Solved Microsoft MSRC advance notification blog - Garbled text content?

[sassofalco]

I receive automatic notification from the MSRC for upcoming Security Bulletin releases via their Windows Live Alert Service. I subscribe to the service with two different email accounts - Windows Mail and Windows Live Mail.

This is the text content from the most recent MSRC advisory as received via Windows Mail;



.....and this is the latest text content for the same advisory as received via Windows Live Mail [Hotmail];



As is clearly obvious, the text in the latter email is quite corrupted and unreadable. Is this an email account settings problem? It's got me beat.

Incidentally, get ready for a load of Security updates, some critical, set for release Tuesday 8 June 2010 and affecting Windows, Windows Office and Internet Explorer.

 

[mitchell]

Hi Tony, I don't use Windows live mail & not knowing anything about live this might be a stupid question "is it scanned by an email scanner"

I know email scanners can do this, but if it is not then that rules out that theory.

 

[sassofalco]

All incoming is handled by individual address email security settings, and scanned by Avast Mail Shield.

Avast has been installed for some time now, but this is the first time this sort of corruption in email text has happened.

 

[mitchell]

You could disable your email scanner then email the good copy you have in Windows Mail to your Hotmail account (with your Avast mail shield disabled) & see if it still happens.

I dont know much about it but i suspect it happens when the scanner has a lot of potential threat content to scan (like URL links)

 

[sassofalco]

Good idea thanks Mitch, and having done that, you will see that the text still has some minor irregularities.



It's got me stumped, however, I still get at least one good feed for Update notifications.

 

[mitchell]

The only other thing (remembering i am not familiar with Windows live mail) i assume you can log onto your account via Internet Explorer, just to have a look & see if it is already corrupted on the mail server.

At least then you know whether or not it is happening at your end or if it is the servers problem.

 

[sassofalco]

She's at my end all right, Mate! Logged into Hotmail via the Internet, the text content is perfect.......Bugger!



.....incidentally, no other emails are being affected in the same manner.....only the ones originating from this source have got the wobbles.

 

[mitchell]

I am out of ideas sorry Tony

 

[sassofalco]

Thanks anyway Mitch. I'm figuring that it's a minor settings tweek somewhere, but in the meantime I do have two other alternative sources to look at.

So I guess with that, I'll just shut up shop and let Admins know that it's been fixed.....well sort of