Author Topic: Problem with scanning attachments  (Read 25784 times)

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Nikilet

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Problem with scanning attachments
« on: November 27, 2011, 08:00:28 PM »
I always save attachments to my desktop, right click and scan with Avast before opening. I've read this isn't necessary, but it's what I do. Only now Avast doesn't seem to be scanning them. Nothing happens.

I've right-clicked and scanned other files and folders with Avast and it performs normally, but no longer with email attachments. What has gone wrong?

Offline Pondus

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Re: Problem with scanning attachments
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2011, 08:15:59 PM »
have you tried avast repair....
not quite the same as your problem....but worked here  http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=70727.0



if you want to check those attachments thoroughly, then upload to www.virustotal.com

Nikilet

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Re: Problem with scanning attachments
« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2011, 08:27:28 PM »
I really don't want to go to the trouble of uploading these attachments to that link. I just want to right click them like I always have and scan with Avast. My Avast is working fine. There have been no malfunctions or error messages. I can still right click any folder or installation file, whatever, and scan it. It just doesn't work on attachments.

Whoa!! I just went to my desktop (recycle bin) and did some checking. See attached screenshot.

The one wmv file shows a picture. The other one is just the normal icon I usually get with attachments. I noticed on the last two files I've received that after I save them to my desktop they have a picture instead of the normal icon, like what is on the Budweiser attachment. I was able to right click the Budweiser attachment and scan with Avast. The other one, with the pic of the barn, I could not scan.

ady4um

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Re: Problem with scanning attachments
« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2011, 10:20:27 PM »
What exactly you meant with "I can't scan it"?

About the time it takes to scan a file or folder, it varies also depending on the type of file. For example, most known video files will be scanned very quickly.

Avast will start checking the file, and if it determines that the file can't be of any type of problem, Avast goes on, no matter the file's size. Why waste time on checking / scanning something that has no means / way / method to activate some malware?

It is possible that the files you were scanning are such that they can't represent any problem.

BTW, when you "download the email", do you mean that you are downloading an actual file attached, a link to a "web email", or an email file (like *.eml, for example)?

Of course some setting may be skipping those specific files, but if you haven't configured it to do so, it is probably nothing to worry about (as long as Avast is active and the shields are working).

Nikilet

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Re: Problem with scanning attachments
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2011, 10:50:48 PM »
I'm talking about an attachment included on an email. I FOREVER AND ALWAYS have saved all those to my desktop and scaned them with Avast (and it's predecessors) before opening.

When I say I can't scan it, I mean that when I right click and select to scan with Avast, nothing at all happens. Nothing.

When Avast scans it's very fast -- basically a 1-2 second operation.

Although it might sound that way I do NOT intend to be sarcastic or snotty ... However, it doesn't really matter why I want to scan something. The point here is that I have ALWAYS done this and now I am not able to and I'd like to know why. When you've been performing a certain action forever and suddenly you can't, there's got to be a reason for it.

Within the past two days I have received 3 of these emails with wmv attachments. Two display with the thumbnail photo of the subject, and the other (Budweiser) displays with the normal icon for a wmv file. I can scan the Budweiser, But I can not scan the other two and I'd like to "learn" why.

In clicking on these files and selecting properties, I do notice that the Budweiser has a "Shortcut" tab and the other two do not. I also notice that on the other two, General tab, at the bottom there is a security item that is not on the Budweiser attachment. See screenshot where it shows the "security" item with the option to unblock.


ady4um

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Re: Problem with scanning attachments
« Reply #5 on: November 27, 2011, 11:09:43 PM »
I have not questioned your needs to scan those files in this specific way. I don't know if I expressed myself not clear enough or what.

My questions were only technical, so to understand the real type of file you are trying to scan. I don't "care" about the specific icon, since the icon shown is one of the methods for malware to trick users into clicking on them.

Now, the WMV is usually a movie, so it "may" be fast to scan.

The "unblock" is a Windows protection method to reduce the allowed permissions to a certain file. For example, this is common with files downloaded using IE. Avast should be able to scan them anyway.

It is still not clear to me when you say "nothing happens"; isn't there any result screen or a tray notification screen that something is being scanned? If neither type of windows appear, but they indeed appear when scanning other files, then someone else might have some clue, because in such situation I currently can't recall of anything about it.

If, after scanning ANY file or folder no result is shown (as oppose to "sometimes yes, sometimes no"), then the adequate setting to allow the results windows to be shown is simply unselected.

Nikilet

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Re: Problem with scanning attachments
« Reply #6 on: November 27, 2011, 11:22:27 PM »
Please stick with me here because something is off here and I want to get it straightened out. When I right click an item and choose to scan with Avast, I am used to seeing the window in the attached screenshot (I just scanned this Budweiser file again to get this).

On the other files when I say nothing is happening I mean there is no result screen or tray notification screen. There is literally no indication that a scan has been done.

Some things I am scanning are producing the results window, and some things are producing nothing at all -- no kind of indication that the file was scanned. This makes me interested in your final comment: If, after scanning ANY file or folder no result is shown (as oppose to "sometimes yes, sometimes no"), then the adequate setting to allow the results windows to be shown is simply unselected.

This is apparently a "sometimes yes, sometimes no" situation. Where do I go to check if the "adequate setting to allow the results window to be shown is simply unselected"?




Nikilet

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Re: Problem with scanning attachments
« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2011, 11:25:22 PM »
I also have a jpg file and a pdf file on my desktop and when I scanned those there was no kind of reaction or indication either.

Is there any way to edit a post rather than post another reply?

Nikilet

  • Guest
Re: Problem with scanning attachments
« Reply #8 on: November 27, 2011, 11:31:48 PM »
There's also a zip file I got via email on my desktop that I tried to right click and scan with avast. Didn't work.

All of the files that I CAN NOT right click and scan with avast -- I CAN right click and scan with Malwarebtes.

Offline Pondus

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Re: Problem with scanning attachments
« Reply #9 on: November 27, 2011, 11:47:08 PM »
see screenshot
http://i1-win.softpedia-static.com/screenshots/Avast-Home-Edition_43.png

"special scans"
are there any settings there....about file type to scan ? when you have that checked


ady4um

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Re: Problem with scanning attachments
« Reply #10 on: November 28, 2011, 12:04:04 AM »
I would request from you to post here the info of each of the checkboxes of that picture posted by Pondus. Which checkboxes are enabled and which ones disabled currently in your Avast?

Nikilet

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Re: Problem with scanning attachments
« Reply #11 on: November 28, 2011, 12:22:30 AM »
I have attached my Basic Settings window just as it appeared. This is apparently the way it has been set ever since I installed the program last October.

I tried selecting that "Special Scans" box and then clicking "OK" but it didn't show any settings about the file type to scan.

I did a "repair" of Avast and rebooted. That didn't work. I also ran the sfc /scannow and no integrity errors were found.

I have a jpg file on my desk that I got through email. When I tried to right-click scan there was no reaction, no result at all. But I took a jpg file out of my trash which is a screenshot I took and it has a little blue arrow on it and I was able to right-click scan that.

pause .....
Please see my "Capture" screenshot. What is the significance of those two files displaying that blue arrow on them? I ask because I can right-click scan both of those files, but not the others.
« Last Edit: November 28, 2011, 12:25:09 AM by Nikilet »

Offline Pondus

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Re: Problem with scanning attachments
« Reply #12 on: November 28, 2011, 01:14:32 AM »
Quote
I tried selecting that "Special Scans" box and then clicking "OK" but it didn't show any settings about the file type to scan.
after you select the special scan you should see this here

Scan Computer -> Scan Now -> Scroll to Scan from Windows Explorer -> Then you get the normal scan settings.

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s26/sh/05664481-f30c-48d4-9fde-33536def2bbf/17e87d5c0cf640a2f88fba5903df0011

do you have all files selected ?



Nikilet

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Re: Problem with scanning attachments
« Reply #13 on: November 28, 2011, 01:58:02 AM »
Yes, I have that selected.

I use my right-click scan feature quite a bit and I sure hate that it's not working. I'm trying to think of anything I've done that could have caused a change, but I really don't know what it would have been. I ran a little thing the other day to add "move to" and "copy to" to the right-click menu. Could that have changed anything?

Another thing I've noticed recently is that twice when I've restarted an Avast shortcut icon has appeared on my desktop. This never used to happen. It happened today, in fact.

Have there been programs updates in the past few days that could have caused any of this?
« Last Edit: November 28, 2011, 02:01:35 AM by Nikilet »

Nikilet

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Re: Problem with scanning attachments
« Reply #14 on: November 28, 2011, 02:30:50 AM »
I found the following link and wondered if this ShellExView might help.
http://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?showtopic=99468