Just installed the latest Avast Free. However, when I boot up, the Mail Provider is not running - the screen message indicates that it is waiting for a subsystem to start. Even if I get it started, it stops again on subsequent boots.
This has just started with the new version. I have already tried a repair install as well as a complete uninstall and reinstall.
Any ideas as to what is happening?
Thanks,
Harvey
What if you start the avast Mail Scanner service manually?
Control Panel → Administrative Tools → Services.
The mail service was set to manual and I had started it. Several subsequent reboots now show it running. I have no idea why the problem is erratic - it seems to be working for now. But, I have a feeling that it will crop up again. Is the subsystem that Avast was waiting on the Mail Service provider as shown in the services section?
Thanks,
Harvey
O.K., it happened again on a reboot. I checked the component services and the mail provider had not started again- it was set to manual.
Would setting the service to Automatic be appropriate? Any ideas as to what is going on?
Thanks,
Harvey
Edit:
Tech corrected me below. 
Manual is the default and correct option.
The service will start when ‘any program’ start to listen and check the mail ports to get mail… not before… no need for that
Even after I have received mail and/or when I have sent myself a test message, the service will not start. I have to do it manually.
Harvey
Which email program are you using? Which port does it listen?
Do you have any other antivirus in your system (like ClamWin or AVG)?
Do you use a spam killer application? Which port does it listen?
(Mozilla uite)
I use SeaMonkey (Mozilla Suite).
Incoming Mail is port 110, Outgoing mail is port 25.
From the Avast.ini file:
PopRedirectPort=110
SmtpRedirectPort=25
ImapRedirectPort=143
NntpRedirectPort=119
No other Antivirus program, No spam killer programs.
Thanks,
Harvey
Setting the service start option to “automatic” is a viable, and good work around.
It shouldn’t have any side effects (provided you never normally stop the Internet Mail provider), and should effectively solve the problem.
I still wonder what’s causing this…
Thanks
Vlk
Thanks. I’ll try it and see if that works - may take a day or so to be sure.
Harvey
While it may be inconsequential and may be the same as in the past … why does the avast Mail Scanner show up as being dependent on avast Standard Shield (as well as Windows RPC)?
Well it depends on the “avast! Antivirus” service, which in turn depends on the RPC service, and if the Standard Shield provider is installed, also on its device driver (aswMon2.sys)
Well, so far so good - changing the startup type to Automatic seems to have done the trick.
A couple of observations:
It looks like Avast now has the “SendInBlockingMode=1” patch as the default.
It may be my imagination, but in previous versions, outgoing mail would be scanned first and then uploaded. With this version the scanning and uploading appears to be concurrent - resulting in reduced total transmit time.
Thanks,
Harvey
1. It looks like Avast now has the "SendInBlockingMode=1" patch as the default.
I don’t think so. What makes you think so?
2. It may be my imagination, but in previous versions, outgoing mail would be scanned first and then uploaded. With this version the scanning and uploading appears to be concurrent - resulting in reduced total transmit time.
Yes, this is true.
Well, the total trasmit time is not probably too reduced (as the first “phase” [mailclient->avast] was always fast), but as a positive side effect, the progress bar in your mail client now really reflects the actual progress. Also, if there’s a problem with the server, the timeout is reported by the mail client, and not avast (which is also a good thing).
Thanks
Vlk
Ah, OK.
Well it’s still not the default setting, but the architectural changes in the 4.7 mail scanner had obviously positive impact even on this…
Thanks
Vlk