Various problems with a Virus detection - advice please?

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hi,

This morning I logged on to my ISP, started Forte off to download headers, and started Outlook Express to download email via Spamihilator and Avast!.

At about the time I was replying to an AOL email I got an Avast! pop-up saying the virus database had been updated. I think it was just after this that The-Voice-In-The-Sky told me “A virus has been found on your machine!”.

This time however, the normal grey box with the expanding nuclear hazard gizmo didn’t appear (I’m always amused by the way the gizmo gives me an immediate heart attack and only after am I able to read “Don’t Panic!”), and consequently, I didn’t get the opportunity to select “Delete” or whatever.

After I had picked myself up off of the floor, I opened the Outlook Express window and found an email with an Avast! infected insert but from which the virus attachment hadn’t been deleted.

I tried to open my log viewer (both from the taskbar & the SUI) but couldn’t - I posted on this when it happened under similar circumstances a few days ago and I generally assumed that it had been finger-trouble on my part (the error log says “18/08/2004 09:33:56 1092818036 NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM 1372 AAVM - scanning error: CallGuiVirusProc: unhandled exception!, C0000005” - dunno if its related or not).

To add insult to injury the infected email was a spoof one where someone had used my MSN email account to post to a Yahoo Group and Yahoo were informing me that no such group existed. Thank you Yahoo.

I don’t have the email anymore because I accidentally deleted it in Outlook Express. More finger-trouble (of which I have too many - if not kept under tight control they tend to wander off and do their own thing) again I’m afraid (‘sigh’)

Anyway, I closed everything down and scheduled a boot time scan. Avast! asked me whether I wanted to restart my computer immediately and I clicked on Yes.

Naturally I got two sets of double beeps from Windows during the shutdown process but with no explanation as to what they might mean. I am worried sick one or more of my fingers may have done something they shouldn’t have.

This has not been a good start to the day. In an attempt to prevent it from getting worse I’ve jammed the letterbox shut to stop the postman from delivering any bills, I’m leaving my dial-up connection on so no-one can phone me with bad news, and I’m mentally preparing myself for the glitch that’s gonna occur when I click on “Post” so that I have to type out the whole freakin’ message again.

If any eccentric millionaire out there feels sympathy for my plight and wishes to provide an inadequate balance to my day then please make a donation via PayPal. Unlike other rip-off artists I don’t charge extra for the PayPal commission.

In my eagerness to click on ‘Post’ after typing the last paragraph, I almost forgot - any help or advice on my Avast! problems would be welcome (also, my log viewer has come back since doing the reboot - would re-installing Avast! help?)

Regards,

John “Just-wait-til-I-get-my-hands-on-God-for-what-he’s-done-to-me” Latter

2

Okay folks, its been over 15 minutes since I posted and I haven’t had any replies and/or donations yet - where is everybody?

John Latter

3

Have you tryed doing a thorough scan with avast!, make sure you check “scan archives”.
Also try a boot time scan.

–lee

4

Thanks Lee :slight_smile:

I did mention I had done a boot time scan but it was probably easily missed amongst all the self-pity and other stuff.

I’ve just checked to make sure it was a thorough scan (with check archives enabled) and the report says no files were found infected (‘phew’)

John

5

Looks to me like Avast did his job as it supposed to be.

6

I’m not being critical of Avast! Eddy, I really like the program!

I was hoping someone might come back with “check your settings are such-and-such” or something (I have looked at them and can’t see anything wrong - not that I know a lot anyway!).

The non-appearance of the grey box asking whether I want to delete the virus-infected email is perplexing, as is the inability to access the logviewer on the two occasions a virus has been detected.

No doubt there’s something wrong with my system somewhere, and if no-one’s had a similar problem, then I will re-install Avast! and hope that that helps.

Thanks for replying though :slight_smile:

John

7

Jorolat, step by step…

You could set avast to automatically send the infected file to Chest.
You were receiving an email and could be only the ‘Heuristic’ warning (not the virus itself).

This is what I told above: Heuristic on mail scanning.

Logging is for errors.
Reporting is for virus.
Warning is for heuristics mail scanning.

Why too worry about the empty log? 8) ;D

8

Jorolat
Do a Repair not a re-install. Use add-remove and choose repair.

9

Thanks Technical!

The only question I have left (and I’ve been searching the help files for about 15 minutes so as not to bother you) is how do I “set avast to automatically send the infected file to Chest.”?

I bet its easy to do, but its the end of the day, and I can barely keep my eyes open!

John

10

Okey-doke Bob - but I’ll leave it 'til the morning when I’ll be more alert.

Relatively speaking of course - I’ll still do something wrong, I bet! :slight_smile:

John

11

John, good night 8)
You must go to the providers settings (Standard Shield and Internet Mail), advanced tab, choose ‘Silent Mode’ and the default answer ‘No’.
This will send the infected file to Chest. :wink:

12

Thanks for the info Technical - see you tomorrow maybe! :slight_smile:

John