I use Avast! 4.7 home edition. But I notice that there is no checking of files in the Web shield when I use Outlook to browse web pages but there is on-access scanning of web pages when I use Internet Explorer. Can this problem be resolved so that Avast would be a better anti-virus software?
Thanks.
Outlook uses Outlook plugin and not WebShield.
WebShield scans only http traffic on port 80. Outlook is an email client.
Am I understanding you correctly?
O, I am sorry. I need to explain it better now.
I use Outlook 2002 as an email programme and a internet browser too. It can use IE core to browse web pages without starting IE.
And my notice is that there is no http check when I use Outlook as browser in Avast on-access scan. While Avast! on-access scan is active when I use IE to browse web pages. Here active means there is details of files which just scaned.
Are you clear now?
I’m not sure how to answer. Just can imagine that Outlook is not using http protocol.
Maybe https or other communication protocol.
Sorry, I’m not an expert on mail troubles.
I have checked the Avast homepage about the feature of Web-shield. It says that it monitor and filter all http traffic.
And indeed the problem really exists that it do not have response on browsing web pages using http://… in Outlook. And it implies that one of the above statements is wrong.
So…maybe I should not use Outlook as browser at this moment.
I don’t think you gain much from this convenience and as you have found you are actually loosing something (the web shield scanning).
Personally I would go a step further and not just use the IE browser directly, but to use Firefox (with NoScript extension) or Opera, both of which should be more secure (no BHOs, activeX or OS integration) than the version of IE on your system (probably IE6?).
Hi Simonsham,
due to many various types of applications communicating on port 80, we decided that only browsers should be scanned. There is so many different uses of HTTP protocol, that incorporating HTTP proxy (such as WebShield) in all connections might bring troubles from time to time.
However, every user can configure webshield to scan what ever he or she wants. In your case, just edit avast4.ini, section [WebScanner] and add the line: OptinProcess=outlook.exe (or add “,outlook.exe” - without the quotes - to what ever already is on the Optin line).
lukas.
Lukor,
A couple of years ago, after agitation from users of this forum the avast policy was modified from that you have presented here.
avast now, by default, scans the http accesses of some well known mail clients including Outlook Express and Thunderbird. I thought at the time outlook.exe was included. I cannot provide the evidence that it was but I see that it is no longer included by avast in the “optin” process. The other mail clients I mentioned certainly are. I assume that you folks must have documented somewhere the good reasons to exclude Outlook.
Alan,
as far as I know one reason not to include Outlook and Outlook Express by default is the fact, that the Web DAV protocol they use for accessing HOTMAIL and similar web-based email accounts does not behave well when their connection would be teared down by WebShield. It is impossible to actually delete the virus from the mail, merely stopping the connection would result into repetitive downloading of the same mail and that seemed to bring more troubles than benefits.
In the next version (avast5) I would vote for easier configuration which processes should be protected and which not. Perhaps we should reconsider this issue.
Lukas.
I might be wrong but I would think that using Outlook to browse webpages would be even less secure that using IE6 or IE7 should either of those be your other means of browsing.
Better would be as David suggested and use either Firefox or Opera.
I did say to use the browser (IE or otherwise) directly rather than through Outlook where there is less control over browser functions, but going a step further to avoid IE for added protection.