I just upgraded from avast! 4.8Home Edition to avast! Internet Security 5.0 (3 PCs, 3 years). Upgrade went smoothly and license file was accepted. I can no longer send or receive e.mail using Outlook. It times out. I can get e.mail messages sent to bob@s-i-inc.com on another computer so you can communicate with me by e.mail.
Just sent this to tech support, but if someone here knows what my problem is I would be grateful.
Task ‘S. I. Inc. - Receiving’ reported error (0x8004210A) : ‘The operation timed out waiting for a response from the receiving (POP) server. If you continue to receive this message, contact your server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).’
Outlook in Microsoft Office 7 (12.0.6514.5000) SP2 MSO (12.0.6529.5000)
OK, unfortunately (for you) I don’t use MS Outlook so not much practical help, I wouldn’t know what version that is, I’m more used to MS Outlook, 2003 or 2007 annotations, etc. rather than a build number.
Is there anything in the Outlook plug-in management, etc. about the avast plug-in being either disabled or there being a duplicate or the old avast 4.8 plug-in left behind ?
Thank you for your help. I checked with Windows Control Panel Uninstall Programs and could find no reference to avast 4.8. It looks like it is gone. That’s good. Where do you check on plug-ins inside Outlook?
I have to run some errands now so I will check back here in a few hours. I will be here all day tomorrow, but then I am going out of town until Monday. On Monday or Tuesday I have to do an e.mail “blast.” If avast! is not working I will have to uninstall if for a few days. I trust that will get past this issue. Then I will reinstall it and try again.
The windows add remove programs isn’t likely to be that accurate.
That’s is why I was asking for what Outlook version you are using as that dictates where to look.
Outlook 2007 > Tools > Trust center > Add-ins > Manage Disabled items.
Outlook 2003 > Help > About > Disabled items
Outlook 2000 > Tools menu > Options > Other > Advanced Options > Add-In Manager.
So if that doesn’t match your version you will have to try and find the corresponding area in Outlook.
Thanks for the insight. There is only one avast plug-in running:
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\avast5\asOutExt.dll
That looks fine as it seems to be version 5. I need to study the online documentation, but it looks a tad thin. What I am going to try is to turn off any e.mail functionality to see if I can get Outlook working. Should I disable the plug-in? If that does not do it, is there any hotline I can call at Alwil Software? If I uninstall avast do I loose one of my 3 PC credits when I install it again? Is this the best forum in which to ask these questions?
Although it is only 4:40 PM here in Palm Beach, Florida it must be getting a bit late in the UK. I have dinner and some plans this evening that do not involve the computer tonight so I can only work on this for about an hour more. There will be all day tomorrow. I am retired, so if I choose to work on this issue there is no boss who can give me grief ;). Thanks for your help.
Looking at your time out error message again it seems this is related to POP (inbound) email, so avast won’t have even got round to having scanned the traffic)
Task 'S. I. Inc. - Receiving' reported error (0x8004210A) : 'The operation timed out waiting for a response from the receiving (POP) server.
So does this time out error also happen for SMTP (outbound emails) ?
If it does the strange thing is that I would say that avast is actually scanning the outbound email and Outlook is trying to connect to the email server but timing out, in line with the POP error. So if your ISP has a support status page, check and see if there are any reports of issues with the mail servers.
As I said I don't use Outlook so I don't know how the avast plug-in works with in it so I wonder if there is any setting not to scan the Outlook/avast plug-in not to scan the email. The reason I suggest this as this is far preferable than uninstalling and then reinstalling after your email blitz.
There is also the option of changing the Mail Shield settings and uncheck the two option to scan email (see image, oval section), I don't know if in doing that it spills over into the outlook plug-in (which is related to this shield). You can try this for a short test, that way you aren't without overall protection when on your email blitz.
If that doesn't work, you could try stopping the Mail shield completely for a time period that matches however long it might take to send your emails (see image, rectangular section), etc. and restart when complete.
OK, David, we seem to be on the same page. I completely disabled the mail shield. The problem may be with STMP as I had a test message in the outbound queue. By disableling the mail shield AND deleting the outbound message I could receive mail. So the problem with POP has to do with STMP taking up all of the time.
Now this does not solve the problem as I must be able to send messages, but I think that I can receive mail. If you would be so kind as to send a message to bob@s-i-inc.com we can test that theory. I have also disabled the avast plug in.
I do not have any more time today, but I will be back at it tomorrow. This is sad since I had no problem whatsoever with 4.8 Home Edition.
I signed on this morning and Outlook decided to work! There are only a few things I can think of to explain this behavior. 1/ My ISP (att.net) was having trouble and it happened at the same time I installed avast! 5. This is most likely. 2/ Something in avast! 5 is preserved during a warm boot and is cleared out after a cold boot. I do not think this is very likely, but hey, I have been in the computer business since 1963 and I have seen a lot of weird things :). Thank you for your generous help. If I can every be of help to you feel free to call on me. My e.mail address (which I have passed in the clear for many years so I give it out freely) is bob@s-i-inc.com.
I plum for the problem being item 1. your IPS having server problems as the error message you were getting wasn’t symptomatic with a problem with the avast plug-in or Mail Shield. Those errors tend to be related to can’t send/connect, etc. but not having time outs whilst trying to connect.
I tend to be somewhat more discerning about posting my email address, even though I have a very effective anti-spam application.