DATE WRITTEN UP: 18 Mar 2010, 11:06
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I attempted to go to Avast5 and Comodo4. After several days of fustration, it looks like I will be staying with Comodo3.x and Avast 4.x for a bit. However before I explain why, I have to set something up, so you understand some of my comments.
When I get a new computer, I repartition it and format the partitions. On my notebook the HDD is partitioned out as:
1. Partition name (SYSTEM): The normal stuff
2. Partition name (INSTALLS): Most of my install distributions (e.g. CDs copied to directories, to make installs quicker). Examples:
\00-INSTALLS\00-CURRENT_CONFIG\(FREEWARE)_CCLEANER
\00-INSTALLS\00-CURRENT_CONFIG\(FREEWARE)_MOZILLA
\00-INSTALLS\00-CURRENT_CONFIG\(FREEWARE)_SPYBOT
\00-INSTALLS\00-CURRENT_CONFIG\(RETAIL)_PERFECTDISK_7_RETAIL_CD
3. Partition name (GHOST): Images of my computer at stragetic points during the build process:
01-BASIC WINDOWS XP PRO
02-DRIVERS
03-SP3
04-SP3-AVAST-VNC
05-SP3-GHOST-ZIP-TXTPAD-ACRO-PTR
06-SP3-WIN-UPD
07-SP3-WIN-UPD-SETTINGS-CHGD
08-SP3-OFC-(2007)-PRO-OFC-UPD
09-SP3-APPS-AVS-PSE-NO-BDS4(JCL3)_MYSQL
10-SP3-BDS4(JCL3)_MYSQL
11-SP3-BDS4(JCL3)-FF3-RF-PSE-AVS_MYSQL-FF3
12-CATCHUP
I have these ghost images, plus my backup files also on external HDD (two copies [other than the above] of each of the ghost, and the last 6 backups).
Periodically I backup my computer (files I have chosen, plus other things) into ZIP files. Before major changes are made to my computer, the computer is also backed up via ZIP files, and also a GHOST image made.
Finally, before talking about AVAST/COMODO, let me explain one more thing. When I add software (say for instance new "apps" in this example), I will backup my computer, restore to step 08 above, and complete the install process from that point, ghosting it at the same points. In this way, I have pristine copy of my computer in the event something goes wrong.
For instance, say my computer crashed two days after my last backup. I would take step 12, restore my computer in a pristine condition then recover my files via WINZIP, and I'm back in business, with only a couple of days of lost data. But, when it comes to e-mail, I still have copies on the server, that I can restore them from. If I do a lot of work on the computer, I then perform an incremental backup (files that have changed since the last full backup), and so my loss of data is minimal.
I know the above was a lot of info, but it was needed to understand what I'm not going to say about COMODO/AVAST.
A couple of days ago, I was upgrading to AVAST5/COMODO4. So, using the above, I restored "03" and moved forward from there. Each time AVAST disabled the MailShield when I rebooted the computer. At first, I just blew it off, waiting until I completed step "08" (Office - thinking it was because office wasn't installed). However, even with Outlook AND Avast properly configured for SSL scanning, my computer on boot up would have the mailshield disabled. I would re-enable it, it would work fine. I would reboot, and it was disabled again.
So, I restored my computer with the previous build step "12", recovered by files, and went on. At this point I was on Avast4/Comodo3. Last night I decided to try it again. Since I hadn't deleted the previous ghost images from trying to install AVAST5/COMODO4, I ghosted my computer as it was (with everything in place), when restored step "08" from the AVAST5/COMODO4 build.
The same thing occurred. Since I had multiple e-mail accounts, some using SSL, some not, I did the following:
1. Removed all SSL accounts, rebooted 12 times, mailshied was enabled each time.
2. Restored the e-mail accounts (via registry script) back to what they were before #1.
3. Deleted all non-SSL accounts, rebooted 8 times, mailshied was disabled each time. I confirmed after the first reboot, that all SSL accounts in outlook was configured as AVAST help file said to.
4. Restored the e-mail accounts (via registry script) back to what they were before #1.
5. Rebooted 10 times, mailshied was disabled each time. Confirmed before the first reboot that the SSL setting were as instructed by AVAST.
So, at this point, I used the ghost image I took before this test to restore my computer.
I'm not the only one with this problem. I've Googled it, and there are other having similar problems. So at this point, I don't recommend going to AVAST5.
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It would really be nice if AVAST would explain what the scoop is!
