Recently when I have been trying to send e-mails, they end up getting stuck in the outbox. To send them on their way, I disable my Avast, click on ‘send and receive’ and then off they go. I then re-enable my Avast. This has happened for the past month or so and I would be grateful if someone could come up with a fix.
Did something happen this last month? Maybe you updated the program (avast and/or the email client)? Or any other software (un)installed?
If your email provider needs SSL, then review the settings: your email client should NOT use SSL, and Avast should.
In addition, you may want to delete firewall rules (from any and all firewalls, active or disabled) related to your email client and to avast. Then reboot and the firewall rules should be re-created. This possible conflict is less likely to be the reason in your particular case, but we never know.
Please report back.
Thanks for your reply-I keyed in a reply yesterday but dont know where it has gone. Anyway:
- All updates on this computer are automatic and no software has been installed.
2 & 3 SSL and firewall rules are way beyond my ken but will try to find out their function after posting this reply.
Try following this article / video:
Configuring e-mail accounts accessed via SSL protocol
http://support.avast.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=917&nav=0
There are additional similar articles in the knowledgebase that may help you too.
Please report back in any case.
Thank you for your reply and the link. Having watched the video 5 or 6 times, I just cannot muster the confidence to tackle, what is to me, a really advanced procedure. However, I do have an older, unused but working computer, and I will have a go at the ‘fix’ on that computer, if I can get the mail up and running.
Well, the video is slow enough, I think (but of course I only feel like that beecause I only watch it whitout the actual need to follow the instructions). It also writes about each step and shows you where you are supposed to click or take action.
Maybe you could be more specific about which part is not clear for you? Or be more specific about the differences you see between the video and your system? (Or about differences in Windows, email client or whatever else, between the video and your specific system.)
At http://support.avast.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=842&nav=0,2 There is an EXAMPLE for setting up a specific email client with a specific email provider. Your specific info (values for email provider, email client, ports and so on) may be different, so be aware about them (ask if you are not 100% sure). Anyway, it may help you find the correct PLACES where avast has its configuration settings.
Please post the specific area where you weren’t able to follow the video (or the differences in your system) so to be able to guide you better.
I would like to say that the instructions given in the video are a bit to fast for me but the truth probably is that I am too slow to follow the instructions. As soon as I click on the suggested item, the instuctions are hidden and I have to go back to the start again. Is there any way that I can ‘freeze’ the video so that I can carry out the given instruction and then restart the video to access the next step?
Click on Pause || to stop the video then Play to resume viewing.
@blowtorch73,
Of course, as YoKenny mentions, you can pause and play (and rewind). If I would need to foolow the instructions, I would do it too. I didn’t mean that the video was “slow enough” to actually perform each action and keep track of the next step in the video 
. No. What I meant was that the video is slow enough so it can be understood (and read the instructions clearly), each step at a time. My apologies if I wasn’t clear enough in my expression.
The video player has the usual common controls over the lower - left corner of the video.
Thank you both for your tolerance and understanding. How stupid am I? However, it is 24 minutes past midnight and the cocktail sticks holding my eyelids open are at breaking point. Much later this morning, totally refreshed, I will follow the instructions in the video using the pause/play facilities as suggested and hopefully will see an end to my e-mail problem.
Just when I thought that I had the confidence to tackle the ‘fix’, guess what? The problem doesn’t exist any more. Was still there yesterday when a dozen or so e-mails got stuck in the outboxes of the various accounts on this computer. This morning, have sent an e-mail from each one and they did not stay in the outbox. However, will keep an eye on this and if it happens again will tackle the suggested procedures. In the meantime I am just so grateful that there are people out there who have the expertise and the willingness to help barely literate computerists like myself. Thank you.
Glad you have improved (even if you are not so sure how that happened :), there is improvement anyway).
Now that the emails are sent and received, you should review if they are also scanned (by avast, or by some other security tool on the email servers, depending on the email provider).
Can I do this using the Avast Pro Antivirus?
I don’t understand your question. Don’t you have mail shield in your avast? I thought you were trying to correctly configure both, your email client and the mail shield of avast so you can
A_ send and receive emails; and
B_ scan them with the mail shield of avast.
Am I missing something?
Sorry to confuse you. When you said that “you should review (does this mean make sure?) if they are also scanned (by avast, or by some other security tool”, I took that as saying that there was a way in which I could check that this was so. I think that it is the use of the word ‘review’ that I dont quite understand.
Yes, “review” as in “double check” or “make sure” or “test if”. Sorry if I was not clear enough.
My point is that there are 2 possible situation (now that the emails are finally being sent and received). One situation is that the emails are sent and received, but avast is not scanning them. The other possibility is that, in addition to the emails being sent and received, they are also being scanned by avast.
My intention was for you to take a (second) look at the settings in your email client for your emails accounts, and the settings in avast mail shield for the same emails accounts. If they are all configured as they should (and as you want), are the consequences (or the final behaviour) you actually see in accordance with those settings?
If the settings are OK, and the behaviour you see respects those settings, then your problem is solved.
I hope I was clearer now, but if you have any doubt, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Your replies are not lacking in clarity - the problem is that as far as computers go, I am illiterate. I did manage to access the Avast mail shield and found that both Incoming and Outgoing e-mails are scanned. I have absolutely no idea what an e-mail client is, or how to check that the settings are configured with those in Avast.
I am going to spend as long as it takes to become familiar with the aspects you have raised and if sucessful will report back. In the meantime, thank you once again for your help.
Your original problem is probably solved by now :).
FYI…
Email Client (“program”): the program you use so to access your email account and then send and retrieve emails. Examples: Outlook, Thunderbird, Outlook Express, Pegasus, Windows Live Mail… The emails are originally managed in some “Email Server(s)”, and the Email Client communicates to these servers for either send or retrieve the emails for you.
An alternative to an email client is to access your email account using a web interface (instead of an “email program”). There are practical differences between using an “email client” and an “email web interface”, but the above explanations should be more than enough to understand my previous posts.
Anyway, your original problem is apparently solved now. Don’t hesitate to come back if you have any other issue with avast or security.
Just read your reply for the third time and you know what? Third time lucky - I understood it. Thanks again.