I have had to disable my outgoing e-mail antivirus scan on both of my computers using Norton 360 - one with Windows 7, the other with Windows XP. With the antivirus scan enabled, I can send out anything with or without attachments, and they will reach their recipients, except if the attachment is a pdf file. I'm not sure how long this has been happening, but I never changed any of the scan attributes since I purchased and downloaded Norton 360. Only recently, after multiple attempts to send an important (pdf) document to an insurance company, did I realize I've had a problem since perhaps its installation. The e-mail messages show as being sent, but simply disappear in cyberspace. Activating the "display progress indicator" feature will show the indicator, and it will stay on for hours, scanning, scanning, and scanning, although the e-mail shows as being sent (sitting there in the Sent Box). If I totally disable the "scan outgoing e-mail messages" features, the problem disappears but I get a protection alert. I've read a post that the problem may be with my internet provider, but I send e-mails to my work, and other individuals, and all go through... Except any with pdf attachments while the Outgoing e-mail Antivirus Scan feature is activated. I'm totally baffled...
The problems with the Adobe files, to my knowledge, occur when scanning documents and saving them in pdf format. I do not have Adobe Professional at home to create pdf files from other documents. In terms of your query regarding the message that I get from Norton Antivirus, that is my problem... I get none. All shows as the messages being sent. Recipients call and inquire why I haven't sent these. I forward to myself to my office, to my wife at her office, as trials, and the e-mails never reach. They show as being sent in the "Sent" box. All else works if I disable the scan outgoing messages.
Thanks for your reply. It is possible that there is something attaching to the PDFs being created. If you could, please right-click one of the PDFs you've created and run a scan on it with the Norton program. What does the scan report back?
Also, are you using an email client that is installed on your computer, such as MS Outlook or are you using a web-based email program?
I have scanned the document in question and the results showed no viruses or spyware found. I did however do a number of trial runs, using the problematic file and others, and detailed the results in a Word document, including results. Your forum doesn't seem to support these files. Any other way I can send this document?
Further to your query, please note I am using MS Outlook, have been for some time. For the above-mentioned trials, I monitored my sent messages (to myself at my work), through my work's web-based e-mail program to see real-time deliveries. All went through except that one file.
I believe we are getting closer to a solution, and thank you in advance for your assistance.
Hi bdude,
If this is just one particular file, how large is it? Most ISPs have a limit on attachment size, although you would normally get an error message if the message was not delivered. Who is your ISP?
Thanks for the post Norton Fighter. The file size is where I was at.
My ISP is Shaw Cable. I've figured out what has been happening, and it is not at their end. Yes, this occurs with large files which cannot be sent. Here's the background history:
- Before installing Norton 360 (I used to have McAfee), any large files would remain in the Outbox until I would receive an error message;
- Upon downloading Norton 360, I installed and away it went. I didn't make any major modifications, changed any features etc.
- The issue surfaced;
- After numerous tests - sending things off to my office e-mail and thru web-mail, seeing real-time results, I confirmed that larger files would not transmit, BUT...
- The way Norton was downloaded/installed, the "Scan Outgoing e-mail messages" feature was activated. The "Display Progress Indicator" function was not.
- What I'm see occurring (and after multiple tests) with these features set in this fashion, are e-mails containing large files briefly make it to the Outbox, then appear in the Sent Items folder. One would think they have been sent. Remember, without Norton, I would see the e-mail being "prepared for sending" in the Outbox until it would get punted out by the ISP, over time (with an error message). The fact that I don't see it being active in the Outbox, and it is in the Sent Items, one would assume it has been sent. I simply closed my e-mail and off I went.
- Only once I activate the "Display Progress Indicator" do we see the real picture. An e-mail with a large file temporarily goes into the Outbox, the "Scanning Message 1 of 1" appears, the e-mail is then transferred from the Outbox to the Sent Items folder, but in reality, it is still being scanned. The scan can go on and on depending on the ISP timeout. I've seen my "Display Progess Indicator" on for 1/2 hour or so without getting timed out. And the message shows as being sent, but it's really in cyberspace... Test it out!
The issue I have is, not knowing this, I've probably sent quite a few messages into cyberspace, unknowingly. In my view, nothing should make it out of the Outbox while the outgoing message is still in the scanning process.
The only way one may be able to recognize this, is if one was to activate the "Display Progress Indicator" for scanning outgoing e-mail messages, after downloading... But who's to know.
Without Norton, nothing would ever leave my Outbox whether or not of size limitations, or while being scanned.
I'm hopeful that someone will endeavor to try this out, test the features - enabled and disabled (and with large files), and remedy the situation.
Please keep me posted. Thx
Bert Dube', P.Eng.
HI bdude,
Are you using Port 25 to send your outgoing messages? Norton does not support scanning on ports other than this, so if your ISP requires a different port that may cause an issue like this.
No matter what may be causing the problem I would suggest turning off outgoing email scanning. It is really an unnecessary feature, anyway - it does nothing to protect your PC, but only prevents you from sending a virus to a recipient. Certainly all of your recipients have, or should have, an antivirus program and, with Norton on your system, it is not likely that you will be harboring any malware in the first place.
Just checked with my ISP and attachments are limited to 20MB.
Just an FYI and maybe some help
I have had to disable my outgoing e-mail antivirus scan on both of my computers using Norton 360 - one with Windows 7, the other with Windows XP. With the antivirus scan enabled, I can send out anything with or without attachments, and they will reach their recipients, except if the attachment is a pdf file. I'm not sure how long this has been happening, but I never changed any of the scan attributes since I purchased and downloaded Norton 360. Only recently, after multiple attempts to send an important (pdf) document to an insurance company, did I realize I've had a problem since perhaps its installation. The e-mail messages show as being sent, but simply disappear in cyberspace. Activating the "display progress indicator" feature will show the indicator, and it will stay on for hours, scanning, scanning, and scanning, although the e-mail shows as being sent (sitting there in the Sent Box). If I totally disable the "scan outgoing e-mail messages" features, the problem disappears but I get a protection alert. I've read a post that the problem may be with my internet provider, but I send e-mails to my work, and other individuals, and all go through... Except any with pdf attachments while the Outgoing e-mail Antivirus Scan feature is activated. I'm totally baffled...