On-access scanner blocking email

For the last couple of weeks I have been unable to send or receive emails via Outlook Express 6 (running on an XP SP2 machine). I get the following error message:
The server responded with an error. Account: ‘Virgin Broadband’, Server: ‘pop.ntlworld.com’, Protocol: POP3, Server Response: ‘-ERR Cannot connect to POP server 81.103.221.14 (81.103.221.14:110), connect error 10061’, Port: 110, Secure(SSL): No, Server Error: 0x800CCC90, Error Number: 0x800CCC90

When I stop Internet Mail scanning in Avast, everything works fine. I have tried de-installing and re-installing Avast.

A Vista laptop, running on the same home network with the same email config and Avast installed, is working OK.

Any help much appreciated!

If you left click on the Avast icon, select “internet mail” then “Customize”, then clcik the “redirect” tab, is port 110 shown, as in the enclosed picture? (That’s the default.) If some other port is shown there, select 110 instead.

Thanks for responding - I’ve checked the redirect tab and the settings are POP: 110, SMTP: 25 as per your picture.

What firewall do you use? Any changes or updates made there?

Did you use AVG before avast?

Hi,
I’ve never used AVG. I’m using a ZoneAlarm firewall:
ZoneAlarm version:7.0.470.000
TrueVector version:7.0.470.000
Driver version:7.0.470.000

I’ve not made any changes to ZoneAlarm, other than installing the updates as needed.

I’ve been using Avast and ZoneAlarm together with no problems on this machine for around 3 years.

Into the firewall settings, the following programs should be allowed to connect:

C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashWebSv.exe (avast! Web Scanner)
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashMaiSv.exe (avast! e-Mail Scanner Service)
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\avast.setup (avast! Update executable). This is a temporary file that just appears when an update (check) is about to launch, and disappears again afterwards.

You can ‘delete’ the entries into ZA and then allow them again. Sometimes, just a ZA glitch.

That was the answer - ZoneAlarm was blocking AshMaiSv.exe. I should have thought to check. All is now working. Many thanks for your help!!!

You’re welcome!