InBox

Jan just changed to Xtra from ihug, and now the Xtra email box is dead. Jan set the new account up exactly the same as the ihug box, but it won't work. The ihug box still works but it can't seem to find the Xtra server.

The mail storage server from which you collect mail - the POP or POP3 server - has a subtle difference between providers. Some providers add a number 3 after pop (pop3.xtra.co.nz), whereas others do not (pop.ihug.co.nz). There is a difference and it has to be right for that mail server for you to find your mailbox.

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George has a new computer and upgraded from Windows 98 to Windows XP Home Edition. He installed the old Microsoft Graphics Studio Greetings 99, but now it doesn't work. It keeps telling him to run the program again because something is missing. He also installed his old Microsoft Publisher 95, and it only partially works.

Graphics Studio Greetings is not compatible with XP. You could try to run it in 98 compatibility mode, a tricky little Windows XP system that sometimes allows you to run old DOS/Windows 95/98/ME/NT or Win2000 programs in XP. Even though support expired for that product in 2002, a page still exists that deals specifically with this Graphics Studio Greetings solution: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=320012. That elderly Publisher version is in the same boat - no support and it's not fully compatible with XP. The ideal solution is to update the software (a costly exercise), or substitute them with similar shareware or freeware programs that are fully compatible with XP. Software sites such as Tucows are an ideal place to investigate alternate aftermarket options for these jobs.

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Steve has been having problems getting Mailwasher to work. When he selects mail he gets a box saying, "No such host, ensure that the POP3 server is correct". He wants to know what this means.

Open Mailwasher/Tools/Accounts/Properties/Incoming Mail. As Steve is a Quicksilver customer, the POP server address section should read pop.qsi.net.nz, and it must be in lowercase.