Regular,
If you have uninstalled Avast, then two things need to be done:
First: download the Avast uninstall utility from the avast site.
http://www.avast.com/i_idt_1336.htmlSecond: What mail client do you use to process your email....Outlook Express? MS Exchange/Express? Pegasus? etc.....
If you use a separate mail client, then you will need to go into the configuation, preferences or options (whatever the respective section is within the client) and RESET the server addresses to the proper codes as provided by BT such as incomingmail.btopenworld.com and outgoingmail.btopenworld.com for pop3 and smtp respectively.
Avast changes these to 127.0.0.1 and appends your mail address with the appersand " # " as regularguy#outgoingmail.btopenworld.com
NOW: The username is only added if SMTP authentication was ON before Avast was installed....otherwise Avast just adds the "#" such as #outgoingmail.btopenworld.com
I know this gets a bit confusing but it took me awhile to get it straight myself.
Hope this helps. If not let me know.
We should be able to get Avast working. It appears that Avast was not configured properly in the beginning. Let's get your email working as before and then if you want to try and install Avast, then we will be by your side to get it done correctly.