Avast 5.0 Mail Shield vs. File System Shield

General Topics
1

At default values, does the Mail Shield scan more thoroughly or with additional functions than the File System Shield? Anyone know?

2

There is no comparison as they do different things, not to mention they are scanning different things.

The Mail Shield scans before the email is saved to the in box. The file system shield scan the email database files (depending on your settings, default I don’t believe so) which contain multiple emails (also depends on what the email program is), so it isn’t scanning individual emails.

3

yeah, and I find it regrettable that they removed to ability to abort a connection for the mail shield. This was implemented in early beta builds of V5, and they dropped it for some reason… I guess it could have been an issue in IMAP, messing with synchro etc…this said the file shield scans, at disk level, every single mail saved as *.eml in either Thunderbird or Windows Live Mail. But you’re right for Outlook.

4

Not just for Outlook, but many, many other email clients still store emails in database files, those that store them as individual *.eml files are I think less common.

However, there would still have to be a database file of sorts (like the hard disk Master File Table) so that when you store emails in a specific email folder there is some kind of linking to where they are on the hard disk and in the email program structure. So I don’t know if deleting an *.eml file using the file system shield would cause any potential corruption or damage in that file.

5

Thank you for your helpful replies, guys. I’m still trying to get the best protection from Avast 5.0, but some of the settings are a bit confusing (gray areas). I’ll keep plugging away at it…

6

@ Jahn

If its good for DavidR an avast! Überevangelist I would Go to PROFILE then Modify Profile then Forum Profile Information then Signature: and put information about your system if you like just like my signature so that the helpers can offer pertinent advice.

7

Thanks, I’ve seen you suggest this to others and it is normally a good idea. However, I currently have five desktops and one laptop running Avast, and other than all being XP Home/Pro SP3 they have little in common. I fear my signature would be larger than my posts! ;D