Windows Live Mail configuration & Avast settings for ISP account

[balm]

i have set up my ISPs (Bell Sympatico) account in Windows Live Mail (WLM)(mail client).


1. should i be scanning this email with Avast Mail shield, or rely only on the ISP provider security (they recommend NEVER to disable SSL under any circumstance in config for WLM)?

also i have enabled https directly thru ISPs options (although even they said this doesnt matter or they dont think so)?

2. my understanding is that to get Avast mail shield to scan these emails, i need to disable SSL in the WLM configuration for this account, it then uses SMTP #25, POP3 #110, then in Avast Mail shield, SSL accounts, it seems to use POP3 #995, smtp #25, encryption is SSL on both, also under troubleshooting, redirects, i include smtp #25, #587?, pop3 #110, imap #143, NNTP #119, and leave ignore loc comm checked ? (is all this correct)

thanks

[CraigB]

Iv never been able to get avast to scan windows live mail but then i use it with hotmail which is automatically scanned with trend micro.

[scythe944]

I maybe mistaken, but I believe SSL email connections will be able to be scanned in future releases of Avast, be it 5.1 (very close to being released hopefully) or 6, which should be released early 2011.

Only time will tell though.

[DavidR]

Whilst they may recommend NEVER to disable SSL under any circumstance in config for WLM, what they aren't taking account of is that anti-virus software can't scan that encrypted traffic. They also aren't aware that avast will take care of the secure connection having scanned the email.

If the Sympatico accounts are using the standard non-encrypted ports, 110 (POP3) and 25 (SMTP) rather than the regular or rather standard encrypted ports, 995 (secure POP3) and 465 or 578 (secure SMTP), then it can cause confusion.

But I think you can get it to work, I. Try this you will have to uncheck the SSL option in the WLM account settings. Open the avast Mail Shield's, Expert Settings, SSL Accounts and ensure that the account is set to port 25 and Encryption set to SSL. If that doesn't work try setting the Port to 465 and Encryption to SSL.

I have an SMTP email account that is set as smtp port 25 and no SSL, but in the mail shield, ssl accounts the port is shown as 465 encryption set to ssl and that works for me. However, I'm using thunderbird and that is a BT Yahoo email account.

[balm]

Thank you sir,


Sympatico uses POP3  #995, and smtp #25. when i uncheck SSL on both POP3, and smtp, POP3 changes to #110 automatically,and smtp #25 stays. then in Avast, SSL accounts, POP3 is showing #995/SSL, and smtp #25/SSL

does this make sense, it seems to be scanning when i send a test message to and fro....

[DavidR]

You're welcome.

Avast should be able to detect what the email server is expecting (up to a point) and set the avast ssl account settings accordingly.

So (up to a point) it makes sense to me as this isn't an area that I have any specialist knowledge in; so long as a) it shows that the traffic to/from avast is SSL and b) most importantly it works, e.g. you can send and receive email.

[balm]

sounds good so far, ill leave things as they are and watch for the traffic , and report files


another issue:

 -NO avast scan status note appears in the messages when looking at the email received, or sent, in the mail client (WML), i DO however see "outbound clean" avast note in the message when looking at the email received in for example gmail (webmail).

1. is there  away to make the avast scan status note appear in the emails in the mail client....or is this a WLM thing??? i looked in the email options in WLM but not sure which if any setting would enable to see the avast scan status note in the email ....

[DavidR]

The Mail Shield doesn't scan Webmail, as it isn't coming in using the normal email protocols (so you are seeing the fact that it was scanned outbound), so you won't see any stats for that, though you should see the changes in the email scanned and total scanned figures, see image.

I don't know what you mean by showing in the email client, you won't see it in the sent items folder as the clean note is only entered when it passes from WLM to avast before being passed on its way by avast. So you only see it on emails that you (or another avast user) sent and then receive.

[balm]

thank you DavidR for your patience,


1.i will clarify, i have set my isp (sympatico.ca) account in WLM.

2. I have a web mail (@gmail.com) account. I accessed webmail account from internet, sent an email from @gmail.com to sympatico.ca.

3. i accessed WLM (sympatico.ca) account. The received email does not contain a note re. avast....?
( i believe the email was actually scanned by avast before entering mail client, since the mail shield traffic shows it....

 

[DavidR]

The clean note option has to be set up in the Mail Shield, Expert Settings, Behaviour. I believe that by default it is left blank, I see little point in marking inbound email as a) I wouldn't see the need as b) avast gives an audible alert on detection.

I do however, have the insert note into clean message (outgoing), if for no other reason to spread the word about avast

[balm]

the clean note provides confidence the email was checked (in addition to the graphs - as they can have bugs as i experienced), and thus the scanning is functioning, if there is no point in clean note, it shouldnt be an option  imo

the sound is fine if you are at the computer when it happens!

i have all notes selected in behavior, but so far the only way the clean note appears in WLM, is if i do email options, read as plain txt, (in WML), then i get the note  but also the email with the email as an html attachment included  

 

[DavidR]

Sorry, but I still see no point in the clean note in inbound email, not only do you have the audible alert there are also the automated actions upon detection, Expert Setting, Actions and you have three options/actions to take in order, for Virus, PUP or Suspicious. These can be user set.

I personally like to take charge of what goes on on my system so I have set the first action in all cases to Ask, which means the alert window will be sat waiting for your action, should there be a detection.

I don't use WLM, so I can't give any practical advice on why that may not be happening.

[balm]

thanks DavidR, i understand your point, i set the action first to "move to chest", then "ask", never delete, this would be appropriate also?

thnaks

[DavidR]

Yes, as that would mean if the move to the chest failed for any reason, you get the Ask interactive window there, as soon as Ask is in the loop it terminates any option behind that as effectively it can't fail as it is waiting for user input.

[balm]

thanks,

ok so i read up on the clean notes issue and found many earlier posts about it being an issue, some had no solutions, or no replies, so i guess its something WLM doesnt like...i know your point, but i guess i just get annoyed a little when it doesnt do what i think it can, or should do...