Avast Home 4.8, installed yesterday, XP Pro SP2. I immediately allowed Avast to do a boot-time scan.
From that point on, all folders in OE became invisible. On launching OE all it showed was the usual ‘Inbox’ heading at the top, and the normal ‘73 message(s), 3 unread’ info at the bottom - but no sign of the messages themselves, nor the usual list of folders.
On sending myself a message all I saw was the message count incremented from 73/3 to 74/4. I fiddled with various OE settings (incl. Security), to no avail. No OE error messages at all, and still no sign of Outbox, Sent Items etc.
I then tried:
(a) pausing/stopping the various functions in the Avast On-Access Scanner
no change
(b) uninstalling Avast
no change
(c) XP System Restore, to the day before I installed Avast
Bingo! Problem solved.
Any simple solution to this problem would be much appreciated. I’d like to use Avast, but as things stand it’s quite impracticable.
Which was your previous antivirus? How did you remove it?
Strange that avast is messing the messages… I’ve used in my XP systems (still use) and never get deleted messages… Did you set Silent Mode into the Internet Mail provider settings?
how large are you outlook express folders?
I’d suggest that you create a couple of new ones
old sentmail
old inbox
use the regular inbox just for new mail then move it to the old inbox for storage if you want to keep it
that way most of the file updates are being done on small files
Outlook express index file gets corrupted
solution is to move whole outlook express file folders to a new location
then change the name on the index file from .dbx to .bak
oe will create new index files
files are called .dbx
there are lots of help files via google
also answer tech’s question about all old AV’s in detail, even pre-installed ones
Previous installed AV programs: I don’t think there are any, but I’ve only just inherited this non-new computer, so I’m not 100% sure. Before installing Avast I did check this and found no evidence of any (I looked in Add/Remove programs, Task Manager and XP Services - zilch; also nothing hanging around in Program Files).
Outlook Express folders: all very small and minimal in number - the previous owner didn’t use OE, so they are only the standard ones, Inbox, Sent Items etc., all of which were empty - apart from Inbox once I got round to checking my mail: 70-odd messages arrived, which were perfectly visible and accessible until I installed Avast the following day, whereupon they disappeared…
…then, following my uninstalling Avast, they reappeared - but only after I also did the XP System Restore (which itself does not change emails, documents etc.). So they patently had not been corrupted - just rendered invisible. At no stage was there any OE error message. I therefore see no point in moving mails to other folders - the existing ones are in good health.
I was not running Internet mail in Silent Mode, at least I don’t think so (I wouldn’t know how anyway). I didn’t change any Avast settings - they were all at their defaults.
OK stretching my neck out here but I doubt this has anything to do with other AV products. But … there’s always a but … if (as may have happened) avast in the boot scan discovered a virus (or viruses) in your Outlook Express .dbx file then it would have given you a choice as to the action it should take with that file and not done anything without your involvement.
Did avast give you any warnings and ask for your decision at any time during the first boot scan?
Since you have a recently inherited non-new computer, it might be a good idea to run HijackThis and post a log here as this should show if there are remains of old anti-virus programs should there be any remains. This may also show some other problems which may be dealt with.
Please download HijackThis from the link below. Do not download HJT to the desktop but instead download it into it’s own folder on the hard drive.
Run the program but do not make any fixes and then post the log results using the “copy & paste” method. It will probably take more than one post to be able to get the complete log posted.
OR, you can post it as an attachment to your post by clicking on “Additional Options…” below left of the posting box. Someone will review your log and then offer help.
excellent advise Charlie O
with an inherited computer I would suggest tech’s usual cleaning regimes
o.P.
BVVC if you EVER have an infection found in an OE or OE express folder
removing an infection in an e-mail or attachment in a .dbx file can trash your entire .dbx based folder as most AV’s treat the WHOLE FOLDER as infected
You sorta have to open individual e-mails and attachments and let the standard scanner find the baddie
any other ideas folks?
