ActiveX Controls on Email

[Old Man of UO]

This one has me stumped.

One of the contacts that I send email to regularly says he gets a warning message every time he opens my email saying there is an ActiveX Controls is trying to run. He only gets that message from my emails.

I am running Windows 7, Thunderbird email client, Firefox browser, Microsft Security Essentials, and have run CCleaner and Spybot. I don't use IE or Outlook. My email server is set up for IMAP and the SMTP goes through 1and1.com, which I have set up control on.

Any suggestions? Is it on my end or his end? Should I worry about it?

 

[RawHeadRex]

This one has me stumped.

One of the contacts that I send email to regularly says he gets a warning message every time he opens my email saying there is an ActiveX Controls is trying to run. He only gets that message from my emails.

I am running Windows 7, Thunderbird email client, Firefox browser, Microsft Security Essentials, and have run CCleaner and Spybot. I don't use IE or Outlook. My email server is set up for IMAP and the SMTP goes through 1and1.com, which I have set up control on.

Any suggestions? Is it on my end or his end? Should I worry about it?

this is not directed at you Old, but i get angry when i see people using windows security essentials for their virius protection and i don't care to hear about peoples success with it. are hide hidden folders checked ?to check do this: start/control panel/folder options/view tab/bullet show hidden folders and files/ uncheck the two below that as well/answer yes to the prompt.
Next, make sure system restore is turned OFF. scans do not penetrate hidden folders or system restore when they are on. right click my computer/left click properties/left choose system protection and uncheck c drive. download avast FREE, register it for FREE with your email address, it last one year. update it then do a scan on your system.
also, is that a work related email addy? just create a free yahoo email addy and be done with it, online email host like these protect the user far better than anyone can themselves through pop3 email addys.

 

[Old Man of UO]

Already had all folders visible in view, system files too. Downloaded Avast, updated and did a deep scan... nothing found. I've used MS Essential since it was available and AVG for many years, never had a virus or spyware issue. Tried Norton and Norton 360, which is what my office sends out, but it was such a performance hit I got rid of it. What's your beef with MS Essential?

I must say Avast is pretty fast.

The email is for work, can't get rid of it. I do have spam and virus filters on it, but that doesn't mean nothing can get by it.

Is there a way to block all ActiveX on my computer? I can't seem to find a setting for it.

 

[RawHeadRex]

Already had all folders visible in view, system files too. Downloaded Avast, updated and did a deep scan... nothing found. I've used MS Essential since it was available and AVG for many years, never had a virus or spyware issue. Tried Norton and Norton 360, which is what my office sends out, but it was such a performance hit I got rid of it. What's your beef with MS Essential?

I must say Avast is pretty fast.

The email is for work, can't get rid of it. I do have spam and virus filters on it, but that doesn't mean nothing can get by it.

Is there a way to block all ActiveX on my computer? I can't seem to find a setting for it.

hmm send out the same email to five different people, if all five get the message, its your machine for sure. norton since 09 is completely rewritten for speed and low overhead, but i understand if you dont like it. avg is simply terrible now. microsoft has no business being in the anti-malware game imho, they can barely write good windows code let alone try to be proactive/reactive on malware. But many people claim Essentials works, but I've seen too many intrusions with Essentials (and Avg) in place.

 

[Old Man of UO]

hmm send out the same email to five different people, if all five get the message, its your machine for sure. ...

I don't think I said five different people all got the same message. I've only had one person saying that every message I sent to him has the ActiveX warning. That doesn't mean that others are not getting this message, just that no one else has notified me, I think mostly because the average person doesn't block ActiveX. So this still doesn't tell me if it's my computer.

I'm not an anti-Microsoft, anti-Apple, and anti-any_product. If it works well then I'll use it.

 

[Nexus]

I don't think I said five different people all got the same message. I've only had one person saying that every message I sent to him has the ActiveX warning. That doesn't mean that others are not getting this message, just that no one else has notified me, I think mostly because the average person doesn't block ActiveX. So this still doesn't tell me if it's my computer.

I'm not an anti-Microsoft, anti-Apple, and anti-any_product. If it works well then I'll use it.

I think what they are saying is send out a message to 5 people and ask them to tell you if they get the ActiveX warning. You can use this as a control group. If only the one person that has notified you they receive it is getting the message then it is likely his machine, if all 5 get back to you then it's probably your machine. Call it an experiment to help narrow down the source of the problem.

 

[Old Man of UO]

I think what they are saying is send out a message to 5 people and ask them to tell you if they get the ActiveX warning. You can use this as a control group. If only the one person that has notified you they receive it is getting the message then it is likely his machine, if all 5 get back to you then it's probably your machine. Call it an experiment to help narrow down the source of the problem.

HEH... okay, that makes sense. I suppose I shouldn't post on forums after spending all day clearing brush...

What I thought I would do is send an email from another server and email account to the person who is getting the ActiveX warning, see if he gets the warning. That should be pretty definitive.

Thanks for all the help. The suggestions are finally making sense.

 

[Harlequin]

Are you forwarding an HTML email from someone else or composing a new mail?

I don't use Thunderbird, but see if there's an option that lets you compose mail in plain text. Then send an email to the same person and see if he still gets the error.

 

[Hildebrand]

I use Thunderbird and never got that problem. I use Html rather than plain text.

Regarding Antivirus. Avast is good, but doesn't have "scheduled" scanning. Work around is to change your screen saver to >Avast and within that you select your usual screen saver. This way, if you computer goes to screen saver, it will scan.
I'm slowly switching my work PC's back to AVG 9 Free and I like it a lot. Has scheduled scans, checks emails, actively scans in background, & updates itself... pretty much everything I need.

 

[Shamus Turlough]

do you have an elaborate email signature? I've seen even having a .jpeg as a signature in outlook 2007 fire off an activeX warning with security set to high in outlook on the receiving end.

Try sending a plain text email and see if it does the same. If you need help changing those settings post here and one of us should be able to walk you through it.