email scanner not working...

[bigdave]

The email scanner on my Avast doesn't appear to be working   , I've received 2 mails with attacments which were obviously virii and it didn't pick them up, so I sent myself the Eicar test file and it didn't pick that up either. When I checked the settings, on Outlook/Exchange the icon is greyed out and it says " The provider is waiting for a subsystem to start"  . As far as I can see, all settings are correct, and the rest of the programme is working just fine. Anyone have any ideas?
BTW I am using Avast 4.1 Home Edition, build 4.1.418
Virus database version 0434-2, on Windows 2000 Pro with Outlook Express 6.
Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer!  

[Lisandro]

Bigdave, as you wrote, you use Outlook Express that requires Internet Mail provider and not MS Outlook (which uses Outlook/Exchange plugin).
The greyed out icon is ok. "The provider is waiting for a subsystem to start" is the Outlook/Exchange waiting that you open full Outlook (not Express)

Did you run Mail Protection Wizard? Was OE closed when you run it?
How are your email account settings? Changed to 127.0.0.1?
Do you see an icon on the system tray?
Does your email messages have an attached note of avast?
Does your email have a header with a line with X-Antivirus mark?

[bigdave]

Cheers m8, I've sorted it now....I checked the IP after reading your reply and somehow the server had changed itself back to pop.tiscali.co.uk instead of 127.0.0.1. I changed it back and sent myself the Eicar test file again and it picked it up straight away. Don't know how it changed though, I've been using it for months without any trouble and I've not touched any of my mail or broadband settings for like 6 months. Weird!LOL

[r1wigs]

Thank goodness I read this thread.  I noticed an  e-mail the other day that I thought was very suspicious.  It was from somebody I didn't know and had an attachment.  I deleted without opening.  I thought it odd because I thought Avast was scanning e-mail.  After reading this thread, I started investigating, and found out I had not set it up correctly.  What I don't understand, every time I opened OE, I would see the little "letter" emblem pop up next to the Avast blue ball.  If not scanning the e-mail, what was it doing?

[Eddy]

Every application needs to be configured. And to do it the right way, you as user need some knowledge. Read the manuals! Take the time! Many, many, many things go wrong/users get in troubles, because they didn't take the time to learn about there OS and the applications they want to use

[r1wigs]

Yes, I agree, but it still doesn't answer my question.  When I opened Outlook Express, while it was downloading mail, the little Avast e-mail emblem appeared next to the blue ball.  If it wasn't scanning the e-mail for viruses, what was it doing?

[bob3160]

r1wigs
Welcome to the Forum.

When I opened Outlook Express, while it was downloading mail, the little Avast e-mail emblem appeared next to the blue ball

If this is the image you're referring to, then you're right. It was scanning your e-mail. If it had found something, and your sound was turned on, I guarantee you would have known about it.
Hope this helps. If not, please explain further.

[r1wigs]

Yes, thats it,  but I I temporarily shut down Avast , sent the test e-mail, and turned Avast back on.  I restarted Avast and downloaded my e-mail.  That same emblem appeared while it was getting the e-mail.  Didn't catch the virus. I then ran the wizard, corrected my mistake and retested.  It caught the virus.  I'm glad thats fixed but calling Outlook Express an internet mail account is wrong.  Hotmail and Yahoo are internet mail accounts.  I think there is a glitch here somewhere.

[bob3160]

r1wigs

I'm glad thats fixed but calling Outlook Express an internet mail account is wrong.

That term simply differentiates it from Outlook (not OE). I guess POP3 would have been better except that there are people who don't know what pop3 is.
I'm glad you've solved your problem and welcome to Avast!