Avast deleted my "inbox"

[jguinn1]

I use mozilla thunderbird for my email client.  Avast was set to delete viruses when it found them.   I seems to have found a viruse in email but when I checked email after the virus scan all of my inbox email was gone.    I tried doing a system restore but to no luck.

Is there any way I can fix this?

I guess I will set avast up to repair instead of delete in the future.  

[Lisandro]

This is a Thunderbird limitation... It's written on their webpage  :'(
The majority of the times it will be merely impossible to repair the inbox file, not only for avast but any other antivirus.

Can you take a look into 'Links' in my signature and browse for Restoration tools? I suggest, for instance, Restorarion.

More info here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=7439;start=msg59074#msg59074

[Don_Miguel]

 :'(
I downloaded and installed Avast on a friend's w95
laptop some months ago ... and left it scanning.

MUCH later he got around to asking me for more help ... with a 'new' problem ... his [Netscape 4.7] inbox was missing, and as he never learned to properly use the address book ... he always replied to some earlier note
... and he was lost !

I had set _HIS_ Avast! to "quarantine" rather than to delete ... and there is a file .. of about 165 MB ! .. in his Quarantine folder.  // I think he MAY have  1 or 2 infected attachments somewhere, but I had had another A/V on
his box ( and mine, and several family members'...) before switching ( happily ! )  to Avast!  

I am at a loss as to how to carefully examine the contents
of this Quarantined file ( his inbox of many years ) to locate and remove the infected message(s).  [[text-editor ??]]

I can bnorrow an external ZIP drive, and ... maybe with winzip or RAR ?? ... split the 165 MB into 2 parts of about
83 MB or less ... and then load these parts for tranfer to MY PC [ across town from his ] where I might be able to
 do SOMETHING to restore his Netscape Inbox. (I hope!)  

This fellow usually uses an OLD, OLD Mac for writing documents, etc.  .... but only his wife's Win95 laptop has a modem, and a dial-up connection.  

He wants MY help to get those messages ( and addresses ) back ...

and  _I_ need some help
 to solve the problem of "de-lousing" the quarantined "file"
so I can make the contents available
to my ( non-geek, and helplessly PC-challenged ) buddy .

H E L P ! ! !  ... please

[whocares]

Hi,

- disable avast-resident shield, then restore the inbox from the avast chest
- either scan it with avast main-.scanner then (DON'T delete/move it) and maybe avast will give an indication as to which email is infected (I think it reports the subject-line)
- or browse through the emails (without clicking any attachments) and try to identify any unusual emails ´-> unexpected size/subject/language); then delete it from wihtin Netscape, also empty trash and COMPACT all relevant mail-folders
---> the avast reports/logs should give you the virusname and/or the infected message too

- or save each individual email as an .EML-file and scan those with avast for searchign the virus

- as long as you don't click any attachments within netscape you should be safe from the worm..

 

reread technicals links on how to avoid this in future..

[Don_Miguel]

Thanks !

... the only part I think I'll have trouble with is this:

"reread technicals links on how to avoid this in future..."

Since my buddy is "non compos mentis"when it comes to
the PC ... I might do better to save my money, buy HIM
a new PC that can handle more than Win95 <grin>
and set it up to be remotely managed from MY PC across town !  

However, I think that Technical's links DO seem to have LOTS of interesting GOODIES ... so maybe I can find a few that will help me deal w/ a "PC doofus" ... and in THAT way ... help prevent this and a few other problems in future !  

Thanks a bunch - Again !

PS-- personally, I'd rather be a penguino than a llama !