Linking OfficeTalk to CompuServe

OfficeTalk Users can link to CompuServe via MS Mail and MS Exchange. The instructions for installing the MS Mail Drivers are below.

Important: The CompuServe MS Mail driver is supplied by CompuServe and not by Sareen Software. Sareen Software accepts no responsibility for the performance and usage of the driver

OfficeTalk users can now send and receive messages via CompuServe and the Internet from Mail Mode by downloading the CompuServe MS Mail driver from CISSOFT forum in CompuServe. This driver interfaces with OfficeTalks MAPI interface to provide seamless uploading and downloading of your e-mail.

The CompuServe Mail Drivers are supplied on the CD-ROM in a directory called CSMAIL. Copy these into a new directoryon your hard drive and go to step 14

If you wish to use this service you will the following

Obtaining the driver

  1. In WINCIM double click on the Go Icon to bring up the Go dialog box. Type cissoft and press OK

  3. Go dialog box
  4. You will now be logged onto CompuServe and presented with the following screen
  6. CompuServe Software dialog box
  7. Double click on the CompuServe MS Mail Driver text and the CompuServe MS Mail driver screen will appear.
  9. Double clicking on each of the subject headers in turn will file the relevant instructions in your CompuServe filing cabinet for future reference.
  10. Double click on the Download CompuServe MS Mail Driver.
  11. CompuServe will now offer you the choice of whether to download the driver or not. Press Y to download the driver.
  12. Once the driver has been downloaded press the button to leave CompuServe .
  13. You will find the file CSMDR.EXE in your CompuServe download directory
  14. Locate the file Setup.exe and double click on it.
  15. A dialog box will appear. Enter the path of your current CompuServe directory and press OK.
  16. Now that you have installed the MS Mail driver, you should execute the "Mail Driver" program (MAILDRV.EXE in your MS MAIL directory.) The Mail Driver program will allow you to select the driver that will be active for your nextsession of MS Mail. Follow these steps to make the CompuServe MS Mail driver active:
  17. Run MAILDRV.EXE
  18. Highlight "CompuServe Mail Driver"
  19. Select the button "Set as current mail driver
  20. Select the Close button
  21. Fire up OfficeTalk
  22. Goto Mail Mode and select Options\External Mail
  23. The External Mail dialog box will appear

  25. Check the Turn on MAPI support and specify your MS Mail login and password
  26. Press OK and log out of OfficeTalk. The next time OfficeTalk logs in the MAPI session will be enabled
  27. Fire up Microsoft Mail.
  28. Select the Mail\Options option and press the button
  29. The CompuServe Mail Session Setup dialog box will appear
  31. Press the button to ensure that MSMAIL and OfficeTalk are pointing at the correct CIS.INI file
  32. Press the button to setup your name, password, modem speed and normal CompuServe access number
  33. Press the button to determine the defaults for your messages to be sent to CompuServe.
  34. The CompuServe Mail Session Setup dialog box allows users to determine how often OfficeTalk\MS Mail will search CompuServe for mail
  35. To send a mail message from OfficeTalk goto Mail\Write. Locate the in the Send To box.
  36. Double Clicking on the will bring up the MAPI Address Book dialog box.
  37. Double click on the icon and select CompuServe Address Book
  38. You will now be presented with the contents of your CompuServe address book. Double click on the users you wish to send mail to. Once you have made your choices press OK
  39. Your choices will now be displayed in the box with the external mail icon displayed alongside the name.
  40. Depending on the choices made in the CompuServe Mail Setup Box, OfficeTalk will connect with CompuServe and upload all waiting mail and collect any mail in your CompuServe Mail Box. Any new messages will be added to the Incoming Mail box in OfficeTalk

Notes

  1. OfficeTalk cannot add users to the CompuServe address book, users will still need add these through WINCIM.
  2. Users can reply to messages from CompuServe by pressing the button. This will create a message with the CompuServe users name in the Recipient List.
  3. Users can send messages onto the Internet and other mail systems via CompuServe. For help on the correct way to address your mail press the icon and select CompuServe Mail Centre. The How to address contains the correct address formats.
  4. OfficeTalk lets you specify an EMail address for contacts so that they may be mailed from within Mail Mode. You can specify an EMail address for a contact in the following way:

Select the contact that you wish to give an EMail address by viewing it in the Contact Window.

 Press the button. The Contact dialog box will appear. Select the mail system through which you wish to mail the contact (i.e. MAPI or VIM). Specify the EMail address in the Email field.either the CompuServe account number ie 70630,2351 or the correct format for the Internet ie INTERNET:70630.2351@compuserve.com. Press OK.

  1. The contact may now be addressed via the Send To Window from within Mail Mode. For more information on mailing contacts see below

If you do not wish to use the external messaging system address book, OfficeTalk lets you mail non-OfficeTalk users as if they were contacts. The way OfficeTalk implements this is by letting you specify an EMail address in a contact record.

Once you have set up the EMail address of one or more contacts, a Contacts address book entry will be displayed in the Send To Window in the Write Mail View. You may expand this entry to show a list of all the contacts in OfficeTalk which have been given an EMail address.

If you do not specify an EMail address in the Contact dialog but do specify a messaging system then the contact will still appear in the Contacts address book. However, when you send a message to the contact, since there is no EMail Address, OfficeTalk will try to match the name of the contact with an address entry in the specified messaging system's address book. Note that the name of the contact must be the same as the name specified in the relevant messaging system address book.

To address a contact as a recipient of a mail message, expand the Contact address book entry by clicking on the symbol. The list of addressable contacts will be displayed underneath the Contact address book entry. Select the contact and press the , or button. The contact will appear in the Recipient Window below. Alternatively, you may double click on the contact in the Send To Window. This will have the same effect as selecting the contact and pressing the button. The message may now be sent in the normal way.

Important: The CompuServe Mail Driver is machine specific. It can only be used on a machine that has a modem attached and cannot be used over a network. It has no concept of an OfficeTalk user and therefore will depoist any incoming mail into the the Incoming Mail folder of whichever user has logged on.

Index Read Connecting OfficeTalk to CompuServe as a Word document Can I connect OfficeTalk to CompuServe using MS Exchange?