Mail Shield Statistics always show 0 (zero)

[tsaaaf]

My Mail Shield Statistics always show 0 (zero). Thus, I wonder if Avast Mail Shield is scanning any of my emails, at any of my 3 email accounts.

My 3 email accounts are @ Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo! Mail.

Please advise.

Many thanks,
Tsaaaf

[CraigB]

What is the email retrieval client that you have on your system ? as the three accounts that you have are web based and the email scanner does scan these until they are downloaded to your computer via an email client, ie (thunderbird).

[tsaaaf]

Current email retrieval system--no clue.
Looks like I'll have to do some research, as to how to find out.
Or, if that takes too long, I might just download Thunderbird.
I am open to suggestion.
Thx

[tsaaaf]

Correction--I should have written email retrievalclient, not email retrieval system. Either way, I have no clue.

[MAG]

Do you access your mail accounts using a browser (eg firefox, Internet explorer), or through another mail program on your computer eg outlook express or windows livemail?

[CraigB]

Current email retrieval system--no clue.
Looks like I'll have to do some research, as to how to find out.
Or, if that takes too long, I might just download Thunderbird.
I am open to suggestion.
Thx

Sounds like you dont have a mail program on your system which is why nothing shows up in the scanning statistics.
You dont need a mail program on your system unless you want the convenience of bringing all three of your web based mail services into the one on your computer, as mag mentioned there is also outlook express which comes with microsoft office and windows live mail which is free but comes bundled with alot of other unnecessary programs unless you untick the one's you dont need, for me i found thunderbird simpler, faster and more reliable and set's up very easyly with avast but iv only got two email sevices now so i switched back to doing my mail web based.
Hope this explains and helps you some 

[tsaaaf]

I access my emails thru a browser--ie., Internet Explorer.

[DavidR]

Which is why you don't see anything on the Mail Shield which monitors email ports, 25, 110, 119, 143, etc..

When viewed through your browser if you are using HTTP port 80 and the Web Shield will be monitoring that traffic.

[DBone]

I use web base email as well (Yahoo!), which is why I chose not to install the mail shield. I also don't IM or use P2P, so those shields were also not installed.

[DavidR]

The Mail Shield may be your first indication if you have an undetected/hidden spambot (generally come with their own small SMTP app) on your system.

Whilst it will be using negligible resources (it isn't being used) should there be any activity on the email ports, then it will jump in.

[tsaaaf]

How might I detect and delete said undetected/hidden spambot?

[MayuraDeSilva]

Hi,

I believe you may talk about Gmail, Yahoo or kind of web based email services. If you are check email through a browser then there is no connection with Mail shield. Mail shield is only valid, if you configured mail to be retrieved to your Computer using a email client like Outlook Express, Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird etc. Those applications use your computer email port to retrieve or send emails through email port. avast! shielded those ports and statistics will be shown if any emails go through that ports only. Else your statistics = 0.

Cheers...

[DavidR]

How might I detect and delete said undetected/hidden spambot?

Because a) it adds another level to your protection, b)it can detect multiple emails being sent in a short time frame as suspicious and c if you aren't actually using an email program (but webmail) it would be a good indication that something is sending spam from your system without your knowledge.

We have a very senior forum member that found out about this on his system as the trojan spambot is usually hidden by a rootkit.