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Troubleshooting Guide
Having a problem setting up or using MailAlert?  Follow our easy Troubleshooting Guide to find a solution to your problem, FAST!  Just press your Windows Start button, then select Programs, MailAlert, Troubleshooting Guide and follow your problem through to its completion.  We have included the most common problems and solutions in the Guide, and will be providing updated information here on the web site in the future.

Questions
NOTE: MailAlert works with Windows 95/98/ME, Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000/XP.

I get my mail from the internet (POP3). Can MailAlert download the full messages to my computer while it is checking, instead of just reporting what the mail headers (Author, Subject, Date) are?

How can I pay for MailAlert online?

I do not have a PayPal and cannot write a check drawn on a U.S. bank. How can I pay for MailAlert?

How much does MailAlert cost?

How do I register MailAlert?

What do I get when I register MailAlert?

Where can I get more sound (WAV) and video (AVI) files?

I want to have more than one mailbox icon and check for mail on different servers with different accounts. How can I do this?

How can I have MailAlert play a movie AND a sound when new mail is found?

Can I have MailAlert show a screen saver when it finds new mail?

I do not want the Envelope Information window to appear on top of my screen saver ...

Can I Preview HTML, Rich Text (RTF) and MIME-formatted messages with MailAlert?

Does MailAlert work with AOL (America Online) mail?

Can MailAlert find new mail if I use Inbox Assistant, Rules Wizard or another automatic rules-based message processor?

Does MailAlert work with free, browser-based email services such as Excite, HotMail, Juno, Yahoo and ZDNet?

My mail program is able to stay minimized and check for mail on a schedule. So why should I use MailAlert - what are the advantages?

Can MailAlert call my pager when I have received new messages?

How do I get technical support for MailAlert?


Do you have a question of your own?  Use our Online Support Request Form.

 

Answers...

 

 

I use POP3 (Internet) email. Can MailAlert download the full messages to my computer while it is checking, instead of just reporting what the mail headers (Author, Subject, Date) are?

Yes, but you must use a MAPI-compliant mail program instead of a POP3-only mail program. Configure the new mail program with the Internet Mail service installed, and configure the Internet Mail service to connect to your POP3 mail server. Go to MailAlert Properties and remove the old account if you have one, and add a new account by selecting the new mail program from the list of detected systems.

When MailAlert checks for mail, it will download all of the new messages and attachments into your mail program’s Inbox, and send any mail that is waiting in your mail program’s Outbox.

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How can I pay for MailAlert online?

Register using PayPal and our Online Order Form.

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I do not have PayPal and cannot write a check drawn on a U.S. bank. How can I pay for MailAlert?

Send an email to MailAlert@diamondridge.com and request wire transfer information. We will supply the bank account number for you to transfer the funds to us. Sorry, we can only accept wire transfers on orders of 5 or more licenses.

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How much does MailAlert cost?

Please see our web site for the latest pricing information.

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How do I register MailAlert?

Please see our web site for the instructions on how to register.

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What do I get when I register MailAlert?

We will email you your registration name and number within 24 hours of receiving your order (excluding weekends and US holidays). If you do not have an Internet email address, we will use US Postal mail to send you the information. You should then enter this name and number into MailAlert’s registration screen, and you will then have a registered copy of MailAlert. We recommend that you print and save the mail message that we send you, in case you ever have to reinstall MailAlert or buy a new computer or hard drive. Reinstallation of MailAlert is not necessary when registering.

To keep the cost of MailAlert low and to provide the fastest possible service, there are no diskettes, CDs or printed documentation available. The email message that you receive containing your registration name and number is your proof-of-purchase, and it should be printed and filed away.

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Where can I get more sound (WAV) and video (AVI) files?

A large variety of wave files comes with Windows and other applications, and there are several WAV fles and AVI files available on the MailAlert web site and other Internet locations.

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I want to have more than one mailbox icon and check for mail on different servers with different accounts. How can I do this?

You can have more than one icon on the taskbar by adding icons on the Properties -- Mailboxes screen. Each icon can have one or more mail accounts assigned to it, and each icon can be passworded for security. For more information, see the Help Topic Multiple Mailboxes and Icons.

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How can I have MailAlert play a movie AND a sound when new mail is found?

To have both sound and video notifications play as your default notification, use a movie that includes sound. If the movie you want to play is silent, use the main Notification screen to define the video notification, then add a Custom Notification without any conditions (i.e., it will play for all mail messages) to define the sound notification.

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Can I have MailAlert show a screen saver when it finds new mail?

Yes. On the Notification or Custom Notification – Properties – Notification screen, select the desired screen saver file (filename.SCR) in the Media File field. The screen saver will then appear when new mail is found, until you press a key or click the mouse.

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I want/do not want the Envelope Information window to appear on top of my screen saver ...

If you want the Envelope Information window to appear on top of your screen saver (and any other open windows), go to Properties – Notification – Options and check the Always on Top box. Conversely, if you would like your screen saver to cover the Envelope Information window, go to Properties – Notification – Options and CLEAR (uncheck) the Always on Top box.

If your screen saver does not behave as described above after changing the setting, it is not the Microsoft screen saver that comes with Windows. We recommend using the Windows version of the screen saver if this is a problem for you.

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Can I Preview HTML, Rich Text (RTF) and MIME-formatted messages with MailAlert?

Yes, you can Preview these types of messages in MailAlert version 2.5 and above. Earlier versions of MailAlert do not display HTML or Rich Text Format messages in its Preview window as they are intended to appear. In versions prior to 2.5, HTML tags and/or MIME-type identifiers will appear interspersed within the text of the message.

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Does MailAlert work with AOL (America Online) mail?

No. AOL uses a proprietary communications method and storage system for email. Products from companies other than AOL (such as MailAlert) cannot check for or read mail on AOL.

In the future, if AOL decides to open their system by either (1) supplying a mail Service driver for Microsoft’s mail programs, or (2) moves to standard POP3 or IMAP4 mail servers or offers this as an option, you will be able to use MailAlert with AOL.

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I use Inbox Assistant, Rules Wizard or another automatic rules-based message processor, and MailAlert never finds any mail ...

MailAlert is a simple-MAPI application, and is not able to “see” mail that is immediately moved to other folders as it is received. MailAlert only supports the Inbox folder for incoming mail, and Outbox folder for outgoing mail.

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Does MailAlert work with free, browser-based email services such as Excite, HotMail, Juno, Yahoo and ZDNet?

In general, No. It is not possible to check for new mail with standard POP3 mail utilities such as MailAlert because the actual mail servers are not directly accessible from the Internet. However, if the service also offers a standard POP3 email service for a fee (as Hotmail does), the answer is Yes.

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My mail program is able to stay minimized and check for mail on a schedule. So why should I use MailAlert - what are the advantages?

1. You can unload your mail program, saving memory. Keeping MailAlert open and scheduled for mail checks consumes only between 100 kB and 900 kB of memory while a program such as Microsoft Outlook consumes about 8 MB (8000 kB). The saved memory will make your other programs run faster or allow you to run more programs at the same time.

2. MailAlert offers IFS (Incredibly Flexible Scheduling). Using MailAlert's schedule feature, there is no combination of days and check times that MailAlert cannot handle.

3. Custom Notifications - based on incoming author or subject, you can play different media files or execute any program. People have used this feature to alert them differently if a message comes from their boss; send messages to their pager when their child sends email to them; etc. etc. See the Help Topic Innovative Solutions for a look at the possibilities MailAlert opens.

4. Standard mail programs do not offer all of the audio and video notification options that MailAlert does. For example, playing different sounds for different authors and playing a spinning e movie on the screen when new mail is found.

5. Standard mail programs do not offer all of the icon choices for mail notification that MailAlert does, such as the ability to substitute any icons or design your own.

6. Command line options allow for hotkey mail checking - meaning you could assign a Windows shortcut key to 'Check Now', and no matter what program you are in at the time, you can press that key to check for new mail. Other keys can be assigned to composing messages and other functions.

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Can MailAlert call my pager when I have received new messages?

Yes. Since MailAlert can run any executable when new mail is received, running a Paging program is one of many possibilities. For more information, see the Help Topic Sending Mail Notification to a Pager.

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How do I get technical support for MailAlert?

If, after following these Troubleshooting procedures, you cannot determine the source of the problem you are having, contact Technical Support for MailAlert by using our Online Support Request Form.

Please include as much information as possible about your MailAlert configuration, and the problem you are experiencing.

To include a copy of MailAlert’s Troubleshooting log with your support request, use the following steps to obtain it:

  1. Right-click on the MailAlert icon and select Properties
  2. Switch to the General tab
  3. Set Logging to Troubleshooting
  4. Press OK

    Now, reproduce the problem you are having.  Then:

  5. Right-click on the MailAlert icon and select View Log
  6. Press the Copy button
  7. Press Close

When submitting your support request, go to the Description field, below any other text you have typed, and press Ctrl-V to paste the log into the message.

We will get back to you as soon as possible with information on your problem.

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MailSend comments or inquiries via our MailAlert Support Request Form.

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