Author Topic: Millions of Timeout message Boxes  (Read 53177 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Barabba

  • Guest
Millions of Timeout message Boxes
« on: November 16, 2004, 10:08:20 AM »
Hi,
I installed version 4.5 and,  when i run microsoft outlook (all the accounts smtp/pop3 well setted) avast start popping out with timeout message boxes.... millions of them until the computer freezes and i have to reboot manually...
(it was working well with previous versions of avast)
What's the problem ?

Thank you

OS: XP PRO SP2 (monster hardware)
Software in use: Norton Antispam

Offline Lisandro

  • Avast team
  • Certainly Bot
  • *
  • Posts: 67195
Re:Millions of Timeout message Boxes
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2004, 12:17:56 PM »
Try to increase both timeouts (of avast into the Advanced tab of Internet Mail provider settings and of your email account, in Properties of the account, Advanced tab too). You can set both to 600, for instance. If you're on a DSL connection (not dial-up) it shouldn't be necessary a so long timeout anyway...

Do you use any spam killer?
Sometimes the spam killer enters in a 'loop' and consume all the timeout.
Shutdonw it and start it again.  ;)
The best things in life are free.

Barabba

  • Guest
Re:Millions of Timeout message Boxes
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2004, 12:22:54 PM »
Yes i use Norton AntiSpam... but this was not the problem...
I am on DSL connection so i really think it is not a real timeout problem.

I see that the 4.5 doesn't allow you to make the mail wizard thing as it is automatic...

anyway to make my account working again i had to manually reset them in outlook with the correct smtp/pop3 data (not using 127.0.0.1).

Moreover, i tried to uninstall avast 4.5 and reinstall it... now it says i have only 6 days remaining for the demo...

Offline lukor

  • Administrator
  • Super Poster
  • ***
  • Posts: 1884
    • AVAST Software
Re:Millions of Timeout message Boxes
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2004, 12:51:16 PM »
Barabba,
can you please post what are your account settings in Outlook and the Antispam solution? And do you use MS Outlook or Outlook Express?

I don't know the specific configuration details for Norton Antispam, but usualy you would have to direct you mail client to the Antispam program and let the antispam to actualy download your mail.

So it would be something like:
Mail Client:
pop server: localhost (or 127.0.0.1)
pop port: you antispam port

antispam:
pop server: your real mail server (pop3.myisp.net)
pop port: 110

You should configure you mail client and antispam as if avast! is not installed - avast! mail scanner will catch the connection automaticly as it leaves you PC  - in your setup propably from Norton Antispam program - but that also usualy means you have to have 127.0.0.1 as your mail server in Outlook - cause thats how antispam likes it.

Please, write more information.

Bye.
Lukas.

« Last Edit: November 16, 2004, 12:52:02 PM by lukor »

Barabba

  • Guest
Re:Millions of Timeout message Boxes
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2004, 01:02:14 PM »
Thank you lukor.....

1) I use Outlook (not express)
2) I tried just disabling the antispam and it was still locking my computer with millions of "timeout" message boxes
3)My actual configuration is (with both avast an antispam installed)

Outlook:
Smtp and POP3: domainname.com
Username: Normal (not with the #)

Now it seems to work... i hope avast is checking as you say my emails intercepting the communications...

Anyway.... after reinstalling it says that my licence will expire in 6 days.. (not 60) so i don't have so much time in evaluate this software in order to choose if buy it or not...

I own actually a Norton Antivirus software (Not Installed right now) but i am not satisfied by it... too slow and heavy on my xp so i am trying avast (a lot of friends told me it is great)...

We will see... i already paid for norton and if i have to make the change i wont to be sure...

Thank you for your support

Offline Eddy

  • Avast Evangelist
  • Maybe Bot
  • ***
  • Posts: 31080
  • Watching (over?) you
    • Malware removal, Biljart and other things.
Re:Millions of Timeout message Boxes
« Reply #5 on: November 16, 2004, 01:33:59 PM »
The change from 60 to 6 days is caused by the fact you reinstalled it. Avast notice this and change the time. This is a anti-piracy messure in the Avast trial.

There are occasions that Alwil handed the person who experienced this a key so that a 60 day eveluation was possible. Ask them by email I would say and mention in the email this thread.

Offline Vlk

  • Avast CEO
  • Serious Graphoman
  • *
  • Posts: 11658
  • Please don't send me IM's. Email only. Thx.
    • ALWIL Software
Re:Millions of Timeout message Boxes
« Reply #6 on: November 16, 2004, 05:20:53 PM »
Please install the logging version and send me the log.

See http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=8794;start=msg72516#msg72516 for details.

Thanks
Vlk
If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving's not for you.

Barabba

  • Guest
Re:Millions of Timeout message Boxes
« Reply #7 on: November 17, 2004, 11:07:41 AM »
Vik, this is kind of strange....

Yesterday, after a few tries and using my providers mail settings (i have 4 accounts in outlook) it was working fine...

This morning i just turned on my pc and "Surprise" another time millions of timeout messagebox ... I take out the message box display for timeout from the avast menu and at least i don't get the computer hang... but my email is it still not working ...

I tried to make the log as you asked, but it was creating a huge file and locking my machine (i termiate the application from the task manager when the file was about 200MB!).

I read all the threads you said (and related) and i found something about the firewall... well ok, i went to the firewall settings (standard xp service pack 2 firewall) and add a specific exception for your mailsv executable...)
Nothing.. still can't get in my email...

This is a pain...

I am using: Windows XP SP2, Outlook (not express, but the one that comes with Office XP), DSL connection.
Old Version 4 (tested on the other machine i have it was working perfectly)

Note: My email accounts are set as Normal... so pop.myprovider.com and username (not using 127.0.0.1)

PLEASE HELP.... i don't want to go back to norton...

Thank you




Barabba

  • Guest
Re:Millions of Timeout message Boxes
« Reply #8 on: November 17, 2004, 11:17:32 AM »
Maybe this is the problem...

I tried to STOP the avast email provider leaving ON only the outlook/exchange provider and now it seems to work....

So what... do i have to leave the email provider OFF ?

A little bit confused

Thank you

Offline Vlk

  • Avast CEO
  • Serious Graphoman
  • *
  • Posts: 11658
  • Please don't send me IM's. Email only. Thx.
    • ALWIL Software
Re:Millions of Timeout message Boxes
« Reply #9 on: November 17, 2004, 11:31:06 AM »
Hi,

don't worry, I'm sure we'll find a solution.

I see two important things in your post. First, you're using regular Outlook XP (not Outlook Express). This is a very important point as Outlook should be covered by the avast Outlook plugin (instead of the Internet Mail provider).

So my question is: do you see the Outlook plugin splash screen when starting Outlook? If not, can you try to go to the Outlook About box, click Disabled Items and make sure the avast plugin is not listed there? If it is, just remove it and you should be all set.


Next, even if the log file has ~200MB, I'd be interested in it. Could you please post at least a couple of hundreds of lines from the beginning of the file? I'm sure the file will have a very repetitive pattern in it so it should be quite easy to find out what was going on. My guess is that this file would also be extremely well compressible, so trying to ZIP it may actually reveal a file of reasonable size (e.g. 1 megabyte).


Thanks
Vlk
If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving's not for you.

Offline Vlk

  • Avast CEO
  • Serious Graphoman
  • *
  • Posts: 11658
  • Please don't send me IM's. Email only. Thx.
    • ALWIL Software
Re:Millions of Timeout message Boxes
« Reply #10 on: November 17, 2004, 11:32:16 AM »
Quote
I tried to STOP the avast email provider leaving ON only the outlook/exchange provider and now it seems to work....

And mail scanning actually worked? Or you just didn't have any problems BUT didn't notice if avast is filtering the traffic or not..?
If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving's not for you.

Barabba

  • Guest
Re:Millions of Timeout message Boxes
« Reply #11 on: November 17, 2004, 11:35:54 AM »
About the LOG, i deleted it as i resteored the normal version (no logging things) ....
anyway i am pretty sure that, as you say,  it was a whole list of repetetive "Server Timeout" (like the millions of messageboxes that were hanging my computer...)

I am going to check now what you said in the previous post..... and i'll answer in a couple of minutes....

Thank you again for your support

Offline Vlk

  • Avast CEO
  • Serious Graphoman
  • *
  • Posts: 11658
  • Please don't send me IM's. Email only. Thx.
    • ALWIL Software
Re:Millions of Timeout message Boxes
« Reply #12 on: November 17, 2004, 11:42:05 AM »
Well. The fact that there was a number of those message boxes indicates that there were not only the "Sleep"s in the LOG but also some connection records.

I mean, when a mail client connects to a server, it does this sequentially (technically speaking, in one "thread"). So what I would normally expect in such a case is exactly 1 message box. Since you're getting large number of them, though, it indicates that the operation had to be executed in many threads in parallel, which is quite strange. I'd like to find out why this happened and what can be done to prevent it.

thanks
Vlk
If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving's not for you.

Barabba

  • Guest
Re:Millions of Timeout message Boxes
« Reply #13 on: November 17, 2004, 12:33:57 PM »
Ok, it works now......
So the trick was to disable the "email provider" and enable only the "Outlook Exchange" one....
inphact as soon as i start it again, i have the same problem....

I have now the banner showing out in outlook (onload) and it seems it is really scanning my mail...

Hope this can help other people with the same problem...

Thank you again Vik for all your support .... anyway... do you know how can i make this thing run for the 60 days as advertised ? (it only gives me 6 days after reinstalling it now)

Thank you again...

If you really need the log maybe i can use the files you told me to download and let my machine hang again (brrr scared about this ehehe)

Let me know if you really need it

Thank you



Offline Vlk

  • Avast CEO
  • Serious Graphoman
  • *
  • Posts: 11658
  • Please don't send me IM's. Email only. Thx.
    • ALWIL Software
Re:Millions of Timeout message Boxes
« Reply #14 on: November 17, 2004, 12:43:16 PM »
Quote
Thank you again Vik for all your support .... anyway... do you know how can i make this thing run for the 60 days as advertised ? (it only gives me 6 days after reinstalling it now)

Is this avast avast Home or Professional Edition?
The fact that it's now only 6 days is caused by reinstallation. It's basically a protection against those who kept the program reinstalling every 2 months as a trial... :-\

But if it's avast Home, why not register and get your free key good for 14 months? http://www.avast.com/i_kat_207.php?lang=ENG

Quote
If you really need the log maybe i can use the files you told me to download and let my machine hang again (brrr scared about this ehehe)

Let me know if you really need it

As a matter of fact it would really be helpful. I don't want to push you (I understand it scares you) but it could help us to solve the problem.

Thanks for your help,
Vlk
If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving's not for you.