Multiple "inbound message clean" messages

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Greetings.

XP Pro SP2, Avast! 4.5.549, Thunderbird 1.0, Hotmail Popper 3.02 to read Homtail accounts.

I have 2 POP accounts, and 3 Hotmail accounts using Hotmail Popper. Hotmail Popper is confiigured to use ports 11110/11125, as 110 and 25 are in use by Avast! Thunderbird is configured to access the 2 POP accounts directly, and the 3 Hotmail accounts via POP, to localhost:11110. Note that this configuration works fine.

I have recently enabled “Insert note into clean message” for POP, and in/out scanning for only POP and SMTP emails (IMAP is off). A strange thing is happening.

Incoming emails can have none, one, two, or more (randomly) “Inbound message clean” messages appended to the emails arriving in my inbox. This is affecting all accounts, and there is no pattern. For example if I examine the last 5 emails in one POP account, there are 3, 5, 1, 2, and 2 messages respectively.

In fact, here’s my last email (my Forum confirmation email), just to illustrate:

`Welcome, DarryDoo!

Your username is: DarryDoo, and your password is ###

You may change it after you log in by going to the profile page, or by visiting this page after you log in:
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?action=profile;user=DarryDoo

Regards,
The ALWIL Software Forums team.

avast! Antivirus: Inbound message clean.
Virus Database (VPS): 0451-1, 2004 12 14
Tested on: 15/12/2004 8:49:23 AM
avast! - copyright (c) 2000-2004 ALWIL Software.
http://www.avast.com

avast! Antivirus: Inbound message clean.
Virus Database (VPS): 0451-1, 2004 12 14
Tested on: 15/12/2004 8:49:25 AM
avast! - copyright (c) 2000-2004 ALWIL Software.
http://www.avast.com

avast! Antivirus: Inbound message clean.
Virus Database (VPS): 0451-1, 2004 12 14
Tested on: 15/12/2004 8:49:27 AM
avast! - copyright (c) 2000-2004 ALWIL Software.
http://www.avast.com`

I searched the forum, the help, and the FAQs, and couldn’t see this problem.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks in advance
Darren

2

Double POP3 scanning could due to avast4.ini file settings:

AutoRedirect=1
IgnoreLocalhost=1
PopRedirectPort=110
SmtpRedirectPort=25
ImapRedirectPort=143

Specificaly if you wanted to disabled port 110 and scan POP3 on 1123, for instance, change the line

PopRedirectPort=1123

On the other hand, when you would setup all your mail clients as if avast! is not installed, you wouldn’t get a double scan. Your connections would be scanned just when they leave you PC - that is the communication between the email program and the POP3 server on the internet.

3

My avast4.ini doesn’t have any of these settings; I attach it for your reference. What section of the INI do those particular settings go in?

I don’t want to disable port 110 scanning; that would stop scanning on my POP accounts! :slight_smile:

However, the Hotmail accounts aren’t being scanned. If I could stop Avast! from taking over ports 110 and 25, then I could run HotPopper on those ports. I assume that I could point PopListen, SmtpListen, and ImapListen in the [MailScanner] section to other unused ports? I also assume that Avast! captures those ports to be backwards compatible? Is there a better way to stop Avast! from hijacking 110 and 25?

All of my mail clients are installed as if Avast! is not installed. The POP accounts point to their server, and the Hotmail accounts point to HotPopper. What part of this takes Avast! into account? ???

And, of course, none of this explains the multiple “inbound message clean” messages. Also note that it’s not just twice; it’s a random number of inserts. I think the problem is something else.

Cheers
Darren

4
My avast4.ini doesn't have any of these settings; I attach it for your reference. What section of the INI do those particular settings go in?
The settings will be found in that part of the ini dealing with SMTP and POP ports. These settings MUST be in the ini for Avast to function. Look closer for them and add the lines Technical gave you.
I don't want to disable port 110 scanning; that would stop scanning on my POP accounts! :)
I believe that the problem here is referred to as "mail looping" Since the new method of Avast email scanning does not require re-configuration of server and username, Avast IS scanning any email client you use as long as it is POP3. You have configured it to scan 110 plus what it scans on its' own. Your messages are bouncing around inside your computer from the ISP server to local host, in and out of Avast in a random pattern. Unless a proper "flow" is established, this will happen.
However, the Hotmail accounts aren't being scanned.
Unless the Hotmail accounts are POP3, Avast will not.
I assume that I could point PopListen, SmtpListen, and ImapListen in the [MailScanner] section to other unused ports?
Yes, you can use other ports for Avast as long as the ini is changed properly. Search the forum for instructions.
All of my mail clients [i]are[/i] installed as if Avast! is not installed. The POP accounts point to their server, and the Hotmail accounts point to HotPopper. What part of this takes Avast! into account? ???

The new version of Avast…4.5 does not use the older Mail Protection Wizard, nor the server settings of 127.0.0.1. Avast acts now as sort of a “filter”…like an intrusion detection system. Avast monitors ALL the email clients on your machine if it has been setup to do so. Mail from your ISP server passes into your machine, through Avast and directed to the email client that is active. Simple.
SMTP functions in reverse.

:smiley:

5

DarryDoo, click ‘Settings’ on my signature and you will found everything we can join about avast4.ini file.

About avast listening 110 and 25, you must set different values for PopRedirectPort
and SmtpRedirectPort, using, if you want, multiply ports for each one.

About the clean notes into the message body, can you try ‘Settings’ on my signature?
UseAlternateRtfSyncing value under [MailScanner] section:

Another mechanism for inserting notes into the body of emails in Microsoft Outlook. RtfSyncing is concerned with Rich Text Format. In emails, the user typically save both Rich text (HTML) and plain form of message. When you modify one type of message, RTFSync is the right function to synchronize text of message to the second form. Disable = 0.

See screenshot of settings here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=9514

6

Found that just after I posted, thanks. :slight_smile:

I haven’t played with the settings yet, I’m only home on the weekends… and this weekend isn’t being kind to me as far as free time goes.

About the clean notes into the message body, can you try 'Settings' on my signature? UseAlternateRtfSyncing value under [MailScanner] section:
I'm using Thunderbird, not Outlook...

Cheers
Darren

7

The correct answer would have been “In the [MailScanner] section.” They currently do not exist in my INI, and therefore don’t need to be there for Avast! to function. Did you look at the INI? ???

I don't want to disable port 110 scanning; that would stop scanning on my POP accounts! :)
I believe that the problem here is referred to as "mail looping" Since the new method of Avast email scanning does not require re-configuration of server and username, Avast IS scanning any email client you use as long as it is POP3. You have configured it to scan 110 plus what it scans on its' own.
How have I done that? RTFP.
However, the Hotmail accounts aren't being scanned.
Unless the Hotmail accounts are POP3, Avast will not.
Using Hotpopper, the Hotmail accounts are indeed POP3. RTFP.
All of my mail clients [i]are[/i] installed as if Avast! is not installed. The POP accounts point to their server, and the Hotmail accounts point to HotPopper. What part of this takes Avast! into account? ???

The new version of Avast…4.5 does not use the older Mail Protection Wizard, nor the server settings of 127.0.0.1. Avast acts now as sort of a “filter”…like an intrusion detection system. Avast monitors ALL the email clients on your machine if it has been setup to do so. Mail from your ISP server passes into your machine, through Avast and directed to the email client that is active. Simple.
SMTP functions in reverse.

:smiley:


Again, RTFP. It explains my configuration succinctly.

Cheers
Darren

8

The correct answer is that one from Techie.
Read the first post at ‘Settings’ on my signature.
You could or must add the section [MailScanner] if it is not there.
This way, you can set the ports to be scanned.

9

Technical, I note that Darrydoo says that some of his messages have no appended text. Perhaps in further advice to him you will keep in mind that Hot Popper is another of those “POP3 webmail proxy” programs and advise him how to ensure that mail is scanned.

10

Ok, but you can do that as well as me as you understand all of it… :wink:

To see if avast! is scanning emails, check one of these points:

  1. Is the avast icon (the special one of email scanning) be shown in the system tray?

  2. Is your email header with the lines X-Antivirus: avast! (VPS 0XXX-X, XX/XX/2004), Inbound message and X-Antivirus-Status: Clean? (Right click the message, choose Properties and Details)

  3. Are clean notes added at the bottom of the email? (Internet Mail provider settings)