Avast deleted my "inbox"

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. ::slight_smile:

This is a Thunderbird limitation… It’s written on their webpage :cry:
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

:cry:
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 ???

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…

:wink:

reread technicals links on how to avoid this in future…

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
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 !