I’m using Avast Free version 11.1.2241 with Windows 10. Where can I disable the automatic e-mail footer it always adds when sending mail with Gmail? I read that there should be a Mail Shield option in the Active Protection tab but I only have the File System and Browser protection there. And I can’t find the option to turn this footer off.
How do I disable it?
AvastUI > Settings (the cog wheel icon) > Active Protection > Mail Shield > Customize > Behaviour - uncheck any insert notes that are enabled which you don’t want.
I do not have Mail Shield in the Active Protection tab at all.
I think during the installation of Avast I chose not to install it.
Start > Control panel > software > avast > change
Is the mail shield installed ?
If not, install it and see if you can change the settings.
Sorry guys, we kept the setting checkbox inside mail shield - it is after all part of the mail handling - but didn’t realize that for webmail based emails, the actual functionality resides inside WebShield. Therefore you might have troubles turning it off with mail shield not installed.
We’ll change this and most probably replicate the same checkbox inside both shields. Until now, please install mail shield, turn off and then remove it again (or turn off, it does not consume any resources when not running). Sorry for the hassle.
Lukas.
Ok, thanks!
@ Lukor
Thanks for the expansion about Web Shield - web mail (which I don’t really use) having this function. I still have the Mail Shield so I’m able to disable it if required.
This worked for me:
search for (or create it)
C:\ProgramData\AVAST Software\Avast\EmailShield.ini
(or C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\AVAST Software\Avast\EmailShield.ini on windows xp)
Open the file with notepad and add or modify the values in the [EmailScanner] section
[EmailScanner]
InsertNoteCleanMsgOut=0
InsertNoteCleanMsgIn=0
InsertNoteInfectedMsgIn=0
Now save the changes, the avast! Self-Defence Module will ask for confirmation, answer Yes.
And that’s it.
Liam, thank you so much for finding a solution! You are a godsend.
I had trouble at first, though. Maybe this will help someone else: Try copying EmailShield.ini to another location first, then edit the file, disable Avast’s Self-Defense Module temporarily, cut and paste the edited file to the original location, and then turn the module back on again.
Please, Avast team, place these options under another menu. Have it in the next update! Believe me, customers will be very grateful.
You didn’t realize, eh? I applaud your honesty, but perhaps Avast management should have a better understanding of how their flagship software actually works. Such understanding might even improve their managerial decision-making!
This was the first occasion that avast had introduced the capacity to scan webmail and insert scanned note using the Web Shield, previously it was only the Mail Shield that could do it for standard email clients. The omission was that fact that this could only be changed in the Mail Shield settings.
I would rather doubt senior management would have a detailed in depth knowledge of how everything is done within the program, that is really a failing of QA, who should have picked this up in testing. Not to mention the beta build users (of whom I was one of very many) and I don’t use web mail, so never came across this issue.
I think the main thing is that it has been identified and will be resolved. That said I’m currently running a beta version 2016 11.1.244 and it isn’t in here yet.
Hi Dave, you find it under Settings → General in build 2244.
That’s good at least it is there, just that it isn’t exactly intuitive - I looked where it was said/suggested it would be when mentioned, e.g. duplication in both the Mail and Web Shields and failed to find it in the Web Shield.
Now it is here - I would question the need for it being in the mail shield at all - only for the point that people actually looking to prevent signatures in emails, would look in the obvious location the mail shield settings.
If you are going to put it in the General section, what about the options of what signature included/removed. For the moment, it is just as confused as before, possibly more so - an all or nothing issue - as you can’t select if you want it. Unless of course you go to the Mail Shield > Settings > Behaviour, confused, I think so.
Agreed, but as long as it’s off per default, I don’t care much where it’s located. 
Changing the e-mail that I send without letting me see the changes is a really dastardly thing to do. All of a sudden my outgoing Gmail messages have that Avast signature, and the signature is not visible to me until after the message is saved or sent.
Looks like it’s time for me to start paying for anti-virus, and not Avast.
Blazer,
it would not make any sense if a message is scanned while someone is still working on it.
That means the mail only gets scanned upon submitting or saving.
Only after the mail is scanned the correct message can be inserted.
And as has been explained, it is really easy to disable the insertion of a message.
Just be glad that avast now also can scan webmail.
Ofcourse you can (and are free) to get a other av.
But they are doing the same (or soon will do so).
Best thing to do is starting to learn how things are working.
As this topic states there is nothing to stop you changing the avast settings. Easier and cheaper than paying for a new anti-virus solution.
Personal opinion (as usual): mail footer can be disabled (and perhaps it would be the same for webmail footer if not already done).
So, if you don’t like them, uncheck the options.
But, are you ashamed to use Avast?
For me, on contrary, let the footer there: I’m proud of being an Avast user 
I agree - my point was actually that some decision-maker, either junior or senior, must have decided that the software should start inserting a “note” in webmail. This same decision-maker (possibly with input from others, as you suggest) should have also decided to provide a reliable way to turn this behavior off.
It is interesting that the “note” does not explicitly state that the e-mail message has been scanned - mine simply stated (before I turned it off ;)) that the computer from which the message was sent is protected by Avast.
The Mail Shield (for POP, IMAP, and the like) has actually been doing this to messages for years. It would have been nice if they had provided a summary of new features when updating to Avast 2016 and included a warning about the new “note” in webmail. But as others have already stated, this can be turned off, and in the future turning it off will hopefully be easier.