I think it should be covered by MSN/Windows Messenger.

One way you could test it is just leave the Instant Messaging scanner on, make sure "Animate the icon when scanning" is checked in Program Settings and when you receive an IM watch the avast icon in the system tray and see if it rotates. If it does, then it's scanning and you should leave it on.

From what I've read in the User's Guide, the IM scanner scans a wide variety of shared files so I leave it on even though I never chat or IM.

[Bellzemos]

I can't tell if it's scanning aMSN, because my little "a ball" is spinning pretty much all the time.


"From what I've read in the User's Guide, the IM scanner scans a wide variety of shared files so I leave it on even though I never chat or IM."

Are you relating to Instant Messaging or Internet Mail with IM?


About Internet Mail provider - I only use Gmail and sometimes Yahoo Mail (all in Mozilla Firefox). So do I have any benefit's from Internet Mail provider? Is there something to configure maybe? Or should I terminate Internet Mail provider because I don't need it?

And again, please: Can you tell me which provider matches which EXE file in the task manager (ashServ.exe, ashWebSv.exe,...)? Which is for what? Or is that a secret?

Thank you!

[Black3agl3]

I think he's relating to instant messaging, in both cases...

[Bellzemos]

Aha, thank you.

Well, could someone tell me about the Internet Mail provider please?
I only use Gmail and sometimes Yahoo Mail (via Mozilla Firefox browser).
So, do I have any benefit's from Avast's Internet Mail provider? Or should I terminate it?

And can you please also tell me which one of these files is which provider? And which one I'm missing (since I have 6 of them running)?

ashDisp.exe
ashMaiSv.exe
ashServ.exe
ashWebSv.exe
aswUpdSv.exe

Thank you!

[Bellzemos]

Could you please tell me where I can read some information about that? It's not written in the manual... Thank you.

[spg SCOTT]

The internet mail scanner will not scan the emails, because you are using
a) secured email (gmail)
b) a browser to view them.

You will need to use something like thunderbird (and stunnel for the gmail - not sure about yahoo)

However,

In the time since I have used avast!, I have only been infected once (not my fault ) If it weren't for the mail scanner, I wouldn't have known (it alerted to loads of emails being sent...)
I choose to have all of the previders running, purely because of this experience, however you can choose to disable it if you want.

I think these are right:

ashDisp.exe = tray icon/GUI
ashMaiSv.exe = Mail scanner
ashServ.exe =Actual scanning engine
ashWebSv.exe = Web Shield
aswUpdSv.exe = update service

-Scott-

[Bellzemos]

OK, thank you for the explanation. I will leave all the providers on (ashMaiSv.exe only takes 1.028K of memory) even though I use Gmail and don't really need it.

[DavidR]

It is not just worth leaving the Internet Mail provide on, but increasing the sensitivity to High, this doesn't take any extra resources as it is essentially dormant, waiting. With it set to High it could be the first indication you get of either a Hidden or Undetected trojan spambot on your system.

These trojan spambots have their own SMTP engine, so don't use your email client (if you have one), but they would still use standard SMTP protocol on port 25 which is monitlred by the Internet Mail provider.