Cannot send or receive emails

Galton · 01 Apr 2016

I manage five computers three are mine and two are my daughters.

All these have been working fine for years, but on two of them after an Avast upgrade from version 2015.10.2 to 2016.11.1 emails have stopped going out or coming in. I have uninstalled Avast and still does not work.
On the Windows 7 Ultimate computer I even did a repair install. Everything went OK but the email still does not work.

The funny thing is that on this same computer that has a dual boot for Windows XP and Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows XP has still the Avast 2015.10.2 installed and everything is working fine.
Windows 7 Ultimate with Avast removed doesn't work. When I say doesn't work, I mean every kind of email client like Eudora, and any program that uses email notifications like Acronis, even a very simple Perl script that I have used for years, nothing.

The exact same thing is happening on one of my daughter's computer. This problem is only on two computers the rest are still working fine.
I tried to solve this problem with Avast but they did not help much.

I believe that Avast changed something in the registry that is causing this and that even after uninstalling something must be left there to block the emails.

I hope you will be able to help, otherwise I will have to do a fresh install, but that is a lot of work.
Thank you.

ICIT2LOL · 03 Apr 2016

Hello Galton just out of interest have you considered reinstalling whatever mail program you have been using or doing a system restore?? to a a date that when they were ok??

Also did you use the correct removal tool for Avast and not just the Control Panel method - it is not much good with most AV.

Galton · 04 Apr 2016

I have not reinstalled Eudora my email client, but a program like Acronis Backup all it has on the notification window is the email address, SMPT server name, Username, Password. Another that I use is a one line command script that has the same information as Acronis plus a short message.
Doing a system restore for the two computer I mentioned it was too late, my backups run every Monday with daily increment, and I save two weeks time of backups. Unfortunately when I noticed the problem it was over a month.

For removing Avast I used Avast Clear, it should have taken out everything, but evidently not.

ICIT2LOL · 04 Apr 2016

Hmm nuisance about the system restore as I don't know why the machine does n't have the default one o n it anyway?? So have you checked in Start > All programs > Accessories > System tools > System restore? You should get a window as in my pic and it should have dates in it like mine and if you tick the box where I indicate it should take you back further than the dates showing. The Windows system restore points are or should not be affected by any backups.

The Avast Clear I take it that is the official removal tool? because I get this when I search for that tool Avast Removal Tool - Avast Remover

Galton · 06 Apr 2016

Too late for your suggestion, I only have one restore point dated March 21, 2016, the reason probably is because I did an image restore of a backup that was one month old, it works for everything else, but did not have the older working version of Avast on this backup.

Yes AvastClear is the removal tools supplied by Avast.