I’ve been reading the issues regarding the Outlook Express Progress Bar not tracking real time especially when email is coming in. I see no fix anywhere on the site but was wondering if the following would work. I want to use the progress bar within OE, so if I turn off the “Internet Mail” - “Inbound mail (Pop protocol)” - “Scan Inbound mail” and ensure the “Standard Shield” - “Scanner (Advanced)” - “Scan files on open” is activated- would the viruses be caught as I open the email?
Ignore the progress bar as there is as you have found a delay as avast scans the inbound and outbound email and OE can’t cater for that in real time. avast’s Internet Mail provider intercepts and scans email before it gets into you inbox, if an infected email is found you have the option to delete it so it never arrives in your inbox.
Disabling the Internet mail provider would leave you more vulnerable as it can delete email before it gets on your system, the scan files on open is really a last line of defence and it is more difficult to remove something that is already on your system.
This is more difficult when it concerns an email folder like the inbox, which is just a database file (.dbx) containing multiple emails. If there is a problem extracting an infected email from a database file, then in theory the only option left is to delete the .dbx file with the subsequent loss of emails, unless you back them up. Whilst avast! should be able to do this in OE’s dbx files there is always a possibility of file corruption and the loss of email in that file.
So I think you can see it is best to keep a multi level approach to your protection.
Thanks for the very prompt reply. I understand what you’re saying and therefore I’ll have to wait for a fix so I can use the progress bar. I was a high speed guy until we recently moved and now I’m back to dial-up. I need to use the progress bar to see how much longer. With out it - I don’t know if the mail will arrive in another 10 minutes or 2 hours.
Sorry to sort of hijack this thread, but is there still no Gmail plug-in for the use of Outlook Express in Avast real time scanning, or upcoming in v4.7?
Any plug-in would be for Outlook Express, the same as for MS Outlook/Exchange, so you would run the plug-in rather than the Internet mail provider, so effectively avast is working inside the email program not outside.
This means there isn’t a specific requirement to be able to handle Gmail, rather to be able to integrate with OE.
However, there is no way it will be in 4.7, that would be a large project not just a minor update. I haven’t heard anything about the intentions of Alwil to create an OE plug-in, so it may well be a long wait.