e-mail protection and AOL

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

I know AOL can be, to say the least, tricky. Using a google search, I found IMAP and SMTP for AOL on the Mozilla forum. Can I use these through the Avast! Mail Protection Wizard to protect AOL mail. Or is AOL mail not “protectable” through Avast!?

2

As there are non standard ports, the account has to be set up manually:
IMAP server: 127.0.0.1
IMAP username: NAME#imap.aol.com
IMAP port: 143
SMTP server: 127.0.0.1
SMTP username: NAME#smtp.aol.com:587
SMTP port: 25

3

And I must add that in newer versions (>= 4.5) unless it is explicitly specified in the avast4.ini (by ImapListen=127.0.0.1:143, PopListen=127.0.0.1:110, SmtpListen=127.0.0.1:25) avast’s Mail Scanner listens on other (non default ports).

So, check your avast4.ini and if the lines mentioned above are not present please use the followinG setup.

IMAP server: 127.0.0.1
IMAP username: NAME#imap.aol.com
IMAP port: 12143
SMTP server: 127.0.0.1
SMTP username: NAME#smtp.aol.com:587
SMTP port: 12025

:-[ I don’t know correct setting for POP3. Does AOL provides such an access to the mailbox?

4

No POP3 for AOL - Only IMAP

Avast! will not scan you AOL mail if / when you use the actual AOL client.

Either way your mail is also scanner server side by McAfee.

5

Thanks toadbee for the info.

Lukas.

6

McAfee is only a firewall , and i dont have that on as my pc froze with it after i installed SP2 , so i took it off .
as i download a lot i want something i know is scanning the mail , and i have never known aol not to open emails ,
and twice been caught out ,

7

What I’m saying is McAfee is being used to scan your emails on AOL’s mail server - before you even have access to the email.

8

I just installed the Avast! version 4.6 for home users to my PC. When I did the initial run I received notification that my incoming mail and outbound mail was not being scanned.

I have and use the AOL 9.0 interface. I am also rather computer illiterate, but what I gather from this thread here is that AOL itself is scanning the incoming and outgoing mail so that this should not be a concern.

Is this correct?

I looked at the lines of code and have to admit, I wasn’t sure what I was looking at or even where to put the other lines you mentioned earlier up.

9

Hi Cheydancer

I too have AOL and have always relied on the fact the Email was scannd by AOL until last week when I opened an attachment and Wham Avast! caught the devil like a shot
I have never set up Avast! to scan AOL mail
Does anyone have any ideas why Avast! picked up this worm?

Top Marks to all at Alwil- Excellent as always!!

10
  1. Never open an attachment from within the email, first save it to a folder on your HDD (attachments would do). Just in case it isn’t a known virus.

The act of saving it to the hard disk should have standard shield scan it. If nothing is detected but you are still suspicious you could also check the offending/suspect file at: Jotti - Multi engine on-line virus scanner.

If this is an unexpected email with an attachment from a friend (which isn’t usual for them) or contact, I suggest you contact the sender to confirm they sent it. Otherwise just delete it if it is totally out of the blue and or from an unknown source.