PC Win: Frequently Asked Questions for Mail for Windows 3.2

ID: Q111537

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Mail for Windows, versions 3.0, 3.0b, 3.2

SUMMARY

Below is a list of common questions and answers about versions 3.0, 3.0b, and 3.2 of Microsoft Mail for Windows.

  1. Q. Can I set the return receipt feature as the default for all messages?

    A. This is not possible. You must set return receipt on a message-by- message basis.


  2. Q. How can I create Group folders in the Windows client?

    A. You cannot create or delete Group folders in the Windows client. You must create or delete them using the MS-DOS client. If you have Mail for Windows version 3.0b or later, you can access Group folders that were created using the MS-DOS client. However, the Group folder will show up under Shared folders for everyone to see, but only members of the group will be permitted to access the folder.


  3. Q. What is MMF Recovery and how do I invoke it?

    A. MMF Recovery is a procedure you can use to repair minor corruption in the Mail message file (MMF). If you have Mail for Windows version 3.0b or later, the MMF Recovery routine is built in. You can invoke it by holding down the SHIFT key as Mail is being loaded into memory.

    NOTE: Do not invoke this process unless you have problems with your MMF. A side effect of this process is that it will create a backup file on each run. You will have to delete the backup manually. For more information about this backup file, please refer to article Q104362 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.


  4. Q. On Novell NetWare, do I need File Scan to run MMF Recovery?

    A. File Scan is not necessary as long as you have STORE.DLL version 3.2.0.4051 or later, which is provided in version 3.2a of Microsoft Mail for PC Networks.

    For information on obtaining this update, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    mailupd


  5. Q. Why don't I see my private folders that I created in the MS-DOS client?

    A. Versions 3.0 and 3.2 of Microsoft Mail for Windows and Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, MS-DOS workstation, implement private folder storage in different ways. Mail for Windows stores private folders in the MMF and the MS-DOS client stores folders in the .FLD files within the postoffice database structure.

    There is a Convert utility (CONVERT.EXE) you can run to convert your private folders from the MS-DOS client. Once converted, the private folders are stored in the MMF. Private folders created in Mail for Windows cannot be accessed using the MS-DOS client.


  6. Q. How can I force automatic compression of my MMF?

    A. This is not compression per se; it is in effect an excess space collection routine, and by default it is already enabled to run in the background. To automatically begin this excess space collection routine (run in the foreground), hold down the F5 key as Mail is being loaded into memory. For more information about MMF compression, please refer to article Q93134 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.


  7. Q. How can I change the print font in the Windows client?

    A. You cannot control the print font. It will always print in Helvetica if you are looking at the normal view. If you choose View, Change Font, it will change to a fixed pitch font and will also print out in a fixed pitch font from this view. You can, however, change the font size by inserting PrintFont=x in the [Microsoft Mail] section of the MSMAIL.INI file. For more information about the PrintFont parameter, please refer to either of the following sources:

    • Article Q86100 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base


      • -or-

    • Pages 85-89 in Chapter 6 of the Microsoft Windows for Workgroups version 3.1 Resource Kit.




  8. Q. Can I prevent importing the original message in my reply?

    A. There is no way to disable the automatic import of the original message in your reply. If you want to delete the original message, press SHIFT+CTRL+END and then DELETE.


  9. Q. Attachments disappear when I do a Reply. How can I preserve them?

    A. To preserve attachments, do a Forward rather than a Reply.


  10. Q. When I run the Setup program to install Mail for Windows, the blue screen flashes and nothing happens. Why?

    A. If you run _MSSETUP.EXE instead of SETUP.EXE to install Mail for Windows, the file will delete itself and will not run the setup process. If you then run SETUP.EXE and _MSSETUP.EXE is not present in the same directory as SETUP.EXE, the blue setup screen will momentarily flash on the screen and quickly disappear because the Setup program is unable to find _MSSETUP.EXE. For more information about this Setup issue, please refer to article Q105107 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.


  11. Q. How do I move my MMF to my local computer?

    A. Log in to Mail. From the Mail menu, choose Options and select the Server button. Select Local and specify a name for the Mail message file. Then select the OK button.


  12. Q. When I try to export a folder to a local drive, I am prompted for a password. Why?

    A. To export your folders, you can do either of the following:

    • Load SHARE.EXE into memory.


    • Save the export file to the file server.




  13. Q. How can I install version 3.2 of Mail for Windows to run from the network?

    A. The Microsoft Software Library file, SETUPD.EXE, outlines the procedure to install the Windows client on the Network. You can download SETUPD.EXE, a self-extracting file, on the following services:

    • Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet On the www.microsoft.com home page, click the Support icon. Click Knowledge Base, and select the product. Enter kbfile SETUPD.EXE, and click GO! Open the article, and click the button to download the file.


    • Internet (anonymous FTP) ftp ftp.microsoft.com Change to the Softlib/Mslfiles folder. Get SETUPD.EXE


    • The Microsoft Network On the Edit menu, click Go To, and then click Other Location. Type mssupport. Double-click the MS Software Library icon. Find the appropriate product area. Locate and Download SETUPD.EXE.




    14. For additional information about downloading, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    Q119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services
  14. Q. Where is the Polling Interval setting picked up from?

    A. The first time you sign into mail, the setting in the Polling Interval=<entry> parameter in the MSMAIL.INI file comes into effect. Once you change the setting by choosing Options from the Mail menu, the value is stored in the MMF and is used from then on.


  15. Q. When I use the Send option in Word, it sends the document as unformatted text in the body of the mail message.

    A. When you use Microsoft Word version 2.0 or 2.0a for Windows in conjunction with version 3.0 or 3.2 of Microsoft Mail for Windows, the Word Send option (from the File menu) sends the document as an attachment in icon form. If you use Word 2.0b or 2.0c for Windows, the Send option sends the document as unformatted text in the body of the mail message.

    Word versions 2.0 and 2.0a use a macro to send documents as an attachment in icon form. Word versions 2.0b and later are MAPI aware applications and, for purposes of sending attachments, make calls to the Mail Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI). The Word document is not sent as an icon; it is converted to ASCII text and is sent as unformatted text in the body of the mail message. This is the default setting for Word 2.0b and later.

    To change the default setting and enable you to send documents as an attachment in icon form, do the following:

    1. In Microsoft Word, choose Options from the Tools menu and select General.


    2. Under Settings, select the Send Mail As Attachment check box. Making this selection will force Word to send the document to Mail as an attachment in icon form, thus retaining the document's original formatting.




  16. Q. Where can I find details about the entries in the MSMAIL.INI file?

    A. For more information about the entries in the MSMAIL.INI file, please refer to the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    Article ID Contains information about entries in the

    Q86094 [Address Book] section

    Q86095 [Custom Commands] section

    Q86096 [Custom Messages] section

    Q86097 [MAC File Types] section

    Q86098 [MS Proofing Tools] section

    Q86099 [Custom Menus] section

    Q86100 [Microsoft Mail] section

    Q86101 [MMF] section

    Q86102 [Providers] section
    The Help file in the Windows Mail client is also a good source of information.


  17. Q. What are the means of notification available in the Windows client?

    A. Version 3.0 of Microsoft Mail for Windows notifies you of new mail in three ways:

    • The mouse arrow turns into an envelope. For example, if you are in a Windows application and new mail arrives, you'll see the arrow momentarily change to an envelope, then back to an arrow. In other words, the envelope flashes.


    • When you have Mail minimized and new mail arrives, you will notice a letter sticking out of the slot of the Mail icon. If the slot is empty, no new mail has arrived.


    • You can have your computer sound a wave file when new mail arrives. To do this, choose Options from the Mail menu and select Sound Chime. If you have a sound board, you should then choose the Sound icon from the Windows Control Panel. You will see an option for New Mail Notification, where you can assign a .WAV sound file. Then your computer will play the .WAV file when new mail arrives.




  18. Q. How can I get new messages on login?

    A. Include "NewMsgsAtStartup=1" in the [Microsoft Mail] section of the MSMAIL.INI. If this entry is 1 Mail will download new messages on startup. The default is 0.


  19. Q. Why does the offline symbol(network disconnect icon) appear in the status bar?

    A. An ownerless MMF on the postoffice of a Novell NetWare server may cause this symbol to appear. To assign ownership, the supervisor must run Filer (select the root of the postoffice when all users are off Mail) and change the entire directory tree to supervisor ownership.

    Network problems that prevent Mail for Windows from writing to the MMF can bring up the network disconnect icon as well.


  20. Q. What is inbox shadowing?

    A. Version 3.0 or later of Microsoft Mail for Windows has a feature named Inbox Shadowing. This feature is enabled in Mail for Windows when you selection Options from the Mail menu and choose the Server button. Then select the "Copy Inbox on Postoffice for Dialin Access" option and choose the OK button. The Copy Inbox option instructs Mail for Windows to synchronize its inbox with the inbox on the postoffice.

    When you send a mail message, Microsoft Mail adds a header to the recipient's .MBG file that includes a pointer to the corresponding .MAI file. The .MBG file is the inbox for MS-DOS and Macintosh clients. Inbox Shadowing is necessary because Mail for Windows moves all messages in an individual's .MBG file into the user's MMF file. If Inbox Shadowing is not active when Mail for Windows moves a message into the MMF file, it flags the headers in the .MBG file as if the message was deleted and it deletes the corresponding .MAI files. In this case, the Inboxes for the MS-DOS and Macintosh clients are empty.


  21. Q. Is DDE supported?

    A. Versions 3.0, 3.0b, and 3.2 of Microsoft Mail for Windows do not support Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) calls. Mail for Windows is not designed to support DDE calls, as indicated in the Windows registration database.


  22. Q. How can I read a Word 6.0 attachment if I have Word 2.0?

    A. Knowledge Base Article Q105773 contains information about converting from Microsoft Word for Windows, version 2.0, to Microsoft Word for Windows, version 6.0.


Word 2.0 will read your Word 6.0 documents, but you must first install the Word 6.0 converter, supplied with your Word 6.0 package, using the following instructions. (If you do not have the Word 6.0 package, see below for instructions on how to get the converter).

  1. If you did not install all the text converters when you installed Word 6.0, run Setup again and install them.


  2. Copy the MSWORD6.CNV file from the <WINDOWS>\MSAPPS\TEXTCONV subdirectory (where <WINDOWS> is the name of your Windows program directory) to your Word 2.0 program directory.


  3. Start Word 2.0.


  4. Open your Word 6.0 document. Word 2.0 automatically searches for and installs the Word 6.0 converter and converts your document. If the following error message appears, choose OK to continue:
    The document template is not valid.


If you do not have the Word 6.0 package, you can obtain the Word 6.0 converter through any of the following options:

  • Phone the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. If you are outside the United States, contact the Microsoft subsidiary for your area. To locate your subsidiary, call Microsoft International Customer Service at (206) 936-8661.


Important Points

  • This converter is intended for users of Word 2.0 for Windows who do not have access to Word 6.0. The converter has its own Setup program; setup instructions are included in the cover letter.


  • This converter will not run under Windows version 3.0.


  • The formatting features added in Word 6.0 that do not exist in Word 2.0 will not be retained during the conversion. A complete list of these features is included in the WRD6CONV.DOC file, which is installed with the converter.


  • This converter allows Word 2.0 to read documents created by Word 6.0.


Additional query words: 3.00 3.00b 3.20 most frequently asked top ten

Keywords :
Version : WINDOWS:3.0,3.0b,3.2
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :


Last Reviewed: October 26, 1999
© 2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.