avast! 4.8 Home - email scanner

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Hi, I have just installed avast! home 4.8 on my newly formatted Windows 7 computer. All is working fine with it apart from one thing that is more of a niggling little thing that has got me thinking. The email scanner, is it only for outlook? I am using a browser called SeaMonkey, basically Firefox and it has a built in email client, which I am using for my gmail account. However I am a bit nervous about possible virus' getting in via this if avast's email scanner only works with outlook. Can anyone shed some light on this because I am stumped. I have checked the settings on avast and don't see any possible option to select the program you want it to scan the emails from. Is there a add-on/plug-in I could maybe get so my emails do get scanned? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Luke

[Pondus]

Don't worry, Gmail have already scanned the mail before it reaches  you, using two virus engines, McAfee and Authentium

Gmail is using secure mail (SSL - Secure Sockets Layer) and Avast cant scan this unless using a program called stunnel http://www.stunnel.org/

[Hermite15]

so yeah, if you wanna stick to V4.8, you need stunnel, otherwise you could switch to the beta of avast 5 that's got an ssl proxy integrated and can now scan gmail in clients. If you need help about that, go to the beta section  

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Or use outlook instead of the built in email client on SeaMonkey? Just a bit of annoyance that avast email scanner is only for outlook.

[Hermite15]

Or use outlook instead of the built in email client on SeaMonkey? Just a bit of annoyance that avast email scanner is only for outlook.

we told you already (or didn't we...no we didn't  ), what makes you say that avast email scanner is only for outlook     it works with all email clients.

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The email scanner, is it only for outlook? I am using a browser called SeaMonkey, basically Firefox and it has a built in email client, which I am using for my gmail account. However I am a bit nervous about possible virus' getting in via this if avast's email scanner only works with outlook. Can anyone shed some light on this because I am stumped. I have checked the settings on avast and don't see any possible option to select the program you want it to scan the emails from.

I didnt for certain say it didn't work, I asked the question It's a browser based email client so I don't no for certain. I don't see any settings in there or anything about avast scanning it or nothing.

[DavidR]

You said this in your first post:

I am using a browser called SeaMonkey, basically Firefox and it has a built in email client, which I am using for my gmail account.

An email client doesn't use a browser to view email, but downloads the email from the server and views the email in the email client (inbox, etc.).

If you are using webmail only viewed through your browser then the Web Shield would be monitoring webmail, however if you are logged into gmail and it is an HTTPS, SSL secure communication, then the web shield 'can't' monitor that. This is the whole point of secure communication, to keep prying eyes out, including AVs.

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Meh, think ill goto outlook lol

[Hermite15]

I never tried SeaMonkey integrated email client, but I guess it's close to Thunderbird, nothing to do with a web based client. It's just a suite, so avast should work with it. Open the client's settings 

[aandacooper]

I have a similar problem with Windows7(64 bit) and Thunderbird. Avast 4.8 blocks my POP account and I have to turn it off to receive emails.  I have the identical set up on my WinXP machine with Avast 4.8 and it works OK.
Does any one know if there a fix for the problem?

[Hermite15]

I'm running V5 beta now but I've used 4.8 several months on Win7/64 (beta, RC and RTM) with Thunderbird and had no issues at all with the mail scanner...yeah, I was running Stunnel at the same time as ssl proxy, to allow avast to scan mails.

[DavidR]

I have a similar problem with Windows7(64 bit) and Thunderbird. Avast 4.8 blocks my POP account and I have to turn it off to receive emails.  I have the identical set up on my WinXP machine with Avast 4.8 and it works OK.
Does any one know if there a fix for the problem?

avast doesn't block, it scans and alerts to infected email, so what else is in the mix.

What errors are you getting, please post the full error text ?
Are you using SSL for your email transmission ?

What is your firewall ?
Does it allow ashMaiSv.exe internet access ?
- If it does delete the entry for it and try to collect your email, this should force the firewall to ask permission again.

[aandacooper]

Re your query about the firewall. 
This machine came with a version of Norton which I thought I had completely disabled. On further inspection I found part of Norton still running.  Dissabled that and Avast worked OK
Thanks for your help.

[DavidR]

No problem, glad I could help.

I would take it a step further as Norton can be a pig to remove completely:
A link worth looking at, which is a program removal tool that can remove the remnants of a number of different Norton Programs:
Removing your Norton program using SymNRT
Or ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/removal_tools/Norton_Removal_Tool.exe

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