Copyright: (c) Virtual Technology Corporation (r4.01/b227)


Help Contents
Virtual Access

Windows and Commands

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support

How to Use Virtual Access

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists

How to Connect

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events

User Reference

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions

Using the Internet

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile

Using CompuServe

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts

Using CIX

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts

MessageBase Management

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes

Single User Administration

Local Users

Local Folders

Workgroup Administration

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


Roadmap for New Users

 See Also

The Roadmap is a separate help file that covers the tasks to get Virtual Access started for a service and the basic Virtual Access functions.

You can access the Roadmap help at any time by selecting the Help menu and clicking on Roadmap Guide.

Click here to go to the Roadmap Help


Related Topics

For more information about windows and commands, see:

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Terminology

 See Also

Online services all organize information in some way, but they frequently use different terms.

Rather than using multiple words, such as forum/conference/newsgroup, Virtual Access uses the following generic terms:

•	Service - the name for each remote service or news server you connect to. Virtual Access can also include the LOCAL service which is only within your installation.

•	Group - the first level under a service. See below for the relevant name for a specific remote service.

•	Folder - the level under a group.

The following chart shows the Virtual Access terms and matching terms for the different service:

Sections of the help that are specific to a service, use the relevant service terms.


Related Topics

For more information about windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Windows

 See Also

Virtual Access uses MDI (Multiple Document Interface). This means there is one main window and other windows that you can open, close or minimize within the main window.

The most frequently used windows are:

•	The MessageBase Window displays a list of all services, groups and folders on your disk and the number of unread messages in each. You can use this window to quickly select which folder you want to view.

 	The MessageBase Window selection defines the Selected Folder(s) for commands.

•	The Reading Window has two areas called panes:

Thread Pane displays the threading information

Message Pane displays the individual message.

The Message Pane defines the Current folder or message for commands.

•	The Connect Window displays the services and connect options

Listed below are other windows that are used in Virtual Access:

Terminal Window	Shows the progress of a connection to a remote service.
Bookmark Window	Window for using and managing Bookmark selections
Review Outbasket	Window to check the actions pending upload


Related Topics

For more information about Virtual Access windows, see:

MessageBase Window

Reading Window

For more information about windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


MessageBase Window

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: /	 View Menu

The MessageBase Window presents an outline structure of the services, groups, folders and File Lists available within Virtual Access.

The MessageBase Window is used to select groups and folders. For example, you can highlight several groups and then run the Prune command or set the signature for those groups or folders.

Click on the graphic below for more information about the MessageBase Window.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Options - Reading Order

Prune

Signatures

For more information about the MessageBase Window see:

Using a Keyboard in the MessageBase Window

Using a Mouse in the MessageBase Window

MessageBase Window Flags

Group Properties

For more information about Virtual Access windows, see:

Reading Window

For more information about windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Using a Keyboard in the MessageBase Window

 See Also

The following keyboard functions are available in the MessageBase Window.

 Using the Keyboard

Action	Result
Cursor Up/Down	Moves up or down MessageBase list
ENTER	If a group is selected, goes to first folder and opens the Reading Window. If a folder is selected, displays that folder in the Reading Window. If a service is selected, goes to first folder and opens the Reading Window.
Cursor Left	Collapse one level. Repeating will collapse the tree to Service Only Level
Cursor Right	Expand one level. Repeating will continue to expand to folder level and then open the folder in the Reading Window.
Page Up/Down	Scrolls the MessageBase Window a page at a time
Home	Go to top of MessageBase Window
End	Go to end of MessageBase Window
/ (slash)	Go to MessageBase Window
Selecting Multiple Folders

To select connected folders (e.g., a block):

1.	Use the arrow keys to move to the first folder

2.	Hold down the SHIFT key

3.	Move up or down to where you want selection to end

4.	Release shift key

To select unconnected folders:

1.	Use the arrow keys to move to the first file or directory you want to select.

2.	Press and release SHIFT+F8. The selection cursor begins to blink.

3.	Move to the next item you want to select.

4.	Press the SPACEBAR to select each file or directory.

5.	Press SHIFT+F8 when you finish selecting files.


Related Topics

For more information about the MessageBase Window see:

Using a Mouse in the MessageBase Window

MessageBase Window Flags

Group Properties

For more information about Virtual Access windows, see:

MessageBase Window

Reading Window

For more information about windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Using a Mouse in the MessageBase Window

 See Also

The following mouse functions are available in the MessageBase Window.

 Using a Mouse

Action	Result
Left button - double click on group name	Expand or collapses one level
Left button - double click on folder name	Open Reading Window for that folder
Left button - double click on service name	Expand or collapses all groups
Shift + left button single click on group or folder name	Expand selection to current point. This results in a block of groups or folders being selected.
Ctrl + left button single click on group or folder name	Adds this item to current selection list. This lets you select any group or folder together.
Right Mouse Button	Calls up a popup menu of commands
Click on left of group bitmap	Expand or contract the group
Click on left of folder bitmap	Open the Reading Window for that folder


Related Topics

For more information about the MessageBase Window see:

Using a Keyboard in the MessageBase Window

MessageBase Window Flags

Group Properties

For more information about Virtual Access windows, see:

MessageBase Window

Reading Window

For more information about windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


MessageBase Window Flags

 See Also

The following information may also be displayed:

Number	The number of unread messages applicable to the level - i.e., the total unread in the service, the group or individual folder.
	The folder has been postponed. This occurs when skipping over the folder with the Next Folder command. Virtual Access will return to this folder when you have read or skipped all other folders.
	Indicates the folder has a File List associated with it. This is only relevant to remote services that support file flags.
	Indicates the folder contains a file list and not messages.
	Indicates the user is the sysop or moderator of the forum or conference on the remote system.
	The group or folder is encrypted.
	Indicates a folder internal to Virtual Access only.


Related Topics

For more information about the MessageBase Window see:

Using a Keyboard in the MessageBase Window

Using a Mouse in the MessageBase Window

Group Properties

For more information about Virtual Access windows, see:

MessageBase Window

Reading Window

For more information about windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Group Properties

 See Also

The message base options are local indicators for conditions on the remote service.

Files

Indicates there is a Flist associated with this folder. CIX and local groups only.

Read Only

Indicates the folder is read-only.

Sysop/Moderator

Indicates the user is the sysop (moderator) of the group. If this flag is set, additional scripts are available on the Special menu for CompuServe and CIX services.

Special

The folder is local to Virtual Access only and should not be included for such commands as Reconstruct.

Local Encrypt

The group is encrypted on the disk. Encrypted local groups do not appear on the unjoined group list and are called closed groups. You must be added to the group by the local moderator.

Local Sysops/Mods Button

Calls a dialog to setup local sysop (moderators) for groups


Related Topics

For more information about the MessageBase Window see:

Using a Keyboard in the MessageBase Window

Using a Mouse in the MessageBase Window

MessageBase Window Flags

For more information about Virtual Access windows, see:

MessageBase Window

Reading Window

For more information about windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


The Search box is for quickly finding the name of a service, group or folder.

The Search function looks for a match of the characters. As each character you type finds a match, the MessageBase Window scrolls to the match.

The search box display can be turned on or off using the Right Mouse Button popup menu. If checked, the search box is displayed.


Toggles the display of the Search Box on/off at the top of the MessageBase Window.


The display of buttons on the right of the MessageBase Window are turned on or off using the Right Mouse Button popup menu.

If checked, the buttons are displayed.


Sets the group flags in the MessageBase. See Group Properties for more information.


The View Tab that displays all groups and folders in the MessageBase Window.

Note that File Lists are displayed in a different color from message folders for services that have both message and file areas.


The View Tab that displays only the message folders in the MessageBase Window


The View Tab that displays only the File List folders in the MessageBase Window.


The View Tab that displays only the mail folders in the MessageBase Window.


The main part of the MessageBase Window which displays the services, groups and folders in your local message base.


The [image] indicates that the folder has been postponed in the reading order.


The [image] flag indicates the folder is internal to Virtual Access


The [image] indicates you have remote sysop/moderator privileges for the group.


The red number indicates the number of unread messages in the group or folder


Opens the Reading Window and displays the selected folder.


Resign allows you to stop reading messages and delete folders or groups. On some services, it allows you to stop collecting messages. For more information, see Resign/Delete Folders.


Joins you to a folder locally in your message base. This is most frequently used with Multiple IDs or the Workgroup version.


Displays a Signature dialog box for you to enter the signature you want to use.

The signature applies to the selected groups or folders you have highlighted in the MessageBase Window.


Displays a dialog box to refresh the File List for a group or folder.


Displays a dialog box allowing you to add or remove participants from the selected groups or folders.


Calls the Build dialog to recreate the indexes and thread information in your MessageBase. For more information, see Build.


Calls the Prune dialog to delete messages and threads from the message base for the selected folder(s) you have highlighted. For more information, see Prune.


Calls the help system for the MessageBase Window.


Calls the Find dialog to look for text in the selected folders.


Calls the Mark as Read dialog to mark the selected folders as read


The sections in blue indicate the section contains File Lists. The [image] also indicates it is a file list not a message section.


Reading Window

 See Also

The Reading Window is where you view messages. It has three main areas:

•	Thread Pane showing the threading information and message status symbols

•	Message Pane showing the current message

•	Information line that divides the Thread and Message Panes. The Information Bar can display information such as the message subject, number or the date.

You can resize the columns in the Thread Pane by dragging the columns. If the flags column is wide enough, all message symbols are in separate columns. If there is not enough space they are placed on top of each other.

The Message Pane is also used to determine the current folder or message in commands, such as printing or bookmarks.

The Right Mouse Button will display popup menus with common actions in the Thread and Message Panes and on the Information Bar.

Click on an option below to see the popup menu for each area of the MessageBase Window

Thread Pane Popup Menu

Information Bar Popup Menu

Message Pane Popup Menu

Focus

When you open the Reading Window, the focus (where the cursor is active) is in the Message Pane. This makes using the keyboard to select text easy but means the up and down arrows do not move in the Thread Pane.

You change the focus to the Thread Pane by pressing the TAB key. When the Thread Pane has focus, the message highlight bar has a line on the top and bottom.

♦ Tip

It is strongly recommended that you set the flags column wide enough so you can see each message symbol.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Options - Read Order

Options - General

Message Symbols

Zoom Message Pane

For more information about the Reading Window, see:

Information Bar Popup Menu

Thread Pane Popup Menu

Message Pane Popup Menu

For more information about Virtual Access windows, see:

MessageBase Window

For more information about windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Information Bar Popup Menu

 See Also

The following menu is displayed when you click the Right Mouse Button anywhere on the Information Bar. Click on the menu item for information about each function.


Related Topics:

For more information about the Reading Window, see:

Thread Pane Popup Menu

Message Pane Popup Menu

For more information about Virtual Access windows, see:

MessageBase Window

Reading Window

For more information about windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Thread Pane Popup Menu

 See Also

The following menu is displayed when you click the Right Mouse Button anywhere in the Thread Pane. Click on the menu item for information about each function.


Related Topics:

For more information about the Reading Window, see:

Information Bar Popup Menu

Message Pane Popup Menu

For more information about Virtual Access windows, see:

MessageBase Window

Reading Window

For more information about windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Message Pane Popup Menu

 See Also

The following menu is displayed when you click the Right Mouse Button anywhere in the Message Pane. Click on the menu item for information about each function.


Related Topics:

For more information about the Reading Window, see:

Information Bar Popup Menu

Thread Pane Popup Menu

For more information about Virtual Access windows, see:

MessageBase Window

Reading Window

For more information about windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Goes to the MessageBase Window. The shortcut key is the number 1


Zooms the Reading Window to display only the Thread Pane. The shortcut key is the number 2


Displays the Reading Window with both the Thread and Message Panes. The shortcut key is the number 3


Zooms the Reading Window to display only the Message Pane. The shortcut key is the number 4.


Changes the display of the Thread Pane to show each message and all replies.


Changes the display of the Thread Pane to show only the root (first) message of each thread and not the replies.


Changes the display of the Thread Pane to show the messages in the order they were posted.


Changes the display of the Thread Pane to show only unread messages. This does not display any messages in the thread that you have already read.


Opens the Options dialog to change the display of the Reading Window fonts and colors.


Opens the Copy to Folder dialog box to allow you to copy the message to another folder.


Opens the Print dialog box to print messages.


Opens the Save As dialog to save messages to a file


Copies the selected text to the clipboard.


Opens the Operate on a Message dialog box to allow you to decode a message, go to a Web reference or a message reference in Virtual Access.


Open the GoTo Message box. If a message number is selected or is contained within a message with the # symbol, it is inserted into the GoTo box.


Toggles the text in the Message Pane between proportional and fixed font.


Toggles the headers between full headers, commonly used headers and no headers.


Calls in the dialog to download a file.

If you highlight a filename in the message, it will be inserted into the dialog.


Calls in the dialog to change the sort order of the Thread Pane and messages.

The options are:  Threads, Roots Only, Chronological and Unread only


Reply to the message you are viewing in the Reading Window


Creates a new message in the folder you are viewing in the Reading Window


Commands and Menus

 See Also

This section covers all the menus and menu commands. There are two versions of the menus:

•	Full Menus presents all of the Virtual Access commands

•	Short Menus presents a subset of the most commonly used commands.

In addition to the commands, you can obtain information about the icons by:

•	Enabling Tool Tips on the Tools | Options | Toolbar tab

•	Click the Right Mouse Button on an icon to load the help for that function


Related Topics

To information on setting options for menus and commands, see

Options - General

Options - Toolbar

For more information in commands and menus, see:

Full Menu Commands

Short Menu Commands

Keyboard Commands

For more information about windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Standard Windows Features

Support


Full Menu Commands

 See Also

View Menu

Full Menus provide all the Virtual Access commands in several menus. The top level menus are:

•	File - commands dealing with connecting to services, printing, saving messages and exiting Virtual Access

•	Edit - commands dealing with finding text, changing the status of a message.

•	View - commands dealing with how you can view the screen and message base

•	GoTo - commands for navigating

•	Message  - commands for writing new messages, reply and mail

•	Special- commands special to a service.

•	Tools - functions for managing  your messagebase

•	Window - commands for managing MDI windows

•	Help - options for loading in the help system


Related Topics

For more information about menu items, see:

File Menu

Edit Menu

View Menu

Goto Menu

Message Menu

Special Menu

Tools Menu

Window Menu

Help Menu

For more information in commands and menus, see:

Short Menu Commands

Keyboard Commands

For more information about windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


File Menu

 See Also

Click on the [More …] to go to the main help section for the command.

New

Displays a dialog box to allow you to create:

1.	New service - calls in the Net Wizard to create additional Internet services. [More …]

2.	Local Group - create a new group in the Local Service [More …]

3.	Local Folder - create a new folder in a Local Service group. [More …]

Connect…

Display the Connect Window to allow you to select the service, phone number and type of connection to make to a remote service. [More …]

Review Outbasket

Displays a dialog box letting you review the actions that will be carried out when you next connect to the service. You can edit messages or commands delete them  or mark them to be held and not uploaded on your next connection. [More …]

Comms Setup …

Display a tabbed dialog box that allows you to change existing communication parameters or add new ones. [More for CIS …] [More for CIX …] [More for Internet …]

Import Messages …

Displays the dialog box to import messages. [More …]

Save As ...

Save messages to a text file name you specify. If the file already exists, the new text is appended. [More …]

Close

Close the window that has the focus. [More …]

Print...

Prints messages. You can print the current message or thread, all bookmarked messages or a range of messages. [More …]

Print Setup...

Setup and select your printer. [More …]

Run...

Start any program. [More …]

Exit

Quits Virtual Access. [More …]


Related Topics

For more information about menu items, see:

Edit Menu

View Menu

Goto Menu

Message Menu

Special Menu

Tools Menu

Window Menu

Help Menu

For more information in commands and menus, see:

Full Menu Commands

Short Menu Commands

Keyboard Commands


Edit Menu

 See Also

Click on the [More …] to go to the main help section for the command.

Copy

Copies a defined selection to the clipboard.  [More …]

Find

Searches for a text string.  [More …]

Find Again

Repeats the search for the text string setup by Find. [More …]

Find New Messages to me …

Displays the dialog to look for messages addressed to you. [More …]

Find on Deja News

Calls a dialog to search Usenet articles on the Deja News web site. This calls in your web browser to search. Function under development and not available in all versions. [More ]

Bookmarks

Displays the Bookmark Manager Window. [More …]

My Signatures ...

Adds to or edits the information added at the end of the messages you create. [More …]

Notes...

Opens your personal notes for editing. [More …]

Mark Message As …

Displays a flyout to mark a message. The following options are available:

Read

Mark the message you are currently viewing as read. [More …]

Unread

Mark the message you are currently viewing as unread. [More …]

Ignore

Mark the thread you are currently viewing to be ignored. [More …]

Keep

Mark the message you are currently viewing to be kept. [More …]

Delete

Marks the message you are currently viewing to be deleted when you run Prune. [More …]

Bookmark

Adds the message you are currently viewing to the active bookmark list. [More …]

Mark as Read...

Allows you to select a part of the message base and mark the messages as read. [More …]


Related Topics

For more information about menu items, see:

File Menu

View Menu

Goto Menu

Message Menu

Special Menu

Tools Menu

Window Menu

Help Menu

For more information in commands and menus, see:

Full Menu Commands

Short Menu Commands

Keyboard Commands


View Menu

 See Also

Click on the [More …] to go to the main help section for the command.

MessageBase

Go to MessageBase Window. This will open the window if it is not loaded or bring it to the screen if minimized. [More …]

MessageBase Statistics

Calls the dialog box to display information about the number of messages and space taken on the disk. [More …]

Message Headers

Selects how much of the headers to display in the Message Pane. [More …]

Proportional Font

Toggle to change the font of the current message you are viewing from proportional font to fixed width font. [More …]

Message Order

Displays a flyout to select the order of messages in the Reading Window. The following options are available:

Threads

View messages in thread order. [More …]

Roots only

View messages so that only the first message of a thread (the root) is displayed. [More …]

Chronologically

View messages in the order they were posted. [More …]

Unread Only

View only unread messages in a folder. [More …]

Short Menus

Changes the menus to a smaller subset of functions.  [More …]

Full Menus

Changes the menus to show all functions. [More …]


Related Topics

For more information about menu items, see:

File Menu

Edit Menu

Goto Menu

Message Menu

Special Menu

Tools Menu

Window Menu

Help Menu

For more information in commands and menus, see:

Full Menu Commands

Short Menu Commands

Keyboard Commands


Goto Menu

 See Also

Click on the [More …] to go to the main help section for the command.

Next Unread Message

Mark the current message you are viewing as read and goes to the next unread message. [More …]

Next Bookmarked Message

Moves to the next message in the active bookmark set. [More …]

Previous Message

Moves to the previous message you viewed in the Message Pane. This can be repeated to go backwards through the message you have read. [More …]

Original

Moves to the parent of the current message or mark it for download if it's not already on your system. [More …]

Goto Message

Go to a specific message number in the group  you are viewing. [More …]

Favorites

Favorites lets you assign specific folders for up to ten icons and then place them on the toolbar for quick access [More …]

Next Folder

Moves to the next folder in the Reading Order [More …]

Previous Folder

Move to the previous folder you were reading [More …]

Goto Current File List

Displays the associated File List for the folder that is open in the Reading Window. This applies to CompuServe and CIX only. [More ]


Related Topics

For more information about menu items, see:

File Menu

Edit Menu

View Menu

Message Menu

Special Menu

Tools Menu

Window Menu

Help Menu

For more information in commands and menus, see:

Full Menu Commands

Short Menu Commands

Keyboard Commands


Message Menu

 See Also

Click on the [More …] to go to the main help section for the command.

View Service Lists...

Displays a list of groups available for a service. [More for CIS …] [More for CIX …] [More for Internet]

Sections to Collect...

For CompuServe only, displays a dialog box to allow you select the sections and forums you wish to collect on your next connection. [More …]

Join Remote

Displays a dialog box to join a known group. [More for CIS …] [More for CIX …] [More for Internet]

View Remote Information

Displays the information of the group in the Message Pane.[More for CIS …] [More for CIX …]

Post New Mail...

Starts the mail Message Editor. [More …]

Mail Reply to All

Starts the mail Message Editor with the originator and subject of the current message you are viewing already filled in. [More …]

Mail Reply to Sender

Starts the mail Message Editor with the originator and subject of the current message you are viewing already filled in. [More …]

Forward by Mail...

Starts the mail Message Editor and inserts the message you are viewing in the Reading Window. [More …]

Post New Message

Start a new thread in the folder you are viewing. [More …]

Reply to Message

Replies to the current message you are viewing. [More …]

Fetch Full Message

 Mark a header message so the full text is collected on your next connection. [More …]

Cancel Message

Mark the current message you are viewing to be withdrawn from a remote service on your next connection. [More …]

Send FAX...

Loads a dialog box to send a Fax message by the remote service. CIX and CompuServe only.  [More …]


Related Topics

For more information about menu items, see:

File Menu

Edit Menu

View Menu

Goto Menu

Special Menu

Tools Menu

Window Menu

Help Menu

For more information in commands and menus, see:

Full Menu Commands

Short Menu Commands

Keyboard Commands


Special Menu

 See Also

Click on the [More …] to go to the main help section for the command.

Download File …

Allows you to download a file from a remote service. Applicable to CompuServe and CIX only. [More …]

Upload File …

Allows you to upload a file to a remote service. Applicable to CompuServe and CIX only.  [More …]

Refresh File Lists(s) …

Allows you to update the file lists from a remote service. Applicable to CompuServe and CIX only. [More …]

<Varies for each specific service>

The rest of the Service menu contains commands relevant only to each service. These will change as you view different services.

For more information select the appropriate service: CompuServe, Internet, CIX


Related Topics

For more information about menu items, see:

File Menu

Edit Menu

View Menu

Goto Menu

Message Menu

Tools Menu

Window Menu

Help Menu

For more information in commands and menus, see:

Full Menu Commands

Short Menu Commands

Keyboard Commands


Tools Menu

 See Also

Click on the [More …] to go to the main help section for the command.

AddressBook

Displays the AddressBook  [More …]

Add to AddressBook…

Enters the address of the sender of the current message you are viewing in the AddressBook  [More …]

Copy to Folder...

Copies the message(s) to another folder in your local message base. [More …]

Rethread Message…

Changes the threading of one message to another.  [More …]

Operate on message

Looks for specific text strings and acts on them, such as calling your web browser for a URL, decoding messages. [More …]

Macros

Displays a flyout menu to with the following:

Start/Stop Record

Toggle to start or stop macro recorder. [More …]

Play

Plays a loaded macro. [More …]

Load

Loads a previously saved macro. [More …]

Save

Saves the macro. [More …]

Set Startup Macro

Selects macro to run when Virtual Access is Started. [More …]

< Any macros  >

If you have any macros, they are listed at the bottom of the menu.

PlugIns

Displays a flyout menu with the following:

Install/Remove

Calls in the Tool Manager to install or remove PlugIns [More …]

< Installed PlugIns  >

Lists any PlugIns that you have currently installed

Message Filters

Displays a flyout menu with the following:

Add Subject to Killfile

Add Author to Killfile

Add Subject to Getfile

Add Author to GetFile

The above menu items are short cuts for quickly adding a subject or author to the newsgroup kill/getfiles. [More …]

Edit Kill/Getfiles

Calls the kill/getfile dialog to add or edit the rules [More …]

Mail Rules

Calls the Mail Rule dialog to add or edit the rules. [More …]

Scheduling

Displays a flyout menu with the following:

Start Scheduler...

Loads the Virtual Access connection scheduler [More …]

Set Routine...

Display a dialog box for selecting what actions you want to automatically schedule. You can schedule tasks for each connection, once a day, weekly or monthly. [More …]

MessageBase Management

Displays a flyout menu with the following:

Build

Rebuilds the message indexes [More …]

Prune

Removes messages from the message base. [More …]

Prune Options

Sets options for prune for specific services, groups or folders. [More …]

Reconstruct

Synchronize pointers between your messagebase and the remote system. [More …]

Users …

Display a dialog box for adding or removing local user IDs. [More Single User …] [More Workgroup Version …]

Administration

Workgroup version only. Displays a flyout menu with the following:

Logout/Login as Administrator

Toggle to log in or out as administrator. When logging in, will ask for the administrator password. [More …]

Currently using VA

Display a list of users currently using Virtual Access.  [More …]

Broadcast a Message...

Broadcast a message to all users.  [More …]

Options...

Display tabbed dialog box to customize Virtual Access.  [More …]


Related Topics

For more information about menu items, see:

File Menu

Edit Menu

View Menu

Goto Menu

Message Menu

Special Menu

Window Menu

Help Menu

For more information in commands and menus, see:

Full Menu Commands

Short Menu Commands

Keyboard Commands


Window Menu

 See Also

Click on the [More …] to go to the main help section for the command.

Tile

Rearranges all windows so they fit on the screen side by side. [More …]

Cascade

Rearranges all windows so they are displayed with the title bar of each window showing. [More …]

Arrange Icons

Arranges the icons of any minimized windows at the bottom of the screen. [More …]

Close All

Closes all windows. [More …]

<<open windows>>

This is a list of all currently open windows. Selecting any window will make it the current window.


Related Topics

For more information about menu items, see:

File Menu

Edit Menu

View Menu

Goto Menu

Message Menu

Special Menu

Tools Menu

Help Menu

For more information in commands and menus, see:

Full Menu Commands

Short Menu Commands

Keyboard Commands


Help Menu

 See Also

Click on the [More …] to go to the main help section for the command.

Contents

Loads the Virtual Access Help file and displays the Contents Page. [More …]

Search for Help on...

Displays the search dialog for the Virtual Access Help file. [More …]

Roadmap Guide

Loads the Roadmap for New Users help file.  [More …]

Using Help

Loads a Help file with information on how to use Help and Help features. [More …]

Tip of the Day

Displays a dialog box with tips for using Virtual Access. [More …]

Product Information

Displays a dialog box with information about Ashmount products. [More …]

About Virtual Access...

Displays the version and license information about Virtual Access. [More …]


Related Topics

For more information about menu items, see:

File Menu

Edit Menu

View Menu

Goto Menu

Message Menu

Special Menu

Tools Menu

Window Menu

For more information in commands and menus, see:

Full Menu Commands

Short Menu Commands

Keyboard Commands


Short Menu Commands

 See Also

View Menu

Short menus contain a subset of the full menus available for Virtual Access with only the most commonly used menu functions.

The same top level menu items are displayed, but fewer options are available on each menu.


Related Topics

For more information in commands and menus, see:

Full Menu Commands

Keyboard Commands

For more information in windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Keyboard Commands

 See Also

These are the available keyboard commands.


Related Topics

For more information in commands and menus, see:

Full Menu Commands

Short Menu Commands

For more information in windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Standard Windows Features

 See Also

This section contains a brief summary of standard windows features on the Virtual Access menus and toolbar.

For more information on these commands, see your Windows documentation.


Related Topics

For more information on standard Windows Features, see:

Run

Close

Printer Setup

Exit

Copy

Tile Windows

Cascade Windows

Arrange Icons

Close All

Page Up and Page Down

Next Window

Help

For more information in windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Support


Run

 See Also

File Menu

Run displays a dialog box allowing you to select another program to start.

This can be used to start another program if you want to cut and paste information from your message base to the other program.


Related Topics

For more information on standard Windows Features, see:

Close

Printer Setup

Exit

Copy

Tile Windows

Cascade Windows

Arrange Icons

Close All

Page Up and Page Down

Next Window

Help

For more information in windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Close

 See Also

File Menu

Closes the active window.


Related Topics

For more information on standard Windows Features, see:

Run

Printer Setup

Exit

Copy

Tile Windows

Cascade Windows

Arrange Icons

Close All

Page Up and Page Down

Next Window

Help

For more information in windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Printer Setup

 See Also

File Menu

Printer Setup displays the standard windows Print Setup dialog to select the printer and any options.


Related Topics

For more information on standard Windows Features, see:

Run

Close

Exit

Copy

Tile Windows

Cascade Windows

Arrange Icons

Close All

Page Up and Page Down

Next Window

Help

For more information in windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Exit

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: ALT+F4	File Menu

Quits Virtual Access.

If Admin | User Options | Review | Warn if actions are pending on close done is checked, Virtual Access displays a message if there are any replies waiting to be uploaded.


Related Topics

For more information on standard Windows Features, see:

Run

Close

Printer Setup

Copy

Tile Windows

Cascade Windows

Arrange Icons

Close All

Page Up and Page Down

Next Window

Help

For more information in windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Copy

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+C	Edit Menu

Copies the selected text to the Clipboard.


Related Topics

For more information on standard Windows Features, see:

Run

Close

Printer Setup

Exit

Tile Windows

Cascade Windows

Arrange Icons

Close All

Page Up and Page Down

Next Window

Help

For more information in windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Tile Windows

 See Also

Window Menu

Tile arranges all open windows side by side in the main Virtual Access window.

This allows you to see partial contents of all windows. You can then maximize any window in order to display more of its contents.


Related Topics

For more information on standard Windows Features, see:

Run

Close

Printer Setup

Exit

Copy

Cascade Windows

Arrange Icons

Close All

Page Up and Page Down

Next Window

Help

For more information in windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Cascade Windows

 See Also

Window Menu

Cascade arranges all open windows in an overlapping pattern in the main Virtual Access window.

This allows you to see the title bars of all the open Windows.


Related Topics

For more information on standard Windows Features, see:

Run

Close

Printer Setup

Exit

Copy

Tile Windows

Arrange Icons

Close All

Page Up and Page Down

Next Window

Help

For more information in windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Arrange Icons

 See Also

Window Menu

Arrange Icons evenly spaces all minimized windows at the bottom of the main Virtual Access window.


Related Topics

For more information on standard Windows Features, see:

Run

Close

Printer Setup

Exit

Copy

Tile Windows

Cascade Windows

Close All

Page Up and Page Down

Next Window

Help

For more information in windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Close All

 See Also

Window Menu

Closes all opened windows.


Related Topics

For more information on standard Windows Features, see:

Run

Close

Printer Setup

Exit

Copy

Tile Windows

Cascade Windows

Arrange Icons

Page Up and Page Down

Next Window

Help

For more information in windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Page Up and Page Down

 See Also

 	Toolbar Icon Only

Moves the text of the Message Pane up or down one screen at a time.

This is the same as using the page up and page down keys.


Related Topics

For more information on standard Windows Features, see:

Run

Close

Printer Setup

Exit

Copy

Tile Windows

Cascade Windows

Arrange Icons

Close All

Next Window

Help

For more information in windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Next Window

 See Also

CTRL-Tab

Moves through the open windows within Virtual Access. Note this ignores windows that are minimized.

For example, if the Message Editor has been moved behind the Reading Window, you can use Next Window to cycle through the window so the Message Editor is in the front.

You can also use the Windows menu to select the window to bring to the front.


Related Topics

For more information on standard Windows Features, see:

Run

Close

Printer Setup

Exit

Copy

Tile Windows

Cascade Windows

Arrange Icons

Close All

Page Up and Page Down

Help

For more information in windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Help

 See Also

Help Menu

The Help menu lists several ways of getting information:

 Contents

Displays the help file at the Table of Contents page.

 Search for Help On

Displays the keyword search dialog box. When you select a section, the Help file is displayed showing the selected section.

 Roadmap Guide

Displays the Roadmap Guide for new users which is a brief introduction to getting started and using Virtual Access.

 Using Help

Information on using help.

In addition, you can access the Help file by:

•	Pressing the Right Mouse Button on any icon on the toolbar to display the help for that function.

•	Select any menu item and press Shift+F1 to display the help for that function.


Related Topics

For more information on standard Windows Features, see:

Run

Close

Printer Setup

Exit

Copy

Tile Windows

Cascade Windows

Arrange Icons

Close All

Page Up and Page Down

Next Window

For more information in windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features

Support


Support

 See Also

We hope that the manual and help files will answer most of your questions. However, if you can't find the information you need, support is available on several on-line services, our own news server or by phone.

 As we are a small company, our preferred method of providing support is by the on-line services, but if your problem is urgent, please call or fax us.

		USA		Europe
Sales		1-800 4VAMAIL		+44 171 831 4000
Support		(612) 924 0540		+44 171 831 4000
Fax		(612) 915 1133		+44 171 831 4400
Internet		support@vamail.com		support@ashmount.com
CompuServe		70007,5437		70007,5437
WWW		www.vamail.com		www.ashmount.com
News Server				news.ashmount.com
Address		Virtual Technology Corporation		Ashmount Research Ltd.
		3100 West Lake Street		9-10 Southampton Place
		Suite 400		London
		Minneapolis		WC1A 2EA
		MN 55416		United Kingdom
		USA
Product Information

Information about various Ashmount products is available from the Help | Product Information menu item.

Copyrights

Windows, Windows 95 and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Some of the software is copyrighted as follows:

© Portions Copyright Summit Software 1993-1997

© This software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group


Related Topics

For more information in windows and commands, see:

Roadmap for New Users

Terminology

Windows

Commands and Menus

Standard Windows Features


Screen Information

 See Also

A lot of information about the message base is available on the screen. In addition to the information in the MessageBase Window, there is:

•	the Status Bar available at the bottom of the screen to show group flags, unread messages and bookmark information.

•	flags in the Thread Pane for each message


Related Topics

For more information, see:

MessageBase Window

For more screen information, see:

Status Bar

Status Bar Symbols and Icons

Message Symbols

Tip of the Day

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Status Bar

 See Also

 Tools | Options

The Status Bar shows information about the message base in a bar along the bottom of the screen.

The Status Bar is optional and you can switch it on and off in the Tools | Options | Display tab.

For information about the symbols and icons on the status bar, see: Status Bar Symbols and Icons.

Message Counts

The total unread count in the lower right of the status bar will change depending on which tab in the MessageBase Window you are using:

1.	All Tab - number shows all unread for both messages and File Lists

2.	Messages - number shows unread for messages only

3.	File List - number shows unread for File Lists only

4.	Mail - number shows unread mail messages only

♦ Note

If you click the Right Mouse Button anywhere on the status bar, it displays a list of bookmark sets. You can then select the set you want to make active.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Bookmarks

For more screen information, see:

Status Bar Symbols and Icons

Message Symbols

Tip of the Day

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Status Bar Symbols and Icons

 See Also

The status bar displays the following information from left to right:

Symbol or Icon	Meaning or Action
	Workgroup: You are logged in with administrator privileges Double click will log you off or call the admin password dialog
	Moderator of the current group Double click goes to MessageBase Window
	The current folder is read-only Double click goes to MessageBase Window
	If dimmed, unread message count is not updated. Double click updates unread message count Animated while message import is running
	Macro Recorder in progress
	Active Bookmark Set Double click brings up the Bookmark Manager Window
	Number of unread messages in current thread Double click goes to MessageBase Window
	Number of unread messages in current folder Double click goes to MessageBase Window
	Total unread messages. Varies depending which TAB is used in the MessageBase Window. Double click goes to MessageBase Window
	Number of unread mail messages. Double click goes to the Mail Tab in the MessageBase Window if it exists, or to the MessageBase Window if there is no Mail Tab.


Related Topics

For more screen information, see:

Status Bar

Message Symbols

Tip of the Day

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Message Symbols

 See Also

There are several small pictures displayed in the Thread Pane.

The Symbols and icons to the left of a message display information about the message.

The meanings of some symbols vary, depending on whether you are viewing message in Thread order or Roots Only

If you are viewing Roots Only, the symbol may apply either to the entire message or at least one message in the thread. In Threads view, the symbol applies only to that message.

For example, you can bookmark a single message or an entire thread. In both cases, the Bookmark Symbol will appear next to the root message when you view Roots only.

Symbol	Meaning
	Root Message and the thread is expanded so all replies are shown.
	Root Message and the thread has been collapsed so only the root message is displayed.
	The first message (root) of this thread is not in your message base.
	This message or thread has not been read.
	There is an unread message in the collapsed thread, but you have read the root message.
	The message is marked for deletion. The message will not be deleted until Prune is run.
	The message is marked for deletion in the collapsed thread.
	The message is marked to be kept permanently.
	A message in the collapsed thread is marked to be kept permanently.
	There is both a keep and a delete message in the collapsed thread.
	The message is bookmarked.
	The header message is marked to be fetched..
	There is a reply to this message that has not been uploaded to the remote service.


Related Topics

For more information about options to view the message base, see:

View Messages

For more screen information, see:

Status Bar

Status Bar Symbols and Icons

Tip of the Day

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Tip of the Day

 See Also

Help Menu

The Tip of the Day displays a small dialog with helpful tips for using Virtual Access.

You can have a tip displayed every time Virtual Access starts by checking the Show Tips at Startup box on the bottom left of the Tip of the Day dialog.


Related Topics

For more screen information, see:

Status Bar

Status Bar Symbols and Icons

Message Symbols

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Navigate the Message Base

 See Also

There are several ways of moving around the message base. This section of the help covers those commands that allow you to switch from one area to another in the message base.

The most common is Next Folder (shortcut N) to move to the next folder with unread messages.


Related Topics

For information on reading and marking messages, see:

Read Messages

For more information about navigation commands, see:

Common Navigation Keyboard Shortcuts

Next Folder

Previous Folder

Go to MessageBase Window

Zoom Quick Keys

Favorite Places

Goto Message

Go to Original Message

Goto Previous Message

Goto Next Bookmarked Message

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Common Navigation Keyboard Shortcuts

 See Also

The following are the most frequently used keyboard shortcuts for moving around the message base.


Related Topics

For a full list of all keyboard commands, see:

Keyboard Commands

For more information about navigation commands, see:

Next Folder

Previous Folder

Go to MessageBase Window

Zoom Quick Keys

Favorite Places

Goto Message

Go to Original Message

Goto Previous Message

Goto Next Bookmarked Message

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Next Folder

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: N	Goto Menu

Sometimes you may not want to read the messages in the standard reading order. Next Folder allows you to skip to the next folder in the Reading Order with unread messages.

The default sequence for reading is in alphabetical order, but you can change this using Tools | Options | Read Order.

To go to the next folder:

1.	Press the shortcut key N or select the Goto | Next Folder menu item

Choosing Next Folder marks the current folder as Postponed for reading.

 Reading Order works in connection with the View Tab that is active in the MessageBase Window. If the next folder in the Reading Order is not on the View Tab, Next Folder will not see it.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Options - Read Order

For more information about navigation commands, see:

Common Navigation Keyboard Shortcuts

Previous Folder

Go to MessageBase Window

Zoom Quick Keys

Favorite Places

Goto Message

Go to Original Message

Goto Previous Message

Goto Next Bookmarked Message

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Previous Folder

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: P	Goto Menu

Previous Folder allows you to quickly return to the folder you were viewing before the current one. This can be useful if you move through your new messages too quickly.

To go to the previous folder:

1.	Press the shortcut key P or select the Goto | Previous Folder menu item


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Options - Read Order

For more information about navigation commands, see:

Common Navigation Keyboard Shortcuts

Next Folder

Go to MessageBase Window

Zoom Quick Keys

Favorite Places

Goto Message

Go to Original Message

Goto Previous Message

Goto Next Bookmarked Message

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Go to MessageBase Window

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: / (slash)	View Menu

If the MessageBase Window is not open on the screen, it is opened on top of the current windows.

To open the MessageBase Window

1.	Press the shortcut key / or select the View | MessageBase menu item


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Options - Read Order

For more information about navigation commands, see:

Common Navigation Keyboard Shortcuts

Next Folder

Previous Folder

Zoom Quick Keys

Favorite Places

Goto Message

Go to Original Message

Goto Previous Message

Goto Next Bookmarked Message

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Zoom Quick Keys

 See Also

Keyboard Shortcuts: 1 2 3 4

There are 4 keys available for quick navigation and viewing of messages.

The numeric keys 1 though 4 work as follows:

1 - Change focus to the MessageBase Window

2 - Open selected folder with Thread Pane zoomed

3 - Open selected folder with normal Thread and Message Panes

4 - Open selected folder with Message Pane zoomed


Related Topics

For more information about the Zoom function, see

Zoom Reading Window

For more information about navigation commands, see:

Common Navigation Keyboard Shortcuts

Next Folder

Previous Folder

Go to MessageBase Window

Favorite Places

Goto Message

Go to Original Message

Goto Previous Message

Goto Next Bookmarked Message

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Favorite Places

 See Also

Goto Menu

Favorites allow you to use an icon to go to a specific folder within your message base.

 To setup favorite places

1.	Select the Goto | Favorites | Set Favorite Places menu item to open up the dialog box

2.	There are 10 available favorites places. For each place, select the folder you want from the drop down list.

3.	When you have finished press OK to close the dialog box

4.	Select the Tools | Options  menu option and select the Toolbar tab. Go towards the bottom of the list for the Favorite Places icons.

5.	Place the Favorite Places you have setup on the toolbar

6.	When you have finished, press OK to close the toolbar box

 To use favorite places

1.	Press the Favorite Place icon on the toolbar and Virtual Access will go to that folder.


Related Topics

For more information about navigation commands, see:

Common Navigation Keyboard Shortcuts

Next Folder

Previous Folder

Go to MessageBase Window

Zoom Quick Keys

Goto Message

Go to Original Message

Goto Previous Message

Goto Next Bookmarked Message

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Goto Message

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: CTRL-G or #	Goto Menu

Sometimes you may want to read a specific message by number, perhaps if it is referred to in another message.

Goto Message brings up a dialog box and asks for the message number. It then goes to that number and displays it in the Message Pane.

To go to a specific message

1.	Press the shortcut key # or select the Goto | Goto Message menu item

Goto Message checks :

•	the current folder

•	all folders in the current group

If the message number is not found, Virtual Access asks if you want to collect on your next connection. Depending on the service and the length of time messages are retained, the message may no longer be available.

♦ Note

If a message contains #messagenumber, the number is automatically placed in the Goto box.

If you highlight a number in the Message Pane, that number appears in the Goto box.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Referencing Messages

For more information about navigation commands, see:

Common Navigation Keyboard Shortcuts

Next Folder

Previous Folder

Go to MessageBase Window

Zoom Quick Keys

Favorite Places

Go to Original Message

Goto Previous Message

Goto Next Bookmarked Message

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Go to Original Message

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: 0 	Goto Menu

While reading threads, you can lose track of the content of the original message that started the discussion.

To go to original message

1.	Press the shortcut key O (letter O not number) or select the Goto | Original Message menu item

Go to Original Message moves back to the message to which the current message is replying. You can press O again to go back to the original message for that reply and go back through the thread.

If the original message is not in the current folder, Virtual Access will check all folders in the current group. If the original message is not available locally, Virtual Access will ask whether you want to collect it from the remote service. Depending on the remote service, the message may, or may not, still be available.

♦ Tip

If you press O to go to the original message, you can use Goto | Previous Message  (CTRL+Z) to quickly return to the message you were reading.


Related Topics

For more information about navigation commands, see:

Common Navigation Keyboard Shortcuts

Next Folder

Previous Folder

Go to MessageBase Window

Zoom Quick Keys

Favorite Places

Goto Message

Goto Previous Message

Goto Next Bookmarked Message

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Goto Previous Message

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: CTRL+Z	Goto Menu

As you read your messages, you may want to go back to a message you have read previously.

Previous message will move you back through the message base in the reverse they were read.

To go to previous message

1.	Press the shortcut key CTRL+Z or select the Goto | Previous Message menu item

♦ Note

Previous Message will not change the status of a message. For example, read messages are still marked as read and flags for deleting, keeping or ignoring messages are retained. If you wish to change the status of the message, you must do so manually.

For example, if you have pressed Enter too many times, you can select Previous Message to go back through the messages and press U to mark each message unread until you come to the last message you have actually read.


Related Topics

For more information on changing the message status, see:

Mark Unread

Delete Messages

Keep Messages

Ignore Messages

For more information about navigation commands, see:

Common Navigation Keyboard Shortcuts

Next Folder

Previous Folder

Go to MessageBase Window

Zoom Quick Keys

Favorite Places

Goto Message

Go to Original Message

Goto Next Bookmarked Message

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Goto Next Bookmarked Message

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: Shift+Enter 	Goto Menu

Bookmarks allow you to group messages from anywhere in the message base, such as a list of Unread Messages addressed to you.

Goto Next Bookmarked Message steps through the active bookmark set.

To go to the next bookmarked message

1.	Press the shortcut SHIFT+ENTER or select the Goto | Next Bookmarked Message menu item.

For more information, see Bookmarks.


Related Topics

For more information about navigation commands, see:

Common Navigation Keyboard Shortcuts

Next Folder

Previous Folder

Go to MessageBase Window

Zoom Quick Keys

Favorite Places

Goto Message

Go to Original Message

Goto Previous Message

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


View Messages

 See Also

View | Message Order

There are four ways to order and display the messages in the Thread Pane on the View menu

•	Roots Only shows only the first message (root) of each thread

•	Threads shows the messages threaded with the replies are connected to the original message.

•	Chronological View shows the messages in the order they were posted

•	Unread Only View shows only the unread messages in a folder. It does not show messages in a thread that you have already read.

This flexibility allows you to see as much, or as little, information as you need.

You can change from one view to another quickly by pressing the appropriate icon on the toolbar or using the Right Mouse Button popup menus in the Thread Pane.


Related Topics

For more information about viewing messages, see:

View Roots Only

View Threads

View Chronological

View Unread Only

View Encoded Messages

Zoom Reading Window

View Message Headers

Proportional Font

Hide Previously Deleted Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


View Roots Only

 See Also

 View | Message Order

Roots Only shows the first message of a thread, but none of the replies. This allows you to quickly scan the messages for those threads that interest you.

To view Roots Only

1.	Select the View | Message Order | Roots Only menu item

Unread Symbols in Roots Only mode

Virtual Access uses several symbols to indicate unread messages:

•	The Unread Symbol indicates that the root message and all replies are unread

•	The Unread Message in Thread Symbol indicates there is a reply that is unread, although you have previously read the root message.

You expand a thread by pressing Enter, which then takes you to the next unread message in the thread. When you have finished reading the thread, it is collapsed again.

All the navigation keys are available for quickly expanding and collapsing the threads.


Related Topics

For more information message symbols, see:

Message Symbols

For more information about viewing messages, see:

View Threads

View Chronological

View Unread Only

View Encoded Messages

Zoom Reading Window

View Message Headers

Proportional Font

Hide Previously Deleted Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


View Threads

 See Also

 View | Message Order

Threads Only shows each message in the order the thread has developed, linking comments to the original message. This displays the most amount of information and is the default viewing mode.

To view Threads

1.	Select the View | Message Order | Threads menu item or use the Right Mouse Button popup menu in the Thread Pane.

The first message of the thread, the root message, is shown in bold.

You can use the navigation keys for quickly moving through the threads.


Related Topics

For more information message symbols, see:

Message Symbols

For more information about viewing messages, see:

View Roots Only

View Chronological

View Unread Only

View Encoded Messages

Zoom Reading Window

View Message Headers

Proportional Font

Hide Previously Deleted Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


View Chronological

 See Also

 View | Message Order

View Chronological shows the messages in message number order. This view is very useful if you are looking for a message that arrived recently, but you do not remember in which thread.

To view Chronologically

1.	Select the View | Message Order | Chronological menu item or use the Right Mouse Button popup menu in the Thread Pane.

♦ Tip

If you accidentally mark a folder read, you can use View Chronological and Mark Unread, to mark the latest messages as unread. You can then switch to View Threads to see the messages in thread order.


Related Topics

For more information message symbols, see:

Message Symbols

For more information about viewing messages, see:

View Roots Only

View Threads

View Unread Only

View Encoded Messages

Zoom Reading Window

View Message Headers

Proportional Font

Hide Previously Deleted Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


View Unread Only

 See Also

 View | Message Order

View unread shows only the unread messages in a folder..

To view unread messages only

1.	Select the View | Message Order | Unread Only menu item or use the Right Mouse Button popup menu in the Thread Pane.

♦ Note

View Unread does not display a message in the thread that you have read previously, so the thread is not complete.


Related Topics

For more information message symbols, see:

Message Symbols

For more information about viewing messages, see:

View Roots Only

View Threads

View Chronological

View Encoded Messages

Zoom Reading Window

View Message Headers

Proportional Font

Hide Previously Deleted Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


View Encoded Messages

 See Also

All coded messages are stored in the raw form in the messagebase.

When Virtual Access reads an encoded message, the action that is taken depends on the Tools | Options | Decode settings for each user.

The Decode options control if the message should be decoded automatically, if images should be displayed in the message text (inline) and when to store messages. See Options - Decode for more information.

Coded Messages - text and graphics

When a message needs to be decoded, the following text is displayed:

[Message contains attachment(s). Double-click to extract filename]

Double clicking or using Tools | Operate On (CTRL-O) will decode the message

When a message has been decoded, the following text is displayed:

[Attachment decoded to FILE://pathname\file ]

Double clicking or using CTRL-O will display the file

The decode options control where the files are decoded to and whether they are saved to disk permanently.

Displaying Files (File Associations)

Virtual Access displays files with the FILE://URL by using Window File Associations. The associations link specific file extensions to specific programs.

The file association what allows clicking on a filename in the File Manager or Explorer windows and executing a program and displaying the file. Many programs setup file associations as part of the installation.

Consult your system documentation for how to set file extensions manually, as they differ between the various versions of windows.

Images

Virtual Access can display bitmap, JPEG and WMF formats within the message areas if the View Inline options is checked in Options - Decode. Other formats, such as GIF, require having a separate program that can read the image and having a file association with the extension.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Operate On a Message

Options - Decode

For more information about viewing messages, see:

View Roots Only

View Threads

View Chronological

View Unread Only

Zoom Reading Window

View Message Headers

Proportional Font

Hide Previously Deleted Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Zoom Reading Window

 See Also

Keyboard Shortcut: F5

The normal view of the Reading Window is to display the thread structure at the top and the current message at the bottom. Zoom Reading Window allows you to alter this as follows :

 Zoom the thread list view - display only the Thread Pane in the Reading Window.

 Zoom the message view - display only the Message Pane in the Reading Window.

 Normal view - display the Thread and Message Panes in the Reading Window

♦ Note

In addition to using the icons or F5 to change the view, you can use the following when a thread is expanded:

•	right arrow will display only the Message Pane

•	left arrow  from the zoom state with go back to previous state (either zoom thread or normal)


Related Topics

For more information about quick keys for zooming, see:

Navigate - Zoom Quick Keys

For more information about viewing messages, see:

View Roots Only

View Threads

View Chronological

View Unread Only

View Encoded Messages

View Message Headers

Proportional Font

Hide Previously Deleted Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


View Message Headers

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: H	 View | Message Headers

Message Headers allows you to display all, some or none of the header of a message in the Message Pane.

The shortcut key allows you to toggle between the three views:

1.	Full Header with all header fields displayed

2.	Short version of the header with fields listed below

3.	Don't display the header

To toggle headers between options

1.	Press the shortcut key H or select the View | Message Headers menu item and select Full, Short or None.

The Short Header fields are listed below.

	Filename:	File-size:	Fm:	From:
	To:	Cc:	Subject:	Subj:
	Newsgroups:	Date:	Content-Type:
	Followup-To:


Related Topics

For more information about viewing messages, see:

View Roots Only

View Threads

View Chronological

View Unread Only

View Encoded Messages

Zoom Reading Window

Proportional Font

Hide Previously Deleted Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Proportional Font

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: F	View Menu

Proportional font quickly switches the Message Pane between displaying the messages in a proportional font and a fixed font.

Fixed width fonts are useful for viewing a message, such as a table, where the text should be aligned.

You can choose the fonts used for proportional and fixed width in Tools | Options | Appearance.

To toggle between fixed and proportional font

1.	Press the shortcut key F or select View | Proportional Font


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Options - Appearance

For more information about viewing messages, see:

View Roots Only

View Threads

View Chronological

View Unread Only

View Encoded Messages

Zoom Reading Window

View Message Headers

Hide Previously Deleted Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Hide Previously Deleted Messages

 See Also

Tools | Options | Display Tab

You can chose not to display message you have previously marked for deletion..

To turn off display of deleted messages

1.	Select Tools | Options and click on the Display tab.

2.	Remove the check from the "Show Previously Deleted Messages" box.

 To turn on display of deleted messages

1.	Select Tools | Options and click on the Display tab.

2.	Check the "Show Previously Deleted Messages" box.

♦ Notes

1) Messages you mark for deletion will be displayed until you switch to another folder.

2) When you select this option, the Thread Pane is updated to show or hide the deleted messages.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Options - Display

For more information about viewing messages, see:

View Roots Only

View Threads

View Chronological

View Unread Only

View Encoded Messages

Zoom Reading Window

View Message Headers

Proportional Font

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Read and Mark Messages

 See Also

Much of your time in Virtual Access will be spent reading messages.

The most common way of reading messages is to use the Enter key. This marks the current message as read and then continues on to the next unread message.

Using the navigation keys, you can easily move through the messages and use the commands for marking messages..


Related Topics

For more information about other functions related to messages, see:

Write Messages

Manage Messages

Navigate the Message Base

For more information about reading messages, see:

Next Unread (Mark Read & Continue)

Mark Message As

Mark Message Read

Mark Message Unread

Mark Message Ignore

Mark Message Keep

Mark Message Delete

Mark as Bookmark

Mark as Read

Fetch Message

Cancel Message

Read Mail

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Next Unread (Mark Read & Continue)

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: Enter	 Goto Menu

Marking a message as read allows you to keep track of which messages you have already seen.

To mark a message read and go to the next unread

1.	Press the ENTER key or select the Goto | Next Unread menu item

When a message is marked as read, the Unread Symbol is removed from beside the message and the Reading Window scrolls to the next unread message in the folder.

The unread message count decreases on the Status Bar. The MessageBase Window count is modified when you switch to a new folder.

When there are no more unread messages in that folder, the effect of pressing Enter will vary depending on where you:

•	If you are viewing the last message in the folder, the display goes to the next folder with unread messages.

•	If you are not at the end, the display goes to the last message and pressing Enter again takes you to the next folder with unread messages.

In both cases, the next folder is determined by your Reading Order.

♦ Note

Read Order is affect by which View Tab is active in the MessageBase Window. Read Order sees only those groups and folders on the tab.


Related Topics

For additional information, see:

Options - Read Order

Screen Information

For more information about reading messages, see:

Mark Message As

Mark Message Read

Mark Message Unread

Mark Message Ignore

Mark Message Keep

Mark Message Delete

Mark as Bookmark

Mark as Read

Fetch Message

Cancel Message

Read Mail

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Mark Message As

 See Also

Edit Menu

Mark Message As lets you set the various flags on a message. The options are:

•	Read (Shortcut: Enter) - removes the Unread Symbol

•	Unread (Shortcut: U) - marks the message with the Unread Symbol

•	Ignore (Shortcut: I) - marks the thread as read and changes thread to the ignore color.

•	Keep (Shortcut: K) - marks the message with the Keep Symbol so it is not removed when the folder is pruned.

•	Delete (Shortcut D) - marks the message with the Delete Symbol so it will be removed the next time Prune is run.

•	Bookmark (Shortcut B) - marks the message with the Bookmark Symbol and adds it to the current bookmark set.

For more information about each function, check the See Also at the top of the page.


Related Topics

For additional information, see:

Options - Read Order

Screen Information

For more information about reading messages, see:

Next Unread (Mark Read & Continue)

Mark Message Read

Mark Message Unread

Mark Message Ignore

Mark Message Keep

Mark Message Delete

Mark as Bookmark

Mark as Read

Fetch Message

Cancel Message

Read Mail

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Mark Message Read

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: Space	 Edit | Mark Message As

Marking a message as read allows you to keep track of which messages you have already seen.

To mark a message read

1.	Press the SPACE key or select the Edit | Mark Message as | Read menu item

To mark a group of messages as read

1.	Press CTRL-SPACE

2.	Select what to mark from the dialog box:

Current message

Current thread

Bookmarked messages

Range of message numbers

♦ Notes

1) When a message is marked as read, the Unread Symbol disappears from beside the message and the Message Pane scrolls to the next unread message in the folder.

The unread message number decreases on the Status Bar. The MessageBase Window count is modified when you switch to a new folder.

2) After you have read all messages in the folder, the Message Pane stays in the current folder. You can then decide which folder to read next.


Related Topics

For additional information on changing folders, see:

Next Folder

Previous Folder

Go to MessageBase Window

For more information about reading messages, see:

Next Unread (Mark Read & Continue)

Mark Message As

Mark Message Unread

Mark Message Ignore

Mark Message Keep

Mark Message Delete

Mark as Bookmark

Mark as Read

Fetch Message

Cancel Message

Read Mail

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Mark Message Unread

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: U	Edit | Mark Message As

Marking a message as unread allows you to go back and read the message later.

To mark a message unread

1.	Press the shortcut key U or select the Edit | Mark Message As | Unread menu item

When a message is marked as unread the Unread Symbol is inserted beside the message and the count of unread messages increases.

To mark a as message unread, press the icon or keyboard shortcut. The Message Pane will stay at the same message.

To mark a group of messages unread

1.	Press CTRL-U

2.	Select what to mark from the dialog box:

Current message

Current thread

Bookmarked messages

Range of message numbers

♦ Tip

If you have accidentally marked messages unread, by pressing the Space or Enter too many times, you can use the Previous Message and Mark Unread commands to go back through each message and mark them as unread.


Related Topics

For more information about reading messages, see:

Next Unread (Mark Read & Continue)

Mark Message As

Mark Message Read

Mark Message Ignore

Mark Message Keep

Mark Message Delete

Mark as Bookmark

Mark as Read

Fetch Message

Cancel Message

Read Mail

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Mark Message Ignore

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: I	Edit | Mark Message As

You may not be interested in all the messages and threads that you download. You can mark the uninteresting threads to be ignored.

To mark a thread ignored

1.	Press the shortcut key I or select the Edit | Mark Message As | Ignore menu item

When you mark a thread to be ignored:

•	the thread color changes - the default is light gray

•	all messages in the thread are marked as read

•	new messages added to the thread are marked as read and ignored when you go to that folder.


Related Topics

For information about thread colors, see:

Options - Appearance

For more information about reading messages, see:

Next Unread (Mark Read & Continue)

Mark Message As

Mark Message Read

Mark Message Unread

Mark Message Keep

Mark Message Delete

Mark as Bookmark

Mark as Read

Fetch Message

Cancel Message

Read Mail

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Mark Message Keep

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: K 	Edit | Mark Message As

You may want to retain some messages for a longer period and make sure they are not removed when you run Prune. Keep Message flags a message or thread to be retained. It will not be pruned unless you remove the keep flag.

To keep a single message

1.	Press the shortcut letter K or select the Edit | Mark Message As | Keep menu item

2.	A small keep icon appears next to the message (see the Note below for more on symbols)

To mark a group of message as keep

1.	Press CTRL-K

2.	Select what to mark from the dialog box:

Current message

Current thread

Bookmarked messages

Range of message numbers

To remove a keep flag

1.	Press the shortcut letter K or select the Edit | Mark Message As | Keep menu item. The keep flag will be toggled off.

To mark as kept but not mark unread

1.	Press SHIFT+K

♦ Notes

1) New messages added to a thread that is marked keep, will inherit the keep flag if  the setting in Tools | Options | System | Child messages inherit keep flags is checked.

2) In Root Only or when a thread is collapsed, the Keep flag changes color to indicate whether or not there are any keep flags in the collapsed thread. The flags are:

3) Keep Symbol on a single message or an entire thread and Keep in Thread Symbol for collapsed threads when at least one message is marked kept.

4) Keep can only be used if you have administrator rights in the Workgroup Version.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Prune

Bookmarks

Options - System

For more information about reading messages, see:

Next Unread (Mark Read & Continue)

Mark Message As

Mark Message Read

Mark Message Unread

Mark Message Ignore

Mark Message Delete

Mark as Bookmark

Mark as Read

Fetch Message

Cancel Message

Read Mail

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Mark Message Delete

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: D	Edit | Mark Message As

You may wish to mark some messages to be deleted the next time you run Prune, such as duplicate messages or totally uninteresting subjects.

When you mark a message to be deleted, the Delete Symbol appears next to the message.

To mark a single message for deletion

1.	Press the shortcut letter D or select the Edit | Mark Message As | Delete menu item

2.	A small dustbin icon appears next to the message (see the Note below for more on symbols)

To mark a group of messages for deletion

1.	Press CTRL-D

2.	Select what to mark from the dialog box:

Current message

Current thread

Bookmarked messages

Range of message numbers

To remove a delete flag

1.	Press the shortcut letter D or select the Edit | Mark Message As | Delete menu item and the delete flag is toggled off.

To mark for deletion but not mark unread

1.	Press SHIFT+D

♦ Notes

1) New messages added to a thread that is marked delete, will inherit the delete flag if  the setting in Tools | Options | System | Child messages inherit delete flags is checked.

2) In Root Only or when a thread is collapsed, the Delete flag changes color to indicate whether or not there are any keep flags in the collapsed thread. The flags are:

3) Delete Symbol on a single message or an entire thread and Delete in Thread Symbol for collapsed threads when at least one message is marked for deletion..

4) Delete can only be used if you have administrator rights in the Workgroup Version.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Prune

Bookmarks

Options - System

For more information about reading messages, see:

Next Unread (Mark Read & Continue)

Mark Message As

Mark Message Read

Mark Message Unread

Mark Message Ignore

Mark Message Keep

Mark as Bookmark

Mark as Read

Fetch Message

Cancel Message

Read Mail

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Mark as Bookmark

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: B	Edit | Mark Message As

A bookmark adds the message to the active bookmark set. Bookmarks allow you to group any message.

To mark message as bookmark

1.	Press the shortcut letter B or select the Edit | Mark Message As | Bookmark menu item.

For more information about using bookmarks, see Bookmarks.


Related Topics

For more information about reading messages, see:

Next Unread (Mark Read & Continue)

Mark Message As

Mark Message Read

Mark Message Unread

Mark Message Ignore

Mark Message Keep

Mark Message Delete

Mark as Read

Fetch Message

Cancel Message

Read Mail

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Mark as Read

 See Also

 	Edit Menu

Mark as Read allows you to select a group of messages to mark as read.

To Mark as Read

1.	Decide what to mark as read

If the Reading Window is active when you select the command, it will mark the current folder as read

   	If  you highlight  folders(s) in the MessageBase Window, the selected folders will be marked as read

2.	Select Edit | Mark as Read

3.	A dialog box asking you to confirm the action is displayed

You can select more than one folder in the MessageBase Window by using the Shift+Left Mouse button for a block or Ctrl+Left Mouse button for non-contiguous folders.

There is no way to undo this command. If you change your mind after using it, the best work around is to switch to chronological view and use Edit | Mark Message As |  Unread, working up from the bottom of the list until you reach a message you know you have already read.


Related Topics

For information in selecting information in the MessageBase window, see:

Using a Keyboard in the MessageBase Window

Using a Mouse in the MessageBase Window

Mark Message as Unread

For more information about reading messages, see:

Next Unread (Mark Read & Continue)

Mark Message As

Mark Message Read

Mark Message Unread

Mark Message Ignore

Mark Message Keep

Mark Message Delete

Mark as Bookmark

Fetch Message

Cancel Message

Read Mail

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Fetch Message

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: . or >	Message Menu

CompuServe and Internet services allow you to collect headers and then select the messages you want to collect and see the full text.

To mark a message to be fetched

1.	Read the message you want to see the full text

2.	Use the period as a shortcut key or select the Message menu and click on Fetch Full Message.

3.	The Fetch Symbol is shown next to the message and all replies to that message.

When you mark a thread to be fetched, this creates a script to download the messages. You can check this information by using Review.

To stop following a Thread

To stop downloading new messages in a thread, remove the fetch flag.

♦ Tip

If you mark the first message of a thread (the root), all  messages in the thread will be collected.

For more information, select the service Internet CompuServe.


Related Topics

For information about collecting headers, see:

CompuServe - Headers

Internet - Subscribe

For more information about reading messages, see:

Next Unread (Mark Read & Continue)

Mark Message As

Mark Message Read

Mark Message Unread

Mark Message Ignore

Mark Message Keep

Mark Message Delete

Mark as Bookmark

Mark as Read

Cancel Message

Read Mail

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Cancel Message

 See Also

Message Menu

Sometimes you may have second thoughts and decide to withdraw a message that you previously posted. This is useful if you have accidentally posted the same message twice.

To cancel (withdraw) a message

1.	Select the Message | Cancel Message menu item

A Cancel Symbol is placed next to the message to indicate that the message will be withdrawn. After your next connection to the remote service, this is removed.

For local groups, the cancel request will be processed without any further action.

For remote services, the cancel request will be processed the next time you connect to the service.

♦ Note

The ability to withdraw a message depends on your access rights and the policy of the remote service. For example:

•	On CompuServe you may withdraw any message you posted or addressed to you. It is generally recommended that you withdraw any forum message sent to you privately.

•	On CIX, you may withdraw any message you posted.

•	On both systems, you may cancel any message if you have moderator or sysop privileges.

•	Canceling messages on the Internet is not supported by all NNTP servers.


Related Topics

For more information about reading messages, see:

Next Unread (Mark Read & Continue)

Mark Message As

Mark Message Read

Mark Message Unread

Mark Message Ignore

Mark Message Keep

Mark Message Delete

Mark as Bookmark

Mark as Read

Fetch Message

Read Mail

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Read Mail

 See Also

Mail messages are treated the same as folder messages. You can reply to them, mark them for keeping or deletion and so on.

To read mail messages

1.	Select the Mail Tab in the MessageBase Window or go to the MAIL group in each service.

Mail Security

All mail folders that have a corresponding <vausername>.usr file can only be seen by that specific Virtual Access user.

All other mail folders are available to all users.


Related Topics

For more information about reading messages, see:

Next Unread (Mark Read & Continue)

Mark Message As

Mark Message Read

Mark Message Unread

Mark Message Ignore

Mark Message Keep

Mark Message Delete

Mark as Bookmark

Mark as Read

Fetch Message

Cancel Message

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Write Messages

 See Also

When you write a message, whether it is e-mail, a new message or a reply, you edit it in the Message Editor.

Except for mail, messages are posted in the folder that you are viewing in the Message Pane when you start the Message Editor.

You can send mail while viewing any folder and it will be posted correctly.

When the Message Editor is active, you can switch to another window and browse through messages, review File Lists, etc.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Options - Editor

For more information about writing messages, see:

Message Editor

Formatting Messages

Referencing Messages

Spell Checker

Reply to Message

Start a New Thread (Post New Message)

Signatures

Attribution Line

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Message Editor

 See Also

The Message Editor Window is divided into two parts:

1.	The top part consists of buttons with commonly used functions, and depending on the type of message and service, blank fields for the address or subject.

2.	The lower part is a large box for typing in the text of the message.

The Message Editor Title Bar (top of the window) shows one of the following depending on what you are writing:

1.	Folder where the message will be posted (new messages)

2.	Number of the message you are replying to (replies only)

3.	Service used to send mail messages (mail)

The Message Editor Status bar at the bottom of the message editor shows

1.	the current cursor location on the left (row:column)

2.	the width of the message

3.	whether you are in insert or overwrite mode.

The right mouse button brings up a menu of frequently used editing commands, including the spell checker.

For more information about the Message Editor, see:

Message Editor Buttons

Message Editor Functions

Message Editor Text Width and Font

Spell Checker

♦ Note

Several options for the Message Editor are set in Tools | Options | Editor. You can set the following:

•	Width of the text window. The default is 72 characters. Changing this will affect all uses of the Message Editor.

•	Tab Width - how many characters in a tab space.

•	Auto Indent on or off. This aligns the line as you type with the current indent


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Options - Editor

Formatting Messages

Referencing Messages

For more information about the Message Editor, see:

Message Editor Buttons

Message Editor Functions

Message Editor Text Width and Font

For more information about writing messages, see:

Formatting Messages

Referencing Messages

Spell Checker

Reply to Message

Start a New Thread (Post New Message)

Signatures

Attribution Line

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Message Editor Buttons

 See Also

The following buttons are available in the Message Editor:

OK

Indicates you are finished with the message. The Message Editor closes and the message is stored for uploading to a remote service or posted immediately to a local service. This is the default button.

Cancel

Closes the Message Editor, but does not store the message and the contents are lost. There is no warning. If you press Escape to cancel, a warning is given that all the text will be lost and you have to confirm that you want to continue.

Defer

Closes the Message Editor and stores the text, but does not post it for uploading. The next time you open the Message Editor, the message you have written is displayed.

If you start the Message Editor in a different folder, the deferred message will be posted in that folder and not the one where you originally started the message.

 Only one message can be deferred. If you have a deferred message and delete the text, the deferred text will be lost. If you have a message that you want to write over a period of time,  you can use Edit | Notes to store the text and insert into a message when finished.

Include

Include the text of the current message as text preceded by a greater than sign and a space. The > indicates that you are quoting text from another message.

If a portion of text is highlighted, this will be inserted with << at the beginning of the quote and >> at the end.

To

If the service for which you are writing a message requires it to be addressed, clicking on the To button opens the AddressBook.


Related Topics

For more information about the Message Editor, see:

Message Editor Functions

Message Editor Text Width and Font

For more information about writing messages, see:

Message Editor

Formatting Messages

Referencing Messages

Spell Checker

Reply to Message

Start a New Thread (Post New Message)

Signatures

Attribution Line

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Message Editor Functions

 See Also

Additional functions are available that relate only to the Message Editor in three ways:

1.	Clicking the right mouse button for a pop-up menu of common commands

2.	Additional menu items only available when the Message Editor is open.

3.	Specific keystrokes for common editing functions

Icon	Menu Item	Function
	File | Insert User Note	Inserts your User Note in the message
	File | Insert File	Opens the file dialog to choose a file to insert
	File | Insert References	Insert current message in the form of- service:group/ folder/number . See Referencing Messages for more information.
	Edit | Undo	Reverses your last change
	Edit | Cut	Removes the selected text and copies it to the clipboard
	Edit | Copy	Copies the defined text to the clipboard
	Edit | Paste	Copies the contents of the clipboard into the message
	Edit | Clear	Deletes selected text
	Edit | Word Wrap	Turn word wrapping on or off
	Tools | Spell Check	Opens the spell checker
	Tools | PGP Encryption	Calls in the PGP options (Virtual Access Plus pack only)
 Right Mouse Button Pop-Up Menu

Undo	Reverses your last change
Cut	Removes the selected text and copies it to the clipboard
Copy	Copies the defined text to the clipboard
Paste	Copies the contents of the clipboard into the message
Clear	Deletes selected text
Insert User Note	Inserts your User Note in the message
Quote Message	Inserts the message you are currently viewing
Insert File	Opens the file dialog to choose a file to insert
Insert References	Insert current message in the form of- service/ group/ folder/number . See Referencing Messages for more information.
Spell Checker	Opens the spell checker
PGP Encryption	Calls in the PGP options (Virtual Access Plus pack only)
 Keyboard Shortcuts

CTRL+T	Deletes word
CTRL+Y	Deletes line
CTRL+A	Moves to the beginning of the line
CTRL+F	Moves to the end of the line
CTRL+R	Insert current message in the form of- service/ group/ folder/number
CTRL+W	Turn word wrap on/off
♦ Note

The Message Editor icons are only available in the Tools | Options | Toolbar window when the Message Editor is open and the active window.


Related Topics

For more information about Insert References, see:

Operate on a Message

For more information about the Message Editor, see:

Message Editor Buttons

Message Editor Text Width and Font

For more information about writing messages, see:

Message Editor

Formatting Messages

Referencing Messages

Spell Checker

Reply to Message

Start a New Thread (Post New Message)

Signatures

Attribution Line

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Message Editor Text Width and Font

 See Also

Different people read messages with different computers. On your machine, you may be able to display a window that can show 200 characters in a line. However, most DOS users can only display 80 characters across the screen. Some users may be even more restricted.

For this reason, Virtual Access always uses a fixed font and a default width of 72 characters in the Message Editor, so that you can see the message the way that most users will see it.

You can change the font used in the Message Editor under Tools | Options | Appearance.

You can change the default width in Tools | Options | Editor. However, if you make the default too wide, some users may have trouble reading your messages.

The word wrap function on the right mouse button allows you to turn word wrapping on or off. If word wrap is off, then you must make the correct line breaks. This can be useful for formatted material, but be aware not everyone may see the text at the same width.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Options - Editor

Options - Read Order

Formatting Messages

For more information about the Message Editor, see:

Message Editor Buttons

Message Editor Functions

For more information about writing messages, see:

Message Editor

Formatting Messages

Referencing Messages

Spell Checker

Reply to Message

Start a New Thread (Post New Message)

Signatures

Attribution Line

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Formatting Messages

 See Also

Messages contain only ASCII text and don't have the formatting capability of word processing documents or web pages. However, several conventions have developed over the years that show emphasis of certain words and help make the meaning cleared.

It is recommended that you don't type your message in all capitals as they are hard to read. Using capitals is considered shouting - SOME times it is appropriate, but only used in moderation.

Fonts

The following conventions will be translated in the messages

*word*  put an asterisk around a word for bold type

_word_  put an underscore around a word for underline

/word/ put a slash around a word for italic.

Many readers can convert these to the actual font, but they are also understandable to people who are reading only the text.

Quotes

Virtual Access recognizes lines that start with  >  |   :   as quotes and text surrounded by << at the beginning and >> at the end and will display them in the quote display attributes set in Options | Appearance.

♦ Tip

 Virtual Access will display the fonts associated with the above formatting. Pressing Q (quiet) toggles this on and off as well as the quote color.


Related Topics

For more information about writing messages, see:

Message Editor

Referencing Messages

Spell Checker

Reply to Message

Start a New Thread (Post New Message)

Signatures

Attribution Line

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Referencing Messages

 See Also

There are two ways to reference a message for other Virtual Access  users to find it easily in their local message base.

Using Goto Message (Edit | Goto Message     Shortcut #)

If you place a # sign before the message number, other users can then use the GoTo function and the number will be automatically filled in.

Goto will search in the current folder, then in all folder in the current group. If the message is not found, it will ask if you want to download it. Depending on how long messages are kept for that service, the message may or may not be available.

 Using References (File | Insert References    Shortcut Ctrl-R)

This command is only available when you have the Message Editor open.

When you are writing a message, pressing CTRL+R brings up a dialog box asking what references you want inserted:

•	current message

•	current thread

•	bookmarked messages

•	all messages within a range of numbers.

 When you select an option it is inserted into the message in this format:

VA:cis:ashmount/S5_Push_The_Envelope#27752.

 VA:<service>:group/folder#messagenumber

Other Virtual Access users can then use the Operate On (CTRL-O) function to go to that message. You can reference messages across services, groups and folders.

For more information, see:

Goto Message

Editor Functions

Operate On


Related Topics

For more information about writing messages, see:

Message Editor

Formatting Messages

Spell Checker

Reply to Message

Start a New Thread (Post New Message)

Signatures

Attribution Line

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Spell Checker

 See Also

Tools Menu

A spell checker is available on the Message Editor Shortcut menu (right mouse button) and on the Tools menu.

Note that the spell check option is only visible on the Tools menu when the Message Editor is open.

To set the options for the Spell Checker, select Tools | Options menu item and click on the Spell Tab.

For more information about the Spell Checker, see:

Spell Checker Buttons

Spell Checker Options

Spell Checker Dictionaries


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Spell Checker Buttons

For more information about writing messages, see:

Message Editor

Formatting Messages

Referencing Messages

Reply to Message

Start a New Thread (Post New Message)

Signatures

Attribution Line

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Spell Checker Buttons

 See Also

If the spell checker finds a word that may be wrong, it highlights the word in the text and displays a dialog box with the following fields and buttons:

Not in Dictionary:

Displays the word that is not in the Spell Checker dictionaries or is a duplicated word.

Change To:

The word the Spell Checker thinks should be used. To use this word, press the Replace button. You can also type in a replacement word here.

Suggestions:

This box displays possible replacements for the misspelled word. Double clicking on a word will replace the highlighted word.

Replace/Replace All

Replace the word with the text in the replacement box. Replace All will replace all occurrences of the word in the message.

Ignore/Ignore All

Ignore the word and leave the spelling as is. Ignore All will ignore all further occurrences of the word.

Delete

This button will become available when the spell checker discovers doubled words. Use it to delete one of them.

Add

Add the word to your dictionary. See Spell Checker Dictionaries for more information.

Edit Dict …

Edit the words you have added to the dictionary. See Spell Checker Dictionaries for more information.

Options …

Sets the options used by the Spell Checker. See Spell Checker Options for more information.


Related Topics

For more information about writing messages, see:

Message Editor

Formatting Messages

Referencing Messages

Spell Checker

Reply to Message

Start a New Thread (Post New Message)

Signatures

Attribution Line

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Reply to Message

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: R	Message Menu

Reply to Message lets you comment to the current message displayed in the Message Pane. When you select Reply to Message, Virtual Access opens the Message Editor with a text box displayed to write your text.

The folder and the number of the message you are replying to are shown in the title bar.

To reply to a message

1.	Read the message in the Reading Window

2.	Press the shortcut key R or select the Message | Reply to Message menu item.

3.	The message editor is opened for you to write your reply.

Replies retain the same subject as the original message. For this reason, the Message Editor presents only a text window. If you want to change the subject, or address the message to someone else, you should start a new thread.

When you have finished your reply and stored it, a Reply Bubble Symbol is placed next to the message in the Thread Pane. When the message has been posted, the icon is removed.

♦ Tip

If you define some text in a message and then start a reply, the selected text is automatically included at the start of the message.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Options - Display

Message Editor

For more information about writing messages, see:

Message Editor

Formatting Messages

Referencing Messages

Spell Checker

Start a New Thread (Post New Message)

Signatures

Attribution Line

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Start a New Thread (Post New Message)

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: S 	Message Menu

Post a New Message lets you start a new message in the folder displayed in the Message Pane. When you select Post New Message, Virtual Access opens the Message Editor with a text box displayed to write your text.

The folder where the messages will be posted is shown in the title bar.

To post a new message

1.	View any message in the folder where you want the message posted

2.	Press the shortcut key S or select the Message | Post a New Message menu item.

3.	The message editor is opened for you to write your message..

The Message Editor displays blank fields and options at the top to enter information required for a new thread:

To	Address of the message. This is not required by all services
Subject	Title for your message
Originator	Insert the address of the originator of the message you are currently viewing.


Related Topics

For more information see:

Options - General

Message Editor

For more information about writing messages, see:

Message Editor

Formatting Messages

Referencing Messages

Spell Checker

Reply to Message

Signatures

Attribution Line

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Signatures

 See Also

 	Edit Menu

A Signature is a line of text that is automatically added at the end of all your messages, usually your name and contact details to save you having to type them in every time.

You can have different signatures for different groups, folders and mail and a default signature for the service.

To set a signature:

1.	Select the folders(s) where you want the signature to apply in the MessageBase Window and then press the Signature button.

- for a default service signature, select the service name

- for a specific group signature, select the group name

- for a specific folder signature, select the folder name

- for a mail signature, select the mail group

2.	This will bring up a dialog box where you can enter the information you want as your signature. Signatures are limited to 320 characters.

There are three variables you can use in your signature:

%VERSION%	The version of Virtual Access
%OS%	The operating system you are using
%DATETIME%	The date and time you wrote the message
If is helpful for technical support if you put %VERSION% and %OS% in your signature for the Virtual Access support areas.

♦ Note

1) The toolbar icon will open the signature of the current folder for editing.


Related Topics

For more information about writing messages, see:

Message Editor

Formatting Messages

Referencing Messages

Spell Checker

Reply to Message

Start a New Thread (Post New Message)

Attribution Line

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Attribution Line

 See Also

The attribution line is the first line of a reply that can refer to who wrote the original message or simply insert a salutation.

Virtual Access can generate the attribution line automatically and you can set attribution lines for each service.

For example, Usenet messages often start with:

In <message id> <person> wrote:

However, on CompuServe,  no attribution or just the first name is often used.

To setup an attribution line

1.	Select Tools | Options | Editor tab

2.	In the "Attribution text for replies" section, select the service and then type the attribution text for the service.

3.	You can use the following variables in the text that will be filled in when the line is inserted:

	%messageid%	insert the message number your are replying to
	%username%	insert user name who sent the original message
	%date%	insert date of the original message.
	%FIRSTNAME%	insert the first word in the From Field
	%REALNAME%	insert real name from Options | Names
	%EMAIL%	insert email address from Options | Names
	%FORUM%	insert the CompuServe forum name of message
	%SECTION%	insert the CompuServe section name of message
	%CONFERENCE%	insert the CIX conference name of message
	%TOPIC%	insert the CIX topic name of message
	%NUMBER%	insert the CompuServe or CIX message number
	\n	insert a carriage return
4.	Select when the attribution line should be used in the "Only use attribution line when quoting text" option:

Checked - attribution line only if you include part of the original message

Blank - will be applied to all replies


Related Topics

For more information about writing messages, see:

Message Editor

Formatting Messages

Referencing Messages

Spell Checker

Reply to Message

Start a New Thread (Post New Message)

Signatures

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Send Mail

 See Also

Virtual Access treats mail messages as if they were in a group. Mail messages are stored in the pseudo group Mail/Messages or in a mail folder created by Mail Rules.

You can use all the commands available for other messages, for example marking them as read and to be kept, deleted, ignored or bookmarked.

For specific information about mail options on a remote service, select the service: CompuServe  CIX   Internet

For information about mail routing, see Mail Rules


Related Topics

For more information about sending mail, see:

Post New Mail

Send Binary Files

Mail Reply to All

Mail Reply to Sender

Urgent Mail

Forward by Mail

Send a Fax

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Post New Mail

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: M	Message Menu

Sending Mail Messages uses the same message editor as new messages, with some extra fields.

To post a mail message

1.	Press the shortcut key M or select the Message | Post New Mail menu item

2.	The Service drop down boxes specifies which service you want to use to send the message. The default is the service open in the Reading Window.

3.	Fill in the address of the person you are sending the mail to. If you are sending to multiple people, separate each address with a semicolon.

♦ Tip

Press the TO button to open the AddressBook or use the Right Mouse Button in the TO field to display the top 20 addresses in the AddressBook

4.	 Optionally, add any addresses for carbon copies

5.	Enter the subject of the mail message

6.	Write the text of the message

7.	Press OK when finished. If you want to change the mail message, use Review Outbasket.

To send a binary file, see Send Binary Files.

♦ Note

To address to a group in the AddressBook, use the Right Mouse Button in the TO field for a list of the top 20 addresses or open the AddressBook. See AddressBook for more information.

For specific remote service mail options, click the service name for more information: CompuServe CIX  Internet


Related Topics

For more information about editing messages, see:

Message Editor

For more information about sending mail, see:

Send Binary Files

Mail Reply to All

Mail Reply to Sender

Urgent Mail

Forward by Mail

Send a Fax

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Send Binary Files

 See Also

You can send binary files, such as word processing documents, spreadsheets or programs by attaching the file to a mail message. If the message is sent to an external service or the Internet, it will be automatically encoded.

To send a binary file:

1.	Press the shortcut letter M or select the Message | Post New Mail menu item to open the message editor.

2.	Address the mail message

3.	Press the Attach File button and select the file to send.

The subject field will be filled in with the text "BINMAIL" and the name and size of the file if there is no subject

4.	If necessary, select the encoding method (see below)

5.	Write the message text to the user.

6.	Press OK to send the mail message and file.

Encoding Binary Files

The encoding method is selected in the File Attach dialog.

If you send a binary file on the Internet, the file must first be encoded. The most common methods of encoding are UUEncode and MIME.

Virtual Access will encode any File Attached that is sent on CompuServe or CIX to an external address. Files sent within the service are not encoded.

♦ Note

For receiving binary files, select the specific service: CompuServe CIX  Internet


Related Topics

For more information about sending mail, see:

Post New Mail

Mail Reply to All

Mail Reply to Sender

Urgent Mail

Forward by Mail

Send a Fax

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Mail Reply to All

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: E	Message Menu

Mail can be addressed to one or more persons. Mail Reply to All will send the reply to everyone addressed in the message.

To reply to everyone in a mail message

1.	While reading the message, press the shortcut E or select the Message | Reply to All menu item

2.	The TO field will be filled in with all the addresses in the TO and CC fields in the original mail message

3.	The message editor is opened for you to write your reply. Write the text and press OK.

To reply only to the sender, use Message | Mail Rely to Sender.

♦ Tip

You can also use Mail Reply to All to reply to a folder message by Mail instead of publicly.


Related Topics

For more information about sending mail, see:

Post New Mail

Send Binary Files

Mail Reply to Sender

Urgent Mail

Forward by Mail

Send a Fax

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Mail Reply to Sender

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: CTRL+E	Message Menu

Mail can be addressed to one or more persons. Mail Reply to Sender replies only to the person who sent the message.

To reply to sender in a mail message

1.	While reading the message, press the shortcut CTRL+E or select the Message | Reply to Sender menu item.

2.	The TO field will be filled in with the addresses of the FROM field in the original mail message

3.	The message editor is opened for you to write your reply. Write the text and press OK.

To reply to everyone, use Message | Mail Rely to All.

♦ Tip

You can also use Mail Reply to Sender to reply to a folder message by Mail instead of publicly.


Related Topics

For more information about sending mail, see:

Post New Mail

Send Binary Files

Mail Reply to All

Urgent Mail

Forward by Mail

Send a Fax

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Urgent Mail

 See Also

Urgent Mail notices are pop-up messages that tell you that you have received priority mail.

To use Urgent Mail

1.	Enable Urgent notification, check the Tools | Options | General | Check for Urgent Mail after connect.

2.	To send Urgent Mail, check the Urgent! box in the Message Editor when sending mail. This will insert the line "Priority: High" at the top of the message.

When a mail message containing the words "Priority: High" or "Priority: Urgent" at the top is imported, Virtual Access displays a window with a yellow background saying:

Urgent Message

From: Sender

Mail folder: where in local message base

Number: number of message

If you double click anywhere in the yellow window, it will take you to that mail message.

♦ Notes

1) Urgent notification popup only works between Virtual Access users, although the Priority: High line will be seen by all mail recipients regardless of the program they are using to read their mail.

2) If other mail program users put Priority: High as the first line of the message, it will also trigger the Urgent notification pop-up.

3) CompuServe Only: Virtual Access now uses the CIS priority flag. This means the urgent flag will be displayed to all users who have software supporting the priority scheme.


Related Topics

For more information about sending mail, see:

Post New Mail

Send Binary Files

Mail Reply to All

Mail Reply to Sender

Forward by Mail

Send a Fax

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Forward by Mail

 See Also

Message Menu

The Forward Mail command allows a simple way to copy the current message you are viewing to another person by mail.

To forward a message by mail:

1.	Read the message you want to forward

2.	Select the Message | Forward Mail menu item. This opens the message editor, inserts the text of the message and places the cursor in the To field so you can address the message

3.	After addressing the mail, you can add any comments. When finished press OK to sent the message.


Related Topics

For more information about sending mail, see:

Post New Mail

Send Binary Files

Mail Reply to All

Mail Reply to Sender

Urgent Mail

Send a Fax

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Send a Fax

 See Also

Message Menu

Presently, both CompuServe and CIX have fax gateways for text only. You can not send graphics in your faxes.

The options available for each remote service are different.

For more information, select the service you want to send a fax: CompuServe CIX


Related Topics

For more information about sending mail, see:

Post New Mail

Send Binary Files

Mail Reply to All

Mail Reply to Sender

Urgent Mail

Forward by Mail

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


AddressBook

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+B	 Mail Menu

E-mail addresses are often difficult to remember. The AddressBook allows you to store remote service addresses for later use.

Click on any area of the address book for more information.

♦ Notes on Sorting

If the sort button is depressed, new entries will be automatically sorted. If the sort button is not depressed, new entries are added at the location of the cursor.

The sort is determined by the setting in Tools | Options | General.  You can sort:

1.	Lastname first - this sorts the last word of the name field together

2.	Name field - this sorts the first word of the name field together.

For more information about the AddressBook, see:


Related Topics

For more information about the AddressBook, see:

Add to AddressBook

Add a Group to the AddressBook

Using Multiple AddressBooks

Tips on Using the AddressBook

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

Manage Messages

File Lists


Add to AddressBook

 See Also

Tools Menu

 This icon is placed before a contact name in the AddressBook.

When you add to the AddressBook, the New Contact dialog box is displayed with the following fields:

Contact

The name of the person. The last word in this field is used for sorting.

If the contact field is not unique in the AddressBook, a number is automatically appended to it.

Email Address

The address to use for this person when sending mail or messages.

Notes

A field for any comments you would like to add.

Pickup first recipient of current message

If you are reading a mail message addressed to several people, pressing this button will pick up the first name in the TO field.


Related Topics

For more information about the AddressBook, see:

Add a Group to the AddressBook

Using Multiple AddressBooks

Tips on Using the AddressBook

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Add a Group to the AddressBook

 See Also

A group is list of several contacts. The group name can be used to address mail and the message will be sent to every contact in the list.

 This icon is placed before the groupname in the AddressBook.

To create a group

1.	Use the shortcut CTRL+B or the Tools | AddressBook menu item to open the AddressBook

2.	Select the AddressBook in the top right to add the group to. There are two books: Public available to all Virtual Access users and a Personal one for each Virtual Access user.

3.	Press the New Group button or select New Group from the Right Mouse Button popup menu to open the New Group dialog.

4.	Fill in the dialog as discussed below and press OK

New Group Dialog

Group Name

The name of the group. This is also the name used to address mail. The currently highlighted name in the AddressBook is added to the group automatically.

Find

Search for text in the non-members list

Members and Non-Members

The list on the left contains the contacts in the AddressBook.

The list on the right contains the contacts (members) of the group.

Select from the non-members list and press the ADD button to add a contact to the group.

Select from the members list and press the REMOVE button to delete a contact from the group.

Notes

The notes field at the bottom is available for any comment you would like to add for this group. It is displayed in the AddressBook Notes field.

To use a Group to send mail

1.	Use the shortcut M or Message | Post New Mail to open the mail message editor

2.	Address the message by:

Press the TO button to open the AddressBook and double click on the group name or

In the TO field, enter the character & and the name of the group (e.g., &Ashmount Office).

♦ Workgroup Note

Only the Administrator can change the contents of the Public AddressBook.


Related Topics

For more information about the AddressBook, see:

Add to AddressBook

Using Multiple AddressBooks

Tips on Using the AddressBook

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Using Multiple AddressBooks

 See Also

There are two AddressBooks available:

•	Public AddressBook - this is available to all Virtual Access users. The Public AddressBook is stored in a file called ADDRESS in the Virtual Access installation directory.

•	Personal AddressBook - available on to a specific user. The Personal AddressBooks are stored in files named <username>.ADR in the Virtual Access installation directory.

You can switch from one book to the other using the drop down list on the top right of the AddressBook Window.

♦ Single User Note

You can use two AddressBooks to sort your contacts. For example, one AddressBook could be used for business contacts and the other for personal contacts.

♦ Workgroup Note

In the Workgroup version, only Administrators can add to the Public Address Book.  For Administrators, using Add to AddressBook, will add to which every AddressBook is current, the same as the single user version.

Users can only add to their Personal AddressBook and Add to AddressBook will always add to that regardless of which book is current.


Related Topics

For more information about the AddressBook, see:

Add to AddressBook

Add a Group to the AddressBook

Tips on Using the AddressBook

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Tips on Using the AddressBook

 See Also

The following are some tips for using the AddressBook.

Move addresses from one AddressBook to another

1.	You can use cut and paste to move addresses.

2.	Highlight the address to move

3.	Use Edit | Cut or Edit | Copy to put the selected text on the clipboard

4.	Switch to the other AddressBook and use Edit | Paste to insert the text

Move addresses

You can highlight multiple addresses in the AddressBook for moving, as long as they are together as a block.

Quick Mail Message

Double clicking on a name and will open the MAIL editor with the name filled in the TO field

Right Mouse Button in the TO field of the Message Editor

Clicking Right Mouse Button in the TO field will show the first 20 items in the AddressBook


Related Topics

For more information about the AddressBook, see:

Add to AddressBook

Add a Group to the AddressBook

Using Multiple AddressBooks

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


The name of the window


Enter text to search the Name field of the AddressBook. The cursor scrolls down to match each character as you type.


Select the AddressBook to use from the drop down list. There are two AddressBooks available. A Public one available to all Virtual Access users and a Personal one for each user.


The name of the individual contact or group. The name field must be unique within the AddressBook.. If a duplicate entry is made, a number in parenthesis is added automatically.

 Indicates an AddressBook group containing multiple contacts

 Indicates an AddressBook contact for a single person.


For a single contact, the address to use when sending mail or messages.

For a group, a list of all addresses to send to when using the group.


A text field for any notes you want to make.


Create a new contact


Create a new group


Edit the highlighted item


Remove the highlighted item


Fill in the TO field with the highlighted names.

If the Message Editor is not open, the Mail Editor is opened with the highlighted names in the TO field


Fill in the CC (carbon copy) field with the highlighted names.

If the Message Editor is not open, the Mail Editor is opened with the highlighted names in the CC field


Sort the AddressBook. If the sort button is depressed, new entries are sorted automatically.


Move the selected entries up. You can select more than one entry to move as long as they are adjacent to each other.


Move the selected entries down. You can select more than one entry to move as long as they are adjacent to each other.


Remove the highlighted text and place the text in the clipboard


Copy the highlighted text to the clipboard


Paste the contents of the clipboard into the current field


Call help for the AddressBook


Close the AddressBook.


Manage Messages

 See Also

As you download more messages and your local message base grows in size, there are some additional tools available to help you find and control the information.

The tools available are:

•	Bookmarks allow you to mark messages and threads from anywhere in the message base for further action.

•	The Find function let you look for information in the headers and messages. You can combine a find with bookmarks for further flexibility.

•	Print allows you to get a printout of one or more messages

•	File allows you to save information into a text file

•	Copy to Folder allows you to archive messages to a separate folder

•	ReThread Message allows you to change the message linking

•	Operate On allows you to call the web browser, decode messages and call files.

Each topic is discussed more fully in the following sections.

See also Mark Message as Keep and Mark Message as Delete for other functions to help manage your message base.


Related Topics

For information on reducing the size of the message base, see:

Prune

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

File Lists


Bookmark Messages

 See Also

Edit Menu

Bookmarking messages allows you to select messages from anywhere in the message base and then perform an action on them as a group, such as marking them to be kept, deleted or printed.

There are twenty bookmark sets numbered 0 through 19 and you can assign a name to each group. You should reserve one bookmark set for temporary functions, such as Find.

For tips on bookmarks, see Bookmarks - Ways to Use

  Select bookmark set

Bookmarks are added to the current set that is active. You can change the active set in several ways:

1.	Double click on the status bar or use Edit | Bookmarks to open up the Bookmark Window. See Bookmark Window for more details.

2.	Right click on the status bar to list the bookmark sets and select the set

To bookmark a message

1.	Read the message you want to bookmark

2.	Select Edit | Mark Message as Bookmark or press the shortcut letter B. The Bookmark Symbol is placed next to the message.

♦ Tips

1) Find Messages to Me uses a bookmark set to hold a list of all the messages to you. It is a good idea to select one bookmark set exclusively for this function. See Find Messages to Me for more information.

2) You can quickly switch between the first 10 bookmark sets using  the shortcut keys:   ALT+number 1-9 for the first nine sets and ALT+0 for the tenth bookmark set.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Mark Message as Keep

Mark Message as Delete

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Bookmarks - Ways to Use

 See Also

Edit Menu

Bookmarks simply group messages together in a list. The ways to use them are limited only to your imagination. Here are some ways bookmarks have been used by Virtual Access users:

Message to Me

Using Edit | Find Messages to Me creates a bookmark set of messages addressed to you. See Messages to Me for more information.

Needs a Reply

A specific bookmark set for messages that you want to reply to, but don't have time for right now. You can also have variations for needs reply soon and needs a reply this week using different bookmark sets

Technical Information

A specific bookmark set for technical messages that you want to refer back to.

Archives

You can also use the bookmark set and use Copy to Folder to copy the messages to a local folder for archiving. See Copy to Folder for more information.

For example, you could book mark all humor messages and then copy them to a single folder to read and keep them together, regardless of the source.

Save Virtual Access Flags

You can save specific flags, such as keep, to a bookmark file. See Find - Saving Flags for more information.

Bugs and Wish Lists

We use bookmarks to flag bug reports and wish list items. These are then reviewed and added to the appropriate databases.


Related Topics

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Bookmark Manager Window

 See Also

Edit Menu

Click on the graphic below for more information about the Bookmark Manager Window.

For more information about bookmarks, see

Mark as Bookmark

Bookmarks

Bookmarks - Way to Use


Related Topics

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


The title of the Window - Bookmark Window


A drop down list of the bookmark sets to select the active set. There is a maximum of 20 sets, but only one set is active at a time. New bookmarks are added to the active set.


Change the name of the active bookmark set.


Remove all messages from the active bookmark set.


The list of messages in the active bookmark set.

The bookmark icon indicates each new message with the service, group, folder and message number in bold.

The text contains the author of the message and the summary information, generally the first line of the message.


View the selected message in the Reading Window.


Remove the selected message from the bookmark set.

You can select multiple messages at one time.


Mark the entire active bookmark set with a specific flag or remove flags.


Save the active bookmark set to the disk. Bookmark files are stored with .BMK as the extension.


Open a previously stored bookmark set.

Note: the bookmarks are appended to the active set. If you want only the stored bookmarks, be sure to Clear the bookmark set first.


When checked, when you double click on an entry to go to a message the Bookmark Window is placed on top for easy reference.

This does not keep the bookmark window on top of all other windows.


The total number of messages in the active bookmark set


Options to turn on or off the buttons in the Bookmark Window


Displays options to mark the bookmark set with a specific flag or remove a flag.


Marks all messages in the active bookmark set as read


Marks all messages in the active bookmark set as unread


Marks all messages in the active bookmark set for deletion the next time Prune is run.


Marks all messages in the active bookmark set as keep so they will not be removed by Prune


Marks all messages in the active bookmark set as ignored, which will mark the threads containing the messages as read.


Remove the ignore flag from all messages in the active bookmark set


Remove the delete flag from all messages in the active bookmark set


Remove the keep flag from all messages in the active bookmark set


Closes the Bookmark Manager Window


Calls the help file


Find New Messages to Me

 See Also

Edit Menu

You may want to quickly search for all the new messages that you have received after a connection using Find New Message to Me.

To find new messages to you

1.	If you want to search only selected groups or folders, highlight them in the MessageBase Window first.

2.	Select the Edit menu and click on Find New Message to Me

3.	The dialog box is displayed with options:

Select "Directly to me only"

Select ALL folders or Selected folders

Select the Bookmark set to hold the results

Optionally, check to clear the bookmark set before the search.

To find new messages to you and all replies to your message

1.	Follow the instructions above, but select the "To Me (includes all siblings)"

This will find messages to you and all messages that are replies to your message and any replies to the replies. This lets you view the mini-thread that may develop from the original message.

To quickly read messages to you

1.	After the search is finished, you can use SHIFT+ENTER to go from one new message to the other

OR

2.	Open the Bookmark Manager (CTRL+Q) to see a list of the messages


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Bookmarks

Bookmark Manager Window

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Find Text in a Message

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: SHIFT+F3	Edit Menu

Find searches for text within Virtual Access with several options to allow you to find messages quickly.

To Find Text

1.	To search multiple folders, select the folders in the MessageBase Window first. If the Message Window is active, Find will default to using that folder.

2.	Press the shortcut key SHIFT+F3 or select the Edit | Find menu item

3.	Fill in the dialog box.

Select an item below for more information

 Find What options

 Search a Single Folder and Go to the Message

 Search Folder(s) and Bookmark the Results

 Change Search Direction or Where to Search

 Find by Date

 Find by Flag

 Find - Saving Flags

 Find more than one word (Boolean)

 Find a text pattern (Regular Expression)


Related Topics

For more information about finding text, see:

Options for Find What

Search a Single Folder and Go to the Message

Search Folders and Bookmark the Results

Change Search Direction or Where to Search

Search by Date

Search by Flag

Search for than One Word (Boolean)

Search Using a Text Pattern (Regular Expressions)

Search - Saving Flags

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages


Options for Find What

 See Also

Find What specifiesthe text string to look for. The last 20 search strings are stored in the drop down list.

Find Whole Word

You can find a whole word by placing a space before and after the word in the Find What field.

Find all Messages

If you want to mark all messages in your selection, leave the Find What field blank. This can be useful to bookmark and Copy to Folder.

Reserved Words and Characters

The following words and characters are used for looking for combined strings in the Find What box. If you want to use these words or characters as text to search for, enclose the entire search string in quotes.

AND OR + & |

The following characters are used for pattern matching in the Find What box. If you want to search for these characters, precede the character with a \ (backslash)

 ? * [ ]

If you use these characters in the Find What box and want to search for the actual character, you must precede the character with a \ (backslash).

For combined strings or pattern matching options, see Find more than One Word (Boolean) and Find a Text Pattern (Regular Expressions).


Related Topics

For more information about finding text, see:

Search a Single Folder and Go to the Message

Search Folders and Bookmark the Results

Change Search Direction or Where to Search

Search by Date

Search by Flag

Search for than One Word (Boolean)

Search Using a Text Pattern (Regular Expressions)

Search - Saving Flags

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages


Search a Single Folder and Go to the Message

 See Also

You can search a single folder and go to the message with matching text. All matches in the message with be highlighted with color specified in Tools | Options | Appearance.

Find Text and Go to the Message

1.	Select a single folder in the MessageBase Window or open the section in the Reading Window

2.	Press SHIFT+F3 or select Edit | Find to Open the dialog box

3.	Enter the text to look for in the Find What box

4.	Select Go to Message in the Actions area of the dialog box

5.	Set any other options you want, such as Search Direction and look in header and/or text and the press OK to start the search

♦ Tip

If you do not find the text and want to look in another folder, open the folder in the Message Window and press F3 to start the previous search.


Related Topics

For more information about finding text, see:

Options for Find What

Search Folders and Bookmark the Results

Change Search Direction or Where to Search

Search by Date

Search by Flag

Search for than One Word (Boolean)

Search Using a Text Pattern (Regular Expressions)

Search - Saving Flags

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages


Search Folders and Bookmark the Results

 See Also

You can search a single folder or any selection in the MessageBase Window and bookmark the results. This lets you search a whole group or service or several folders in different groups or services.

Find Text and Bookmark

1.	Select where to search in the MessageBase Window.

2.	Press SHIFT+F3 or select Edit | Find to open the dialog box

3.	Enter the text to look for in the Find What box

4.	Select Add to Bookmark Set in the actions area of the dialog box and the Bookmark Set to use.

5.	Optionally, check Clear Bookmark Set to make sure the bookmark set is empty before searching.

6.	Set any other options you want, such as Search Direction and look in header and/or text and the press OK to start the search

View the Bookmarks

1.	Select Edit | Bookmark or press CTRL-Q to open the Bookmark Manager

2.	Select the Bookmark Set with the results using either the right mouse button popup menu or from the drop down box at the top.

For more information, see Bookmark Manager Window


Related Topics

For more information about finding text, see:

Options for Find What

Search a Single Folder and Go to the Message

Change Search Direction or Where to Search

Search by Date

Search by Flag

Search for than One Word (Boolean)

Search Using a Text Pattern (Regular Expressions)

Search - Saving Flags

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages


Change Search Direction or Where to Search

 See Also

Find lets you specify search direction and where to Search.

Up/Down

The direction to search when using Go to Message. This is grayed out if using Bookmarks.

Search in Message Header

When checked, look in the header for the text string. If not checked, skips the header text.

Search in Message Body

When checked, looks in the message for the text string. If not checked, skips the message text.


Related Topics

For more information about finding text, see:

Options for Find What

Search a Single Folder and Go to the Message

Search Folders and Bookmark the Results

Search by Date

Search by Flag

Search for than One Word (Boolean)

Search Using a Text Pattern (Regular Expressions)

Search - Saving Flags

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages


Search by Date

 See Also

By date lets you look only for messages within a certain time period. The date is the time the message was sent. This can be very help if you know you received a message in the last few days.

Find Message by Date

1.	Select where to search in the MessageBase Window.

2.	Press SHIFT+F3 or select Edit | Find to open the dialog box

3.	Enter the text to look for in the Find What box

4.	Select Add to Bookmark Set in the actions area of the dialog box and the Bookmark Set to use.

5.	Optionally, check Clear Bookmark Set to make sure the bookmark set is empty before searching.

6.	Set any other options you want, such as Search Direction and look in header and/or text

7.	Go to the Advanced Tab and select the dates. The options are listed below.

Options for Date Search

All dates

The default to search all messages regardless of their date.

Between dates

Search only for messages between the two dates. This is inclusive and includes the dates themselves.

During the previous days

Search only for messages in the period of days specified.

♦ Notes

1) The format of the dates (day/month/year, month/day/year) depends on your Windows setting.

2) The date setting can be used in combination with other options such as by Flag to refine the search.


Related Topics

For more information about finding text, see:

Options for Find What

Search a Single Folder and Go to the Message

Search Folders and Bookmark the Results

Change Search Direction or Where to Search

Search by Flag

Search for than One Word (Boolean)

Search Using a Text Pattern (Regular Expressions)

Search - Saving Flags

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages


Search by Flag

 See Also

By Flag lets you find messages with a specific flag.

Find Message by Flag

1.	Select where to search in the MessageBase Window.

2.	Press SHIFT+F3 or select Edit | Find to open the dialog box

3.	Enter the text to look for in the Find What box

4.	Select Add to Bookmark Set in the actions area of the dialog box and the Bookmark Set to use.

5.	Optionally, check Clear Bookmark Set to make sure the bookmark set is empty before searching.

6.	Set any other options you want, such as Search Direction and look in header and/or text

7.	Go to the Advanced Tab and select the flags. The options are listed below.

Options for Date Search

You can only select one flag. The options in the drop down list are:

•	All Messages - ignore any flag, search all messages. This is the default.

•	Read - search only messages that have been read

•	Unread - search only messages that have not been read

•	Keep - search only message marked keep

•	Delete - search only messages marked delete

•	Ignored - search only messages marked ignore

See Find - Saving Flags for more information.

♦ Note

1) The Flag setting can be used in combination with other options such as by date to refine the search.


Related Topics

For more information about finding text, see:

Options for Find What

Search a Single Folder and Go to the Message

Search Folders and Bookmark the Results

Change Search Direction or Where to Search

Search by Date

Search for than One Word (Boolean)

Search Using a Text Pattern (Regular Expressions)

Search - Saving Flags

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages


Search for than One Word (Boolean)

 See Also

Boolean searches let you look for more than one text string in a message. There are two conditions that define the relationship between the text strings:

1.	AND - all text strings must be in the message

2.	OR - any text string must be in the message

Syntax:

•	If you use the words AND OR as part of the text string, the entire string must be enclosed in quotes

•	You can type the word AND or use the characters: + &

•	You can type the word OR or use the character: |

Examples:

tip and toggle looks for a message with BOTH words

tip & toggle is the same as using the word AND

tip or toggle looks for a message with either word in it

 ♦ Restrictions

You can not combine both AND and OR in one search and there is a maximum of eight text strings.


Related Topics

For more information about finding text, see:

Options for Find What

Search a Single Folder and Go to the Message

Search Folders and Bookmark the Results

Change Search Direction or Where to Search

Search by Date

Search by Flag

Search Using a Text Pattern (Regular Expressions)

Search - Saving Flags

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages


Search Using a Text Pattern (Regular Expressions)

 See Also

Regular expressions allow you to search for a pattern instead of for a specific text string.

The following characters are used for pattern matching.

?	Matches any single character. T?m matches Tim, Tom and tam.
*	Matches zero or more characters. Hol*d matches holed and hold.
[ ]	Matches any single character that appears within the square brackets. For example, [0123456789] will match any single digit from 0 to 9. You can also specify a range using a dash - for example, [0-9].
[^ ]	Matches any single character that does not appear within the square brackets. For example, [^abc] will match any single character except "a", "b" and "c".
\	Matches the following character literally. For example, \* will match a single asterisk and \\ will match a single backslash.
♦ Note

If you want to look for a pattern matching character in a text string, place the \ before the character.


Related Topics

For more information about finding text, see:

Options for Find What

Search a Single Folder and Go to the Message

Search Folders and Bookmark the Results

Change Search Direction or Where to Search

Search by Date

Search by Flag

Search for than One Word (Boolean)

Search - Saving Flags

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages


Search - Saving Flags

 See Also

 	Edit Menu

It is a good idea to periodically select all the messages marked keep and save them as a separate bookmark set. If your message base becomes corrupted for any reason and you need to totally rebuild all the indexes, the Keep flags will be lost.

To save the keep flags

1.	Press the shortcut SHIFT+F3 or select the Edit | Find menu item to open the Find dialog. Enter the following settings;

Find What:   blank

Where to Look:   All Folders

Select Add to Bookmark and the set to use

Check Empty Bookmark Set First

2.	Select the advanced tab and in the By Flags area select Kept Messages from the drop down list

3.	Press OK to start the search

4.	When the search is finished, open the Bookmark Manager Window with the shortcut CTRL+Q or select Edit | Bookmarks.

5.	Press the Save As … button and store the bookmark set. The file extension should be .BMK

♦ Tip

You can also save the other flags in the same way, selecting which flag to set on the Find | Advanced tab.

To reload the keep flags

1.	Use the shortcut CTRL+Q or Edit | Bookmarks to open the Bookmark Manager Window

2.	Select a bookmark set to load the saved flags. Then press the CLEAR button to remove any messages from the set

3.	Press the Open button and point to the previously saved bookmark file.

4.	Press the Mark As button and select Keep


Related Topics

For more information about finding text, see:

Options for Find What

Search a Single Folder and Go to the Message

Search Folders and Bookmark the Results

Change Search Direction or Where to Search

Search by Date

Search by Flag

Search for than One Word (Boolean)

Search Using a Text Pattern (Regular Expressions)

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages


Find Again

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: F3	Edit Menu

Find Again works differently depending on whether the Find was set to Go to a Message or to add to a bookmark set.

Find set to Go to Message

1.	Press shortcut F3 or Edit | Find again and it will search for the next message with the text string

Find set to Add to Bookmark

1.	Press shortcut F3 or Edit | Find again and the Edit dialog box is opened. If you want the same search press OK or change the options as needed.


Related Topics

For information on setting up the text string, see:

Find

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Find on Deja News

 See Also

Edit Menu

Find Deja News allows you to start your Web Browser and look for information on the Deja News web site.

Deja News has a collection of indexed archived Usenet news available ranging back to March, 1995.

To find Deja News

1.	Select the Edit menu and click on Find Deja News to open the dialog

2.	Select the option and text, see Deja News options below

3.	Press the Search button to start your web browser

Deja News options

There are four ways to search Deja News, selected by pressing the appropriate button:

1.	Find articles containing the following words

Search for articles that contain the given word(s) and return a list of them to your web browser. If you select text in the Message Pane, it is inserted here.

2.	Find articles posted by the following author

Search for articles written by a specific person and return a list of articles broken down by newsgroups from that person to your web browser. The From field of the current message in the Message Pane is inserted as the default.

3.	Find Newsgroup relating to the following words

 This returns a list of newsgroups associated with the word. The top 50 newsgroups where that word is used are returned to your web browser.

Note: This is still under development and may or may not be available on Deja News at the present time.

4.	Go to Deja News and search yourself

Starts the web browser and goes to Deja News

 Information found on the Deja News server is not stored in Virtual Access. You will need to save any information with your web browser.


Related Topics

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Print Messages

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+P	 File Menu

You may want to print out messages to save or show to someone else.

To print a message

1.	Press the shortcut key CTRL+P or select the File | Print menu item

2.	A dialog box is opened to select which messages you want to print

•	the current message

•	the current thread

•	all bookmarked messages

•	all messages between two message numbers. This ignores the threading information and prints all the messages in the folder between the two numbers in numerical order.

 Quick Print

You can add the Quick Print command to the toolbar as an icon. Pressing Quick Print will print the message currently open in the Message Pane


Related Topics

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


File Messages

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+A	File Menu

You may want to save some messages in a separate file.

To save messages to a file

1.	Press the shortcut key CTRL+A or select the File | Save As menu item.

2.	The File command and keyboard shortcut bring up a dialog box allowing you to select which messages to file. You can select:

•	the current message

•	the current thread

•	all bookmarked messages

•	all messages between two message numbers. This ignores the threading information and files all the messages in the folder between the two numbers in numerical order.

3.	When you have selected the messages, a dialog box appears so you can enter the file name and directory location.

 Quick File

You can add the Quick File command to the toolbar as an icon. Pressing Quick File will call a dialog box to save the message currently open in the Message Pane

♦ Note

If you save to an existing filename, the messages are appended to the file.


Related Topics

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Copy to Folder

 See Also

 	Tools Menu

You may want to collect messages on a subject together in one place in your message base. Copy to Folder allows you to copy a message from one folder to another.

To copy messages to another folder

1.	Select the Tools | Copy to Folder menu item to open the dialog box

2.	Select the folder to copy to from the drop down list. If you wish to create a new folder, type in the name using the format:

service:group_name/folder_name

3.	Select which messages you want to copy:

- Current message open in the Reading Window

- Current thread open in the Reading Window

- Bookmarked message in the active set

- A range of message number

4.	Delete Original [Optional] - checking this will mark all copied messages for deletion the next time Prune is run

5.	Append Messages Only [Optional] - Do not retain the original message number. This will also lose the threading information. See caution below for more information.

6.	Fill in the fields and press OK

♦ Notes

1) The text [This message was copied from URL] is added at the bottom of the message. Double clicking

2) When you use Copy to Folder, the folder you copy to is set with the Special flag that indicates an internal Virtual Access folder. If the folder is a normal folder, you must remove the Special flag by selecting the folder in the MessageBase Window and pressing the Options button. You can not reply or comment to a folder that has the Special option set.

When copying a message to a different group or a local folder, the message number is not changed. If a message in the folder already has the same number as a message that you are copying in to the folder, this message is overwritten. If you are moving messages from several locations, you may want to select "Append Messages Only". This will not overwrite existing messages, but it will lose the threading information. You can rethread messages using the View | Move Message/Thread menu item.


Related Topics

For more information about, see:

ReThread Message

Local Folders

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


ReThread Message

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+M	Tools Menu

ReThread Message allows you to change links between messages. This can be useful for mail where misthreading can easily occur (if someone sends you a new message rather than replying to you) or to link specific messages together.

If a message has replies linked to it, the message and all it replies are moved when you rethread the message.

You can also change a message to a Root Message that starts a new thread.

To move a message:

1.	View the message you want to move

2.	Select the Tools | ReThread Message menu item or press the shortcut key CTRL+M to bring up the dialog box

3.	Select either "Make Root Message" or enter the number of the message to thread the message to

♦ Notes

1) You can not link a lower number message to a higher number message. For example, you can link message number 4 to message numbers 1, 2 or 3, but you cannot link message number 1 to any number.

2) This command allows you to change the threading of messages. Virtual Access does not check to see if the threads are related. It is possible to totally corrupt the threading using this command with no way to undo the change.

If you do make extensive changes, we recommend that you make a backup of your data before proceeding.


Related Topics

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Operate on a Message

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+O	Tools Menu

The Operate On a Message function scans a message for a predefined string of text (URL) and then presents a dialog with actions you can take on the message.

It is used to decoded UUEncode or MIME messages and to load your Web browser when it finds strings as indicated below. Note you must have setup your browser with the FTP, GOPHER and TELNET applications for those functions to work.

Currently this function supports:

String	Action
UUEncode begin/end string Mime (base64) messages	Result depends on Options set for decoding and viewing inline. See Options - Decode for more information. Virtual Access can automatically decode the message or will display a message saying double click to decode.
VA:serv/group/folder	Goes to the specific message in your local message base.
http://url HTTPS://url	Calls in Web browser with the URL loaded
FTP://url	Calls in the Web browser and calls the FTP application specified in the web browser with the address loaded
GOPHER://url	Calls in the Web browser and calls the Gopher application specified in the web browser with the address loaded
TELNET://url	Calls in the Web browser and calls the Telnet application specified in the web browser with the address loaded
FILE://filename	Calls the file to the screen using Windows file associations
MAILTO://address	Starts the Virtual Access mail message to the user.
HELP://text	Calls the Help Index and scrolls to the text in the index
Download://url	CompuServe and CIX only. The URL is in the form: <service>:<forum>/section#filename <service>:<forum>/section (no filename specified) <service>:filename (current forum/section)
You can use this function in several ways:

•	while reading a message with a URL reference, pressing CTRL-O will start your web browser and let you go to that page

•	while reading a UUEncode message or Mime message, press CTRL-O to decode the message

Options for decoding are on the Tools | Options | Decode tab

♦ Tip

When reading the message, the cursor becomes a hand over any string that you can double click to execute the action.


Related Topics

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

Delete all Ignored Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Clear all Ignore Flags

 See Also

Toolbar Icon Only

You can remove all the ignore flags in the entire message base with this icon.

As there is no way to undo this action, Virtual Access will ask you to confirm that you want to remove all ignore marks.

♦ Note

This function is only available by placing the icon on the toolbar. There is no menu or keyboard equivalent.


Related Topics

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Delete all Ignored Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Delete all Ignored Messages

 See Also

Toolbar Icon Only

You may wish to remove threads you marked to be ignored when you run Prune.

You can mark all ignored messages for deletion by pressing this icon. The messages will then be removed the next time you run Prune.

As there is no way to undo this command, Virtual Access will ask you to confirm you want to delete all ignored messages.

This command affects the whole message base. You can not select a specific forum or section.

♦ Note

This function is only available by placing the icon on the toolbar. There is no menu or keyboard equivalent.


Related Topics

For more information about managing messages, see:

Bookmark Messages

Bookmarks - Ways to Use

Bookmark Manager Window

Find New Messages to Me

Find Text in a Message

Find Again

Find on Deja News

Print Messages

File Messages

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

Operate on a Message

Clear all Ignore Flags

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


File Lists

 See Also

CompuServe forum libraries are stored as messages in each forum in a section names L<Library> name. You can view the libraries by selecting the ALL tab or the Library tab on the MessageBase Window.

CIX Flists are stored as messages but have a special viewer to read them.

You can use the standard Virtual Access tools with these file lists:

•	Find - to look for text

•	Upload and download a file

For more specific service information, click on the service name: CompuServe CIX.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Find

MessageBase Window

For more information about library and file lists, see:

Show Current File List

Refresh File List

Upload a File

Download a File

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages


Show Current File List

 See Also

Goto Menu

Show Current Library list is a toggle between the message and library section of a forum.

While viewing messages, to see the associated File List

1.	Select the View menu and click on Show Current File List

While viewing a library, to see the message folder

Select the View menu and click on Show Current Folder

♦ Notes

If there is no File List, Virtual Access will ask if you want to collect one for that folder.

If there is no message folder to switch to, an error message is displayed.


Related Topics

For more information about library and file lists, see:

Refresh File List

Upload a File

Download a File

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Refresh File List

 See Also

Special Menu

Refresh File List allows you to collect File Lists for a folder.

For CompuServe, you can collect all files in a library or search for specific files.

For CIX, you can only collect the entire Flist.

To refresh a file list

1.	Highlight the groups or folders in the MessageBase Window that you want to collect File Lists from

2.	Press the Right Mouse Button and click on Refresh File List(s)

The dialog boxes for CompuServe and CIX are different. Click on the service name for more information about refreshing the library file lists for that service: CompuServe CIX


Related Topics

For more information about library and file lists, see:

Show Current File List

Upload a File

Download a File

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Upload a File

 See Also

Special Menu

Upload a File lets you contribute a file to a forum library. The requirements for uploading a file to CompuServe and CIX are different.

Click on the service name for more information about uploading a file to that service: CompuServe CIX


Related Topics

For more information about library and file lists, see:

Show Current File List

Refresh File List

Download a File

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Download a File

 See Also

Special Menu

Download a File lets you retrieve a file from a forum library. The exact procedure for downloading a file from CompuServe and CIX differ slightly.

Click on the service name for more information about downloading a file from that service: CompuServe CIX


Related Topics

For more information about library and file lists, see:

Show Current File List

Refresh File List

Upload a File

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Screen Information

Navigate the Message Base

View Messages

Read and Mark Messages

Write Messages

Send Mail

AddressBook

Manage Messages

File Lists


Review Outbasket

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: F2	File Menu

Before connecting to a remote service, you can review the actions that are waiting to be uploaded. You can then make any edits or delete an action if necessary.

To review your messages at any time

1.	Press the shortcut key F2 or select the File | Review Outbasket menu item to open the Review Window

To display Review Outbasket before a connection

1.	Select the Tools | Options | General tab and check Review before connection. The Review Outbasket will be displayed when you start a connection to a remote service

To force a connection if Review Outbasket is left open

1.	Select the Tools | Options | General tab and enter a time in Auto Time before connecting. This is the amount of time the Review Outbasket Window will be left open before it is closed and the connection made.

♦ Notes

1) Workgroup version: review may be an administrator only function, depending on the options chosen when Virtual Access was installed.

2) When Virtual Access processes an action successfully, it is removed from the BSC file. Any action that fails will be left in the BSC file for Virtual Access to try on your next connection. You can check the status of all actions in the ACTIONS/CONNECTION pseudo folder.

3) You can only review one service at a time on the network. If one user has review open for a particular service, no one else can review the actions pending for that service until it is closed.

4) If you connect to more than one service at the same time, the Review Outbasket is not displayed. See Connect to Multiple Services for more information.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

For more information about the Review Outbasket window, see:

Review Outbasket Window

For more information about connecting, see:

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Review Outbasket Window

 See Also

The Review Outbasket Window is divided into three columns:

•	Name - the name of the Virtual Access user who requested the action. This can also be the Virtual Access process of Import or Sched which add items to the Review Outbasket.

•	Action - what to do on line, such as making a comment, uploading or downloading a file, downloading messages, etc.

•	Options - arguments to the action. For messages, this will display the subject.

You can change the width of each column by dragging the divider at the top of the columns to the desired width.

Review Outbasket Window Buttons

OK

Accept the actions in the Review Outbasket Window and close window

Edit

Edit the selected message or script

Delete

Delete the selected message or script. Please note, there is no way to recover a deleted item.

Hold

This doesn't delete the selected message or script, but Virtual Access will not upload it to the remote service. When a message is marked as held in the Review Outbasket, the message is displayed in a light gray.

Hold is a toggle. To unhold a message, select it and press HOLD again

Restore

Load a previous file, overwriting the current actions. Use this for recovering from a failed communications session.

Help

Display the help file.


Related Topics

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Connect to Remote Services

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: CTRL+T	File Menu

When you choose to connect to a remote service, such as the Internet, CompuServe or CIX, Virtual Access asks you to select the service, the connection method and type of connection from a dialog box.

To connect to a remote service

1.	Press the shortcut key CTRL+T or select the File | Connect menu item to open the connect window

2.	Select the service to connect to from the top left window

3.	Select the connection method from the bottom left window

4.	Press the button for the type of connection you want

There are three types of connections, each represented by a button:

•	Connect - connects to the remote service and carries out all actions pending (sending replies and new messages, collecting File List updates, running scripts, etc.) and downloads new messages as specified for that service.

•	Actions Only - connects to the remote service and carries out all actions pending but does not download any new messages.

•	Manual - connects to the remote service, logs you in and lets you perform any action on line. No messages are uploaded or downloaded unless you do it by hand. Not applicable to Internet services.

Review Outbasket Items before connecting

Except for scheduled connections or multiple services connection, the Review Outbasket window can be displayed before a Connect or Actions-Only connection, to allow you to see what actions will be carried out.

The Review Outbasket window will be displayed before a connection to a single service if Tools | Options | General | "Review Basket before connection" is checked.

 The Review window is never displayed in you have selected two or more services to connect consecutively.

♦ Note

When Virtual Access processes an action successfully, it is removed from the BSC file. Any action that fails will be left in the BSC file for Virtual Access to retry on your next connection. You can check the status of all actions in the ACTIONS/CONNECTION pseudo folder.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Comms Setup for CIX

Comms Setup for the Internet

For more information about connecting to remote services, see:

Connect to Multiple Services

Connect Window

Terminal Program Window

Internet Connection Window

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Connect to Multiple Services

 See Also

Virtual Access can connect to multiple services one after the other.

This is sometimes referred to as a "shower blink".

To connect to multiple services

1.	Open the connect window

2.	Highlight the services you want to connect to.

3.	Select Connect or Actions Only. The type of connection applies to all services.

♦ Notes on Multiple Service Connections

1) Only the default connection method is used, you can not specify which comms setting to use.

2) When using Dial Up Networking, Virtual Access will check the Dial Up name and sort all services using the same name together and then perform one connect.

3) The Review Outbasket is NOT called in before the connection when connecting to multiple services.


Related Topics

For more information about connecting to remote services, see:

Connect Window

Terminal Program Window

Internet Connection Window

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Connect Window

 See Also

The connect window controls the connect options for all the services. The window is divided into two areas:

•	Service - select one or more services you want to connect to

•	Connection Method - if you select one service you can select which comms setting you want to use from this box. If you select two or more services, the connection always uses the default setting for the service.

At the bottom of the window are two additional options:

•	Close window on connection - if checked will close the connect window

•	Selection Filename - displays the name of the active SEL file. You can use the Change button to select a different SEL file. This relates to CompuServe only.

The buttons on the right side are for connecting:

•	Connect - connects to the remote service and carries out all actions pending (sending replies and new messages, collecting File List updates, running scripts, etc.) and downloads new messages as specified for that service.

•	Actions Only - connects to the remote service and carries out all actions pending but does not download any new messages.

•	Manual - connects to the remote service, logs you in and lets you perform any action on line. No messages are uploaded or downloaded unless you do it yourself.

The Setup Button in the Connect Window brings up the communication setup dialog if you want to check your setup before proceeding.


Related Topics

For more information about connecting to remote services, see:

Connect to Multiple Services

Terminal Program Window

Internet Connection Window

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Terminal Program Window

 See Also

The Terminal Window, used by CompuServe and CIX, displays what is happening with the connection.  Any communications error messages are displayed in the status area at the bottom on the right side of the window.

Buttons

The following buttons are available in the terminal window:

•	Log - indicates if the session is being captured to a file. If a file is in use, the button displays the name of the file. You can click on the button and change the name of the file to capture text.

•	Stay On Line - if you press this when Virtual Access is on line, the connection will not be terminated allowing you to perform any actions on line and then manually terminate the session.

•	Upload - when you are working on line, use this to upload a file

•	Download - when you are working on line, use this to download a file

•	Abort - terminate the session.

Information

The following information about the current session is displayed in the status area at the bottom left of the terminal window:

•	The top box displays the name of any file currently being uploaded or downloaded.

•	Progress Bar - displays the progress of a file upload or download

•	Time left - amount of time left for file upload or download in progress

•	Number of characters per second being received

•	The bytes transferred out of the total file size

♦ Tip

If you are having problems connecting to a telephone number and want to redial the phone number immediately, press space.


Related Topics

For more information about connecting to remote services, see:

Connect to Multiple Services

Connect Window

Internet Connection Window

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Internet Connection Window

 See Also

When you connect to the Internet, a dialog box is displayed showing the status of the connection.

The following information is displayed with the connection speed for each type of connection.

•	Status - the status of the connection.

•	Mail In - the status of the mail connection for collection mail, regardless of the type

•	Mail Out - the status of the SMTP mail connection to send mail

•	Newsgroups - the status of the NNTP connection. This is used to post newsgroup replies and collect new messages.


Related Topics

For more information about connecting to remote services, see:

Connect to Multiple Services

Connect Window

Terminal Program Window

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

 See Also

Failed Connections

If a connection fails, any actions that have not been done are left in the Review Outbasket.

If is strongly recommended that you check the connection report in the ACTIONS/INFORMATION folder for any problems.

If a connection fails while collecting messages from CompuServe or CIX, the messages may not imported into the message base. The file that contains those message is named mswNNN.tmp and is left in the TEMP directory. You can manually import these files into the message base using File | Import Message.

CompuServe and CIX Backup Files

Backup files for each connection are stored in the BACKUP directory. All backup files start with the service name (CIS/CIX) followed by a sequence number. 001 is the most recent connection.

The filename extension indicates the content:

*.LOG	log of the terminal session. This does not contain any message text
*.MSG	the messages collected for that session
*.BSC	the actions taken for that session. This is a copy of what was in review when you connected.
If there have been problems with import, you can import the *.MSG files again using File | Import Message.

Internet Backup Files

Backup files for each connection are generally stored in the SPOOL\<service> directory. The path is set in the ashmount.ini file under each service in the SPOOL PATH option.

Backup files have the following names, where NNN is a sequence number generated by the program.

•	newsNNN.dat - contains messages from a newsgroup

•	popNNN.dat - contains mail messages collected from a POP account

•	smtpNNN.dat. - contains mail messages collected by SMTP

If there have been problems with import, you can import these files again using File | Import Message.

Backup files are retained for the number of days set in Comms Setup | Logging tab for each service.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Review Outbasket

Options - System

Comms Setup for CompuServe - Service

Comms Setup for CIX - Service

Import Messages

Cancel Message

For more information about connection information, see:

Connection Information

Restore in the Review Outbasket

Connection Runtime Errors

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Scheduling Actions and Events


Connection Information

 See Also

The following folder record information about connections:

•	the ACTIONS/INFORMATION folder in each service records information about the connection. This includes the start/stop time and the status of all actions.

The following log files are also maintained:

•	IMPORT.LOG - a record of each file import and any errors. This file should be periodically deleted as it can grow quite large.

•	DEBUG.TXT - this file is created when you select the Tools | Options | System | General Logging option and it is stored in the root directory on the partition where Virtual Access is installed. This should normally be left unchecked unless specifically requested by technical support for software debugging.

•	Internet logging can be set using File | Comms Setup | Logging tab. This should only be turned on if requested by technical support.

•	POSTITS.LOG - this file is used to keep track of messages that have the Urgent! flag set. If you use urgent messages frequently, this file can grow quite large and you may want to delete older messages numbers from the top of the file.

A warning message is displayed when Virtual Access starts up if these log files have become larger than 20K.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Urgent Mail

Import Messages

Options - System

Connection Files

For more information about connection information, see:

Restore in the Review Outbasket

Connection Runtime Errors

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Restore in the Review Outbasket

 See Also

File Menu

Normally if an action fails, the item is left in the review list.

To recover action from previous connection

1.	Press the shortcut key F2 or select the File | Review Outbasket menu item to open the Review Outbasket

2.	Press the RESTORE button to open the dialog box with the previous *.BSC files for the services in the BACKUP sub-directory

3.	Select the file you want to use. Remember that 001 is the most recent file.

4.	Review the messages and delete any actions that were carried out before the communications error. If you are unsure, check after the connection to see if you have posted the same message twice. It is polite to withdraw any multiple posting of messages.

To recover an accidental delete while using review

 This will only work if you do this before closing review. If you close review, any items are lost

1.	Press the RESTORE button and scroll down the list to find REVIEW.BAK. This is usually at the bottom of the list

2.	Select REVIEW.BAK and press OK

3.	The items that were in the Review Outbasket when you started are reloaded. You will need to do any holds or deletions again.


Related Topics

For more information about connection information, see:

Connection Information

Connection Runtime Errors

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Connection Runtime Errors

 See Also

The following errors are defined in the terminal program:

Error number	Meaning
1000	Connection dropped by remote service Action: reconnect again
1001	Wait called recursively from within a Tracker procedure Action: contact Ashmount Research
1002	Wait failed due to time-out Action: reconnect again
1003	Upload failed Action: look in actions/information for any further information to determine cause of failure. Try upload again.
1004	Download failed Action: look in actions/information for any further information to determine cause of failure. Try download again.
1005	Encoding error Action: contact Ashmount Research
1006	Shutdown  Action: contact Ashmount Research
1007	Invalid Script (loadscript failure) Action: contact Ashmount Research
1008	Abort button pressed User abort of terminal session.


Related Topics

For more information about connection information, see:

Connection Information

Restore in the Review Outbasket

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Scheduling Actions and Events

 See Also

Tools | Scheduling Menu

Virtual Access allows two kinds of scheduling:

1.	actions to perform including connections to a remote service, prune or build the message base. These are done by the Scheduler program.

2.	events to happen when you connect to a remote service. These are done by using the Tools | Scheduling | Set Routine menu item.

Using the Virtual Access Scheduler, you can schedule connections to a remote service either at a specific time or when the Review Outbasket contains a specified number of items.

Using Tools | Scheduling | Set Routine, you can schedule events to happen on a daily, weekly or monthly basis when you connect to a remote service. This allows you to perform such events as updating File Lists, billing information,. In fact all the service specific scripts can be scheduled.

♦ Note

Scheduling connections to Internet services depends on whether or not your winsock will dial out or you have Dial Up Networking available.


Related Topics

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Schedule Actions

Schedule Events using Set Routine

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery


Schedule Actions

 See Also

Tools | Scheduling | Start Scheduler

You can use the scheduler to connect to a remote service. The connection can be based on:

•	a specific time of day

•	a specific number of actions waiting to be uploaded

In addition you can schedule a prune or build of the message base to happen at specific times.

You can set up job schedules and then enable or disable them when needed.


Related Topics

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Scheduler Window

Add Job

Edit and Delete Jobs

Schedule Time for Jobs to Run

Repeat Scheduled Jobs

Enable/Disable Job

Scheduling Prune and Build

Scheduler Command Line

Quick Scheduling

Scheduler Administration Issues

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Schedule Events using Set Routine

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Scheduler Window

 See Also

The scheduler window is the control panel for scheduling actions.

The main window contains the information for jobs that have been created. The last time the job was run and it's repeat pattern is displayed next to the job description.

The icons indicate the type of action. If the job information is available but not scheduled to run (disabled), the icons are in black and white.

 connect to a service

 prune the message base

 build the message base

The JOBS menu contains the following items:

Add - create a new job

Edit - edit the job highlighted in the main window. You can also double click on a job to display it for editing.

Edit Job Clone - copy the highlighted job to create a new job and allow you to make changes

Delete - delete the highlighted job

Run Job Now - run the highlighted job now regardless of the scheduling information

Enabled - toggle to enable/disable the highlighted job

Exit - close the scheduler

The view menu contains the following items:

Toolbar - toggle to turn on/off the toolbar

Status bar - toggle to turn on/off the status bar.


Related Topics

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Add Job

Edit and Delete Jobs

Schedule Time for Jobs to Run

Repeat Scheduled Jobs

Enable/Disable Job

Scheduling Prune and Build

Scheduler Command Line

Quick Scheduling

Scheduler Administration Issues

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Schedule Actions

Schedule Events using Set Routine

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Add Job

 See Also

Scheduler Jobs Menu

Selecting Add a Job displays a three tabbed dialog box. Each tab contains information needed for scheduling a job.

To schedule a job

1.	Start the scheduler program and select the Jobs | Add menu item to open the tabbed dialog for creating a new job

2.	Fill in the three tabs with the information required and press OK when finished

3.	The job will then appear in the Scheduler Window.

The information on the JOBS tab is described below. For information on the other tabs, click on the tab in the graphic at the top of this page.

JOBS TAB FIELDS

Title

This is a text description of the job and is displayed in the main scheduler window

Enabled

A toggle for whether or not the job is enabled. You can set up several schedules and then enable/disable them as required.

Job Action

The type of action to be performed

1.	Connect to a remote service

2.	Actions only connection to a remote service

3.	Prune the message base

4.	Build the message base. This is a full build of all folders.

Services

This box lists all the remote services available. Select the services you want to connect to using this job. You can select more than one service.

Comms Setting

This box lists the comms setting available for each service. Select the setting you want to use with this job.

♦ Note

If you schedule a connection to more than one service, it uses the default Comms Setting. You can not select a specific comms setting.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Prune

Build

Connect to a remote service

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Comms Setup for CIX

Comms Setup for the Internet

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Scheduler Window

Edit and Delete Jobs

Schedule Time for Jobs to Run

Repeat Scheduled Jobs

Enable/Disable Job

Scheduling Prune and Build

Scheduler Command Line

Quick Scheduling

Scheduler Administration Issues

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Schedule Actions

Schedule Events using Set Routine

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Edit and Delete Jobs

 See Also

Scheduler File Menu

Once you have created a job, you may want to modify it, copy it or delete it totally. The Virtual Access Scheduler allows you to:

 Edit Job

You can edit existing jobs by double clicking on the job in the main window or highlighting a job and selecting the Jobs | Edit menu item.

 Edit Job Clone

If you want to create a new job that is very similar to an existing job, you can use the Jobs | Edit Job Clone menu item. This will copy the highlighted job and display the tabbed dialog.

 Delete Job

You can delete an existing job, by highlighting it in the main window and selecting the Jobs | Delete Job menu item.

For information on the tab fields, click on the tab in the graphic at the top of the page.


Related Topics

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Scheduler Window

Add Job

Schedule Time for Jobs to Run

Repeat Scheduled Jobs

Enable/Disable Job

Scheduling Prune and Build

Scheduler Command Line

Quick Scheduling

Scheduler Administration Issues

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Schedule Actions

Schedule Events using Set Routine

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Schedule Time for Jobs to Run

 See Also

Scheduler File Menu

Selecting Add a Job displays a three tabbed dialog box. Each tab contains information needed for scheduling a job.

To schedule a job

1.	Start the scheduler program and select the Jobs | Add menu item to open the tabbed dialog for creating a new job

2.	Fill in the three tabs with the information required and press OK when finished

3.	The job will then appear in the Scheduler Window.

The information on the WHEN tab is described below. For information on the other tabs, click on the tab in the graphic at the top of this page.

WHEN TAB FIELDS

Time Triggered

Checking this box indicates the job will run at specific times. The time and pattern for the job to run is set on the Repeat tab.

Today Button

Fills in the date field with the current date

Now Button

Fills in the time field with the current time.

Event Triggered

Checking this box indicates the job will run when a specific number of items are waiting to be uploaded. The number is set below.

Date and time for next execution of job

Fill in this field with the first time the job should run. If the job should be repeated, fill in the information on the Repeat tab.

Event count trigger

The event count trigger box shows the service the job is applicable to and asks for how many items should be in the Review Outbasket list to trigger the connection.

If the job is time triggered, this box is grayed out.

♦ Note

If you have a job setup that you want to happen immediately, you can use File | Run Job Now. This can be very useful for testing a new job that you have created but will not be scheduled to run until later.

For information on the other tab fields, click on the tab in the graphic at the top of the page.


Related Topics

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Scheduler Window

Add Job

Edit and Delete Jobs

Repeat Scheduled Jobs

Enable/Disable Job

Scheduling Prune and Build

Scheduler Command Line

Quick Scheduling

Scheduler Administration Issues

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Schedule Actions

Schedule Events using Set Routine

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Repeat Scheduled Jobs

 See Also

Scheduler File Menu

Selecting Add a Job displays a three tabbed dialog box. Each tab contains information needed for scheduling a job.

To schedule a job

1.	Start the scheduler program and select the Jobs | Add menu item to open the tabbed dialog for creating a new job

2.	Fill in the three tabs with the information required and press OK when finished

3.	The job will then appear in the Scheduler Window.

The information on the REPEAT tab is described below. For information on the other tabs, click on the tab in the graphic at the top of this page.

REPEAT TAB FIELDS

The Repeat tab determines the pattern for the scheduler to run time triggered jobs. The dialog box displays two groups of information:

Repeat Mode

Repeat mode determines whether the job should run only once or be repeated on a pattern. If Repeat is not checked, the job is run only once.

Repeat has the following options:

•	Every (days/hours/minutes) - repeat the job at the specified interval

•	Between two time periods in hours/minute formats. This lets you schedule a repeat during a specific time period (such as 9am until 5pm).

•	On (day of week) - repeat the job on specific days of the week

Repeats to Go

•	Repeat Count - shows how many more times the job has to run in the repeat cycle

•	Infinite Repeat - repeat it forever

For information on the other tab fields, click on the tab in the graphic at the top of the page.


Related Topics

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Scheduler Window

Add Job

Edit and Delete Jobs

Schedule Time for Jobs to Run

Enable/Disable Job

Scheduling Prune and Build

Scheduler Command Line

Quick Scheduling

Scheduler Administration Issues

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Schedule Actions

Schedule Events using Set Routine

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Enable/Disable Job

 See Also

Scheduler File Menu

You can set up many jobs and then enable/disable them as you want them to run. This gives an easy way to set up several variations, but activate them only when needed.

To enable/disable a job

1.	Start the scheduler program and highlight the job you want to enable

2.	Select the Jobs | Edit menu item

3.	Check the "Enabled" box on the JOBS tab to enable the job or remove the check mark to disable the job

♦ Note

When a job is enabled, the icon on the left of the main scheduler window is in color. When the job is disabled, the icon is in black and white.


Related Topics

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Scheduler Window

Add Job

Edit and Delete Jobs

Schedule Time for Jobs to Run

Repeat Scheduled Jobs

Scheduling Prune and Build

Scheduler Command Line

Quick Scheduling

Scheduler Administration Issues

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Schedule Actions

Schedule Events using Set Routine

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Scheduling Prune and Build

 See Also

Scheduler File Menu

As you collect messages, the message base will grow larger. The scheduler can be setup to prune the message base at scheduled times.

When you use prune, it will prune the entire message base using the information in Tools | Messagebase Management | Prune Options. Please make sure these options are correct before scheduling a prune.

You can also schedule a total build of the message base indexes.

For more information about each tab field, click on the tab in the graphic at the top of the page.

To schedule a prune

1.	Start the scheduler program and select the Jobs | Add menu item to open the tabbed dialog for creating a new job

2.	Select Prune as the job action

3.	Fill in the three tabs with the information required and press OK when finished

4.	The job will then appear in the Scheduler Window.

To schedule a build

1.	Start the scheduler program and select the Jobs | Add menu item to open the tabbed dialog for creating a new job

2.	Select Build as the job action

3.	Fill in the three tabs with the information required and press OK when finished

4.	The job will then appear in the Scheduler Window.

♦ Note

Even if you do not plan to keep pruned messages, always prune them to a file. Then if you accidentally pruned some messages you meant to keep, you can recover them using import.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Prune

Build

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Scheduler Window

Add Job

Edit and Delete Jobs

Schedule Time for Jobs to Run

Repeat Scheduled Jobs

Enable/Disable Job

Scheduler Command Line

Quick Scheduling

Scheduler Administration Issues

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Schedule Actions

Schedule Events using Set Routine

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Scheduler Command Line

 See Also

You can also set up an icon to run connects, prune or build.

Connect to a single service using default connection method. #

/CONNECT does a full connection and /CONNECTAO does an actions only connection.

 va.exe sched sched /CONNECT=<service>

 /CONNECT=CIS

Connect to multiple services using default connection method:

 va.exe sched sched /CONNECT=<service>;<service>

 /CONNECT=CIS,CIX

Connect to service and use specific connection method.

Note the number is from the order listed in the Connect Window:

 va.exe sched sched /CONNECT=<service list>,<connect option number>

  /CONNECT=CIS,3

Run prune using default prune options:

 va.exe sched sched /PRUNE

Run build on the entire message base:

 va.exe sched sched /BUILD

♦ Note

If a copy of Virtual Access is already running, this will start up another copy - so the username and password must be one dedicated to the scheduled connects/prunes.


Related Topics

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Scheduler Window

Add Job

Edit and Delete Jobs

Schedule Time for Jobs to Run

Repeat Scheduled Jobs

Enable/Disable Job

Scheduling Prune and Build

Quick Scheduling

Scheduler Administration Issues

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Schedule Actions

Schedule Events using Set Routine

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Quick Scheduling

 See Also

 	Tools | Scheduling | Job List

The Tools | Scheduling menu lists the top 10 jobs that are setup in the Virtual Access Scheduler. This list is the first ten jobs, regardless of whether they are enabled or disabled.

The Schedule List allows you to select one of the jobs and run it immediately without having to go to the Scheduler.

To run a job now

3)	Select Tools | Scheduling and the job to run now

4)	The job is added to the scheduler queue and will run the next poll period

In the single user version, if the Scheduler is not running, it is started automatically.

♦ Workgroup Note

When you select a job to run, Virtual Access checks to see if the Scheduler is running on the server where Virtual Access is installed.

If the Scheduler is running on the server

Virtual Access adds the job to the scheduler queue and runs it the next poll period (usually about a minute)

If the scheduler is not running on the server

Virtual Access asks is you want to start the Scheduler on the local machine. If you say yes, you must have a modem on the same machine.

Virtual Access will then add the job to the scheduler queue locally and run the job on the next poll period.


Related Topics

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Scheduler Window

Add Job

Edit and Delete Jobs

Schedule Time for Jobs to Run

Repeat Scheduled Jobs

Enable/Disable Job

Scheduling Prune and Build

Scheduler Command Line

Scheduler Administration Issues

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Schedule Actions

Schedule Events using Set Routine

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Scheduler Administration Issues

 See Also

The scheduler always uses the local login sched with the password sched. This login can not be used as a regular Virtual Access login. The sched login is setup by the installation routine and does not count in the user license totals.

From with Virtual Access you must have administrator rights to use Tools | Scheduling  | Start Scheduler to modify the job information. However, it is up to your network security to prevent anyone from executing the scheduler program directly, such as from the file manager.

As you can only run one copy of the Scheduler on a machine, placing the scheduler in the Startup Group will prevent anyone else from running the program directly.


Related Topics

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Scheduler Window

Add Job

Edit and Delete Jobs

Schedule Time for Jobs to Run

Repeat Scheduled Jobs

Enable/Disable Job

Scheduling Prune and Build

Scheduler Command Line

Quick Scheduling

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Schedule Actions

Schedule Events using Set Routine

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Schedule Events using Set Routine

 See Also

Tools | Scheduling | Set Routine

You can set up specific requests to be automatically run at specific times.

Choosing the Tools | Scheduling | Set Routine menu item brings up a dialog box for scheduling events. You can schedule events for:

•	Always - on every connection

•	Daily - first connection of the day

•	Weekly - every 7 days

•	Monthly - once a calendar month

•	Specific Day of the week

The weekly and monthly times are calculated from the first time you schedule an event.

The dialog box the following information:

•	commonly scheduled scripts (not all services)

•	scripts to hold scheduled actions for each time period

•	a list of libraries available for that service so you can schedule updates

To schedule a listed script or library update:

1.	Select the script or library to update.

2.	Select the interval to schedule for (Always, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Day of Week) from the bottom of the dialog box

3.	Press SCHEDULE button and the schedule event will appear in the top window.

4.	Select Never to remove a scheduled event

To schedule a service script that is not listed:

To add a script to the list of actions that run always, daily, weekly or monthly:

1.	Select the script to update which reflects when it will run (always, daily, weekly or monthly)

2.	Press the ADD button, which displays a list of all scripts for that service.

3.	Select the script and fill in any required parameters for the script

You can modify the contents of the script by selecting the EDIT button which opens the Review Outbasket window.

For more information about requests that can be scheduled for a remote service, select the service: CompuServe CIX


Related Topics

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Scheduler Window

Add Job

Edit and Delete Jobs

Schedule Time for Jobs to Run

Repeat Scheduled Jobs

Enable/Disable Job

Scheduling Prune and Build

Scheduler Command Line

Quick Scheduling

Scheduler Administration Issues

For more information about the scheduler, see:

Schedule Actions

For more information about connecting, see:

Review Outbasket

Connect to Remote Services

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

Scheduling Actions and Events


Virtual Access Options

 See Also

Tools Menu

Click on any tab above for quick access to the help information for that tab.

The Options allow you to setup Virtual Access as you wish. Except for the System Tab which contains options affecting all users, all options are set for each local Virtual Access user.

♦ Workgroup Note

The options in the System Tab are only available to the Administrator.


Related Topics

For more information about options, see:

Appearance Options

Toolbar Options

Read Order Options

Editor Options

Spell Checker Options

General Options

Decode Options

Display Options

Navigate Options

Users Options

System Options

For more user reference information, see:

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Appearance Options

 See Also

Tools | Options

The Appearance tab controls the fonts, size and colors within Virtual Access. Click on the graphic below for more information about the options.

For additional notes on the Appearance Tab, see Appearance Options Details.


Related Topics

For more information about options, see:

Appearance Options Details

For more information about options, see:

Toolbar Options

Read Order Options

Editor Options

Spell Checker Options

General Options

Decode Options

Display Options

Navigate Options

Users Options

System Options

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Appearance Options Details

 See Also

Tools | Options

The following are some additional notes on the Appearance tab.

Thread Involvement Color

Virtual Access changes thread color in the following way

•	Personal - if you are involved in a thread, the entire thread uses the "Messages you are involved in color". This overrides workgroup color. "You" is defined by the User ID in File | Comms Setup for each service.

•	Workgroup - anyone in the workgroup set in File | Comms Setup is involved in the thread.

Message Editor and Terminal Windows

These windows only allow only fixed fonts

Quoted Text

Characters used to quote text vary for many users. Virtual Access will recognize the following as quotes:

•	Text starting with << until ended with >>

•	Lines starting with > or space >

•	Lines starting with ]  }  )   |   :

You can turn off message view colors using CTRL-Q as the on/off toggle.

Printer

To set the margins for the printer, change the values in Tools | Options | General


Related Topics

For more information about options, see:

Appearance Options

Toolbar Options

Read Order Options

Editor Options

Spell Checker Options

General Options

Decode Options

Display Options

Navigate Options

Users Options

System Options

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


The title bar containing the name of the dialog - Options


The options available in Virtual Access grouped on tabs for specific areas.


The icons on the left allow you to select which area to change the appearance. All options allow you to change the font and point size used in the specific window.

Selecting a window to change will change the display on the right to show a view of  how the change will look.

The windows you can change are:

•	Message View -  customize the Thread Pane and Message Pane

•	Messagebase - the MessageBase Window

•	Message Editor -  the window use for writing messages

•	Terminal - terminal window for connecting to CompuServe and CIX

•	AddressBook

•	Review Outbasket

•	Printer


This area lets you control the look of the Thread Pane.

The lines on the right show how the same text will look when the specific message is highlighted.

To change the options:

1.	Click on an option in the window and the Item box on the bottom left will display the name of the item.

2.	Select the font, point size and color for the option

3.	The window will be updated so you can see your change

For more information, see Options - Appearance Details.


The message shows how the text looks in the Message Pane.

To change the options:

1.	Click on an option in the window and the Item box on the bottom left will display the name of the item.

2.	Select the font, point size and color for the option

3.	The window will be updated so you can see your change

For more information, see Options - Appearance Details.


The name of the item that is active. You can select from the drop down list instead of clicking on a item in the window.


The font for the active item. Note that some windows only allow fixed font.

For more information, see Options - Appearance Details.


The background color used in the Thread and Message Area.


The point size for the active item.


The color for the active item. In the thread and message area, the foreground color is used for the text.


Apply bold to the selected font.


Apply italic to the selected font.


Toolbar Options

 See Also

Tools | Options

The toolbar contains icons for quick access to commonly used commands. You can choose which icons you want on the toolbar and where you want them to be. The Tools | Options | Toolbar menu item displays a dialog box to allow you to control the toolbar options.

There are three general options for toolbars which you select using the check boxes on the bottom of the dialog box:

•	Toolbar - if the box is checked, the toolbar is enabled. If you do not want a toolbar, remove the check from this option.

•	Tips - if the box is checked, a short description of the icon is displayed when you move the mouse over an icon. If the box is unchecked, the function of the icon is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

•	Large Button - if checked, larger bitmaps will be used for the icons.

The toolbar can be placed in one of two places on the screen. You can select which option you want by selecting the appropriate button on the bottom right of the dialog box:

•	Vertical unchecked - puts the toolbar across the top of the screen

•	Vertical checked - puts the toolbar down the left side of the screen.

For more information, see: Place icons on the toolbar

♦ Tip

Double clicking on the Toolbar or click the Right Mouse Button will open the Tools | Options | Toolbar dialog.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Place icons on the toolbar

For more information about options, see:

Appearance Options

Read Order Options

Editor Options

Spell Checker Options

General Options

Decode Options

Display Options

Navigate Options

Users Options

System Options

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Place icons on the toolbar

 See Also

There are two lists in the dialog box that display the icons and a short description of its action.

1.	Available buttons: the list on the left displays all icons for the toolbar.

2.	Toolbar buttons: the list on the right is the icons currently on the toolbar.

To add a button to the toolbar

1.	In the Available Buttons list on the left , select the icon to add

2.	In the Toolbar Buttons list on the right , place the cursor on the icon above the place you want to insert

3.	Press the ADD button.

To remove a button from the toolbar

1.	In the Toolbar Buttons list on the left, select the button to remove

2.	Press the REMOVE button

To move the buttons on the toolbar

1.	In the Toolbar Buttons list on the left, select the button to remove

2.	Press the Move Up or Move Down button to move up one space. Press the Move Up or Move Down button as many times as needed to put the icon in the correct place

♦ Notes

1) Message Editor Toolbar items are only available in the Toolbar Options list when the Message Editor is open. To place these icons on the toolbar, open the Message Editor Window first.

2) If you are unsure what an icon means, click the Right Mouse Button on the icon to call the help file.

3) Since icons are inserted above the current location, if you make the last item on the toolbar a separator you can easily add icons to the end of the toolbar.


Related Topics

For more information about options, see:

Appearance Options

Toolbar Options

Read Order Options

Editor Options

Spell Checker Options

General Options

Decode Options

Display Options

Navigate Options

Users Options

System Options

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Read Order Options

 See Also

Tools | Options

Your reading order determines the order  you move between folders when you use the Next Unread or the Next Folder command.

The Read Order tab displays two sections as follows:

•	Left window - all services and folders in your local message base.

•	Right window - the order to read the folders in when they have unread messages. Any folder not listed is read in service/folder alphabetical order.

You can order groups or specific folders in a group. An asterisk (*) is used to indicate all of the sections:

•	*.Mail/* - means read through all mail folders in all services

•	CIS:* - means read alphabetically through all CIS forums

•	CIX:ashmount/* - means read all topics in the CIX Ashmount conference

•	NET:Alt.* - means read all the ALT newsgroups

The buttons at the bottom are used to move sections from one window to the other:

Add >>

Copies the selected text in the left window to the list of ordered folders in the right window. You can select more than one folder.

New items are inserted below the selected (highlighted) item in the left window

Remove <<

Removes the selected items from the ordered list in the right window. .

♦ Note

If you go to a folder with unread messages manually, Virtual Access finishes reading all messages in all folders in that group before returning to the Reading Order.

 Reading Order works in connection with the View Tab that is active in the MessageBase Window. If the next folder to read is not on the View Tab, it is not seen and skipped.


Related Topics

For more information about options, see:

Appearance Options

Toolbar Options

Editor Options

Spell Checker Options

General Options

Decode Options

Display Options

Navigate Options

Users Options

System Options

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Editor Options

 See Also

Tools | Options

These options control features of the Message Editor used when writing messages and mail.

Options

Editor Width (Characters)

The width of the message editor window. Applies to all services. The text width is constant regardless of the size of the window.

Tab Width (Chars)

Tabs are replaced by spaces when your messages are posted. This sets the number of spaces in a tab. The default is four.

Indent on new line

When checked, Virtual Access automatically aligns indented lines while typing in the Message Editor.

Send As Shown

CompuServe Only. This option lets you set when you want to have messages automatically marked Send as Shown to preserve your formatting. The options are:

1.	Ask when inserting text, such as when using the Include button, pasting text or inserting a file

2.	Yes when inserting text - always mark send as shown if you insert text

3.	No when inserting text - don't mark send as show if  you insert text

4.	All messages - this will set the default to be send as shown. However other users may find your messages difficult to read and this should be used with caution.

Attribution text for replies

Attribution text is a line automatically generated at the start of a reply.

This option is set for each service.

You select the text to appear at the beginning of your replies. This line can be used for all replies, or only when you actually quote some text from the original message, depending on the check in the "Only use attribution when quoting" box below the text.

Many Usenet messages start with something like:

in message xxx, yyy said:

followed by text from the message

You can set this text to be inserted when you use the include button by writing the text using the following variables:

	%messageid%	insert the message number your are replying to
	%username%	insert user name who sent the original message
	%date%	insert date of the original message.
	%FIRSTNAME%	insert the first word in the From Field
	%REALNAME%	insert real name from Options | Names
	%EMAIL%	insert email address from Options | Names
	%FORUM%	insert the CompuServe forum name of message
	%SECTION%	insert the CompuServe section name of message
	%CONFERENCE%	insert the CIX conference name of message
	%TOPIC%	insert the CIX topic name of message
	%NUMBER%	insert the CompuServe or CIX message number
	\n	insert a carriage return
For example, if you put the following the review option:

In article %messageid% on %date% %username% wrote:\r\n

It produces the following when you press the include button:

In article <45cjmu$pfa@somewhere.com> on 9 Oct 1995 18:53:34 -0700 Mary <mary@aol.com> wrote:>

<text of the message>

If you do not want to quote the entire message, you can edit the message and then write your reply.

For more information, see Attribution Line.


Related Topics

For more information about options, see:

Appearance Options

Toolbar Options

Read Order Options

Spell Checker Options

General Options

Decode Options

Display Options

Navigate Options

Users Options

System Options

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Spell Checker Options

 See Also

Tools | Options

These options allow you to control the Spell Check options and add/delete words in the dictionary.

Ignore

Checking these of these options, will ignore words that match the criteria. The options are:

•	Capitalized words - skips over words beginning with a capital. Useful if you have many proper nouns, but generally not used.

•	Words with numbers - skips over words used with number, such as Win95 or Q4

•	Words with mixed case - skips over words in mixed case such as MessageBase.

Ignore headers means the Spell Checker ignores any line starting with:

	From:	Newsgroups:
	References:	In Reply-To:
	Reply-To:
Ignore Quotes Lines skips quoted lines skips blocks quotes with "<< text >>", quotes with ">> text << " and any line indented with > or > and a space.

Dictionary

The dictionary to use with the Spell Checker. The drop down box lists all available dictionaries. A British and American dictionary are available for all users.

You may have two dictionaries active. The Spell Checker will look in the main dictionary first and then the second language for words.

For information about non-English dictionaries, see Virtual Access support for contact details.

Options

These options give you additional control over the Spell Checker:

•	Report mixed case words - stops at words that are in mixed case

•	Report doubled words - reports when the same word occurs twice in a row

•	Case-sensitive - match only words with specific case

•	Spell check on OK- this will automatically run the spell checker every time you press OK in the message editor.

•	Enable Auto-Correct to use the Auto Correct dictionary when typing a message. See Spell Checker Dictionaries for more information.

♦ Tip

You can skip the spell check for individual messages by holding the SHIFT key and pressing the OK button.

See Spell Checker Advanced Options for more information.


Related Topics

For more information about spell check options, see:

Spell Checker Advanced Options

Spell Checker Dictionaries

For more information about options, see:

Appearance Options

Toolbar Options

Read Order Options

Editor Options

General Options

Decode Options

Display Options

Navigate Options

Users Options

System Options

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Spell Checker Advanced Options

 See Also

Tools | Options

These options give more control over the Spell Checker. Many are often used with non-English languages.

Advanced Options

Treat hyphens as word separators

Checks the spelling of each word on either side of a hyphen as a separate word if the hyphenated word does not appear in the dictionary.

Phonetic suggestions

Suggestions are made on the basis of phonetic similarity as well as typographical similarity.

Typographical suggestions

Suggestions are made on the basis of typographic similarity.

Treat Apostrophes as word separators

Check each word before and after an apostrophe. Generally used with French and Italian.

Allow ad-hoc concatenation of words

 Works with Treat Apostrophes as word separators enabled. Generally used with French and Italian.

Strip possessives before checking

Remove the 's or s' at the end of a word before spell checking.

Suggest split words

When enabled ,suggestions are made on a replacement for a misspelling containing two words. For example, "is the" would be suggested for "isthe"


Related Topics

For more information about spell check options, see:

Spell Checker Dictionaries

For more information about options, see:

Appearance Options

Toolbar Options

Read Order Options

Editor Options

Spell Checker Options

General Options

Decode Options

Display Options

Navigate Options

Users Options

System Options

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Spell Checker Dictionaries

 See Also

Tools | Options

The Spell Checker works by using dictionaries for the correct spelling of a word. There are four dictionaries:

1.	The main language dictionary. This is selected in Tools | Options | Spell tab. You can not modify this dictionary.

2.	The Ignore Dictionary which contains a list of words you add to the dictionary that are spelled correctly. Words are added to this dictionary when you select the ADD button in the Spell Checker.

3.	The Suggestion Dictionary where you can add new suggestions for specific words.

4.	The Auto Correct Dictionary which will replace common errors or be used to expand abbreviations. Auto correct works while you are typing the message.

To Edit the Ignore Dictionary

1.	Press the Edit Ignore button.

2.	Press the ADD button on the dialog and enter the word.

3.	You can review all the words in the dictionary and delete any you do not want in the dictionary.

To add a word to the Auto Correct Dictionary

1.	Press the Edit Auto-Correct button

2.	Press the ADD button. The entry in the Auto Correct Dictionary is in the form word:correctword. This can be use to fix common mistakes as well as expand abbreviations.

For example entering wwwash:http://www.ashmount.com in the Auto Correct Dictionary and the running Spell Check would convert all occurrences of the word "wwwash" to "http://www.ashmount.com".

To a add word to the Suggestion Dictionary

1.	Press the Edit Suggestions button

2.	Press the ADD button. The entry in the Suggestion dictionary are in the form word:suggestion. This can be used to build a list of synonyms for words you use frequently.


Related Topics

For more information about spell check options, see:

Spell Checker Advanced Options

For more information about options, see:

Appearance Options

Toolbar Options

Read Order Options

Editor Options

Spell Checker Options

General Options

Decode Options

Display Options

Navigate Options

Users Options

System Options

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


General Options

 See Also

Tools | Options

The General tab is a miscellaneous collection of options relating to no particular subject.

Printer Margins (inches)

These options set the margin for the printer and are in inches. You can set the margin for the top and bottom of the page and the left and right margins.

Review Outbasket Options

Review before connection

When checked, Virtual Access loads Review before each connection, except scheduled connections or when you select more than one service to connect to consecutively.

Warn if actions are pending on close down

When checked, Virtual Access will remind you that you have replies waiting to be uploaded when you exit Virtual Access and list the services with the messages.

Review Follows Service

When checked, when you leave the Review window open and view another section in a different service, Review will show the pending actions for that service.

Auto Timeout before connecting

If Review before connect is checked (above), it is possible to start a connect and forget to press OK on the Review Window.

The time specified here in seconds, is how long the Review Window will be left open before closing and doing the connect.

The default value of 0 means leave the Review Window open forever.

Options

Auto login as administrator

Workgroup version only.

Enable administrator mode for this user. You must be an administrator to use the Connect function. Can be changed only by an Administrator.

Auto-Join New Topics

When checked,  all users are automatically joined to any new folder that is created.

If you are using multiple IDs, you may not want to select this and join users manually to any folders that are relevant

Foreground Import

When checked, displays the import dialog box on top of all windows.

If the import dialog box is minimized before you connect to an on-line service, it won't be displayed. If you want to see the dialog box as the messages are imported, make sure that it is not minimized before you connect..

Sound

When checked, Virtual Access will beep at the end of import. If you have a sound card, this uses the Default Beep Sound Event

Sort Address Book by Lastname

If checked, AddressBook entries are sorted by the last word in the name field first and then the rest of the field.

If unchecked, AddressBook entries are sorted by the name field starting with the first character.

Check for "Urgent Messages after connect

When checked, Virtual Access enables Urgent mail arrival notification. See Urgent Mail for more information. For Internet and CIX users, the urgent mail notification works only between Virtual Access users.

If enabled, when a mail message with Priority: High at the beginning of the message arrives, a yellow window is displayed telling you that urgent mail has arrived.

If unchecked, no notification is given, but the message will display Priority:High on the first line for Internet and CIX mail.

CompuServe Only - Virtual Access uses the CompuServe priority mail setting and the priority will be seen by any program that supports the setting. The Priority: Urgent is put in the header and not in the main text.

Internet Browser Options

Web Browser

Specifies the location of your web browser used with the Operate On function. You can use the browse button to point to the location of your web browser.


Related Topics

For more information about options, see:

Appearance Options

Toolbar Options

Read Order Options

Editor Options

Spell Checker Options

Decode Options

Display Options

Navigate Options

Users Options

System Options

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Decode Options

 See Also

Tools | Options

The Decode tab controls options for:

1.	decoding and displaying MIME and UUEncode messages in the Message

2.	encrypting and decrypting messages with PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) Only available with the separate Virtual Access Plus Pack

MIME/UUEncode

All messages are stored in encoded form. This option specifies, for each user, when the message should be decoded.

There are three options for decoding in the drop down list:

1.	Automatic decode of all messages - decodes any encoded message when you view it.

2.	Automatic decode of unread messages - decodes only encoded unread messages when you view them. Once a message has been read, it will display a message to decode the file. You can double click or use Operate On to view the message.

3.	Manual decode only - you must explicitly decode each message by double clicking on the URL or using Operate On (CTRL-O)

♦ Note

All decoded messages are placed in the decode directory specified in below. If the same filename exists, it is overwritten. The save decoded images options below determines whether the file is saved permanently or deleted when you view another message.

Locate and decode multipart UUEncoded messages

When checked, every time you view a message Virtual Access will try to locate and decode multipart messages. It does this by looking at the following:

If there is a "begin xxxx" without an "end" in the message or when there's 10 lines that look like uuencoded data, Virtual Access looks for the other parts based on the subject using the part numbers ("nn/mm" and "nn of mm"). Checking for multiparts by subjects slows the decode process.

If not checked, you can double-click on the text or use Operate On to decode the multiple parts.

If some part is not found, the incomplete file is left in the decode directory and a note is displayed in the message area that it could not find all parts.

 Ask before running executable file

When checked, Virtual Access asks for confirmation before running any executable file when it is decoded.

♦ Note

It is highly recommended that you virus check all downloaded files before running them.

View images inline (.bmp .jpg)

When checked, Virtual Access displays BMP, WMP and JPG graphics in the Message Pane when they are decoded, either automatically or manually.

For all other graphic format, such as GIF, Virtual Access displays a message with FILE://URL. Double clicking on this message calls the program associated with the file type. For more information see, Viewing Encoded Messages.

If not checked, the FILE://URL is displayed. Double-clicking on this option will call the program associated with the file type. The image is never displayed in the Message Pane.

♦ Note

Whenever a graphic is viewed in the Message Pane, there is a FILE:// URL at the bottom of the message. Double clicking on the URL or using Operate On, will display the graphic in the program associated with the file type.

Save decoded images to disk (.bmp .jpg)

When checked, any time a bitmap, WMF or JPG file is decoded it is stored in the decode path specified below.

If not checked, the file is stored in the decode directory when you decode it, but is deleted when you go to the next message.

Save decoded images to disk ( Not .bmp .jpg)

When checked, any time a file that is not a bitmap, WMF or JPG file is decoded, it is stored in the decode path specified below.

If not checked, the file is stored in the decode directory when you decode it, but is deleted when you go to the next message.

Decode Path

The location to store decoded files.

Pretty Good Privacy (PGP)

PGP EXE location

This option tells Virtual Access the location of the PGP.EXE file. You can use the browse button to point to the file location.

PGP is only available with the Virtual Access Plus Pack.

Your user id

Virtual Access lists all keys available to PGP in the drop down list. You should select your user id from the list so Virtual Access knows which key to use to sign your messages.


Related Topics

For more information about options, see:

Appearance Options

Toolbar Options

Read Order Options

Editor Options

Spell Checker Options

General Options

Display Options

Navigate Options

Users Options

System Options

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Display Options

 See Also

Tools | Options

These options control what is displayed in the Virtual Access windows.

Options

These options determines whether to display the status bar or portraits window.

Show Status Bar

When checked, display the information bar on the bottom of the screen.

Show Portraits Window

When checked, display portrait of the message sender if available.

Clear postponed flag on import of new messages

When checked, this will clear any postponed flags after an import. Postpone flags are set when you skip a folder with unread messages using the Next Folder command.

Show previously deleted messages

When unchecked, messages already marked for deletion when you start reading a folder are not displayed in the Thread Pane. When you mark new messages for deletion, they are displayed until you leave the folder and return.

Updating Windows

Thread count

When checked, Virtual Access decrements the Status Bar unread message count as each message is read.

If unchecked, the Status Bar is updated when you switch folders.

♦ Tip

If only this option is checked, import will not update the message counts. This prevents the screen refreshing and flashing after each import. However, you will have to either switch folders or update the message count manually by double clicking on the import icon on the status bar.

MessageBase Unread Count

When checked, the unread message count in the MessageBase Window is updated after every message is marked read. This slows Virtual Access down slightly.

If unchecked, the MessageBase Window is updated when you switch folders.

Always refresh unread pointers

When checked, import will update all unread message counts after import. Although the unread counts will be the most accurate, this is the slowest option as the screen must be continually refreshed with the updated counts.

If unchecked, the unread message count is only updated when you switch folders or double click on the Message Count Icon on the status bar.

MessageBase Window - Initial Style

What the MessageBase window shows when first opened:

•	Part Open - both the service name and the folders are displayed

•	Closed - only the service name is displayed

•	Full Open - the MessageBase Window expanded to show all services, and all folders.

Info Bar

These options allow you to select what information you want displayed on the bar between the thread information and the message text. Note that you can not change the order of the items on the info bar.

Information	Meaning
Message	Number of the message
From	Who sent the message
To	Who the message is addressed to
Subject	Subject of the message
Time/Date	Date message posted
Length	Length of message in bytes
Reply Flag	If a reply, number of original message
Folder	Name of the folder you're reading (this is also in the title bar of the View Window)
♦ Note

On services that don't have messages addressed to a specific person, the TO field on the information bar will display the author of the parent message or ALL if it's a root message.


Related Topics

For more information about options, see:

Appearance Options

Toolbar Options

Read Order Options

Editor Options

Spell Checker Options

General Options

Decode Options

Navigate Options

Users Options

System Options

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Navigate Options

 See Also

Tools | Options

The Navigate tab lets you select where the cursor should go after specific message actions.

The move option applies to the bookmark, delete, fetch full message, ignore, keep and withdraw functions.

For each function you can chose where the cursor should go next:

•	Stay put - leave the cursor on the same message

•	Move down one - go to the next message in the thread, whether read or unread

•	Move to next thread - go to the next thread in the folder, whether read or unread

•	Move to next unread in this folder - go to the next unread in this folder. If no more unread, go to end of folder

•	Move to next unread - go to next unread message, changing folders if necessary


Related Topics

For more information about options, see:

Appearance Options

Toolbar Options

Read Order Options

Editor Options

Spell Checker Options

General Options

Decode Options

Display Options

Users Options

System Options

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Users Options

 See Also

Tools | Options

The Users tab allows Virtual Access to collect multiple POP3 accounts for a service and for each Virtual Access user to have their own information in the From field.

The global default for an installation is setup in File | Comms Setup. The Names tab allows you to override the default and have the from field of the message reflect your real name and e-mail name. A typical FROM field looks like this showing the e-mail address field and the real name field in parenthesis:

From: support@ashmount.com (Ashmount Research Ltd)

From:bwilliam@cix.compulink.co.uk (Brandy J. Williams)

Service

A drop down list of all Internet services  and CompuServe if installed. This allows you to set different options for each service.

Real Name

The name that will be shown in parenthesis at the end of the FROM field.

CompuServe: In the Workgroup version, this field can be used to have a different name on forum messages, but the same ID, for different users. This will only work for forums that allow name changes as it overrides the name you joined the forum.

E-mail Address

The e-mail address that will be placed in the FROM field

POP3 Account

The name of your POP3 account.

POP3 Password

If you have only one POP3 account then this information should be placed in the Comms Options and left blank here.

If you have multiple accounts, you can set each Virtual Access login to collect a different POP3 account. Do not duplicate the account in the Comms Options.

 Users with only one POP3 account should make sure that the Names tab is blank for all Internet services. The POP3 information should be set in the Comms Setup for the Internet.

See Multiple Users and Multiple POP3 Accounts for more information.

Local Password

This option refers to your local password for starting Virtual Access and not the password you use to connect to a remote service

There are three fields in this dialog box:

•	Old Password - input the current password

•	New Password - input the new password

•	Verify New Password - input the new password a second time

♦ Tip

If  you change your local Virtual Access password, please remember to check the properties on the icon you use to start Virtual Access, as the logon and password are often on the command line.


Related Topics

For more information about options, see:

Appearance Options

Toolbar Options

Read Order Options

Editor Options

Spell Checker Options

General Options

Decode Options

Display Options

Navigate Options

System Options

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


System Options

 See Also

Tools | Options

These options apply to the entire Virtual Access installation, not a specific user. In the Workgroup version, they are only available to the Administrator.

Installation Options

Protect Read/Only folders

When checked, does not allow posting to read-only folder.

If this is not checked, a warning is issued but you can override and still post in the folder

General Logging

When checked, turn on debug tracing into a file called DEBUG.TXT. This option should be checked only at the request of Ashmount to track problems. The file is stored in the root directory.

All users can create/delete/resign folders

When checked, any user can create a new local folder.

 If unchecked, only the administrator or moderator of the local group can create a local folder.

Everyone can Review

When checked, allows everyone to use Review Outbasket to see and edit messages awaiting posting to a remote service.

If unchecked, only the administrator can review messages.

Self-Registration of new users

When checked, allow any user to create a new Virtual Access  user identity by typing new at the login screen.

If disabled, the administrator must create logins for all users.

Detect LAN Network Names

When checked, determines the user's login name from his or her network (LAN) login id, rather than prompting for a name and password.

This option is only compatible with Novell and LANtastic networks. When using this option, the Virtual Access password will be the same as the network password.

Allow Local Mail

Workgroup function only.

When checked, allow creation of mail within the local service.

Maximum backups retained

Maximum number of files to save in the backup directory. This applies to all files - terminal logs, reply files and message files for CompuServe and CIX. Backups are placed in the sub-directory called BACKUP.

The number of backups for the Internet is set in the Internet Comms Options. See Comms Setup for the Internet | Logging for more information.

TimeZone

16 bit version only. Indicates the timezone you are located in and used with Internet messages.

Virus Scanner

The full pathname of a virus scan program and any options needed to check the download directory. We recommend that you use a Windows program so that Virtual Access doesn't have to load a DOS program, which is slower.

Poll Periods

A poll period is the time interval for which the program pauses and then checks (polls) to see if there is an action to be done. There are two poll periods set with Virtual Access. The smaller the poll period, the more often Virtual Access will check, but the more network traffic and processing.

Check if new messages imported

The interval at which Virtual Access checks CONF.WW to see if there are new messages added.

Check if messages to be imported

This is the interval at which Import checks for files to import.

Import

Close message Import when finished

When checked, the import program will close after all the files waiting to be imported have finished.

If unchecked, import will remain open in the background. For network installations, it is recommended that this not be checked.

Stop import of messages during a connection

When checked, import will not be called in when a connection is in progress. This option should be checked if you have problems with connections slowing done due to the drain on resources caused by import running.

Child messages inherit keep flags

When checked, all replies to messages marked as Keep will be marked as kept also.

If the root message is marked Keep, all of the thread will be marked Keep. If a message within a thread is marked Keep, all replies and replies to the replies (the threadlet) will be marked as Keep.

If not checked, replies to a kept message are not marked and you can decide whether or not to mark them kept manually.

Child messages inherit delete flags

 When checked, all replies to messages marked as Delete will be marked as kept also.

If the root message is marked Delete, all of the thread will be marked Delete. If a message within a thread is marked Delete, all replies and replies to the replies (the threadlet) will be marked as Delete.

If not checked, replies to a Delete message are not marked and you can decide whether or not to mark them Delete manually.

♦ Note

Both Child Message inherits keep and delete flags will not work when threads are done by the subject name rather than the message ID. Thread by subject applies to mail and to newsgroups in situations where the message ID is unavailable.


Related Topics

For more information about options, see:

Appearance Options

Toolbar Options

Read Order Options

Editor Options

Spell Checker Options

General Options

Decode Options

Display Options

Navigate Options

Users Options

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Mail Rules

 See Also

Tools | Message Filters

Mail rules allow you to sort mail into separate mail folders based on information in any header field.

Mail rule logic has two options determined by the "Only use the first rule that matches" check box at the bottom of the dialog. The option is set for each service.

•	If checked, the mail message will go to the first match it finds only. There will be only one copy of the mail message.

•	If unchecked, the mail message will go to all matches. This may create multiple copies of the same mail message.

Create a mail rule

1.	Select the Tools menu and click on Message Filters and then select Mail Rules

2.	Press the Add button to create a new mail rule. This brings up the dialog with the following fields.

Folder Name - where to place matches. This folder must be in the MAIL group.

You can select an existing folder from the drop down list, or type a name to create a new folder.

Rule 1 through Rule 5 - the rules to be used for sorting. Select an item below for details on the rule syntax

Check for rules to match - whether it must match ALL rules or any rule to be sorted to the folder

3.	When you finish writing the mail rule and press OK, the mail folder is created with a message containing information about the rule.

Select an item below for more information

 Sort mail to or from one person into a separate folder

 Sort mail from several people into a separate folder

 Sort mail from a mailing list into a separate folder

 Sort mail with a specific subject into a separate folder

 Pattern matching in mail rules


Related Topics

For more information about options, see:

Sort Mail to or from a Person

Sort Mail from Several People

Sort Mail from a Mailing List

Sort Mail with a Specific Subject

Pattern Matching in Mail Rules

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Sort Mail to or from a Person

 See Also

To sort your mail correspondence with a specific person into a separate mail folder you create a rule based on their email address.

Add Dialog Details

Folder Name

Select an existing folder from the drop down list or type in the name of a new folder.

Rule 1

Enter the email address of the person with an * at the start and end. For example:

*maryk@somewhere.com* or	*100276,1663*

Check the "Message only needs to match one rule" at the bottom of the dialog box.

♦ Note

The most common error is forgetting to use the * wildcard to allow any text before or after the text you are looking for in the header field.


Related Topics

For more information about options, see:

Sort Mail from Several People

Sort Mail from a Mailing List

Sort Mail with a Specific Subject

Pattern Matching in Mail Rules

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Sort Mail from Several People

 See Also

To sort your mail correspondence with a several people into a separate mail folder you create a rule based on their email addresses.

Add Dialog Details

Folder Name

Select an existing folder from the drop down list or type in the name of a new folder.

Rule 1

Enter the email address of the first person with an * at the start and end:

*maryk@somewhere.com*   or   *100276,1663*

Rule 2

Enter the email address of the next person with an * at the start and end:

*brianjones@somewhere.com*

Repeat for rules 3, 4 and 5 as needed.

If you want to include more than 5 people, create an additional Mail Rule but use the same foldername.

Check the "Message only needs to match one rule" at the bottom of the dialog box.

♦ Notes

1) The most common error is forgetting to use the * wildcard to allow any text before or after the text you are looking for in the header field.

2) Use multiple rules if one person has several email addresses and you want them all to go into the same folder. For example:

*brandy@compuserve.com*

*100276,1663*

*brandyj@mint.net


Related Topics

For more information about options, see:

Sort Mail to or from a Person

Sort Mail from a Mailing List

Sort Mail with a Specific Subject

Pattern Matching in Mail Rules

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Sort Mail from a Mailing List

 See Also

To sort mail from a mailing list into a separate folder, you need to use a header field reference that is unique to the mailing list.

For example, the Windows Help Mailing List has "WINHLP-L" in several fields such as the Sender and Reply-To. You can use this to sort the mailing list.

Add Dialog Details

Folder Name

Select an existing folder from the drop down list or type in the name of a new folder.

Rule 1

Enter the identifying word with an * at the start and end:

*WINHLP-L*

Check the "Message only needs to match one rule" at the bottom of the dialog box.

♦ Note

The most common error is forgetting to use the * wildcard to allow any text before or after the text you are looking for in the header field.


Related Topics

For more information about options, see:

Sort Mail to or from a Person

Sort Mail from Several People

Sort Mail with a Specific Subject

Pattern Matching in Mail Rules

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Sort Mail with a Specific Subject

 See Also

To sort mail on a specific subject, you need to specify to look only in the subject field and the text of the subject.

Add Dialog Details

Folder Name

Select an existing folder from the drop down list or type in the name of a new folder.

Rule 1

Enter the field name and text

Sub*Text*

This will look for a header line that looks like this:

Starts with Sub

Followed by any characters, so it covers subject: sub: or subj: fields

Then the specific subject text your are looking for

Followed by any extra characters

Check the "Message only needs to match one rule" at the bottom of the dialog box.

♦ Note

The most common error is forgetting to use the * wildcard to allow any text before or after the text you are looking for in the header field.


Related Topics

For more information about options, see:

Sort Mail to or from a Person

Sort Mail from Several People

Sort Mail from a Mailing List

Pattern Matching in Mail Rules

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Pattern Matching in Mail Rules

 See Also

The basic syntax for mail rules used in Rule 1 through Rule 5 is:

<string to match>

Mail rules start to match a string from the start of a header line. Mail rule strings are case insensitive - you do not need to write rules for upper and lower case.

You can have several sets of rules that use the same folder or several rules that route mail to the same folder.

You can use the following wildcards to create the mail rules:

?	Matches any single character. T?m matches Tim, Tom and tam.
*	Matches zero or more characters. Hol*d matches holed and hold.
[ ]	Matches any single character that appears within the square brackets. For example, [0123456789] will match any single digit from 0 to 9. You can also specify a range using a dash - for example, [0-9].
[^ ]	Matches any single character that does not appear within the square brackets. For example, [^abc] will match any single character except "a", "b" and "c".
\	Matches the following character literally. For example, \* will match a single asterisk and \\ will match a single backslash.
♦ Note

The most common error is forgetting to use the * wildcard to allow any text before or after the text you are looking for in the header field.


Related Topics

For more information about options, see:

Sort Mail to or from a Person

Sort Mail from Several People

Sort Mail from a Mailing List

Sort Mail with a Specific Subject

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Macros and Tools

 See Also

Macros allow you to record a sequence of command keystrokes and then execute them again at a later time.

Macros are not intelligent; they do not know what you want them to do. They simply repeat what you did when you recorded them. Take care to use your macros in the same place as you recorded them. Otherwise, the keystrokes may have unexpected results, triggering unwanted commands.

Watch the operation of your newly recorded macros a few times, to ensure that they do not misbehave.

Tools are add-ons that are written to give you functions that are not part of Virtual Access but are integrated through the Tools menu.

Macros recorded while running on Windows NT can only be used on Windows NT systems. Macros recorded while running on Windows 95 or Windows 3.x can be used for with either operating system, but not Windows NT.


Related Topics

For more information about Macros and Tools, see:

Record a Macro

Play a Macro

Load a Macro

Save a Macro

Set Startup Macro

Web Browsers and Macros

Tool Management

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Record a Macro

 See Also

 	Tools | Macros

Recording a macro collects a series of keystrokes to play back later. To record a macro:

1.	Start the recording by selecting Tools | Macro | Start/Stop Record

2.	Execute the keystrokes you want the macro to perform.

3.	Stop the recording by selecting Tool | Macro | Start/Stop Record again

You can now play the macro or save it for future use.

You cannot edit a macro once it has been recorded but you can use Record again and save the new macro under the same name to replace the previous version.

Starting a program with a macro

You can easily start another program or open any file that has a file association by doing the following:

1.	Create a file in an ASCII editor, such as Notepad

2.	Type the following:

File://fullpath\programname

3.	Store the file with .KBD, such as url2net.kbd

4.	The macro will show up on the bottom of the Tool menu.

For more information, see Save a Macro.

♦ Note

Only keystrokes are recorded. You can not record mouse movements.

Macros recorded while running on WinNT can only be used on NT systems. Macros recorded while running on Win95 or Windows 3.x can be used for with either operating system.


Related Topics

For more information about Macros and Tools, see:

Play a Macro

Load a Macro

Save a Macro

Set Startup Macro

Web Browsers and Macros

Tool Management

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Play a Macro

 See Also

 	Tools | Macros

Play a Macro executes the currently loaded macro. You can load a macro

•	by using the Tool | Macros | Load command to load a macro into memory

•	by recording a macro to play back immediately.

♦ Tip

You can also call in your Web Browser, using a macro. See Web Browsers and Macros for more information.

Macros recorded while running on WinNT can only be used on NT systems. Macros recorded while running on Win95 or Windows 3.x can be used for with either operating system, but not NT.


Related Topics

For more information about Macros and Tools, see:

Record a Macro

Load a Macro

Save a Macro

Set Startup Macro

Web Browsers and Macros

Tool Management

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Load a Macro

 See Also

 	Tools | Macros

Load a Macro puts a previously saved macro into memory and lists the name at the bottom of the Tool menu. It does not execute the macro.

To execute the macro, select Tool | Macro | Play or the specific macro from the Tool menu list.


Related Topics

For more information about Macros and Tools, see:

Record a Macro

Play a Macro

Save a Macro

Set Startup Macro

Web Browsers and Macros

Tool Management

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Save a Macro

 See Also

 	Tools | Macros

Save a Macro lets you store the macro you have recorded for future use.

Keyboard macros are saved in the main Virtual Access installation directory with the extension . KBD.

To Put a Saved Macro on the Toolbar

You can put your macro on the toolbar for easy access by doing the following:

1.	Create a bitmap image (using a paint package like Windows PaintBrush) that is 19x17 pixels for small toolbars and 26x25 for large toolbars

2.	Save the bitmap with the same name as the macro with a . BMP extension in the same directory as the macro

3.	The bitmap will appear in Tools | Options | Toolbar after the Set Startup Macro

4.	Select the bitmap and place it on the toolbar

Macros recorded while running on WinNT can only be used on NT systems. Macros recorded while running on Win95 or Windows 3.x can be used for with either operating system, but not NT.


Related Topics

For more information about Macros and Tools, see:

Record a Macro

Play a Macro

Load a Macro

Set Startup Macro

Web Browsers and Macros

Tool Management

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Set Startup Macro

 See Also

 	Tools | Macros

The startup macro runs automatically each time you start Virtual Access.

To set the startup macro:

1.	record the macro you want to be executed and save it

2.	select Tool | Macro | Set Startup Macro and select the macro to be executed

When you have set a startup macro, the menu item changes to Clear Startup Macro.


Related Topics

For more information about Macros and Tools, see:

Record a Macro

Play a Macro

Load a Macro

Save a Macro

Web Browsers and Macros

Tool Management

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Web Browsers and Macros

 See Also

You can create keyboard macros that will call in the Web Browser, specified in Tools | Options  | General, with specific web addresses. This makes it easy to switch between Virtual Access and a web site.

To create a macro to go to a specific web site

Create an ask file enter the web site name, such as HTTP://www.ashmount.com

1.	Store the file in the directory where you installed Virtual Access with any name (up to 8 characters) and KBD as the extension, such as ASHMOUNT.KBD

2.	Create a bitmap for the toolbar using any graphic program, such as PaintBrush 19x17 pixels.

3.	Store the bitmap with the same name as the macro, but with the extension BMP, such as ASHMOUNT.BMP

4.	Place the new icon on the toolbar using Tools | Options | Toolbar

♦ Note

Web Browser macros work on all operating systems regardless of what system was used to create them.


Related Topics

For more information, see

Options - Toolbar

Options - Decode

For more information about Macros and Tools, see:

Record a Macro

Play a Macro

Load a Macro

Save a Macro

Set Startup Macro

Tool Management

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Tool Management

 See Also

 	Tools | PlugIns

There are some add-on programs that have been written to work with Virtual Access. You install and use these programs through the Tools Menu.

If you have an add-on installed, they are listed on the Tools Menu.

Addons are available in the Virtual Access support areas.


Related Topics

For more information about Macros and Tools, see:

Record a Macro

Play a Macro

Load a Macro

Save a Macro

Set Startup Macro

Web Browsers and Macros

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

 See Also

Register and resign allow you to change the folders you see when use Virtual Access.

•	Register joins you to a folder locally

•	Resign removes you from a folder.

You can resign locally, on the remote service or delete the folder depending on the options selected.

Both functions are available on the Message Base Window.


Related Topics

For more information about Resign, Rejoin and Delete, see:

Rejoin Folder

Resign Folder

Delete Folder or Group

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Rejoin Folder

 See Also

 	MessageBase Window

Once you have setup several users, each user can change the groups and folders they are joined to locally, by using the Rejoin button in the MessageBase window or use the right mouse button to display the popup menu.

The Rejoin button displays a list of folders that are available locally but that the user is not joined to currently. To join a folder, select the folder and press the Join button.

The Tools | Options | General | Auto Join new folders setting determine whether users are automatically joined to new folders as they are created or must use the Join function manually.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Options - General

For more information about Resign, Rejoin and Delete, see:

Resign Folder

Delete Folder or Group

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Resign Folder

 See Also

 	Message Base Window

You can resign a folder or group locally by selecting the folder to resign from in the MessageBase Window and then pressing the Resign button or use the right mouse button to display the popup menu.

When you select Resign, Virtual Access asks what you want to resign from:

•	Current folder - the folder that is open in the Message window

•	Current folder-Group - the group of the folder that is open in the Message window

•	Selected folder(s) - the folders highlighted in the MessageBase window.

A dialog box offers you the following options:

•	Stop Reading Messages - this removes the folder from your list of locally joined folders. but messages will still be downloaded.

•	Delete Messages - this remove the messages from your disk. Please use with care.

•	Stop Collecting Messages - to stop downloading messages from some services, you have to explicitly resign from the folder. Virtual Access will resign from the group the next time you connect.

♦ Service Notes

CIX

You must explicitly resign by checking "Stop Collecting Messages" from a conference to stop downloading messages.

CompuServe

You can simply stop collecting messages by changing the sections you collect by Messages | Sections to Collect. Resigning will not affect the Sections to Collect.

Internet

Selecting "Stop Collecting Messages" will unsubscribe you from the newsgroup


Related Topics

For more information about Resign, Rejoin and Delete, see:

Rejoin Folder

Delete Folder or Group

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Delete Folder or Group

 See Also

 	Message Base Window

Delete a folder or group is done by using the Resign function and checking the "Delete Messages" options. This will remove all the folder or group messages.

For more information on resign, see Resign a Folder


Related Topics

For more information about Resign, Rejoin and Delete, see:

Rejoin Folder

Resign Folder

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Misc. and Service Specific Functions

 See Also

This section contains information about several features of Virtual Access, particularly those features that are specific to a particular remote service.

The following general Virtual Access features are covered:

•	MessageBase statistics

•	Portraits

•	User Notes

•	Phone directory for CompuServe and CIX

There is a brief overview of the following remote service functions, but the full functionality is described in the specific service section of the help:

•	Remote Search

•	Join a Remote Group

•	View Remote Information

•	Reconstruct


Related Topics

For more information about other and service functions, see:

MessageBase Statistics

Notes

Portraits

Phone Directory

Comm Setup - Overview

Join - Overview

View Remote Information - Overview

Reconstruct - Overview

Scripts - Overview

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders


MessageBase Statistics

 See Also

 	View Menu

It can be useful to see how much space your messages and related files are taking on your hard disk.

View | Messagebase Statistics shows the information in a dialog box.

For each section, the following information is displayed:

•	First message number

•	Last message number

•	Number of messages

•	Size in kilobytes (includes the messages and all related index, thread and library lists)

At the end of the list, the total number of sections and total disk space used is displayed.

You can print out or save the statistics using the Print and Save As buttons.

♦ Note

This information relates to messages only and does not include the Virtual Access program or any other directories or files, such as add-ons.


Related Topics

For more information about other and service functions, see:

Notes

Portraits

Phone Directory

Comm Setup - Overview

Join - Overview

View Remote Information - Overview

Reconstruct - Overview

Scripts - Overview

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Notes

 See Also

Edit Menu

Edit Notes is a small text window for collecting any notes you need to make while using Virtual Access.

There is a separate text file associated with each Virtual Access user name.

♦ Notes

1) The right mouse button displays the same menu as in the message editor.

2) You can insert this file while editing a message, by press the Right Mouse Button and selecting Insert User Note


Related Topics

For more information about other and service functions, see:

MessageBase Statistics

Portraits

Phone Directory

Comm Setup - Overview

Join - Overview

View Remote Information - Overview

Reconstruct - Overview

Scripts - Overview

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Portraits

 See Also

Tools | Options

Portraits allow you to build up a collection of pictures of your correspondents that you can display while reading their messages.

The Portrait function is turned on/off in Tools | Options | Display | Show Portraits Window.

The portrait files should be in BMP format (the basic Windows bitmap) and no more than 256 colors. There is no maximum size, but something like 200 pixels square would be reasonable.

The filename should match the correspondent's name, as it appears in the From column of the Thread display, with any DOS-illegal characters (spaces, punctuation etc.) replaced by underscores. Names longer than eight characters should be truncated.

The BMP files can be kept:

1.	in a separate directory called BITMAPS

2.	in the download directory for each service

♦ 32 bit version only

Virtual Access will now look for the full name first, complete with spaces. If not found, it will strip out all non-alphanumeric and look for the first eight characters.


Related Topics

For more information about other and service functions, see:

MessageBase Statistics

Notes

Phone Directory

Comm Setup - Overview

Join - Overview

View Remote Information - Overview

Reconstruct - Overview

Scripts - Overview

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Phone Directory

 See Also

The Phone directory is available on the CompuServe and CIX Comms Options on the Comms Tab.

This allows you to create a list of phone numbers to use with different Comms Settings.

To add a setting

1.	Select the File menu and click on Comms Setup. Select either the CompuServe or CIX service.

2.	Go to the Comms Tab and press the Phone Directory button to open the dialog.

3.	Press the ADD button.

4.	Enter a description for the entry and the phone number

In addition the following buttons are available

1.	Edit - change the highlighted entry

2.	Delete - remove the entry

To enter a number in the comms options

1.	Select the entry and press the OK button

For more information, select the appropriate service: CompuServe  CIX


Related Topics

For more information about other and service functions, see:

MessageBase Statistics

Notes

Portraits

Comm Setup - Overview

Join - Overview

View Remote Information - Overview

Reconstruct - Overview

Scripts - Overview

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Comm Setup - Overview

 See Also

 	File Menu

The communications settings vary with each service.

Click on the appropriate service for more information: CompuServe CIX Internet


Related Topics

For more information about other and service functions, see:

MessageBase Statistics

Notes

Portraits

Phone Directory

Join - Overview

View Remote Information - Overview

Reconstruct - Overview

Scripts - Overview

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Join - Overview

 See Also

Message Menu

The join function varies with each remote service.

Although the purpose is the same - to make you a member of a group - the specific requirements and capabilities differ.

For more information, select the specific service: CompuServe, CIX or Internet


Related Topics

For more information about other and service functions, see:

MessageBase Statistics

Notes

Portraits

Phone Directory

Comm Setup - Overview

View Remote Information - Overview

Reconstruct - Overview

Scripts - Overview

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


View Remote Information - Overview

 See Also

 	Service Menu

 View Remote Information

View Remote Information shows you information held locally about the remote group.

For more information, select the specific service: CompuServe CIX

 View Service Lists

This displays a list of available groups for the current remote service.

For more information, select the specific service: CompuServe CIX Internet


Related Topics

For more information about other and service functions, see:

MessageBase Statistics

Notes

Portraits

Phone Directory

Comm Setup - Overview

Join - Overview

Reconstruct - Overview

Scripts - Overview

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Reconstruct - Overview

 See Also

Tools | Messagebase Management

Reconstruct is used to synchronize your local message base with a remote service.

For more information, select the specific service: CompuServe CIX


Related Topics

For more information about other and service functions, see:

MessageBase Statistics

Notes

Portraits

Phone Directory

Comm Setup - Overview

Join - Overview

View Remote Information - Overview

Scripts - Overview

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Scripts - Overview

 See Also

Special Menu

Scripts are specific to each service.

For more information select the service below:

CompuServe Scripts

CIX Scripts

Internet Unsubscribed Post


Related Topics

For more information about other and service functions, see:

MessageBase Statistics

Notes

Portraits

Phone Directory

Comm Setup - Overview

Join - Overview

View Remote Information - Overview

Reconstruct - Overview

For more user reference information, see:

Virtual Access Options

Mail Rules

Macros and Tools

Resign, Rejoin and Delete Folders

Misc. and Service Specific Functions


Introduction to the Internet

 See Also

The Internet is the biggest information network in the world. It's a network of over 16 thousand networks that spans the globe, connecting computers at academic, business and military sites together with commercial Internet Service Providers who sell account to individual users.

The Internet grew out of co-operation between military and academic sites in the early 1970s to develop a way of sharing information and computer resources that would be able to withstand damage (theoretically up to an including a nuclear attack). This makes the Internet a robust, distributed network that sends information from one machine to another, down various routes - if there is a problem with a particular connection, the information will be routed down another path of machines to its final destination.

The success of this system attracted wider academic, government and commercial use throughout the 1980's, just as businesses were developing their own networks, which they linked up to the Internet. As personal computers became more common in small businesses and home, so Internet use spread from large departments to individuals.

Today there are many millions of people connected to the Internet, using and contributing to its resources. You can send messages to people all around the world, join in discussions on virtually any subject in the Usenet newsgroups, chat to other users on line, browse the graphical multimedia documents of the World Wide Web, download files and programs and get information on virtually any subject in the world.

Virtual Access allows you to send and receive e-mail, read and contribute to Usenet groups and retrieve files from the Internet and save on your phone bill at the same time. Virtual Access is an off-line reader (OLR) that lets you read and compose messages on your computer. It then sends and collects your messages for you when you connect to your Internet Service Provider, so that you don't have to be on line all the time.

♦ Note

If you have never read Usenet messages before, you will find it useful to look at these groups to get some information about Usenet in general and guidelines for Usenet.

news.announce.important

General announcements of interest to all. (Moderated)

news.announce.newusers

Explanatory postings for new users. (Moderated)

news.answers

This group carries useful information about Usenet and the Internet, mostly in the form of FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions and the answers. (Moderated)

news.newusers.questions

Q & A for users new to the Usenet.


Related Topics

For more introductory information about the Internet, see;

Good manners on the Internet

For more information about using the Internet, see:

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Good manners on the Internet

 See Also

The Internet has been around for many years and over the years, a culture and set of manners have emerged. Because there are so many millions of people on the Internet, and because most people pay for the time they spend on the Net and the telephone calls they make to connect, most of the etiquette on the Internet (or netiquette as it's known) is concerned with not wasting other people's time and bandwidth. If you follow a few simple rules, you'll find that other people on the Internet are friendly, welcoming and helpful. If you don't, you will probably receive comments from other uses, some polite and less so. Make sure you read news.answers and news.announce.newusers and you'll see some helpful explanations of how to get the most of out of being on line.

Usenet netiquette

Don't send unnecessary posts

Before you send a post to a Usenet group, make sure that it's appropriate. If you're asking a question, make sure that you've read the FAQ in case it's a question that has been asked thousands of times before. Make sure that it's appropriate to the newsgroup in question and that it follows any established conventions in the group. It's always a good idea to read a new group for a while before joining in, to get the flavor.

Use e-mail

If you want to make a comment to someone else's post or ask for more information, it may be better to send them an e-mail rather than post to all the thousands of other people reading the newsgroup - particularly if it's a "me too" post where you're just agreeing with them.

Use descriptive titles

Many newsgroups will have hundreds of messages a day. To help people decide whether they want to read your message, use a descriptive title for your post.

Don't quote too much

It's often helpful to quote part of a post that you're replying to so people can see what you're talking about but resist the temptation to quote a whole post and just add a single comment at the bottom. Virtual Access makes it easy to include previous messages, but you should cut out any irrelevant sections so your post isn't longer than it needs to be.

Emoticons

Because Usenet doesn't give you all the other signals you get when you're talking to someone (the tone of their voice, the look on their face and so on), it is possible for misunderstandings to arise. If you want to make sure that your post is not taken the wrong way when you intend to be humorous, may want to add a smiley face or emoticon like this ;-) (turn sideways to see the face).

Adverts and spam

Because of the Internet's academic background, many people feel it is inappropriate to post any adverts on Usenet newsgroups. Check the FAQ to see what the attitude is in a particular newsgroup - short posts that are relevant to the group may well be acceptable. On the other hand, adverts that are posted to every newsgroup in sight regardless of subject are very unpopular. These are known as spams and are usually canceled by network administrators. Don't reply to spams as your messages will also go to every newsgroup on the list.

Sigs

Virtual Access lets you add an automatic signature to your messages. You should keep these short to avoid wasting space and other people's download costs. People quickly get tired of seeing the same long sig.

Flames

Some discussions may grow heated, with the participants getting upset and resorting to insults and personal attacks. If you want to polish your insults visit alt.flame. Otherwise, it's best to be polite and not respond to any attacks.

E-mail etiquette

Quoting and posting

You should never quote, forward or post private e-mail without permission from the person that sent it to you.

Unwanted e-mail

If you post a question on Usenet, you may occasionally receive unsolicited advertising by e-mail. If you're not happy about this, tell the person who sent it to you (politely). If it happens several times you can complain (politely) to the administrator at the site where the advert comes from (postmaster@sitename). Similarly, if you receive any e-mail that you feel is offensive, you can ask the administrator to ask the sender not to do this. Quote the e-mail, be polite and don't assume that it's the administrator's fault.


Related Topics

For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Connecting to the Internet

 See Also

In general, connecting to an Internet provider is similar to using Virtual Access to access other services. You can do a full connect or actions only connect.

However, Virtual Access doesn't use its own internal Terminal program. Instead Virtual Access uses a winsock to connect using TCP/IP protocol.

Before you can use Virtual Access, you must have a working winsock connection to your ISP. The connection method will vary depending on your operating service:

•	Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.x use Dial Up Networking

•	Windows NT3.x uses Remote Access Service

•	Windows 3.1x you will need to obtain a 16 bit winsock. There are several freely available, such as Trumpet.

Once you can connect to your ISP successfully, you are ready to start configuring Virtual Access. If you can connect to your ISP and run any Web browser, then the winsock connection is working.

Your service provider should provide all the information you need to set up connection to their service. These details are entered when you run the Net Wizard. You can configure these manually in File | Comms Setup.

For more information about winsock connections, see:

Trumpet Winsock Notes

Dial Up Networking Notes

Remote Access Service Notes

♦ Note

You can not use a 16 bit winsock with the 32 bit version of Virtual Access.

Virtual Access does not work with the 32 bit version of Trumpet winsock.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Connecting to a remote service

Comms Setup for the Internet

For more information about connecting to the Internet, see;

Internet Connection Information

Trumpet Winsock Notes

Dial Up Networking Notes

Remote Access Service Notes

Error Codes from Winsock

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Internet Connection Information

 See Also

After each connection Virtual Access gives you information about the success, failure or result of each command that was issued.

The pseudo folder ACTIONS/INFORMATION contains a report of each connection.

If there is a problem during the connection, Virtual Access will record which actions have been complete and import all the messages that have been received.

♦ Note

If you are having problems with your Internet connect, please post the information in ACTIONS/CONNECTIONS when you report the problem to the Virtual Access support areas


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Comms Setup for the Internet - Logging

Winsock Error Codes

For more information about connecting to the Internet, see;

Trumpet Winsock Notes

Dial Up Networking Notes

Remote Access Service Notes

Error Codes from Winsock

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Trumpet Winsock Notes

 See Also

The following was written by our communications programmer Nikki Locke, in response to optimum settings for Trumpet.

The absolutely top performing settings for MTU, RWIN and MSS depend on your service provider. However, for a general, works-well-in-most-situations recommendation, I would suggest MTU=576, RWIN=8576, MSS=536.

The most vitally important thing is to change these parameters in step. MTU should be MSS + 40. RWIN should be a multiple of MSS. This means everything is based on MSS, which is the maximum size of TCP/IP packet your Winsock will use. MTU is merely the size of the packet plus its header. RWIN is the size of the buffer used to store incoming packets until they have been reassembled into the right order.

Each packet sent out is routed from machine to machine over the Internet until it reaches its destination. Each machine-to-machine link on the route has its own MSS (and MTU/RWIN) setting. The largest single packet that can make it through the link in one piece is determined by the smallest MSS size on the route. If a large packet comes across a link with a smaller maximum packet size, the packet is "fragmented" into 2 or more parts, and (hopefully) reassembled at the other end. However, the fragmentation and reassembly is inefficient, and can even give rise to errors, so it is a good idea to keep your MSS size down to 536, as most links on the Internet have an MSS size of at least that.

Obviously, you can decrease your MSS size below that. However, this may well mean that 536-byte packets coming from some distant host have to be fragmented and reassembled to get over the link between you and your service provider. Also, smaller packet sizes are less efficient, because each packet has a fixed overhead of up to 40 bytes for the header.

One vital thing you MUST try to get right when running TCP/IP over modems is that the total link between you and your service provider is completely error free. TCP/IP _can_ recover from errors like dropped characters, but it does not do so very quickly, or efficiently. If you lose a single incoming character, the whole packet containing that character has to be resent from the originating host. The resend process often relies on a time out. Plus, there may be a lot of later packets already on the way to you, which will often have to be discarded and resent as well.

The Trumpet Winsock diagnostics can help to determine if there are any packets being resent, characters dropped, hardware overruns etc. Any error of this kind from Trumpet Winsock should be eliminated.

Some things you must get right when trying to use Winsock over 16-bit Windows. These are:

•	Your serial port chip - Anything less than a 16550A will cause problems.

•	Your serial port driver - You should use the driver supplied with Windows for Workgroups 3.11.

•	Your modem setup - the modem should be set up for hardware handshaking (software handshaking turned off), error correction on, compression on.

•	Your machine - comms performance under Windows is very machine dependent. If the machine has a good BIOS, high performance disks, a fast bus, and a good motherboard, it is less likely to miss incoming characters.

•	Other programs - any other program or device driver (e.g. SMARTDRV, DoubleSpace etc.) can cause problems if it hogs processor time, or disables processor interrupts for too long, thus causing dropped characters.

If all else fails, reduce the speed at which you talk to your modem until you get no more errors from Trumpet Winsock. This can often INCREASE overall throughput, because of the elimination of resent packets.


Related Topics:

For more information about connecting to the Internet, see;

Internet Connection Information

Dial Up Networking Notes

Remote Access Service Notes

Error Codes from Winsock

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Dial Up Networking Notes

 See Also

There are several steps to setup Dial Up Networking and connect the information to Virtual Access.

1) Create the Dial Up Networking entry to connect to your Internet Service Provider

2) Create a script to logon to your ISP. A generic script is provided by Microsoft. Check with your ISP to see if there is a script available for their service.

3) Connect the DUN script and DUN entry using Dial Up Scripting Tool

4) Set a hostname and domain for your machine if you have not done so already. This is required by Virtual Access downloading of newsgroups.

 	CONTROL PANEL - NETWORK - highlight TCP/IP Binding to your adapter - PROPERTIES Button - DNS Tab

Enable DNS and enter hostname and domain. These can be any name, such as myhost, mydomain.

5) Tell Virtual Access the DUN entry in File | Comms Setup | Dial Up tab. Check use Dial Up Networking and select the correct DUN entry from the drop down list.

Debugging Note

The best sequence to setup and test your connection is:

1.	Test your DUN connection first and run any Internet software, such as a web browser, to test the connection.

2.	Then test the Virtual Access settings, by connecting to your ISP with the DUN entry and manually starting Virtual Access.

3.	Then set the Comms Settings to tell Virtual Access the DUN entry to use

♦ Note

For Windows 95 users, it is strongly recommended to use either the Windows 95 Plus! pack or obtain the Internet Wizard/Explorer. These contain several aids for setting up an Internet connection, including scripts for connecting to CompuServe.


Related Topics:

For more information about connecting to the Internet, see;

Internet Connection Information

Trumpet Winsock Notes

Remote Access Service Notes

Error Codes from Winsock

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Remote Access Service Notes

 See Also

There are several steps to use Remote Access Service (RAS) with Virtual Access.

1) Create RAS Entry for your Internet Service Provider

2) Create script in SWITCH.INF to perform the logon unless your ISP supports MS logon authentication.

3) Tell Virtual Access the RAS entry in File | Comms Setup | RAS tab. Check use RAS/DUN and select the correct RAS entry from the drop down list.

Debugging Note

The best sequence to setup and test your connection is:

1.	Test your RAS connection first and run any Internet software, such as a web browser, to test the connection.

2.	Then test the Virtual Access settings, by connecting to your ISP with the RAS entry and manually starting Virtual Access.

3.	Then set the Comms Settings to tell Virtual Access the RAS entry to use

♦ Tip

It is a good idea to check with your ISP to see if there is a script available for connecting to their service.


Related Topics:

For more information about connecting to the Internet, see;

Internet Connection Information

Trumpet Winsock Notes

Dial Up Networking Notes

Error Codes from Winsock

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Error Codes from Winsock

 See Also

The following are most of the errors generated by winsock. Errors are reported in the ACTIONS/INFORMATION messages.

Error name	Number	Meaning
WSAEINTR	10004	An action was canceled by the programmer
WSAEBADF	10009	The program used an invalid socket handle
WSAEACCES	10013	Attempted to send to a broadcast address
WSAEFAULT	10014	Program error - invalid memory address
WSAEINVAL	10022	Program error - invalid action requested
WSAEMFILE	10024	Run out of sockets
WSAEWOULDBLOCK	10035	The socket is not ready
WSAEINPROGRESS	10036	An action is already pending
WSAEALREADY	10037	Tried to cancel an action which was already complete
WSAENOTSOCK	10038	The program used an invalid socket handle
WSAEDESTADDRREQ	10039	A destination address was not supplied
WSAEMSGSIZE	10040	A datagram was too small for data supplied
WSAEPROTOTYPE	10041	The protocol type was invalid for this socket
WSAENOPROTOOPT	10042	Unknown or unsupported socket option specified
WSAEPROTONOSUPPORT	10043	The specified protocol is not supported
WSAESOCKTNOSUPPORT	10044	The specified socket type is not supported
WSAEOPNOTSUPP	10045	Socket does not support connection-oriented service
WSAEAFNOSUPPORT	10047	Address family not supported
WSAEADDRINUSE	10048	The address is already in use
WSAEADDRNOTAVAIL	10049	The address is not available
WSAENETDOWN	10050	The connection to the Net is down
WSAENETUNREACH	10051	The Net can't be reached at this time
WSAENETRESET	10052	RAS dropped the connection
WSAECONNABORTED	10053	Timeout or similar failure
WSAECONNRESET	10054	The connection was dropped by the other end
WSAENOBUFS	10055	Winsock is out of buffer space
WSAEISCONN	10056	The socket is already connected
WSAENOTCONN	10057	The socket is not connected
WSAESHUTDOWN	10058	The socket has been shut down
WSAETIMEDOUT	10060	Time out
WSAECONNREFUSED	10061	Connection refused by remote end
WSASYSNOTREADY	10091	Network not ready
WSAVERNOTSUPPORTED	10092	Winsock version not supported
WSANOTINITIALISED	10093	Program hasn't initialized Winsock
WSAHOST_NOT_FOUND	11001	Name lookup - Authoritative Answer: Host not found
WSATRY_AGAIN	11002	Name lookup - Non-Authoritative: Host not found
WSANO_RECOVERY	11003	Name lookup - Non recoverable error
WSANO_DATA	11004	Name lookup - Valid name, no data record


Related Topics

For more information about connecting to the Internet, see;

Internet Connection Information

Trumpet Winsock Notes

Dial Up Networking Notes

Remote Access Service Notes

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Comms Setup for the Internet

 See Also

File Menu

Click on the graphic above to quickly switch to the information on each tab.

Virtual Access does not install or configure any winsock software for connecting to the Internet.

Before using Virtual Access, please make sure your connection to the Internet is working.

You will need information that can only be provided by your Internet Service Provider to fill in some of the options, such as the name of the servers for collecting mail and newsgroups.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Communication Settings, see;

Internet Comms Setup - Mail

Internet Comms Setup - News

Internet Comms Setup - Names

Internet Comms Setup - Logging

Internet Comms Setup - Dial-Up

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Internet Comms Setup - Mail

 See Also

File Menu

This tab tells Virtual Access the information need to send and collect mail from your Internet Provider.

Incoming Mail

Type of mail server

Select the type of mail server your ISP provides. The options are SMTP, POP3 and IMAP4. The most common is POP3.

Server

The name of the incoming mail server used by ISP.

Username

POP3 mail only. The name that your Internet provider gives you to connect to the POP3 mail server. In most cases this is the same as your login name.

Password

POP3 mail only. The password that your Internet provider gives you to connect to the POP3 mail server. In most cases this is the same as your login password.

Outgoing Mail

Server

The name of the outgoing mail server used by ISP. This may be the same as the incoming mail server.

For additional mail options, see Mail Advanced Options.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Communication Settings, see;

Internet Comms Setup - POP3 Mail Advanced

Internet Comms Setup - IMAP4 Mail Advanced

Internet Comms Setup - SMTP Mail Advanced

For more information about Internet Communication Settings, see;

Internet Comms Setup - News

Internet Comms Setup - Names

Internet Comms Setup - Logging

Internet Comms Setup - Dial-Up

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Internet Comms Setup - POP3 Mail Advanced

 See Also

File Menu

This tab has additional settings for mail. In general you should not need to change these settings.

POP3 Mail

Delete read mail

Whether or not to delete mail on the POP3 server. The default is to delete mail after you have collected it.

Delete mail older than (days)

The number of days to hold mail on the POP3 server after it has been read. This is enabled only if you have not checked delete read mail.

Double check for new mail

When Virtual Access connects to your Internet account, it collects your e-mail at the beginning of the session. If you check this option, Virtual Access will check for mail after collecting all messages before it end the connection.

The default is to double check.

Options

Thread Mail by Subject

If checked, thread mail message by subject. This frequently gives better threading and is on by default.

Max MIME Size (Kbytes)

The largest size of a MIME mail message. If the file is larger than this size it is broken into multiple parts. The default is 0 which always sends it as one file regardless of the size.

Max UUEncode size (Kbytes)

The largest size of a UUEncoded mail message. If the file is larger than this size it is broken into multiple parts. The default is 500 kilobytes for compatibility with older systems, but you may change this to a larger number.

Ports

The ports may need to be changed if you are using Virtual Access behind a firewall.

Incoming

The port associated with incoming mail. The default is 110

Outgoing

The port associated with outgoing mail. The default is 25.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Communication Settings, see;

Internet Comms Setup - IMAP4 Mail Advanced

Internet Comms Setup - SMTP Mail Advanced

For more information about Internet Communication Settings, see;

Internet Comms Setup - Mail

Internet Comms Setup - News

Internet Comms Setup - Names

Internet Comms Setup - Logging

Internet Comms Setup - Dial-Up

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Internet Comms Setup - IMAP4 Mail Advanced

 See Also

File Menu

This tab has additional settings for mail. In general you should not need to change these settings.

IMAP4 Mail

Delete read mail

Whether or not to delete mail on the IMAP4 server. The default is to delete mail after you have collected it.

Delete mail older than (days)

The number of days to hold mail on the IMAP4 server after it has been read. This is enabled only if you have not checked delete read mail.

Double check for new mail

When Virtual Access connects to your Internet account, it collects your e-mail at the beginning of the session. If you check this option, Virtual Access will check for mail after collecting all messages before it end the connection.

The default is to double check.

Options

Thread Mail by Subject

If checked, thread mail message by subject. This frequently gives better threading and is on by default.

Max MIME Size (Kbytes)

The largest size of a MIME mail message. If the file is larger than this size it is broken into multiple parts. The default is 0 which always sends it as one file regardless of the size.

Max UUEncode size (Kbytes)

The largest size of a UUEncoded mail message. If the file is larger than this size it is broken into multiple parts. The default is 500 kilobytes for compatibility with older systems, but you may change this to a larger number.

Ports

The ports may need to be changed if you are using Virtual Access behind a firewall.

Incoming

The port associated with incoming mail. The default is 110

Outgoing

The port associated with outgoing mail. The default is 25.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Communication Settings, see;

Internet Comms Setup - POP3 Mail Advanced

Internet Comms Setup - SMTP Mail Advanced

For more information about Internet Communication Settings, see;

Internet Comms Setup - Mail

Internet Comms Setup - News

Internet Comms Setup - Names

Internet Comms Setup - Logging

Internet Comms Setup - Dial-Up

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Internet Comms Setup - SMTP Mail Advanced

 See Also

File Menu

This tab has additional settings for mail. In general you should not need to change these settings.

SMTP Mail

Auto Terminate Timeout (seconds)

How long Virtual Access should wait before disconnecting if no incoming or outgoing messages are being sent. Virtual Access counts down in seconds after the last incoming or outgoing action.

Maximum simultaneous sessions

New service configuration option for the maximum number of concurrent SMTP sessions that will be accepted by the SMTP mail reception system.

Default is 5.

Options

Thread Mail by Subject

If checked, thread mail message by subject. This frequently gives better threading and is on by default.

Max MIME Size (Kbytes)

The largest size of a MIME mail message. If the file is larger than this size it is broken into multiple parts. The default is 0 which always sends it as one file regardless of the size.

Max UUEncode size (Kbytes)

The largest size of a UUEncoded mail message. If the file is larger than this size it is broken into multiple parts. The default is 500 kilobytes for compatibility with older systems, but you may change this to a larger number.

Ports

The ports may need to be changed if you are using Virtual Access behind a firewall.

Incoming

The port associated with incoming mail. The default is 110

Outgoing

The port associated with outgoing mail. The default is 25.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Communication Settings, see;

Internet Comms Setup - POP3 Mail Advanced

Internet Comms Setup - IMAP4 Mail Advanced

For more information about Internet Communication Settings, see;

Internet Comms Setup - Mail

Internet Comms Setup - News

Internet Comms Setup - Names

Internet Comms Setup - Logging

Internet Comms Setup - Dial-Up

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Comms Setup - News

 See Also

File Menu

This tab contains the information needed to collect and post in newsgroups.

News (NNTP)

Server

The name of the server that contains the newsgroups. Check with your ISP if you are not certain of the name.

Logon method

This server doesn't require me to logon

This is the default for most servers.

Logon using AuthInfo Security

If the server you are accessing has groups that require a logon, select this box and fill in the information below.

Username

The logon name for accessing the newsgroups

Password

The password for accessing the newsgroups.

For additional news options, see News Advanced Options.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Communication Settings, see;

Internet Comms Setup - News Advanced

For more information about Internet Communication Settings, see;

Internet Comms Setup - Mail

Internet Comms Setup - Names

Internet Comms Setup - Logging

Internet Comms Setup - Dial-Up

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Internet Comms Setup - News Advanced

 See Also

File Menu

This tab contains advanced news options. In general you should not have to change these settings.

Options

Thread Newsgroups by Subject

When checked, thread news by subject as well as header information. This gives better threading. Default is checked.

Filter Cross Posts

If the same message is posted to several different newsgroups, you may not want to see it more than once.

When checked, Virtual Access will put one copy of the post in the first newsgroup listed in the file CONFS.SEL that it comes to when importing messages. Usually, this file reflects the order in which you added newsgroups

Default is to filter cross-posts

New Message Limit

This option determined how many messages to download when you first join a newsgroup. After the first connection all new messages will be collected, regardless of how many.

Maximum Retries

This determines how many times to retry a connection when there is a failure or busy message from the news server.

Default is 0, which means don't retry on failure. 1 = retry once etc.

NNTP Port

The port used for NNTP. If you are using a firewall, this may need to be changed.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Communication Settings, see;

Internet Comms Setup - Mail

Internet Comms Setup - News

Internet Comms Setup - Names

Internet Comms Setup - Logging

Internet Comms Setup - Dial-Up

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Internet Comms Setup - Names

 See Also

File Menu

This tab sets the default information that Virtual Access adds to your messages in the FROM field when they are sent out.

A typical FROM field looks like this showing the email address field and the real name field in parenthesis:

From: sales@ashmount.com (Ashmount Research Ltd.)

From: bwilliam@cix.compulink.co.uk (Brandy J. Williams)

Names

Real Name

The name that will be shown in parenthesis at the end of the FROM field

Email address

The email address that will be placed in the FROM field. This is used for replies, so please make sure it is correct.

Group

Organization

You can list your company or job here.

Workgroup

If you want to keep track of messages posted by other users, list their names here. All threads in which someone in the Workgroup is involved will be displayed in the Workgroup Color.

♦ Note

See Multiple Users and Multiple POP3 Accounts for information on setting up multiple accounts.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Communication Settings, see;

Internet Comms Setup - Mail

Internet Comms Setup - News

Internet Comms Setup - Logging

Internet Comms Setup - Dial-Up

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Internet Comms Setup - Logging

 See Also

File Menu

This tab control how long connection backups will be retained and any debug login.

Connection logging

Number of days to keep backups

The files used to collect your Internet mail and newsgroups are automatically pruned based on the specified number of days. These files are kept in the SPOOL\<service> subdirectory.

To never delete the files enter 0

Debug logging

Logging will slow your connection. You should not turn it on unless asked to do so by technical support.

Logging Options

The type of debugging logging

Log to file

The file to log the debug information.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Communication Settings, see;

Internet Comms Setup - Mail

Internet Comms Setup - News

Internet Comms Setup - Names

Internet Comms Setup - Dial-Up

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Internet Comms Setup - Dial-Up

 See Also

File Menu

This tab connects Virtual Access to a specific Dial Up Networking entry and is only available with the 32 bit version of Virtual Access.

Dial-Up Networking

Connect using Dial-Up Networking

If checked, Virtual Access will use the specified DUN entry. If the connection is not open, Virtual Access will start it and close it down when finished.

If the same DUN entry is already open, Virtual Access will connect but will not close down the connection when finished.

Connection

The name of the Dial Up Entry connection to use. The drop down list shows all current DUN setups.

Username

Your username for the DUN connection.

Password

Your password for the DUN connection.

Maximum redials

How many times Virtual Access should redial if the line is busy. The default is 0 which is no redials.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Communication Settings, see;

Internet Comms Setup - Mail

Internet Comms Setup - News

Internet Comms Setup - Names

Internet Comms Setup - Logging

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Internet Mail

 See Also

Internet mail uses the same message editor as the other services. For more information about sending mail, see Send Mail

This section covers:

•	Sending and receiving binary mail

•	Address commercial service for Internet mail

•	Setting up multiple users and multiple POP3 accounts


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Mail, see;

Sending Files by Mail on the Internet

Receiving Mail Files from the Internet

Sending E-mail to Other Services

Multiple Users and Multiple POP3 Accounts

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Sending Files by Mail on the Internet

 See Also

Internet e-mail can only send text, not binary files but there are ways to convert binary files into text messages and back again to get round this. Virtual Access will convert the files automatically when you send them.

To send a file by mail

1.	Press the shortcut M or select the Message | Post New Mail to open the message editor.

2.	Address the mail message

3.	Press the Attach File button and select the file to send.

4.	Select whether to use UUEncode or MIME on the File Attach dialog

If there is no text in the subject field, it is filled in with the text "BINMAIL" and the name and size of the file.

4.	Write the message text to the user.

5.	Press OK to send the mail message and file.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Send Binary Files

Comms Setup - Advanced Mail

For more information about Internet Mail, see;

Receiving Mail Files from the Internet

Sending E-mail to Other Services

Multiple Users and Multiple POP3 Accounts

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Receiving Mail Files from the Internet

 See Also

If you receive an e-mail message with an encoded file attached, Virtual Access looks at Tools | Options | Decode to decide what to do with the attached file. You can decide to have messages automatically decoded or decode them when you read them.

The message itself is placed in the Mail folder for the service.

For more information see:

Options - Decode

View Encoded Files


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Mail, see;

Sending Files by Mail on the Internet

Sending E-mail to Other Services

Multiple Users and Multiple POP3 Accounts

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Sending E-mail to Other Services

 See Also

Nearly all of the commercial on-line services are connected to the Internet, so you can use Virtual Access to send e-mail to users on these systems. If you know the username of the person you're e-mailing, you can construct their Internet e-mail address.

CompuServe

CompuServe addresses are two numbers separated by a comma: 11111,222. To send e-mail from the Internet, replace the comma with a full stop and add @compuserve.com to read: 11111.222@compuserve.com.

MCIMail

MCIMail addresses are numbers (1111111) or names (John Smith). Remove any spaces from the name and add @mcimail.com to read: 1111111@mcimail.com or John_Smith@mcimail.com.

Fidonet

Fidonet bulletin board addresses are a first name, last name and machine location in the form a:b/c:d, like John Smith 4:7/2:3. Separate the names with a full stop and send to pd.fc.nb.za.fidonet.org, where a, b, c and d are the machine location numbers: john.smith@p3.f2.n7.z4.fidonet.org

CIX

CIX addresses are usernames. To send e-mail from the Internet, add @cix.compulink.co.uk to read: ashmount@cix.compulink.co.uk.

America Online

America Online addresses are usernames. To send e-mail from the Internet, add @aol.com to read: josmith@aol.com.

Prodigy

Prodigy addresses are service numbers like jpjs21x. To send e-mail from the Internet, add @prodigy.com to read: jpjs21x@prodigy.com.

Delphi

Delphi addresses are usernames. To send e-mail from the Internet, add @delphi.com to read: josmith@delphi.com.

BIX

BIX addresses are usernames. To send e-mail from the Internet, add @bix.com to read: josmith@bix.com.

Genie

Genie addresses are usernames. To send e-mail from the Internet, add @genie.geis.com to read: johns@genie.geis.com.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Mail, see;

Sending Files by Mail on the Internet

Receiving Mail Files from the Internet

Multiple Users and Multiple POP3 Accounts

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Multiple Users and Multiple POP3 Accounts

 See Also

Virtual Access can be setup to collect mail from multiple POP3 accounts. For each POP3 account you must set up a corresponding Virtual Access user.

 The single user version of Virtual Access supports five users, which allows a maximum of six POP3 accounts per service (default plus one for each user. The limit for the workgroup user depends on the number of licenses purchased.

When you start an Internet connection, all <USER>.INI files are scanned for POP3 account information. When a mail collection is the done for each POP3 account/password set found in all the <user>.ini files.

Mail rules should be setup to make sure mail is directed to the correct mail folder.

For more information, see Setup Multiple POP3 Accounts.

Mail Security

All mail folders that have a corresponding <vausername>.usr file can only be seen by that specific Virtual Access user.

All other mail folders are available to all users.

For single POP3 accounts, please make sure that all information is setup in the Comms Setup and that the Options -Users is blank.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Mail, see;

Setup Multiple POP3 Accounts

Multiple POP3 Accounts and Mail Rules

For more information about Internet Mail, see;

Sending Files by Mail on the Internet

Receiving Mail Files from the Internet

Sending E-mail to Other Services

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Setup Multiple POP3 Accounts

 See Also

To setup multiple POP3 accounts

1.	Setup the File | Comms Setup with the main POP3 account

2.	Create the Virtual Access users using Tools | Messagebase Management | Users

3.	Each Virtual Access user should logon and put their POP3 account information in the Tools | Options | Users tab. Do not duplicate the information in the Comms Setup.

4.	Setup the mail rules so each POP3 account mail goes to MAIL/<vausername>. The following rule can be used. For more information, see Mail Rules.

*pop-mailname@domain*

5.	Set the prune options for the mail folders, generally delete-only.

To preserve privacy you may want to prune only on mail folders with the filename set to mail%s.prd. This will create a separate file for each mail folder pruned. You can then delete these folder or send them to the Virtual Access users to archive themselves.

See also, Mail Rules with Multiple POP3 Accounts for how each user can set their own mail rules.

Mail Security

Mail rules should be used to route each user's mail to their mail folder with the name MAIL/<username>

All mail folders that have a corresponding <name>.usr file can only be seen by that specific Virtual Access user.

All other mail folders are available to all users.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Mail, see;

Multiple POP3 Accounts and Mail Rules

For more information about Internet Mail, see;

Sending Files by Mail on the Internet

Receiving Mail Files from the Internet

Sending E-mail to Other Services

Multiple Users and Multiple POP3 Accounts

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Multiple POP3 Accounts and Mail Rules

 See Also

For Internet mail only, you can setup different mail rules for different users if you have multiple POP3 accounts

To setup mail rules for each POP3 account

1.	Each user should be setup as described in Setup Multiple POP3 Accounts.

2.	When selecting Tools | Message Filters | Mail Rules, each user will have that following to set rules for that POP3 account.

<service>:POP3name

3.	Selecting the POP3 name will set the rules for that POP3 account only.

For more information see Mail Rules.

Mail Security

All mail folders that have a corresponding <name>.usr file can only be seen by that specific Virtual Access user.

All other mail folders are available to all users.

 If you have only one POP3 account, do not fill in the information in Options. All POP3 information should be in the Comms Setup.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Mail, see;

Setup Multiple POP3 Accounts

For more information about Internet Mail, see;

Sending Files by Mail on the Internet

Receiving Mail Files from the Internet

Sending E-mail to Other Services

Multiple Users and Multiple POP3 Accounts

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Internet Newsgroups

 See Also

Newsgroups information from the Internet is controlled through the Message | View Service Lists menu item.

The Newsgroup Selector dialog lets you:

•	select newsgroups to download (subscribe)

•	decide whether to download headers or full messages

•	stop collecting a newsgroup (unsubscribe)

•	update the list of available newsgroup from your Internet provider


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Newsgroups, see;

Newsgroup MessageBase Window Display

View Newsgroups - Internet

Downloading Newsgroups

Fetch Full Text of Internet Messages

Post Binary File in a Newsgroup

Crossposting Messages

Dealing with multiple posts

Adding Header Fields

Unsubscribed Post

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Kill/Getfile


Newsgroup MessageBase Window Display

 See Also

Newsgroups are not a hierarchy as is seen in some remote services, such as CompuServe with its forums and sections or CIX with its conferences and topics. However, newsgroups are broken into different subjects by using several words separated by period, such as comp.security, comp.theory.info-retrieval, rec.climbing and so on.

In order to display newsgroups within Virtual Access the characters up to the first period is considered a group (the hierarchy) and everything else is the folder name. So the above newsgroups would be displayed as:

comp

security

theory.info-retrieval

rec

climbing

In Virtual Access terms, "comp" and "rec" would be the groups and the other items would be folders.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Newsgroups, see;

View Newsgroups - Internet

Downloading Newsgroups

Fetch Full Text of Internet Messages

Post Binary File in a Newsgroup

Crossposting Messages

Dealing with multiple posts

Adding Header Fields

Unsubscribed Post

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


View Newsgroups - Internet

 See Also

Message | View Service Lists

The View Service Lists menu opens a dialog to select the Newsgroup List for each service.

The Newsgroup dialog lets you control what newsgroups you subscribe to, whether you collect headers or full messages and resign from newsgroups you no longer want to collect.

The dialog box is divided into three sections:

1.	a large window displaying a list of newsgroups. The total number of groups available is displayed at the top.

2.	buttons at the bottom of the screen to determine which newsgroups are displayed and a legend for the icons in the display window

3.	buttons at the right of the screen for what action to apply to a newsgroup or selection of newsgroups.

For more information on the View Newsgroup dialog, see:

View Newsgroups - Display

View Newsgroup - Subscribe


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Newsgroups: see;

View Newsgroups - Display

View Newsgroups - Subscribe

For more information about Internet Newsgroups, see;

Newsgroup MessageBase Window Display

Downloading Newsgroups

Fetch Full Text of Internet Messages

Post Binary File in a Newsgroup

Crossposting Messages

Dealing with multiple posts

Adding Header Fields

Unsubscribed Post

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


View Newsgroups - Display

 See Also

Message | View Service Lists

The buttons at the bottom of the Newsgroup dialog box, allow you to determine what is displayed in the window.

Refresh

The refresh button when pressed will ask for a new list of newsgroup available on your next connect to the service. The date and time the list was last updated is shown next to the button. As new groups are added frequently, you may want to update this list on a regular basis.

Show

The show button controls what is displayed in the window. There are three options:

All Newsgroups- show a list of all the newsgroup available. These are sorted alphabetically.

Subscribed Newsgroups - show a list of all newsgroups you are currently subscribe to.

Look for - show a list based on a text string you specify. This allows you to search for specific newsgroups.

Look for

When you enter text in the Look for field, it will automaticallly display newsgroups that contain that string anywhere in the name.

You can also use * as a wildcard for the text string to indicate where you want any text to be. The default is a wildcard at the start and end of the string.

For example:

To list only the comp Newsgroups: use the text string:

comp*

For more information on the View Newsgroup dialog, see:

View Newsgroup - Subscribe


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Newsgroups: see;

View Newsgroups - Subscribe

For more information about Internet Newsgroups, see;

Newsgroup MessageBase Window Display

View Newsgroups - Internet

Downloading Newsgroups

Fetch Full Text of Internet Messages

Post Binary File in a Newsgroup

Crossposting Messages

Dealing with multiple posts

Adding Header Fields

Unsubscribed Post

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


View Newsgroups - Subscribe

 See Also

Message | View Service Lists

The buttons on the right of the Newsgroup dialog allow you to select what to do with a newsgroup.

To subscribe to a newsgroup

1.	Highlight the newsgroup(s) you want to subscribe to

2.	Press either the SUBSCRIBE or HEADERS ONLY button for the type of message download

3.	You can select the Subscribed button in the lower left of the dialog box to list the newsgroups you have currently subscribed to.

Headers Only

Downloading headers for a newsgroup allows you to select which messages you want full text. It is a very good idea to download headers for binary newsgroups and then select the files you want to download.

To download the full text of a message use Message | Fetch Full Thread.

Subscribe

This will download all messages in a newsgroup.

Unsubscribe

This will resign you from the newsgroup and no longer collect any messages

Pointer

A dialog will show you the current message pointer (the number of the latest message) for a subscribed newsgroup. You can use the "spin" buttons on the right to set this back to collect previous messages on the next pass.

You should be aware, however, that newsgroups are not held indefinitely on news-servers - on many there may be a daily turnover.

Select All

Selects all the newsgroups displayed in the window so you can mark them as a group

Clear All

This will clear any selection that you currently have highlighted. It does not clear the download status.

♦ Note

You can also double click in the area to the left of the newsgroup to change from headers, messages to don't collect.

For more information on the View Newsgroup dialog, see:

View Newsgroups - Display


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Newsgroups: see;

View Newsgroups - Display

For more information about Internet Newsgroups, see;

Newsgroup MessageBase Window Display

View Newsgroups - Internet

Downloading Newsgroups

Fetch Full Text of Internet Messages

Post Binary File in a Newsgroup

Crossposting Messages

Dealing with multiple posts

Adding Header Fields

Unsubscribed Post

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Downloading Newsgroups

 See Also

The newsgroups that will be downloaded are selected in the View Service List dialog.

When you subscribe to a newsgroup, you select whether you want to download all messages in the group or only the message headers. You can then review the header subjects and select specific messages to download.

Type of connection

There are two types of connections: Full and Actions Only. See Connect to a Remote Service for more information.

Review Outbasket

When you start a connection to your ISP, the list of newsgroups to download is displayed in the Review Outbasket Window. The type of download for each newsgroup is indicated by the letter after the name:

•	f means download all messages (full)

•	h means download only headers

If you do not want to collect a newsgroup on a specific connection, you can delete it from the Review Outbasket.

For more information, see Review Outbasket.

Internet Communications Dialog

The Virtual Access Internet Communications dialog displays what is happening with the connection using the following fields for specific actions:

1.	Status - displays message while connecting

2.	Mail In - status of mail reception

3.	Mail Out - status for sending mail

4.	Newsgroups - status of newsgroup collection

After all actions are completed, the Internet connection waits for the idle time defined in the Comms Settings in case of new mail arrival and then disconnects.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Newsgroups, see;

Newsgroup MessageBase Window Display

View Newsgroups - Internet

Fetch Full Text of Internet Messages

Post Binary File in a Newsgroup

Crossposting Messages

Dealing with multiple posts

Adding Header Fields

Unsubscribed Post

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Fetch Full Text of Internet Messages

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: . or >	Message Menu

Downloading headers let you review the messages in a newsgroup and select which ones to collect the full text.

To mark a message to be fetched

1.	Read the message you want to fetch the text for

2.	Select the Message menu and click on Fetch Full Message or use the period as a shortcut key

3.	The Fetch Symbol is shown next to the message and all its replies.

To mark a thread to be fetched

1.	Read any message in the thread you want to fetch the text

2.	If you are not in Roots view, collapse the thread by pressing the left arrow key. You may need to press it several times depending on the thread depth.

3.	Select the Message menu and click on Fetch Full Message or use the period as a shortcut key

4.	If you are in Roots view and the thread is already collapsed, press the period

5.	The Fetch Symbol is shown next to all messages to be fetched.

To mark a subject to be followed

You can use Kill/Get files to have all messages with a specific subject collected for you when you connect.

1.	Read a message with the subject to collect

2.	Select the Tools | Message Filtering | Add Subject to Getfile menu.. The kill/getfile dialog box is displayed.

3.	Give the rule a easy name to refer to in the Description field.

4.	Store the rule

For more information, see Kill/Getfiles.

♦ Tip

New messages to threads that are marked to fetch, are automatically marked to be collected on your next connection. You can see the messages that will be collected by viewing the Review Outbasket.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Newsgroups, see;

Newsgroup MessageBase Window Display

View Newsgroups - Internet

Downloading Newsgroups

Post Binary File in a Newsgroup

Crossposting Messages

Dealing with multiple posts

Adding Header Fields

Unsubscribed Post

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Post Binary File in a Newsgroup

 See Also

To post a binary file in a newsgroup

1.	Select the Message Menu and click on Post a New Message to open the message editor

2.	Press the Attach File button and select the file to send. This will insert the name of the file and it's size as the subject

3.	Write any text you want at the top of the message

4.	When the message is posted, the file will be UUEncoded and appended to the message text you write.

♦ Note

File Attach will encode as a single file regardless of the size. If you wish to break into multiple files, you will need to encode with an external program and insert the encoded file as text.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Newsgroups, see;

Newsgroup MessageBase Window Display

View Newsgroups - Internet

Downloading Newsgroups

Fetch Full Text of Internet Messages

Crossposting Messages

Dealing with multiple posts

Adding Header Fields

Unsubscribed Post

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Crossposting Messages

 See Also

You can post the same message to more than one newsgroup.

To Post to more than One Newsgroups

1.	Start the message editor for a new thread or reply.

2.	Press the GROUPS button which lists all the newsgroups  you have downloaded and if a reply, all newsgroups where the original message was posted.

3.	Select the newsgroups where the message should be posted

♦ Note

1) Use crossposting with care as it can be regarded as spam by other users.

2) You can not edit the crossposting list in Review at this time.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Newsgroups, see;

Newsgroup MessageBase Window Display

View Newsgroups - Internet

Downloading Newsgroups

Fetch Full Text of Internet Messages

Post Binary File in a Newsgroup

Dealing with multiple posts

Adding Header Fields

Unsubscribed Post

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Dealing with multiple posts

 See Also

Filter Crossposts

Because all the newsgroups on Usenet are separate, some people choose to send their posts to more than one newsgroup at once.

If you don't want to see messages several times you can use the Filter Crossposts options in the Usenet tab of the File | Comms Setup dialog box to tell Virtual Access to keep only one copy of such posts.

If you choose to filter out crossposts, this will apply to all the Usenet newsgroups that you are joined to.

Follow-up Replies

Newsgroup messages may contain a header line indicating other newsgroups to continue the discussion in:

Followup To: <newsgroups>

When you reply to a message containing this line, Virtual Access will ask:

This message as a Followup-To: set and so replies to it should be posted to <list of newsgroups> rather than this message directly. Do you wish to do this?

If you reply yes, the reply will be directed to the Followup list. If you reply No, the reply will be directed to the message.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Comms Setup for the Internet - News Advanced Tab

For more information about Internet Newsgroups, see;

Newsgroup MessageBase Window Display

View Newsgroups - Internet

Downloading Newsgroups

Fetch Full Text of Internet Messages

Post Binary File in a Newsgroup

Crossposting Messages

Adding Header Fields

Unsubscribed Post

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Adding Header Fields

 See Also

You may want to add header fields to certain newsgroups automatically. For example, if you post in a newsgroup used for announcements, you may want to have a Followup-To: line added.

To have a header field automatically added to a newsgroup message:

1.	Close Virtual Access and open ashmount.ini in an ASCII editor, such as Notepad.

2.	Go to the bottom of the file and added [Headers] on a separate line.

3.	Under the [Headers] line, add the newsgroup and line in the following format.

service:newsgroup=headerline

4.	Save the file

Examples:

1) To specify a Followup line for a specific newsgroup:

ashmount:ashmount/announce=Followup-To: ashmount.chatter

2) To specify that all articles written for an Internet service, are excluded from Deja News Usenet collections:

frontier=X-No-Archive: Yes

♦ Tip

If you wish to use multiple header lines use '\n' as the line separator.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Newsgroups, see;

Newsgroup MessageBase Window Display

View Newsgroups - Internet

Downloading Newsgroups

Fetch Full Text of Internet Messages

Post Binary File in a Newsgroup

Crossposting Messages

Dealing with multiple posts

Unsubscribed Post

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Unsubscribed Post

 See Also

Special Menu

You can post a message in any newsgroup that is not in your message base using the Special | Unsubscribed Post Command.

To post to an Unsubscribed newsgroup

1.	Select the Special | Unsubscribed Post menu item to open the dialog box

2.	The From field is automatically filled in and the Subject field is picked up from the message currently open in the Reading Window

3.	Enter your EMAIL address in the Email field

4.	Fill in the newsgroup you want to post the message in.

5.	Write the text in the bottom box

6.	Press OK to send the message.


Related Topics

For more information about Internet Newsgroups, see;

Newsgroup MessageBase Window Display

View Newsgroups - Internet

Downloading Newsgroups

Fetch Full Text of Internet Messages

Post Binary File in a Newsgroup

Crossposting Messages

Dealing with multiple posts

Adding Header Fields

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Kill/Getfile

 See Also

Tools | Message Filters | Edit Kill/Get Files

Killfiles are used to modify the messages you download from a subscribed newsgroup by selecting an action based on a header field. They allow you to:

1.	Not download certain messages (kill the article)

2.	Collect the full text for a message

3.	Collect only the header for a message

Any article that does not match a killfile rule, will use the setting for collecting the newsgroup as full text or as headers that is defined when you subscribe to the newsgroup with Message | View Service Lists.

To set a Kill/Getfile Rule

1.	Select Tools | Message Filters | Kill/Getfile Options menu item

2.	When Collection Rule Definition dialog is displayed press the ADD button, fill in the dialog and then close the dialog

3.	The rule will affect your next connection to collect messages

For more detailed information, see:

Kill/Getfile Rule File for information on the Collection Rule Dialog

Add or Edit a Kill/Getfile Rule for information on adding a rule

Guidelines for Kill/Getfile


Related Topics

For more information about Kill/Getfile, see:

Guidelines for Kill/Getfile

Kill/Getfile Collection Rule File

Add or Edit a Kill/Getfile Rule

Rule Conditions

Examples of Kill/Getfile Rules

More Examples of Kill/Getfile

Advanced Rules for Kill/Getfile

Example of Advanced Kill/Getfile Rules

Adding to the Kill/Getfile by Example

Pattern Matching for Kill/Getfile

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups


Guidelines for Kill/Getfile

 See Also

The following are some general rules to keep in mind when writing the rules for your kill/getfiles.

Listing newsgroups

The newsgroup the rule applies to can be listed as a specific group or a multiple selection. However, as there is a limit of 512 on the number of characters for the newsgroup, you can use wildcards to specify related newsgroups:

*binaries* selects all groups with binaries in their name

alt* selects all newsgroups in the ALT hierarchy

For more information on wildcards and patterns, see: Pattern Matching for Kill/Getfile

Order of Rules

Virtual Access will use only the first match that is found, so the order of the rules is important.

Make sure rules that Get Articles precede rules that kill articles for the same newsgroup.

Think carefully about any rule that applies to all or a large number of newsgroups. Should the rule be placed at the beginning or the end of other rules?

It's a good idea to sort the rules using move up/down so that the same newsgroups are together. That makes it much easier to see if there is a conflict between rules.

Multiple Fields

All information in the Add Rule dialog is combined and a message must meet all the selections (This is a Boolean AND)

To create a rule for a newsgroup which can match several items, set up different rules (This will give the effect of a Boolean OR)


Related Topics

For more information about Kill/Getfile, see:


Kill/Getfile Collection Rule File

 See Also

Tools | Message Filters | Edit Kill/Get Files

When you select Tools | Message Filters | Kill/Getfile Options, the following dialog is displayed along with the Right Mouse Button popup menu.

This is the control center for all rules affecting a service.

Click on any part of the graphic for more information about its function.

For more information about creating rules, see:

Add a Kill/Getfile Rule

Guidelines for Kill/Getfiles


Related Topics

For more information about Kill/Getfile, see:

Kill/Getfile Collection Rule File

Add or Edit a Kill/Getfile Rule

Rule Conditions

Examples of Kill/Getfile Rules

More Examples of Kill/Getfile

Advanced Rules for Kill/Getfile

Example of Advanced Kill/Getfile Rules

Adding to the Kill/Getfile by Example

Pattern Matching for Kill/Getfile

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


The title of the dialog that also shows the Internet service the rules apply to.


Stores all the changes and closes the dialog box


Does not store any changes and closes the dialog box


Calls in the help system


Displays the dialog to add a new rule


Deletes the highlighted rule


Displays the highlighted rule for editing


Copies the highlighted rule. The name of the rule will be "Copy of xxx"


Moves the rule up in the order listed


Moves the rule down in the order listed


Turns off the highlighted rule. Note the lightbulb is dimmed.


Turns on the highlighted rule. Note the lightbulb is yellow.


The area where the rules are listed. You can double click on different areas:

Click on the light bulb to enable/disable the rule

Click on the icon to change the rule from Kill article to get header to get full text

Click on the rule name to edit the rule


The lightbulb displays whether or not the rule is enabled.

 If the bulb is gray, the rule is available but is not acted upon.

 If the bulb is yellow the rule is active.


Displays what type of action is taken with the rule. Double clicking on the icon will cycle through the options.

 If a header with an X appears, the rule specifies to kill (not retrieve) articles matching the criteria.

 If the half header appears, the rule specifies to get the header of articles matching the criteria

 If the full header appears, the rule specifies to get the full text of articles matching the criteria.


Displays the name of the rule. Double clicking on the name will bring the rule up for editing.

It is a good idea to make this name reflect the condition as clearly as possible.


Displays the newsgroup(s) the rule applies to. Double clicking on the newsgroup will bring the rule up for editing.


Add or Edit a Kill/Getfile Rule

 See Also

When you add or edit a kill/getfile rule, the following dialog is displayed.

For more information, see

Rule Conditions

Guidelines for Kill/Getfile

Examples of Kill/Getfile Rules

♦ Tip

Make sure you the ENABLE box in the lower right is checked to put the rule into effect.


Related Topics

For more information about Kill/Getfile, see:

Guidelines for Kill/Getfile

Kill/Getfile Collection Rule File

Rule Conditions

Examples of Kill/Getfile Rules

More Examples of Kill/Getfile

Advanced Rules for Kill/Getfile

Example of Advanced Kill/Getfile Rules

Adding to the Kill/Getfile by Example

Pattern Matching for Kill/Getfile

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Rule Conditions

 See Also

The Subject and From field have the options on the left for matching text strings in rules. The Lines option uses the dropdown box on the right.

Each option is described below:

Conditions	Meaning
Disabled	The field is not active
Containing	The text string must be found somewhere in the field.  This option puts a * wildcard in at the start and end of the text string.
Starting with	The text string must be an exact match from the start of the field.  This option puts a * wildcard at the end of the text string.
Ending with	The text string must be an exact match for the end of the field This option puts a * wildcard at the start of the text string.
Matching Exactly	The text string must match the whole field exactly This option does not add any wildcards. The entire field must match the text string exactly.
Pattern Matching	Allows the use of wild cards and regular expressions to match the field. See Pattern Matching for more information.
Not Containing	The text string must not be contained anywhere within the field.
Greater Than	Match message only when the number of lines in an article are greater than that specified.
Equal To	Match message only when the number of lines in an article is equal to that specified.
Less Than	Match message only when the number of lines in an article are less than that specified.


Related Topics

For more information about Kill/Getfile, see:

Guidelines for Kill/Getfile

Kill/Getfile Collection Rule File

Add or Edit a Kill/Getfile Rule

Examples of Kill/Getfile Rules

More Examples of Kill/Getfile

Advanced Rules for Kill/Getfile

Example of Advanced Kill/Getfile Rules

Adding to the Kill/Getfile by Example

Pattern Matching for Kill/Getfile

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


The area with the name of the dialog box


The name of the rule. It is a good idea to make this name reflect the condition as clearly as possible.


The newsgroups the rule applies to. You can select:

1.	a single newsgroup from the dropdown list.

2.	multiple newsgroups using the Browse button

3.	wildcards to specify multiple groups. You can specify * to indicate all newsgroups or a pattern such as *binaries* for all groups with the word "binaries" in it. See Pattern Matching for more information about wildcard options.


Lists all the newsgroups to which you have subscribed. You can select multiple groups from this list using standard windows multi-select ability.

If you exceed the number of characters using the browse button, you can use wildcards to specify newsgroups. See Pattern Matching for more information.

For information on making multiple selections with keyboard or mouse, see Using a Keyboard or Using a Mouse in the MessageBase Window.


This section of the dialog allows you to specify what you want to happen when there is a match of the rule - don't collect the article, get the header or get the full text of the article.


If checked, do not collect any article matching the rule.


If checked, the full text of any article matching the rule will be collected.


If checked, only the header of the article matching the rule will be collected.


This area is for setting the matching criteria for the rule.


Use this section to set a rule based on the Subject. The dropdown box sets the type of match. The text area to the right is to enter the string to use for the matching.

See Rule Conditions for more information about conditions.


The contents of the subject field to use for the match.


Use this section to set a rule based on the From field. The dropdown box sets the type of match. The text area to the right is to enter the string to use for the matching.

See Rule Conditions for more information about conditions.


The contents of the FROM field to use for the match.


Use this section to set a rule based on the number of lines in an article. The dropdown box sets the type of match. The text area to the right is to enter the number of lines to use.

See Rule Conditions for more information about conditions.


The number of lines to use for the match.


Makes the rule active


Calls in the dialog for advanced options for kill/getfiles using any header field.


Stores the rule and closes the dialog box.


Does not store the rule and closes the dialog box. Any edits made are lost.


Calls in the help system.


Examples of Kill/Getfile Rules

 See Also

More Examples

Messages with a Specific Subject

You can change the collection option of messages with a specific subject. This allows you to:

•	not collect (kill) certain subjects that are not of interest

•	collect full text of subjects in newsgroups where you collect headers

•	collect only headers in newsgroups where you collect the full text.

RULE:

Subject containing $$$	Kill Article	This may eliminate some of the articles with offers to make money fast.
Settings in the Rule Definition Dialog

1.	Select the newsgroup(s) the rule applies to. You can specify specific groups using the Browse button or use * to specify all newsgroups

2.	Check Kill Article (don't collect)

3.	In the conditions at the bottom of the dialog, select the SUBJECT field and set the condition to CONTAINING

4.	In the box next to the SUBJECT, type the subject of the articles you don't want to collect.

Messages from a Specific Person

You can select the action based on who the message is FROM. This can be the whole From field, or any part such as the domain name.

RULE:

From containing taz@ashmont.com	Get Full Article	Collect messages from taz at ashmount.com
Settings in the Rule Definition Dialog

1.	Select the newsgroup(s) the rule applies to. You can specify specific groups using the Browse button or use * to specify all newsgroups

2.	Check Get Article (collect body text)

3.	In the conditions at the bottom of the dialog, select the FROM field and set the condition to CONTAINING

4.	In the box next to the FROM, type the address of the person to collect articles from.

Messages over a Specific Size

You can collect text messages in a binary group, but not all the messages that include encoded files or very long messages. You specify a specific number of lines to collect full text and any message over that limit will be collected as a header.

First subscribe to the newsgroup and select Headers as the option for collecting articles.

RULE:

Line less than 100	Get Full Article	Collect only messages less than 100 lines long
Settings in the Rule Definition Dialog

1.	Select the newsgroup(s) the rule applies to. You can specify specific groups using the Browse button or use * to specify all newsgroups

2.	Check Get Article (collect body text)

3.	In the conditions at the bottom of the dialog, select the LINES field and set the condition to LESS THAN

4.	In the box next to the LESS THAN, type the maximum number of lines to collect, such as 100.

All articles that are less than 100 lines will collect the full text. All other articles will be downloaded as headers as set when you subscribed to the newsgroup.


Related Topics

For more information about Kill/Getfile, see:

Guidelines for Kill/Getfile

Kill/Getfile Collection Rule File

Add or Edit a Kill/Getfile Rule

Rule Conditions

More Examples of Kill/Getfile

Advanced Rules for Kill/Getfile

Example of Advanced Kill/Getfile Rules

Adding to the Kill/Getfile by Example

Pattern Matching for Kill/Getfile

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


More Examples of Kill/Getfile

 See Also

Other Examples

Several rules can be combined to produce the messages you want to read.

You can set multiple rules for the same newsgroup(s) for specific users or subject to get full text and then collect headers for the rest of the message,

Collect Specific Messages and Nothing Else

You can also collect only specific messages and kill the rest of the articles as show below. This requires several rules and making sure they are stored in the correct order.

1.	Setup the rules to collect the full text or headers of the messages. Click on other examples above to see how to set rules for a subject, from field or the length of the message.

2.	Setup a rule to kill all articles that don't match (see below)

3.	In the Rule Collection file, use the move up/down buttons to make sure the rules that collect messages precede the rule to kill articles.

RULE:

Subject pattern matching *	Kill Article	Kill all articles that haven't matched previous rules
Settings in the Rule Definition Dialog

1.	Select the newsgroup(s) the rule applies to. You can specify specific groups using the Browse button or use * to specify all newsgroups

2.	Check Kill Article (don't collect)

3.	In the conditions at the bottom of the dialog, select the SUBJECT field and set the condition of PATTERN MATCHING.

4.	In the box next to the SUBJECT, type an * to mean all subjects

♦ Note

You must make sure the rule killing articles comes after the rules for collecting articles in the Rule Collect List.

For more information, see

Guidelines for Kill/Getfile

Advanced Rules for Kill/Getfile

Pattern Matching


Related Topics

For more information about Kill/Getfile, see:

Guidelines for Kill/Getfile

Kill/Getfile Collection Rule File

Add or Edit a Kill/Getfile Rule

Rule Conditions

Examples of Kill/Getfile Rules

Advanced Rules for Kill/Getfile

Example of Advanced Kill/Getfile Rules

Adding to the Kill/Getfile by Example

Pattern Matching for Kill/Getfile

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Advanced Rules for Kill/Getfile

 See Also

The advanced rules dialog lets you use any header field for matching in a rule.

To set advanced rule

1.	Select Tools | Message Filters | Kill/Getfile options and press the ADD button.

2.	Set the Rule Name, newsgroup(s) and action in the Add Rule Dialog

3.	Then press the ADVANCED button to open the Advanced Rule Dialog

4.	The dialog box lists several common header fields. If the field you want is listed, highlight it in the box and go to Step 6

5.	If the header field is not listed, press the NEW HEADER button and enter the name of the header

6.	Select the kind of match you want in Item 2 and the text to match in Item 3. The same options for matching are available in the advanced rules as in the Add Rule Dialog.

For more information , see:

Rule Conditions

Guidelines for Kill/Getfiles

Example of Advanced Rules


Related Topics

For more information about Kill/Getfile, see:

Guidelines for Kill/Getfile

Kill/Getfile Collection Rule File

Add or Edit a Kill/Getfile Rule

Rule Conditions

Examples of Kill/Getfile Rules

More Examples of Kill/Getfile

Example of Advanced Kill/Getfile Rules

Adding to the Kill/Getfile by Example

Pattern Matching for Kill/Getfile

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Example of Advanced Kill/Getfile Rules

 See Also

Messages Crossposted to Multiple Groups

Many messages that are crossposted to a large number of groups are junk messages that don't relate to the specific newsgroups. You may not want to collect these messages.

First decide how many groups is the limit you want to set, such as 7, 10, 20 groups, to exclude messages.

RULE:

Newsgroups: pattern matching *,*,*,*,*,*,*	Kill Article	Kill any article that is cross posted to more than 7 newsgroups
Settings in the Rule Definition Dialog

1.	Select the newsgroup(s) the rule applies to. You can specify specific groups using the Browse button or use * to specify all newsgroups

2.	Check Kill Article

3.	Press the Advanced button

Settings in the Advanced Dialog

1.	Select the New Header button and type the following:

Newsgroups

2.	For the kind of match, select PATTERN MATCHING from the drop down list

3.	For the text to be matched type:

*,*,*,*,*,*,*

You will need to type the *, for the number of groups you decided as the point where you don't want the messages.


Related Topics

For more information about Kill/Getfile, see:

Guidelines for Kill/Getfile

Kill/Getfile Collection Rule File

Add or Edit a Kill/Getfile Rule

Rule Conditions

Examples of Kill/Getfile Rules

More Examples of Kill/Getfile

Advanced Rules for Kill/Getfile

Adding to the Kill/Getfile by Example

Pattern Matching for Kill/Getfile

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Adding to the Kill/Getfile by Example

 See Also

Tools | Message Filters

There are four shortcuts to quickly add the author or subject to be killed or collected.

Unless you make a change, the rules created apply only to:

1.	the newsgroup open in the Reading Window

2.	the author or subject of the message you are currently reading.

The four short cuts are:

 Add Author to Killfile - messages by the author are not collected

 Add Subject to Killfile - messages on the subject are not collected

 Add Author to Getfile - messages by the author are always collected

 Add Subject to Getfile - messages on the subject are always collected

To use the kill/getfile shortcuts

1.	While reading a message with the appropriate author or subject you want killed or collected, select Tools | Message Filters and the appropriate shortcut to open the kill/getfile rule dialog.

2.	Fill in the name of the rule

3.	Press OK to store the rule.

If you wish, you can change any items in the dialog. For more information , see Add or Edit Kill/Getfile Rule


Related Topics

For more information about Kill/Getfile, see:

Guidelines for Kill/Getfile

Kill/Getfile Collection Rule File

Add or Edit a Kill/Getfile Rule

Rule Conditions

Examples of Kill/Getfile Rules

More Examples of Kill/Getfile

Advanced Rules for Kill/Getfile

Example of Advanced Kill/Getfile Rules

Pattern Matching for Kill/Getfile

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Pattern Matching for Kill/Getfile

 See Also

When you're creating a killfile entry or you can create regular expressions using these special characters:

?	Matches any single character. T?m matches Tim, Tom and tam.
*	Matches zero or more characters. Hol*d matches holed and hold.
[ ]	Matches any single character that appears within the square brackets. For example, [0123456789] will match any single digit from 0 to 9. You can also specify a range using a dash - for example, [0-9].
[^ ]	Matches any single character that does not appear within the square brackets. For example, [^abc] will match any single character except "a", "b" and "c".
\	Matches the following character literally. For example, \* will match a single asterisk and \\ will match a single backslash.
Newsgroup Lists with wildcards:

You can specify newsgroup for a rule to apply to with wildcards. This can be very useful to reduce the number of rules. You can use any of the pattern matching characters, although * is the most commonly used.

* matches ALL newsgroups

*binaries* matches all groups with BINARIES anywhere in the name

alt* matches all the ALT hierarchy newsgroups

♦ Notes

1) If you use pattern matching in any of the condition fields, such as Subject or From, you must set the condition type to PATTERN MATCHING.

2) If you want to match a character used for pattern matching ? * [ ] you need to precede the character with a slash \.

If you want to look for a slash, you need to type two: \\


Related Topics

For more information about Kill/Getfile, see:

Guidelines for Kill/Getfile

Kill/Getfile Collection Rule File

Add or Edit a Kill/Getfile Rule

Rule Conditions

Examples of Kill/Getfile Rules

More Examples of Kill/Getfile

Advanced Rules for Kill/Getfile

Example of Advanced Kill/Getfile Rules

Adding to the Kill/Getfile by Example

 For more information about using the Internet, see:

Introduction to the Internet

Connecting to the Internet

Comms Setup for the Internet

Internet Mail

Internet Newsgroups

Kill/Getfile


Comms Setup for CompuServe

 See Also

File Menu

Communication setup is one of the most critical, and sometime the most difficult part, of installing Virtual Access. The specific requirements for your system will depend on what hardware you have installed and the remote service requirement.

♦ Modem Requirement

Virtual Access requires that your modem be setup for

1.	hardware flow control (both send and receive) and

2.	error correction.

See your modem manual for the exact commands required to enable these commands.

If the modem string requires a command with a backslash (\) in it, you must use two backslashes (\\) in the modem init string.

♦ Notes

1) The Welcome section for each service you installed, has a lot of information for getting started and using Virtual Access. It is strongly recommended that you read through these first.

2) New users to On-Line services and Off-Line Readers may also find the manual useful for going through the program step by step.

3) You can click on the tab graphic above to quickly switch to the help for that tab.


Related Topics

For more information about Communication Settings, see:

CompuServe Comms Setup - Service

CompuServe Comms Setup - Messages

CompuServe Comms Setup - Comms

CompuServe Comms Setup - Modem Button

CompuServe Comms Setup - Dial Up Button

Connect via Telnet to CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


CompuServe Comms Setup - Service

 See Also

File Menu

The information in the Service tab contains information that is global to all communication settings for CompuServe.

Click on the graphic above to quickly switch to the information on each tab.

Account Details

Name

Your real name

User Id

Your numeric login ID for CompuServe. There is only one ID for all communications settings.

Personal Address

If you have a registered Personal Address for CompuServe mail, enter the name here.

Password

Your CompuServe password.

Options

Download Directory

Directory to store files downloaded from CompuServe

Workgroup Names

In addition to using a special color for threads that you are involved in, you can create a list of CompuServe IDs or names and Virtual Access will mark threads that they contribute to with the Workgroup Involvement Color. Separate each entry in the list with a semicolon.

Terminal Log

If checked, Virtual Access creates a terminal log capture file for each session. The maximum number of backups is set in the Tools | Options | System. It is highly recommended that you set this.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Options - Appearance

Options - System

For more information about Communication Settings, see:

CompuServe Comms Setup - Messages

CompuServe Comms Setup - Comms

CompuServe Comms Setup - Modem Button

CompuServe Comms Setup - Dial Up Button

Connect via Telnet to CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


CompuServe Comms Setup - Messages

 See Also

File Menu

Click on the graphic above to quickly switch to the information on each tab.

The messages tab contains options for mail.

Mail Options

Fetch Mail

If checked, Virtual Access will collect mail when you connect to CompuServe

Delete Read Mail

If checked, Virtual Access will delete your mail after collecting it when you connect to CompuServe. The default for CompuServe is Yes.

Thread Mail by Subject

If checked, thread mail messages using the Subject field.

If unchecked, Virtual Access will thread by the message-id, which may not always be reliable particularly for Internet lists.


Related Topics

For more information about Communication Settings, see:

CompuServe Comms Setup - Service

CompuServe Comms Setup - Comms

CompuServe Comms Setup - Modem Button

CompuServe Comms Setup - Dial Up Button

Connect via Telnet to CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


CompuServe Comms Setup - Comms

 See Also

File Menu

Click on the graphic above to quickly switch to the information on each tab.

The Comms tab lets you create or select multiple communication setups and sets up the basic communication information. The Modem, Dial Up and ZModem buttons set up other options for each comms setting.

Session

Current

The name of the currently active setup. This name is created when you add a new session setting. You can select any setting from the drop down box to make it current.

New

Press this to create a new comms setting. After selecting NEW, Virtual Access will ask you for the name you want to give this session setting and then makes the new session the current one.

You can then change the phone number and script as needed for the new number. It is also a good idea to check that all the other comms setup values are correct for the new setup.

You can have a maximum of 20 settings per service.

Delete

Delete the current communications setting.

Default

Set the current communications setting as the default.

Other Settings

Phone No/Address

The phone number to dial when using this comms setting. If you need to access an outside line you should precede the number by the access code. You can use a comma to send a pause to the modem if required.

If you are connecting via Telnet, enter the Internet address here: gateway.compuserve.com

Phone Directory Button

The Phone Directory is a list that you can create to access different numbers so that you can easily copy phone numbers into new settings. Pressing the Phone Directory button calls up a small dialog box listing any current number. You can use the Add, Delete and Edit buttons to change the entries.

If you plan on traveling, you can enter local CompuServe numbers in the phone directory and then change the comms setting at each location.

Connect by

The Comm Port that your modem is attached to or Winsock for connecting by Telnet over the Internet

Network

The network to use to connect to CompuServe. Selecting the network selected the correct login script.

Note that  Virtual Access uses the standard login scripts provided by CompuServe. These are the same scripts used with WinCim. If you are have a problem with a script, please check the WinCim support forums for updated scripts.

Baud Rate

Speed of the connection between your computer and your modem. This should equal or exceed the speed you are connecting to the remote service.

Dial Type

Whether you phone use Tone or Pulse tones to dial

Strip 8th Bit

This bit should be checked when using 7 bit networks, such as France Telecom.

HMI Packet Size

This is the size of the HMI information packet used to communicate with CompuServe. The options are: 512, 1024, 2048.

Using a packet size of 2048 will speed up communications, but there can be problems on the CIS end. If you are having problems, lower this size to 1024 or 512.

HMI Timeout

This is the number in seconds to wait for HMI to respond. This can be a number between 1 and 255 with a default of 60.

For more information, see:

Modem Button

Dial Up Button


Related Topics

For more information about Communication Settings, see:

CompuServe Comms Setup - Service

CompuServe Comms Setup - Messages

CompuServe Comms Setup - Modem Button

CompuServe Comms Setup - Dial Up Button

Connect via Telnet to CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


CompuServe Comms Setup - Modem Button

 See Also

File Menu

Click on the graphic above to quickly switch to the information on each tab.

The modem setup you need for Virtual Access depends on your specific modem. There is a large list of modem strings for commonly available modems to select from.

If your modem is not on the list, please try one of the general Hayes-compatible list or simply AT&F or AT&F1 if using a US Robotics modem.

If you are having problems, post a message in one of the Virtual Access support areas. Someone else may have the same modem and have found the best modem control strings already.

The following fields need to be set up for modem control:

Modem Control Strings

Modem

You can select a modem from a list of the most common types. Selecting a modem will set the Init String to the recommended value for that modem. If your modem is not listed, try the Hayes Compatible or Generic modem at the top of the list.

Init. String

The string that is sent to the modem when Terminal starts. Consult your modem manual for details of commands.

Virtual Access requires hardware flow control and error correction. The default of AT&F or AT&F1 is often enough to get the modem working.

If the modem init string contains a \ (backslash), you must use two of them (\\) in the string.

Dial Tone

The string to use to indicate tone dialing. This is generally ATDT

Dial Pulse

The string to use to indicate pulse dialing. This is generally ATDP

Hang-up

Specifies a string to be sent to the modem when Terminal terminates, usually ATH0

Acknowledge

Defines the message sent by the modem when it connects successfully, This is generally OK

Redials

Number of times to try to make a connection

Flow Control

There are two methods of flow control:

Hardware (recommended)

Software ISDN (V110)

Note that the modem setting must set the same type of flow control as set here.


Related Topics

For more information about Communication Settings, see:

CompuServe Comms Setup - Service

CompuServe Comms Setup - Messages

CompuServe Comms Setup - Comms

CompuServe Comms Setup - Dial Up Button

Connect via Telnet to CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


CompuServe Comms Setup - Dial Up Button

 See Also

File Menu

Click on the graphic above to quickly switch to the information on each tab.

If you are using Windows 95 or Windows NT, you can setup Dial Up Networking to dial you Internet Provider and connect to a service.

The following options are needed for DUN setup:

Dial Up Networking

Connect using Dial Up Networking

If checked, the comms setting will use Dial Up Networking to dial the connection.

Connection

This provides a list of the current entries in your Dial Up Networking Phone book. Select the correct entry for your Internet provider.

User Name/Password

The user name and password for connecting to a service.


Related Topics

For more information about Communication Settings, see:

CompuServe Comms Setup - Service

CompuServe Comms Setup - Messages

CompuServe Comms Setup - Comms

CompuServe Comms Setup - Modem Button

Connect via Telnet to CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Connect via Telnet to CompuServe

 See Also

If you are connected to the Internet through a company network or by dialing a local service provider, you may prefer to connect to remote services using Telnet rather than dialing in directly.

To connect via Telnet

1.	Set the telephone number on File | Comms Setup | Comms tab to gateway.compuserve.com

2.	Set the Connect by to Winsock

3.	Set the network to Internet

♦ Notes

1) If you are using Window 95 or Windows NT, you can setup DUN to dial the connection for you by filling in the Dial-Up options in File | Comms Setup | Comms | Dial Up.

Virtual Access uses the same encryption method as WinCim when you logon. This means that the passwords are encrypted when they are sent. While this offers some protection, it is still a good idea to change your password periodically.


Related Topics

For more information about Communication Settings, see:

CompuServe Comms Setup - Service

CompuServe Comms Setup - Messages

CompuServe Comms Setup - Comms

CompuServe Comms Setup - Modem Button

CompuServe Comms Setup - Dial Up Button

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Connecting to CompuServe

 See Also

This section explains how you need to set up CompuServe and what options and features are available.

Before you can connect to CompuServe to collect your messages, you need to set the CompuServe defaults. This is normally done for you by the Comms Wizard when you install the program. If it has not been done, Virtual Access will ask if you want do it the first time you connect to CompuServe.

Once the CompuServe options are set, you can join forums, select messages and headers to download, write replies and send mail using CompuServe.

 If the CompuServe options are not set, although message collection will work, some of other CompuServe functions may not work correctly.


Related Topics

For information on connecting and downloading messages, see:

Connect to a Remote Service

For more information about connecting to CompuServe, see:

Set Service Options on CompuServe

CompuServe HMI and ASCII Interfaces

CompuServe HMI Errors

CompuServe Options Changed

Order Commands Executed on CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Set Service Options on CompuServe

 See Also

Special | Other | Set CIS Options

CompuServe maintains several sets of defaults for you (these are stored on CompuServe):

1.	global defaults affecting all of your ASCII usage of CompuServe

2.	mail defaults

CompuServe stores ASCII global default settings for each modem speed that you can connect at, but the mail and forum defaults apply to all speeds. This means you can have several default settings; one for each speed at which you connect to CompuServe.

General and mail defaults are set when you run Set Options.

Before you set the options, please ensure that you have filled in the communication settings, connected your hardware and the modem is turned on ready to connect.

When you select Special | Others | Set CIS Options

•	You are asked for the name that will be used for all mail messages

•	Virtual Access then connects to CompuServe and set the options required

•	Do not interrupt this process

You may see some strange characters on the screen, depending on your current settings. As long as the screen is scrolling text, do not interrupt this process. It should clear in a short while.

♦ Note

Unlike previous versions of Virtual Access, the program now uses HMI to access the forums. This means the forum options are not modified. However, some of the scripts in the program still use the ASCII interface and these require the correct global defaults on CompuServe.

Set CIS Options is run by the Comms Wizard. If this has not been done, Virtual Access will ask the first time you connect to CompuServe. If the options are not correct, some functions may not work correctly.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connect to a Remote Service

For more information about connecting to CompuServe, see:

CompuServe HMI and ASCII Interfaces

CompuServe HMI Errors

CompuServe Options Changed

Order Commands Executed on CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


CompuServe HMI and ASCII Interfaces

 See Also

CompuServe has two ways to access forums:

1.	HMI which is used by WinCim and other programs specifically written to use HMI.

2.	ASCII which can be used by any terminal program and has generally been used for off-line readers in the past.

CompuServe is changing to new hardware and in the process has changed the forum software so that it can only be accessed by HMI software. These forums are called NISA forums.

The changeover is still in process so some forums can be accessed by either ASCII or HMI, but new forums are NISA and the other forums are slowly being converted.

Virtual Access now uses HMI to download and read messages. However some of the scripts that access other parts of CompuServe are still in ASCII, such as the What's New, billing, financial and news.


Related Topics

For more information about connecting to CompuServe, see:

Set Service Options on CompuServe

CompuServe HMI Errors

CompuServe Options Changed

Order Commands Executed on CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


CompuServe HMI Errors

 See Also

As of the time of writing this help file, CompuServe was still having host problems with the latest version of HMI.

In general, HMI errors are not recoverable and the connection will fail at that point. If you connect again to CompuServe, the connect will often go through.

The following are the most common errors:

1.	Protocol Timeout Errors (PTE) where CIS has not responded and the connection times out

2.	Application Not Available where CIS was unable to perform the requested action at that time.

If you can duplicate an error so that it happens frequently, you can help us and CompuServe find the problems by providing the following debug information.

To create HMI Debug Files

1.	Open ASHMOUNT.INI in an ASCII editor

2.	Look for [Comms CIS 1] section if there is a line saying "Comm Log File=commport.log" section (if not, add it).

3.	Add a line saying "HMI Debug Mode=YES" just below it.

4.	Add a line saying "Debug HMIComm=3" just below that.

5.	Turn on "Terminal Log" in File | Comms Setup.

6.	Delete any existing ~VA\CIS\HMICOMM.LOG file (there probably won't be one).

7.	Do a blink which reproduces the problem, using the Comms Setting

8.	ZIP up the ~VA\COMMPORT.LOG, ~VA\BACKUP\CIS001.* and ~VA\CIS\HMICOMM.LOG files,

9.	Upload the zip file to Library 9 on the Ashmount forum and leave a message in Section 2/General Help with a notice that you've uploaded it.

10.	You should set "HMI Debug Mode=NO", or delete the line, after the blink, as this has a performance hit. Similarly, set "Debug HMIComm=0" or remove the line. If you added "Comm Log File=commport.log", then you will also want to remove that.


Related Topics

For more information about connecting to CompuServe, see:

Set Service Options on CompuServe

CompuServe HMI and ASCII Interfaces

CompuServe Options Changed

Order Commands Executed on CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


CompuServe Options Changed

 See Also

This table shows CompuServe's ASCII global and mail defaults and the options that Virtual Access sets when you run Set Service Options. Only items listed in the "Changed to" column are modified, all other options are left untouched. Note that your existing settings may be different from the listed default.

Mail Defaults	Default	Changed to
CompuServe Mail Name		Virtual Access asks for this when you run Set Options
EDITOR use line number	no
MODE of operation	menu	COMMAND
Output is PAGED	no
RECEIVE post-due messages	yes
SHOW Recipients	yes
Retain Mail	yes	Retains last 100 mail messages (ASCII MAIL only)
♦ Note

These options are for ASCII mail, also called old mail. For the newer mail system using HMI use WinCim to change any options using GO MAILSET.

Global Defaults	Default	Changed to
Perm Display Options
PAGED display	no	NO
BRIEF prompts	yes
CLEAR screen between pages	yes
BLANK lines sent	yes
Line feeds sent	yes
Language Preference	unknown
Character Set	Latin-1
Logon/Service Options
First service at logon	main	MAIN
CompuServe Mail waiting	Notify only	NOTIFY ONLY
Personal Menu	no
Top goes to	command	COMMAND
Online editor	edit	EDIT
Forum presentation mode	command	COMMAND
Basic Service Alerts	yes
Terminal Type Parameters
Terminal type	vt100	OTHER
Screen Width	80	79
LINES per page	0	0
Form FEED	real	SIMULATED
Horizontal tabs	read	SIMULATED
Chars. received (Case)	[u/l]	U/L
Chars sent in CAPS	no	NO
PARITY	none	NONE
Output DELAYS	0	1
ERASE when backspacing	yes	YES
Micro inquiry sequence at logon	no	NO
File Transfer/Graphics
PROTOCOL	Show menu	B Protocol
GRAPHICS SUPPORT
GIF SUPPORT	no
NAPLPS SUPPORT	no
RLE SUPPORT	no
♦ Note

These options affect scripts that run in ASCII, such as billing, news collection. They do not affect forum message collection which uses HMI.


Related Topics

For more information about connecting to CompuServe, see:

Set Service Options on CompuServe

CompuServe HMI and ASCII Interfaces

CompuServe HMI Errors

Order Commands Executed on CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Order Commands Executed on CompuServe

 See Also

The Review Outbasket displays the commands in the order they will be executed on CompuServe.

The sort order is as follows:

•	sort by forum to keep all message together

•	sort by sequence number for function.

The sequence number is set by Virtual Access for internal scripts and in the .CNF files for all scripts.

If there are more than 500 actions, the actions are not sorted.

♦ Note

Scheduled scripts are run at the beginning of a connection, in the order they are listed in the connection script DAILY.SCX, WEEKLY.SCX and so on.)..


Related Topics

For more information, see

Review Outbasket

For more information about connecting to CompuServe, see:

Set Service Options on CompuServe

CompuServe HMI and ASCII Interfaces

CompuServe HMI Errors

CompuServe Options Changed

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Collecting Messages from CompuServe

 See Also

CompuServe allows you to collect either the full text of a message or just the header. If you download only the header, you can decide for which specific threads you want to fetch the full text.

Which messages to collect are specified in Message | Sections to Collect. You can build different select lists for different groups and switch between them before connecting to CompuServe.


Related Topics

For more information about Collecting Messages, see:

Sections to Collect on CompuServe

Using Headers on CompuServe

Fetch Full Message on CompuServe

Scheduling Events for CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Sections to Collect on CompuServe

 See Also

Message Menu

You do not have to read every section in a forum if you are only interested in one section, so Virtual Access lets you select which sections you want to download.

The Message | Sections to Collect menu item brings up a dialog box where you can select the sections to download and the type of information to download.

After selecting a forum from the list on the left, you will see a list of the sections available in that forum. You are offered the choice of Full, Header, Root or None for each section.

•	Full collects the complete text of all new messages for a section.

•	Headers collects just the subject line of all new messages for a section.

•	Roots collects just the subject line for the first message of all new threads (the root message)

•	None ignores that section entirely.

If you wish to apply the same setting to all the sections in the forum, just click on the All button at the bottom of the relevant column.

If you only want to collect messages addressed to you or that you've written, there are 2 check boxes:

•	Read Waiting Messages - downloads only messages sent to your CompuServe ID

•	Read Your Messages - downloads only messages created by you.

Once you have finished making all your selections, press OK to make these settings active for your next connection. Pressing OK will always save the current selection and exit.

♦ Note

 The name of the currently active SEL file is displayed in the title bar. If you press save, this is the file that changes. For more information about using SEL files, see Saving and Using Selections.


Related Topics

For more information on header and roots mode, see:

Using Headers

For more information on Collecting Messages, see:

Saving and Using Selections (CIS)

For more information about Collecting Messages, see:

Using Headers on CompuServe

Fetch Full Message on CompuServe

Scheduling Events for CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Saving and Using Selections (CIS)

 See Also

You can change the settings for each forum you read using the Selections to Collect dialog. When all the settings are correct, pressing OK saves the settings in a default file (CONFS.SEL) in the CIS sub-directory.. These default settings are normally used each time you connect to CIS.

You can also save and load alternate settings to change the schedule of actions you perform each time you connect to CompuServe. You can save these alternate settings using any filename, but it must have the file extension .SEL and must be in the CIS sub-directory.

If you want to use your alternative settings, you must load them from the Section to Collect dialog before connecting to CompuServe.

For example, there may be some forums that you wish to check every day, and some that you only check once a week. You can save your download settings to a file, and switch from one set of settings to another by switching files.

There is always a 'current' settings file, associated with the current settings. The filename is shown in the dialog box title.

To save the settings to a file:

•	press Save As and choose a suitable filename and location.

To retrieve settings from a file:

•	press Load and select the file.

Note that the Download Settings dialog always shows you the current settings, those that will apply if you connect to CIS right now.

Use the buttons in the dialog box to choose your settings:

Button	Meaning
Load	Loads settings from an existing settings file
Save	Saves settings to the current settings file
Save As	Creates a new settings file
OK	Confirms the current settings and closes the dialog
Cancel	Cancels changes to the current settings and closes the dialog
Join	Re-joins the specified forum
Delete	Deletes the FORUM.NAM file. This will remove the forum from the Sections to Collect and from the Library List Manager, but will not remove any messages, so you can still read them in the MessageBase Window
Clear All	Clears all settings in the currently open .sel file


Related Topics

For more information about Collecting Messages, see:

Sections to Collect on CompuServe

Using Headers on CompuServe

Fetch Full Message on CompuServe

Scheduling Events for CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Using Headers on CompuServe

 See Also

Headers and Roots Mode

There are two ways to download headers from CompuServe:

1.	Headers Mode downloads the header of every new message in the section. This will show the complete structure of the thread, as there will be a header for each message.

2.	Roots Mode downloads only the first message of every new thread in the section. This does not show the thread structure, as only the first message is downloaded.

The principle difference is the way new messages in a thread are handled after the initial download.

Headers Mode

After you have first downloaded the headers of the messages in the forum, you can mark those threads you are interested in to be fetched on your next connection.

After the messages are downloaded, Virtual Access will leave the fetch mark on all messages. If after reading the thread, you do not want to see any new messages in the thread, remove the fetch flag.

When you download new headers in that section, new message headers in previously marked threads are downloaded automatically. This allows you to follow the thread without re-marking it.

Roots Mode

After you have first downloaded the headers of the messages in the forum, you can mark those threads you are interested in to be fetched on your next connection.

After the thread is downloaded, Virtual Access will leave the fetch mark on all messages.

When you download new roots for that section, no new messages in existing threads will be downloaded. Roots Mode only collects messages in an existing thread that you have marked; it then ignores that thread and no new messages will be downloaded automatically.

If you want to continue seeing new messages in the thread you should use Headers Mode.

Changing Modes

If you download Roots, mark for fetching, and then switch to Headers, Virtual Access will behave as if you were always on Headers, downloading all new messages in marked threads.

If you download Headers and then switch to Roots, no further messages will be downloaded in existing threads, even those marked for fetching.

At the time of writing this help file, CompuServe had identified a problem on their end that significantly slowed down the collection of header and roots. It is not clear whether there will be a fix for this on the CompuServe side or a workaround for the problem.


Related Topics

For more information about Collecting Messages, see:

Sections to Collect on CompuServe

Fetch Full Message on CompuServe

Scheduling Events for CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Fetch Full Message on CompuServe

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: . or >	Message Menu

Fetch Full Messages only applies to messages downloaded in Header mode. If you use Roots mode, new messages in marked threads are not downloaded.

To mark a message to be fetched

1.	Read the message you want to fetch the text for

2.	Select the Message menu and click on Fetch Full Message or use the period as a shortcut key

3.	The Fetch Symbol is shown next to all messages to be fetched.

To mark a thread to be fetched

1.	Read any message in the thread you want to fetch the text

2.	If you are not in Roots view, collapse the thread by pressing the left arrow key. You may need to press it several times depending on the thread depth.

3.	Select the Message menu and click on Fetch Full Message or use the period as a shortcut key

4.	If you are in Roots view and the thread is already collapsed, press the period

5.	The Fetch Symbol is shown next to all messages to be fetched.

When you mark a thread to be fetched, this creates a script to download the messages. You can check this information by using Review.

To stop following a Thread

To stop downloading new messages in a thread, remove the fetch flag.

♦ Note

If you change your mind and unmark a thread, it is not deleted from the list of actions. You will have to delete the reference to that thread manually using the Review Outbasket.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Review Outbasket

For more information about Collecting Messages, see:

Sections to Collect on CompuServe

Using Headers on CompuServe

Scheduling Events for CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Scheduling Events for CompuServe

 See Also

Tools | Scheduling | Set Routine

Using Set Routine you can schedule events to occur when you connect, such as:

•	Download What's New each week

•	Update a library listing every month

•	Collect ENS stories every day

The Set Routine box lists some common actions and all the libraries in your local message base.

To update a library on a regular basis

1.	Collect the library for the first time by selecting Refresh from the MessageBase Window right mouse button popup menu. You can not schedule an update for a library that does not exist in your local messages

2.	Select Tools | Scheduling | Set Routine menu item to open the dialog

3.	Scroll down the list to the library you want to update

4.	Select the time from the bottom for when to update - day of week, weekly or monthly.

When you update a library list, Virtual Access determines the date of the last library list by the date of the file and the current date and updates the library list for that number of days.

To schedule other scripts

In addition, you can schedule any CompuServe script (using the User Defined scripts in the Scheduler) to execute daily, weekly or monthly.

1.	Select Tools | Scheduling | Set Routine menu item to open the dialog

2.	Select the User Defined xxx script that matches the time you want the scripts to run - Always, Daily, etc.

3.	Press the ADD button

4.	Select the script from the list and enter any needed information for that script and press OK

To edit scheduled scripts

1.	Select Tools | Scheduling | Set Routine menu item to open the dialog

2.	Select the User Defined xxx script you want to edit

3.	Press the EDIT button

4.	The Review Outbasket dialog is displayed to let you change or delete entries


Related Topics

For more information about the scheduling, see:

Scheduling Events

For more information about Collecting Messages, see:

Sections to Collect on CompuServe

Using Headers on CompuServe

Fetch Full Message on CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


CompuServe Mail

 See Also

Addressing Mail

You can send mail to other users on CompuServe or to users of other networks to which CompuServe is connected. These systems include the Internet, X.400, and the CompuServe MHS Hub networks.

Virtual Access puts mail from CompuServe into the pseudo conference Mail/Messages in your local message base. The mail conference is treated like any other conference - you read it, reply to messages using the icons and short cuts and use the commands available in other conferences.

If you want to send new mail to someone, click on the mail icon or select the Message | Post New Mail menu item. You can fill in the address yourself, take it from your address book or click the Originator button to insert the name of the sender of the message you are currently viewing.

Mail Addressing

To send a mail message you must address it in a way that both Virtual Access and CompuServe will understand.

To address a mail message:

•	If you're sending mail to another CompuServe user, simply specify the User ID or Personal Address if they have one, for example:

 70007,5437	brandy

You can add the name of the user, but CompuServe requires the correct User ID or PA to send the mail. Brackets are optional, but are frequently used for clarity, for example:

Ashmount Research[70007,5437]

•	If sending mail to the Internet, use the following form. Note that any address that has an @ in it, is assumed to be an Internet address.

ashmount@cix.compulink.co.uk

•	If sending mail to an X400 address, which contains semicolons as part of the address, you must precede each semicolon with a backslash:

 >X400:(c=US\;a=COMPUSERVE\;p=CSMAIL\;d=ID:7007,5437)

To send a mail message to more than one recipient, type the addresses separated by semicolons.

Consult your CompuServe manual for details of addressing for other gateways.


Related Topics

For more information on CompuServe Mail, see:

Mail Receipt - CompuServe

Receive Binary Files from CompuServe

Send and Receive Encoded Files on CompuServe

Send Fax by CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Mail Receipt - CompuServe

 See Also

You can request a Receipt notification from CompuServe when the recipient has downloaded your mail message.

To request a receipt, check the box labeled "Receipt" in the Message Editor when writing mail.

When the user reads or downloads their mail, a message is returned to you from CompuServe indicating the mail subject, the user you sent it to, the time you sent the message and the time the message was read.

CompuServe sends the notification with the subject "Receipt of Message" and it will therefore not be threaded to the message you sent. You can link the receipt to the message using ReThread Message.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

ReThread Message

For more information on CompuServe Mail, see:

Receive Binary Files from CompuServe

Send and Receive Encoded Files on CompuServe

Send Fax by CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Receive Binary Files from CompuServe

 See Also

Binary files sent to you are automatically downloaded when you connect to CompuServe and stored in the directory you specified in the communications setup.

When you send binary files on CompuServe, a small description of the file can be uploaded with the file. This information is then stored as the Subject of the mail message by CompuServe. However, the actual filename is not stored.

It is common, but not required, to put the filename you are sending as the subject of the mail message. When you send binary mail with Virtual Access, this is done for you automatically.

When a binary file is received:

1.	Virtual Access will look for a filename in the subject field and use that name. If there appears to be no filename, it will use the first word of the subject.

2.	If the filename already exists, the file is named MAILn.bin, where n is a number starting with 0 and incremented as other files are received (MAIL1.BIN, MAIL2.BIN, and so on)

♦ Tip

CompuServe binary mail attachments generate a message that the file was downloaded. This message can be sorted into a specific mail folder using the following mail rule:

Folder: Files

Rule: Content-Type:*Binary*

The available content types are: ASCII, Binary, GIF, Binary file, Text file, Text object or JPEG.


Related Topics

For more information see,

Mail Rules

Comms Setup for CompuServe

For more information on CompuServe Mail, see:

Mail Receipt - CompuServe

Send and Receive Encoded Files on CompuServe

Send Fax by CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Send and Receive Encoded Files on CompuServe

 See Also

You can send binary files to another CompuServe member directly. However, binary files sent to non-CompuServe users must be encoded before sending. The recipient must have a program to decode the file.

Virtual Access will encode and decode the file for your automatically.

To send a file

1.	Use the File Attach button in the Mail Message Editor and specify the file. Virtual Access will encode the file before sending.

To decode a file

1.	Virtual Access will read the decode options in Tools | Options | Decode to decide when to decode the file.

See Viewing Encoded Files for more information.

♦ Notes

1) There is a CompuServe file size limit of 2 MB for external mail.

2) File attachments through any CompuServe gateway (x400, MHS, etc.) will automatically be UUEncoded.

3) You must use UUEncode when sending files from CompuServe as CompuServe does not support the header requirements for using MIME.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Options - Decode

For more information on CompuServe Mail, see:

Mail Receipt - CompuServe

Receive Binary Files from CompuServe

Send Fax by CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Send Fax by CompuServe

 See Also

Message Menu

You can send a fax consisting of text only by CompuServe's Fax Gateway.

When you select Message | Send Fax, the Message Editor opens with three fields for you to fill in:

To:

This is the name of the person to whom the fax is addressed and will be included on the cover letter.

Phone:

This is the phone number of the fax machine you are sending it to.

Regardless of the destination, you must include the International Country Code at the beginning of the phone number and then the phone number. Parentheses () and dashes in the telephone number are optional.

For example:

•	For U.S. destinations, prefix with a 1

•	For UK destinations, prefix with a 44 and omit the 0 in the code e.g. 181

Subject:

This is the subject of the fax and will be included on the cover letter.

♦ Notes on CompuServe Fax Gateway

Lines should not exceed 80 characters in width.

The message should not exceed 50,000 characters.

You will automatically receive a confirmation through CompuServe Mail when your fax message has been delivered. CompuServe Mail will attempt to send a fax message up to 30 times if the line is busy; otherwise, five attempts are made. If after the last attempt the message cannot be delivered, it will be returned. CompuServe is not responsible for fax messages not delivered because of incorrect phone numbers, busy signals, or no answers.

The cost depends upon the destination of the fax message no matter where you send it from.

Information on the cover page includes:

TO: (the recipient's name as specified above)

FROM: (your name)

DATE: (the date and time (in EST) the fax is delivered)

SUBJECT: (information on the fax contents as specified above)

For more information and current pricing, see the help system on CompuServe by typing:

GO MAIL

HELP FAX


Related Topics

For more information on CompuServe Mail, see:

Mail Receipt - CompuServe

Receive Binary Files from CompuServe

Send and Receive Encoded Files on CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


CompuServe Forum Messages

 See Also

This section covers options that are specific to CompuServe forum messages.

These options include formatting of forum messages (Send as Shown) and who can see the message (Send Private).

In addition this section explains the CompuServe High Message Number function and tells you how to synchronize the High Message Numbers between your local message base and CompuServe.


Related Topics

For more information on Forum Messages, see:

Reply to Scrolled Messages (CIS)

Forum Message Options (CIS)

Forum High Message Number (CIS)

Reconstruct - CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Reply to Scrolled Messages (CIS)

 See Also

Replies to messages that have scrolled off the forum are posted as new messages.

The subject becomes "OldMsgNo-Old Subject" and the To field is kept the same. Virtual Access will thread the message into the correct thread if it is still available in your local message base.


Related Topics

For more information on Forum Messages, see:

Forum Message Options (CIS)

Forum High Message Number (CIS)

Reconstruct - CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Forum Message Options (CIS)

 See Also

By default, messages are posted publicly in forums and reformatted by CompuServe. You can set two options to change this using check boxes in the Message Editor.

Send Private Message

A private message is posted on the forum, but is only visible to the sender and receiver of the message.

Not all forums allow private messages. If a message cannot be posted, it is sent to the recipient as a mail message. You can check to see if private messages are enabled in a forum by selecting Message | View Remote Information.

In general, it is a good idea to withdraw a private message after you have read it to free up the number of message slots for public messages.

♦ Tip

You can see if a forum has private messages enabled, by reading a message in the forum and selecting Message | View Remote Information.

Send Message as Shown

CompuServe normally reformats a message according to the display capabilities of your default terminal type.

For some messages, such as scripts, tables or lists, you may not want the message reformatted. If you check "Send Message as Shown" it will not be formatted. However, the message may not appear as you sent it to all recipients, if they cannot display the message in the same format.

If you want only a portion of a message not to be reformatted, put a space at the beginning of each line.

General Address for Forum Messages

You can address a forum message to a specific individual or the following:

All	General address to all members of the forum
Sysop	For the attention of the forum sysop
*Sysop	Private message to the forum wizop


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Cancel a Message

Message Editor - Text Width and Word Wrap

View Forum Information

For more information on Forum Messages, see:

Reply to Scrolled Messages (CIS)

Forum High Message Number (CIS)

Reconstruct - CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Forum High Message Number (CIS)

 See Also

CompuServe stores a High Message Number (HMN) for each user in each Forum. The HMN is the number of the most recent message you have read. This is so that when you revisit a forum, you will only see new messages.

When you download messages, this number is set to the highest message retrieved. This is not necessarily the highest number of the forum, as there may be a higher message number in a section that you did not download.

If you access CompuServe with another communication program, you should be careful not to change the HMN. If you read messages on line and the message number is increased, some messages may not be downloaded by Virtual Access when you log in again.

You can use the "Set high message number" script to change the HMN.

♦ Note

You can look in the terminal logs for the High Message Number set after each blink. The log file are located in the BACKUP directory and named cisNNN.log, where NNN is a sequence number with 001 being the most recent connection.


Related Topics

For more information on Forum Messages, see:

Reply to Scrolled Messages (CIS)

Forum Message Options (CIS)

Reconstruct - CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Reconstruct - CompuServe

 See Also

  	Tools | Messagebase Management

If you always read your forum messages using Virtual Access, the High Message Numbers on CompuServe will stay in step with your local message base on your PC.

However if you read messages on line, or use a different reader for a period, Virtual Access won't be able to collect these messages and the HMN won't correspond to the last message Virtual Access downloaded. It is also possible for the synchronization to be lost if a message download fails, for example because the telephone connection is cut off halfway through.

Reconstruct generates a command for each forum to set the High Message Numbers to the highest message number in your message base so that all the messages not already on your PC will be downloaded.

To bring things back into synchronization

•	select the Reconstruct command

•	check in Review that the forums being changed are correct. You can delete any forum you do not want to change the HMN for.

•	do an Actions-Only connection to CompuServe to change the High Message Numbers

•	on the next Full Connection, Virtual Access will download messages starting at the last number that was in your message base.

♦ Note

Forums on CompuServe have a specific number of "slots" for messages. When the number is filled, the oldest message scrolls off the forum and can not be retrieved. Even though you set the HMN number backwards, there is no guarantee that a message will still be available.


Related Topics

For more information on Forum Messages, see:

Reply to Scrolled Messages (CIS)

Forum Message Options (CIS)

Forum High Message Number (CIS)

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Finding CompuServe Forums

 See Also

CompuServe has a very large number of forums and it is getting larger all the time. It can be difficult is finding what forums are available for you to join. In addition, the names of the forum sections and libraries can change.

There are several commands to help you keep track of forums and libraries that are available on the Message menu:

•	View Service List, select CIS to display a list of forums. You can join a forum from this list or request an updated list with any new forums added to it.

•	Join Remote adds your ID to the membership of a specific forum

•	View Remote Information shows the current forum section and library names


Related Topics

For more information about Finding Forums, see:

View Service List (CIS)

Join a Forum on CompuServe

Show Forum Information (CIS)

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


View Service List (CIS)

 See Also

 	Message Menu

The View Service Lists menu item displays a list of all services. When you select CIS, a list of CompuServe forums is displayed.

The list of forums available on CompuServe is stored in your CIS sub-directory in a file called conf.lis.

There are several buttons at the top of the forum list:

Button	Function
Close	Close the list box
Find	search for a string of text
Print	Print out the list - beware, as it is a long list!
Join	join the forum highlighted in the list
Refresh	Collect an updated list of available forums on the next connection
As CompuServe adds new forums, this list will become out of date, so it is a good idea to refresh it occasionally.


Related Topics

For more information about Finding Forums, see:

Join a Forum on CompuServe

Show Forum Information (CIS)

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Join a Forum on CompuServe

 See Also

 	Message Menu

There are two ways to join a forum on CompuServe:

1.	If you know the forum name, select  Join Remote

2.	If you don't know the forum name, use View Service Lists, select CIS to show the list of forums, highlight the one you want and press the Join button.

With either method, Virtual Access will ask you for the name (Handle) you wish to use in that forum.

•	Some forums have guidelines for the name you should use, for example, your real name, or including your state or country. The best recommendation is to use your full real name.

•	Some forums may not allow you to change your name after you have joined. In these forums, you need to send a message to the sysop if you want to change your name

Join Options

There are two options that you can set when you join a forum:

1.	Set the forum High Message Number to a specific number of days. This can be used to limit the number of messages that are downloaded when you join a new forum. This does not download any messages.

2.	Download sections of the forum at the same time you join. As Virtual Access does not know the section names at this point, the section numbers must be entered.

♦ Note

Using either join option, you still must use Join | Sections to Collect to specify the forums and sections to download on a regular basis as these actions are only performed when you join.

What happens when you join

The next time you connect to CompuServe, Virtual Access joins the forum and perform several actions:

1.	Join you as a member

2.	Collect the section and library names

3.	Collects the Newsflash and forum announcements

The screen display is turned off while you join a forum. A prompt on the status bar of the terminal windows displays the current action.

You can then download headers or messages from the forum

Forum Name

Virtual Access sets the name in each forum when you join the forum. You can change that name by rejoining the forum. This will not change any other settings in the forum.

Some forums do not allow you to change your name once you have joined. In this case, send a message to *SYSOP with a request to change your name.

♦ Note

It is a good idea to read the forum announcements when you join a new forum. They contain information about the messages, libraries, conferences and forum policy.


Related Topics

For more information about Finding Forums, see:

View Service List (CIS)

Show Forum Information (CIS)

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Show Forum Information (CIS)

 See Also

 	Message | View Remote Information

View Remote Information opens a window showing the names of the message sections and libraries in the forum you are viewing.

In addition, the Forum Information will display:

•	If private messages are enabled for the forum

•	If the forum is a NISA forum

•	If any flags are enabled for you in the forum, such as sysop or free flags.

♦ Note

The forum information is automatically updated each time you go to the forum.


Related Topics

For more information about Finding Forums, see:

View Service List (CIS)

Join a Forum on CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


CompuServe Forum Libraries

 See Also

CompuServe Forum Libraries are stored as messages in sections called Lxxx, where xxx is the name of the library.

Click on the different areas of the graphic for more information about the library display.


Related Topics

For more information about CompuServe forum libraries, see:

Refresh Library List for CompuServe

Upload a File to CompuServe

Download a File from CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


The MessageBase Window that displays a list of services, forums and sections in your local message base.


The window for viewing the message base. The title bar shows the section you are viewing.


List of library sections in a forum. Library sections are displayed in blue and message sections in black. The red numbers indicate new files added to the library listing that are unread.


Listing of files in a specific library. Files that you have downloaded are marked with the Disk Symbol in the Flags column.


The header (short description) of a file in the library. If you downloaded the library headers only, you can get the text description by marking the file with the Fetch Symbol.


The text description of a file in the library. This text is obtained by checking the "Collect File Descriptions" when you refresh a library list.


The information bar between the Thread Window and the Message Window.


Refresh Library List for CompuServe

 See Also

Special Menu

CompuServe forums maintain lists of files that are available. Virtual Access collects these lists for you to browse offline and then select which files to download. You must join the forum before you can download the library lists.

To collect library list

1.	Highlight the forum name in the MessageBase Window whose library lists you would like to collect. You can select more than one forum.

2.	Press the Right Mouse Button and click on Refresh File List

3.	The Refresh File List dialog box is displayed as shown below.

Refresh File List on CompuServe offers you several options:

1.	Collect the list of files or only selected files

2.	Collect the header information only (short list) or the header and the text description (long list).

3.	Replace existing library list will delete all current files and then collect a new list based on the selection criteria.

If you collect the short list, you can collect the file description by using the Fetch Full Message function (period or > key) which marks the file with the Fetch Symbol.

The graphic displays the dialog box to search/refresh the Library Lists. Click on each box of the dialog for more information about the option.


Related Topics

For scheduling library updates, see:

Schedule Events with Set Routine

Scheduling Events for CompuServe

For more information about CompuServe forum libraries, see:

Upload a File to CompuServe

Download a File from CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


The list of sections to collect (refresh) the library list.

You can use the Browse Button to select specific sections or use the following:

•	* or ALL to collect all library sections

•	range of numbers, such as 2-8 or 1,3-5

•	the library sections can be separated by a space or by a comma


Displays a list of libraries in the section.

To select multiple sections use window standard extended selections. See Using a Mouse and Using a Keyboard in the MessageBase Window for how to select text.


The filename to look for in the library. You can use an asterisk (*) as a wildcard. Searching for *ZIP will find all the zipped files in a library.


The CompuServe UID of the person who uploaded the file.


The number of days from the present to collect files.

Entering 10 would collect all files for the last 10 days. This lets you update your library easily.

Virtual Access will detect the number of days since your last update and put that number here.


Collect list of files with this number of accesses or greater.


Collect list of files with this text in the keyword field.


Collect list of files with this text in the Title field.


Collect list of files with this text in the File Description field.


Collect the file descriptions for each file. This is often referred to as a "long library list".

If you do not check this field, only the library header is collected.

You can collect the description for a single file, by pressing the > key which marks the message with the Fetch Symbol.


If checked, the current library list is deleted and replaced with the new on you collect.

This can be used to update the entire library, including files deleted or a subset of the complete library based on the selection information.


Enters the refresh request to the Review Outbasket


Cancels the refresh request


Call in the help system.


Upload a File to CompuServe

 See Also

Special Menu

Upload a file allows you to contribute your own files to the Forum Libraries.

To upload a file

1.	View a section in the forum you want to upload to

2.	Select the Special menu and click on Upload File to display the Upload dialog box.

3.	Fill in all fields in the dialog box.

Upload File Fields

Section - the library section where you want to upload the file. The drop down list displays all library sections in the forum you are viewing.

Filename - the pathname of the file you want to upload. You can use the Browse Button to locate the file.

Type - the file type. The options are:

Binary - use this for all zipped files

Image - an .img file type, rarely used now

Graphic: RLE - a .rle file type

Graphic: NAPLPS - a graphic file type rarely used

Graphic: GIF - a .gif file type that is widely used.

Graphic: JPG - a .jpg type

Graphic: PNG - a .png type

Keywords - the keywords for your file. These can be used with the Refresh Library List. Multiple words can be entered and are separated by a space. You can not use the words "and" "or" as they will be stripped by the host software.

Title - a single line title description of your file for the library header. There is a maximum of 49 characters.

Description - a text description of your file. There is a maximum of 459 characters.


Related Topics

For more information about CompuServe forum libraries, see:

Refresh Library List for CompuServe

Download a File from CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Download a File from CompuServe

 See Also

Special Menu

Download a File lets you retrieve files from the CompuServe Forum libraries.

To download from the Library List

1.	View the Library List and highlight the message the describes the file you want to download

2.	Select the Special menu and click on Download File

3.	A dialog box is displayed with the filename to download for you to check.

4.	Press OK and the request is put into the Outbasket and will be downloaded on your next connection.

To download while reading a message

If a message contains a reference to a file in a forum library, you can mark it for collection without refreshing the library list.

1.	Select the Special menu and click on Download File

2.	A dialog box is displayed with the forum library sections and a box to enter the filename. Select the correct forum library and enter the filename.

3.	Press OK and the request is put into the Outbasket and will be downloaded on your next connection.

♦ Notes

1) You can also double click on a filename in the Library List to download it.

2) The Download Pending Symbol is placed next to the filename when you request it to be downloaded. It is then replaced with the Disk Symbol after the file has been downloaded.


Related Topics

For more information about CompuServe forum libraries, see:

Refresh Library List for CompuServe

Upload a File to CompuServe

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


CompuServe Actions and Scripts

 See Also

Actions specific to CompuServe are listed on the Special menu.

The Special menu groups different actions by category.

For more information about each category, see:

Remote Search

Basic Services

Microsoft Support

News Services

Financial and Executive Options

ZD Net Features

Billing

Weather

Forum/Messages

Sysop Basic Functions

Others

Also check in the Ashmount libraries for additional scripts that may be made available.

♦Note

Many of the scripts that collect information do not scroll the information on the screen for greater speed. You can see which action is in progress on the status bar in the Terminal Window.


Related Topics

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries


Remote Search Messages (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu

The Remote Search function allows you to collect messages with specific criteria.

To use remote search

1.	View any message in the forum you want to search.

2.	Select the Special menu and click on Remote Search. The forum name is show at the top of the dialog box.

3.	Fill in the dialog box and press OK to send the request to the Outbasket. The messages will be collected on your next connection to CompuServe.

Click on the graphic for more information about the Remote Search Options.

For more information, see Tips for using Remote Search.

Due to a CompuServe bug in HMI at the time of writing, you can only select ONE field to search.


Related Topics

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Tips for Using Remote Search on CompuServe

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


Tips for Using Remote Search on CompuServe

 See Also

Remote search can be used in many ways to limit the number of messages you collect, but make sure they are the ones you want.

Search by Days

This allows you to download only a specific number of days worth of messages.

If you go on holiday (and didn't take your computer), when you come back forums you visit regularly may have hundreds of messages. If you don't want to download and read them all, you can use Remote Search to collect only the last 2 or 3 days of messages to catch up on what's happening on the forum.

Fill in the Limit Search TO field and leave the other fields blank.

Search by TO or FROM fields

If you want to read only message TO or FROM specific people in a forum, you can use Remote Search to collect them.

Note that this brings down only the specific messages and not the entire thread the person is involved in.

This can be used to collect only messages from specific technical advisors for a quick review. You can use Search by Subject later if you want to collect the full thread.

Search by Subject

This allows you to download only messages with specific text strings.

For example, in a modem support forum you could download only messages that contain the name of your modem.

Schedule Remote Search

You can schedule the Remote Search function using the Set Routine function.

This can be used to schedule daily collection in a forum of messages with a specific subject thereby watching the thread.

You will need to remember to remove the Remote Search when you no longer want to watch the thread.

For more information on scheduling, see Scheduling Events and Scheduling Events for CompuServe.


Related Topics

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts

For more information about using CompuServe, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connecting to CompuServe

Collecting Messages from CompuServe

CompuServe Mail

CompuServe Forum Messages

Finding CompuServe Forums

CompuServe Forum Libraries

CompuServe Actions and Scripts


The name of the forum to search in is shown in the title bar of the Remote Search dialog box.


The sections of the forum to search in. This is a list of numbers separated by a space.


Calls up a list of all sections in the forum. You can highlight those you want to search.


Limit Search To lets you search a subset of messages. You can search:

•	all messages or just unread messages

•	messages for the last 1-6 days, last week, last month


The radio buttons give you the options available to search on.


Search for messages FROM a user.

You can enter the CompuServe ID, a full name or part of a name (100276,1663 or Brandy J. Williams or Brandy would all work).

The string to search for is entered in the Search Text box below.

Virtual Access will fill in the search text box with the FROM field of the current message you are viewing.


Search for messages TO a user.

You can enter the CompuServe ID, a full name or part of a name (100276,1663 or Brandy J. Williams or Brandy would all work).

The string to search for is entered in the Search Text box below.

Virtual Access will fill in the search text box with the TO field of the current message you are viewing.


Search for a text string in the subject field.

This can be the complete subject or any text string.

For example, searching for the word Help, will find messages with the word help anywhere in the subject field.

Virtual Access will fill in the search text box with the subject of the current message you are viewing.


Available in NISA forums only.

This will search for a text string in all messages in the forum.


The text string to search for.

The entry in this box depends on which option you have selected. Click on each radio button above for more information on each search option.


Write the search request to the Outbasket and close the dialog box.

The messages will be collected the next time you connect.


Cancels the Remote Search request and closes the dialog box


Calls in the help for Remote Search.


CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

 See Also

Special Menu

These scripts collection information from several areas of CompuServe. These include:

•	What's New on CIS and Online Today

•	What's New for CompuServe, Europe and the Pacific

•	Articles from the online encyclopedias and dictionary

•	Ebert's Movie Reviews

•	Finding a product support forum

For more information about each category for scripts, see:

Remote Search

Microsoft Support

News Services

Financial and Executive Options

ZD Net Features

Billing

Weather

Forum/Messages

Sysop Basic Functions

Others

♦ Note

Some of the scripts that collect information do not scroll the information on the screen for greater speed. You can see which action is in progress on the status bar in the Terminal Window.


Related Topics

For more information about Basic Service scripts, see:

What's New on CIS

File Finder (CIS)

Groliers Encyclopedia (CIS)

American Heritage Dictionary (CIS)

Consumer Report Complete Drug Reference (CIS)

Bertelsmann Lexikon (CIS)

Ebert's Movie Reviews (CIS)

Search for Support Forum (CIS)

Search Membership (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


What's New on CIS

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

CompuServe has several What's New announcements for different parts of the world. All announcements are put in the pseudo forum WHATS NEW.

Currently the what's new announcements are available for:

•	United States

•	United Kingdom

•	Holland

•	Germany

•	France

•	Central Pacific

The drop down box lists the available scripts. The last option is to collect all of the What's News.

♦ Tip

You can schedule the What's News to be collected weekly using Set Routine.


Related Topics

For more information about Basic Service scripts, see:

File Finder (CIS)

Groliers Encyclopedia (CIS)

American Heritage Dictionary (CIS)

Consumer Report Complete Drug Reference (CIS)

Bertelsmann Lexikon (CIS)

Ebert's Movie Reviews (CIS)

Search for Support Forum (CIS)

Search Membership (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


File Finder (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

The file finder script gives access to several file finder indexes on CIS. They are designed to provide quick and easy reference to some of the best programs and files available on CompuServe. The available areas are:

•	PC File Finder

•	Windows File Finder

•	Games File Finder

•	Microsoft File Finder

•	Macintosh File Finder

•	Amiga File Finder

The scripts asks for several pieces of information to help find the correct file.

•	Keywords - Specify the keywords (maximum of 3) by which you would like to search. This will search in the keyword entry of the library file description.

•	Type: Specify the type of file:

ASCII

 Binary

 Image

 Mac

 Graphics.

•	File Name - The exact filename Note that wildcard entries, such as *.ZIP are not accepted.

•	Limit - the maximum number of matches to display. If the number is exceeded, no report is returned.

•	Full Details - include full information available about the file.

If you download full details, each match is a separate message and you can use Special | Download File to collect the file. If you are not joined to the forum, Virtual Access will join you to the forum before collecting the message

If you do not check full details, all the matches are in a single message, but do not have the information for Virtual Access to download them.

The results are shown in the File Finder/FINDERNAME pseudo forum.


Related Topics

For more information about Basic Service scripts, see:

What's New on CIS

Groliers Encyclopedia (CIS)

American Heritage Dictionary (CIS)

Consumer Report Complete Drug Reference (CIS)

Bertelsmann Lexikon (CIS)

Ebert's Movie Reviews (CIS)

Search for Support Forum (CIS)

Search Membership (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Groliers Encyclopedia (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

This script retrieves an article from Groliers Encyclopedia. The result is shown in the pseudo forum "Encyclopedia/Groliers"

As with all databases, it is best to be as specific as possible. If there are several matches for your request, the script will download the first one. If there are more than 50 matches, CompuServe will produce an error.

For example, if you ask for "bird", CompuServe finds the following matches:

Articles selected: 11 that begin with [ "bird" ]

 1 Begin New Search

 2 bird

 3 bird of paradise

 4 bird sanctuary:

 5 bird's nest fungus

 6 Bird, Larry

 7 Bird, Robert Montgomery

 8 bird-of-paradise flower

 9 bird-watching

10 birds of prey

11 Birdseye, Clarence

12 birdsong

The script will select the first topic and download the information on that section.

For information on one of the other selections found, rerun the script with the phrase as shown above (e.g., birds of prey)


Related Topics

For more information about Basic Service scripts, see:

What's New on CIS

File Finder (CIS)

American Heritage Dictionary (CIS)

Consumer Report Complete Drug Reference (CIS)

Bertelsmann Lexikon (CIS)

Ebert's Movie Reviews (CIS)

Search for Support Forum (CIS)

Search Membership (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


American Heritage Dictionary (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

This script finds the definition of a word from the American Heritage Dictionary and places the result in the pseudo forum "Dictionary/Words"

If there is more than one entry that matches, Virtual Access will give a list of all words and the definition of the first match.

You can use the script again and use the list of matches to get the definition of the other matches.


Related Topics

For more information about Basic Service scripts, see:

What's New on CIS

File Finder (CIS)

Groliers Encyclopedia (CIS)

Consumer Report Complete Drug Reference (CIS)

Bertelsmann Lexikon (CIS)

Ebert's Movie Reviews (CIS)

Search for Support Forum (CIS)

Search Membership (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Consumer Report Complete Drug Reference (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

This script gives you access to the Consumer Report Drug Reference information. The script asks for the drug you wish to lookup.

Please be as specific as possible to get the best results. If there is more than one match, the script will download the first match, but all matches will be displayed at the top of the message. If the match is wrong, you can then select another one and then rerun the script.

The result is shown the pseudo forum Drugs/Reference


Related Topics

For more information about Basic Service scripts, see:

What's New on CIS

File Finder (CIS)

Groliers Encyclopedia (CIS)

American Heritage Dictionary (CIS)

Bertelsmann Lexikon (CIS)

Ebert's Movie Reviews (CIS)

Search for Support Forum (CIS)

Search Membership (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Bertelsmann Lexikon (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

This script downloads entries from Bertelsmann Lexikon, a German encyclopedia.

As with all databases, it is best to be as specific as possible. If there are several matches for your request, the script will download the first one. If there are more than 50 matches, CompuServe will produce an error.

The result is shown in the pseudo forum Bertelsmann/Lexikon


Related Topics

For more information about Basic Service scripts, see:

What's New on CIS

File Finder (CIS)

Groliers Encyclopedia (CIS)

American Heritage Dictionary (CIS)

Consumer Report Complete Drug Reference (CIS)

Ebert's Movie Reviews (CIS)

Search for Support Forum (CIS)

Search Membership (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Ebert's Movie Reviews (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

This script downloads Roger Ebert's current Movie Reviews and places them in the pseudo forum "Ebert/Recent Reviews".

You can reply to Roger Ebert in the Ask Roger Ebert section of the Showbiz Forum.


Related Topics

For more information about Basic Service scripts, see:

What's New on CIS

File Finder (CIS)

Groliers Encyclopedia (CIS)

American Heritage Dictionary (CIS)

Consumer Report Complete Drug Reference (CIS)

Bertelsmann Lexikon (CIS)

Search for Support Forum (CIS)

Search Membership (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Search for Support Forum (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

If you need support for your computer hardware or software, CompuServe is an excellent place to get help, either directly from the company or from other users. Search for support forum helps you find the CompuServe support forum or section for a product or company where you can ask your questions.

You can search for:

•	Company or Organization Name

•	Product Name

The results are shown in the pseudo forum Support/Forums.


Related Topics

For more information about Basic Service scripts, see:

What's New on CIS

File Finder (CIS)

Groliers Encyclopedia (CIS)

American Heritage Dictionary (CIS)

Consumer Report Complete Drug Reference (CIS)

Bertelsmann Lexikon (CIS)

Ebert's Movie Reviews (CIS)

Search Membership (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Search Membership (CIS)

 See Also

Special | Basic Services

Search Membership allows you to search for a person's CompuServe ID in the Membership Directory. The result is held in the pseudo forum "Directory" in your message base.

To search for a member ID

Select Special | Basic Services | Search Membership

The dialog lets you specify the following to find a member:

1.	Last name

2.	Forename

3.	City

4.	Country (default is USA)

5.	State

For best results, you should specify as much information as possible, particularly the country. You can specify part of a last name or forename (e.g. Tho for Thomas).

When you press OK, the request is entered into the Review Outbasket and will be collected on your next connection.

If CompuServe can not find a match or if there are too many matches, it produces an error message which is shown in the Directory forum. You can look at the error and then run the script again to redefine the search and try again on your next connection.

♦ Note

Not all CompuServe IDs are in the member directory as it is possible to request that your ID is not added to the list.


Related Topics

For more information about Basic Service scripts, see:

What's New on CIS

File Finder (CIS)

Groliers Encyclopedia (CIS)

American Heritage Dictionary (CIS)

Consumer Report Complete Drug Reference (CIS)

Bertelsmann Lexikon (CIS)

Ebert's Movie Reviews (CIS)

Search for Support Forum (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

 See Also

Special Menu | Microsoft Support

One of the many uses of CompuServe is to obtain up-to-date technical information. Two of the most useful areas are the Microsoft Library and Knowledge Base.

Virtual Access has scripts to obtain information from both these services.

For more information about each category of scripts, see:

Remote Search

Basic Services

News Services

Financial and Executive Options

ZD Net Features

Billing

Weather

Forum/Messages

Sysop Basic Functions

Others


Related Topics

For more information about Microsoft support scripts, see:

Download from MS Library (CIS))

Download from MS Knowledge Base (CIS))

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Download from MS Library (CIS))

 See Also

Special Menu | Microsoft Support

This script allows you to download a known file from the Microsoft Library.

The script will ask for:

1.	The name of the file in the MS Library

2.	The name to give the file on your computer

For more information on CompuServe Microsoft scripts, see:


Related Topics

For more information about Microsoft support scripts, see:

Download from MS Knowledge Base (CIS))

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Download from MS Knowledge Base (CIS))

 See Also

Special Menu | Microsoft Support

This script allows you to download a known file from the Microsoft Knowledge Base when you know the MS reference number for the file.

The script will ask you for the MS reference number and then put the resulting article in a pseudo forum "MSKB" in the Download section.


Related Topics

For more information about Microsoft support scripts, see:

Download from MS Library (CIS))

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


CompuServe News Services

 See Also

Special Menu | News Services

CompuServe has a large number of news services available. The following areas are available in Virtual Access:

•	Online Today

•	Executive News Service (ENS)


Related Topics

For more information about news scripts, see:

Online Today Scripts (CIS)

Collect ENS Stories (CIS)

Collect Late ENS Stories (CIS)

Collect All ENS Stories (CIS)

Create ENS Folder (CIS)

Delete ENS Folder (CIS)

Refresh ENS Folders (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Online Today Scripts (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | News Services

Online Today Daily Edn

This script downloads the CompuServe Online Today file and stores it in the pseudo forum "Online_Today".

Online Today 1 Article

This script allows you to download a specific On-Line Today article. You must know the OLT number first.


Related Topics

For more information about news scripts, see:

Collect ENS Stories (CIS)

Collect Late ENS Stories (CIS)

Collect All ENS Stories (CIS)

Create ENS Folder (CIS)

Delete ENS Folder (CIS)

Refresh ENS Folders (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Collect ENS Stories (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | News Services

Executive News Service (ENS) allows you to set up personal folders to hold stories from various wire services based on your search criteria (like a clipping service).

This script will ask you for the name of your personal folder. The text is not displayed while it is collected, but the status bar of the terminal program shows the progress.

The results are shown in the ENS pseudo forum with the folder name as the forum name. The From field for each story shows the name of the wire source.

You must setup your personal folders before using this script.

Use Virtual Access manual mode, WinCim or another communications program to setup the folders by using GO ENS and following the menus.

♦ Tip

You can use the scheduler (Tools | Scheduling | Set Routine) to automatically collect your ENS folders on a daily, weekly or specific day.

You should run the Refresh ENS Folders before using this script, to update the drop down list with the name of your current folders.


Related Topics

For more information about news scripts, see:

Online Today Scripts (CIS)

Collect Late ENS Stories (CIS)

Collect All ENS Stories (CIS)

Create ENS Folder (CIS)

Delete ENS Folder (CIS)

Refresh ENS Folders (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Collect Late ENS Stories (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | News Services

This script will collect late breaking news from all the wire services.

This script will collect the last several hundred wire stories.


Related Topics

For more information about news scripts, see:

Online Today Scripts (CIS)

Collect ENS Stories (CIS)

Collect All ENS Stories (CIS)

Create ENS Folder (CIS)

Delete ENS Folder (CIS)

Refresh ENS Folders (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Collect All ENS Stories (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | News Services

This script will collect all your ENS folders at one time.

♦ Note

You must have run the Refresh ENS Folders script before using this command.


Related Topics

For more information about news scripts, see:

Online Today Scripts (CIS)

Collect ENS Stories (CIS)

Collect Late ENS Stories (CIS)

Create ENS Folder (CIS)

Delete ENS Folder (CIS)

Refresh ENS Folders (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Create ENS Folder (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | News Services

ENS folder are used for selecting specific stores from the wire services based on keyphrases within the text. You can have a maximum of three folders.

This script can be used to setup simple matches. If you need very complex search criteria or want to search different wire services, you should use WinCim to set up the folders.

The script asks for:

•	Folder Name - ten characters maximum

•	Expiry Date - defaults to one year

•	Keyphrases - the strings of text to search for

•	Services to Search - Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UPI), Reuters or all services. You can check more than one service

Keyphrases

Keyphrases determine what stories should be placed in your folder. You can list a single word, a group of words that all must be in the story, or a group of words for which one must be in the story.

To set the criteria, you can use the | symbol to mean OR and the & symbol to mean AND in a group of words. For example:

•	CompuServe | AOL | Prodigy - would collect all stories that have any one of these three words

•	Security & Internet - would collect stories that have both the word Security and the word Internet in them.

You can have complex search patterns. Please see your CompuServe documentation or GO ENS and type help for more information.

Be careful what words you select or you can collect a large number of stories. For example, selecting Microsoft would get every story that contained the word, probably hundreds.


Related Topics

For more information about news scripts, see:

Online Today Scripts (CIS)

Collect ENS Stories (CIS)

Collect Late ENS Stories (CIS)

Collect All ENS Stories (CIS)

Delete ENS Folder (CIS)

Refresh ENS Folders (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Delete ENS Folder (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | News Services

This script will delete an existing ENS folder. If you have run the Refresh ENS Folders script previously, a drop down list of folder names is displayed.

♦ Tip

After deleting a folder, you should run the Refresh ENS Folders scripts to update your current folder names.


Related Topics

For more information about news scripts, see:

Online Today Scripts (CIS)

Collect ENS Stories (CIS)

Collect Late ENS Stories (CIS)

Collect All ENS Stories (CIS)

Create ENS Folder (CIS)

Refresh ENS Folders (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Refresh ENS Folders (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | News Services

This script collects the information about your ENS folders and updates the list of folder names for the Collect ENS Stories script.

The following information is collected for each folder:

•	Name of the folder

•	Expiration Date

•	Wire Services it searches

•	Selection criteria keyphrases for the folder

The results are displayed in the ENS/Folders forum.

♦ Tip

Run this script before you use the Collect ENS Folders script and it will update the drop down list box in the collect script with the current names of your folder. If you change the folder names, you should rerun this script.

It is a good idea to run this script periodically and check the expiration date of the folder.


Related Topics

For more information about news scripts, see:

Online Today Scripts (CIS)

Collect ENS Stories (CIS)

Collect Late ENS Stories (CIS)

Collect All ENS Stories (CIS)

Create ENS Folder (CIS)

Delete ENS Folder (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

 See Also

Special Menu | Financial & Executive Options

These scripts collect Financial and News stories from CompuServe. Note that some of these scripts access chargeable databases.

Virtual Access currently has scripts for:

•	US and UK Stock Prices

•	Commodities

•	Collecting Executive News Service folders

For more information about each category of scripts, see:

Remote Search

Basic Services

Microsoft Support

News Services

Financial and Executive Options

ZD Net Features

Billing

Weather

Forum/Messages

Sysop Basic Functions

Others


Related Topics

For more information about financial scripts, see:

Basic Stock Quote (CIS)

Global Stock Quote (CIS)

Basic Portfolio (CIS)

Global Portfolio (CIS)

Basic Company Information (CIS)

Basic Exchange Rates (CIS)

Single Commodity (CIS)

Commodity by Keyword (CIS)

Commodity Time Series (CIS)

UK Historical Stock Quote (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Company (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Ticker (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Basic Stock Quote (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Financial & Executive Options

This retrieves a stock price from Basic Quotes, as does the Basic Portfolio script. However, the script will ask you for the ticker symbol or CUSIP number for the stock(s) you want a quote for. If you want multiple quotes, separate them with commas.

There is a CompuServe maximum of 20. A list of the stocks and their ticker symbols available in the current quote service is available in the Helpforum, Library 1 (CURQUO.TIC)

If you want to download a regular list of quotes, use the Basic Portfolios script.


Related Topics

For more information about financial scripts, see:

Global Stock Quote (CIS)

Basic Portfolio (CIS)

Global Portfolio (CIS)

Basic Company Information (CIS)

Basic Exchange Rates (CIS)

Single Commodity (CIS)

Commodity by Keyword (CIS)

Commodity Time Series (CIS)

UK Historical Stock Quote (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Company (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Ticker (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Global Stock Quote (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Financial & Executive Options

This retrieves a stock price from Global Quotes, as does the Global Portfolio script. Global Quotes covers several international exchanges, including the London and Amsterdam Stock Exchanges and the German and French equity issues. For a list of current exchanges covered, GO GQUOTES.

The script will ask you for a list of the ticker codes for each stock. If you want more than one stock, separate them with a comma.

There is a CompuServe maximum of 20 stocks per request.

If you want to download a regular list of quotes, use the Global Portfolios script.


Related Topics

For more information about financial scripts, see:

Basic Stock Quote (CIS)

Basic Portfolio (CIS)

Global Portfolio (CIS)

Basic Company Information (CIS)

Basic Exchange Rates (CIS)

Single Commodity (CIS)

Commodity by Keyword (CIS)

Commodity Time Series (CIS)

UK Historical Stock Quote (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Company (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Ticker (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Basic Portfolio (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Financial & Executive Options

The Basic Portfolio script retrieves up to 20 stock prices (20 is a CompuServe limit). The stock prices will be at least 15 minutes behind the NY Stock Exchange. A list of the stocks and their ticker symbols available in the current quote service is available in the Helpforum, Library 1 (CURQUO.TIC).

Before using this script, you must edit the drop down list and insert the stocks you want to collect. To edit the list:

1.	Use an ASCII editor, such as notepad, to edit the file USERLIST.INI in the CIS sub-directory. If the file does not exist, create it.

2.	Enter the following as the first line:

 [Global Portfolio]

3)	Below that enter several lists of stocks to be collected together. The format is:

1=stock1,stock2,stock3

2=stock4,stock5,stock6

4.	Each numbered selection (1=, 2=) will appear as an item in the drop down list.

You can have as many lists of stocks as you wish, but there is a maximum of 20 for each line.

The results are shown in the pseudo forum "Today's Quotes".


Related Topics

For more information about financial scripts, see:

Basic Stock Quote (CIS)

Global Stock Quote (CIS)

Global Portfolio (CIS)

Basic Company Information (CIS)

Basic Exchange Rates (CIS)

Single Commodity (CIS)

Commodity by Keyword (CIS)

Commodity Time Series (CIS)

UK Historical Stock Quote (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Company (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Ticker (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Global Portfolio (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Financial & Executive Options

The Global Portfolio script retrieves up to 20 stock prices (20 is a CompuServe limit) from the Global Quotes which includes the London and Amsterdam Stock Exchanges.

Before using this script, you must edit the drop down list and insert the stocks you want to collect. To edit the list:

1.	Use an ASCII editor, such as notepad, to edit the file USERLIST.INI in the CIS sub-directory. If the file does not exist, create it.

2.	Enter the following as the first line:

 [Global Portfolio]

3)	Below that enter several lists of stocks to be collected together. The format is:

1=stock1,stock2,stock3

2=stock4,stock5,stock6

4.	Each numbered selection (1=, 2=) will appear as an item in the drop down list.

You can have as many lists of stocks as you wish, but there is a maximum of 20 for each line.

The results are shown in the pseudo forum "Today's Quotes".


Related Topics

For more information about financial scripts, see:

Basic Stock Quote (CIS)

Global Stock Quote (CIS)

Basic Portfolio (CIS)

Basic Company Information (CIS)

Basic Exchange Rates (CIS)

Single Commodity (CIS)

Commodity by Keyword (CIS)

Commodity Time Series (CIS)

UK Historical Stock Quote (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Company (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Ticker (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Basic Company Information (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Financial & Executive Options

The Basic Company Information script retrieves company information from the Basic Company Snapshot database.

The scripts asks for the company Ticker Symbol or CUSIP number. A list of the stocks and their ticker symbols available in the current quote service is available in the Helpforum, Library 1 (CURQUO.TIC). You can enter multiple companies, but CompuServe limits you to 5 companies at a time.

The results are shown in the Stocks/Company_Info pseudo forum.


Related Topics

For more information about financial scripts, see:

Basic Stock Quote (CIS)

Global Stock Quote (CIS)

Basic Portfolio (CIS)

Global Portfolio (CIS)

Basic Exchange Rates (CIS)

Single Commodity (CIS)

Commodity by Keyword (CIS)

Commodity Time Series (CIS)

UK Historical Stock Quote (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Company (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Ticker (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Basic Exchange Rates (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Financial & Executive Options

Rates Script

The Rates script collects the currency exchange rates available in Basic Quotes. The results are shown in Stocks/Exchange Rates. The following rates are available:

	Symbol	Currency
	XRAD	AUSTRALIAN $	US$ PER 100
	XRBP	BRITISH POUND	US$ PER 100
	XRCD	CANADIAN $	US$ PER 100
	XRFF	FRENCH FRANC	US$ PER 100
	XRGM	GERMAN MARK	US$ PER 100
	XRJY	JAPAN YEN	US$ PER 10000
	XRSF	SWISS FRANC	US$ PER 100


Related Topics

For more information about financial scripts, see:

Basic Stock Quote (CIS)

Global Stock Quote (CIS)

Basic Portfolio (CIS)

Global Portfolio (CIS)

Basic Company Information (CIS)

Single Commodity (CIS)

Commodity by Keyword (CIS)

Commodity Time Series (CIS)

UK Historical Stock Quote (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Company (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Ticker (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Single Commodity (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Financial & Executive Options

The Single Commodity script retrieves information from the CompuServe Commodities database based on a commodity and settlement month.

The script asks for the following information

•	Start date for information to retrieve

•	Commodity and Settlement Month separated by a space

For example to see the pricing information since 1/1/90 for Platinum Contract expiring 4/91, enter:

Start date: 1/1/90

Commodity: platinum 491

The results are shown in the Stocks/Commodities pseudo forum.

♦ Note

Dates are in US format -- month/day/year


Related Topics

For more information about financial scripts, see:

Basic Stock Quote (CIS)

Global Stock Quote (CIS)

Basic Portfolio (CIS)

Global Portfolio (CIS)

Basic Company Information (CIS)

Basic Exchange Rates (CIS)

Commodity by Keyword (CIS)

Commodity Time Series (CIS)

UK Historical Stock Quote (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Company (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Ticker (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Commodity by Keyword (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Financial & Executive Options

Virtual Access can retrieve commodity information using keywords. The following keywords are available:

•	NEAR for the prices from the contract nearest to delivery (e.g., W NEAR).

•	NMON for the prices from the contract nearest to delivery but not yet in its delivery month.

•	CASH for the cash prices for the commodity.

•	SUM for the total volume and open interest from all contracts for the commodity.

•	HIST for a table of all available contracts for the commodity including historical contracts.

The script will ask for:

•	the start date for the pricing information

•	the end date for the pricing information. If you want the last available end date, insert a space.

•	whether you want (D)aily, (W)eekly or (M)onthly information. Type the initial letter for your selection

•	Commodity and keyword separated by a space

♦ Note

Dates are in US format -- month/day/year


Related Topics

For more information about financial scripts, see:

Basic Stock Quote (CIS)

Global Stock Quote (CIS)

Basic Portfolio (CIS)

Global Portfolio (CIS)

Basic Company Information (CIS)

Basic Exchange Rates (CIS)

Single Commodity (CIS)

Commodity Time Series (CIS)

UK Historical Stock Quote (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Company (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Ticker (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Commodity Time Series (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Financial & Executive Options

The Commodity Time Series script lets you request a specific date range for information about a Commodity.

The script asks for:

•	the start date for the pricing information

•	the end date for the pricing information. If you want the last available end date, insert a space.

•	whether you want (D)aily, (W)eekly or (M)onthly information. Type the initial letter for your selection

•	Commodity and Settlement Month separated by a space. Note you can not use a keyword here.

♦ Note

Dates are in US format -- month/day/year


Related Topics

For more information about financial scripts, see:

Basic Stock Quote (CIS)

Global Stock Quote (CIS)

Basic Portfolio (CIS)

Global Portfolio (CIS)

Basic Company Information (CIS)

Basic Exchange Rates (CIS)

Single Commodity (CIS)

Commodity by Keyword (CIS)

UK Historical Stock Quote (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Company (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Ticker (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


UK Historical Stock Quote (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Financial & Executive Options

The UK Stock Quote script retrieves the historical pricing of a UK Stock based on its SEDOL (Stock Exchange Daily Official List) number.

If you do not know the SEDOL number, you can use the Get SEDOL by Company or Get SEDOL by Ticker scripts.

The UK Stock script asks for the following information

•	the SEDOL number

•	whether you want (D)aily, (W)eekly or (M)onthly information. Type the initial letter for your selection

•	the start date for the pricing information

•	the end date for the pricing information or number of weeks of information. If you want the last available end date, insert a space.

The results are shown in the Stocks/UKPrice pseudo forum.

If you specify a start or end date that is not in the range for the stock, the script will produce an error and you will have to input the requested information on line. Unless you are certain that the date range is contained in the database on CompuServe, please do not run this script unattended.

♦ Note

Dates are in US format -- month/day/year


Related Topics

For more information about obtaining a SEDOL number, see:

Get SEDOL by Company

Get SEDOL by Ticker

For more information about financial scripts, see:

Basic Stock Quote (CIS)

Global Stock Quote (CIS)

Basic Portfolio (CIS)

Global Portfolio (CIS)

Basic Company Information (CIS)

Basic Exchange Rates (CIS)

Single Commodity (CIS)

Commodity by Keyword (CIS)

Commodity Time Series (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Company (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Ticker (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Get SEDOL by Company (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Financial & Executive Options

If you want to collect current UK Price information about stocks you need to know the SEDOL (Stock Exchange Daily Official List) number.

If you do not know the SEDOL number of a company, you can use this script to retrieve the number for future reference.

The result of the script is shown in the pseudo forum Stocks/UKPrice.

To obtain the SEDOL number based on the Ticker symbol, use the Get SEDOL by Ticker script.


Related Topics

For more information about financial scripts, see:

Basic Stock Quote (CIS)

Global Stock Quote (CIS)

Basic Portfolio (CIS)

Global Portfolio (CIS)

Basic Company Information (CIS)

Basic Exchange Rates (CIS)

Single Commodity (CIS)

Commodity by Keyword (CIS)

Commodity Time Series (CIS)

UK Historical Stock Quote (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Ticker (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Get SEDOL by Ticker (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Financial & Executive Options

If you want to collect current UK Price information about stocks you need to know the SEDOL (Stock Exchange Daily Official List) number.

If you do not know the SEDOL number of a company but do know its Ticker Symbol, you can use this script to retrieve the number for future reference.

The result of the script is put in the pseudo forum Stocks/UKPrice.

To obtain the SEDOL number based on the company name, use the Get SEDOL by Company script.


Related Topics

For more information about financial scripts, see:

Basic Stock Quote (CIS)

Global Stock Quote (CIS)

Basic Portfolio (CIS)

Global Portfolio (CIS)

Basic Company Information (CIS)

Basic Exchange Rates (CIS)

Single Commodity (CIS)

Commodity by Keyword (CIS)

Commodity Time Series (CIS)

UK Historical Stock Quote (CIS)

Get SEDOL by Company (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

 See Also

Special Menu | ZD Net Features

Virtual Access has scripts to collect PC Week and Mac Week stories from the ZD Net section of CompuServe.

You must be a member of ZD Net before using these scripts.

To join ZD Net, go on line manually and type GO ZD Net. There are additional monthly charges for joining. See the information on line when you join.

For more information about each category of scripts, see:

Remote Search

Basic Services

Microsoft Support

News Services

Financial and Executive Options

Billing

Weather

Forum/Messages

Sysop Basic Functions

Others


Related Topics

For more information about ZD Net scripts, see:

ZD Net - What's New (CIS)

ZD Net - Get PC Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Get Mac Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Today's PC Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Today's Mac Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Today's Newsbytes (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


ZD Net - What's New (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | ZD Net Features

This script downloads all the Today on ZD Net stories to the ZD Net/What's New pseudo forum.

You must be a member of ZD Net before using this script.

To join ZD Net, go on-line manually and type GO ZD Net. There are additional monthly charges for joining. See the information on-line when you join.


Related Topics

For more information about ZD Net scripts, see:

ZD Net - Get PC Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Get Mac Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Today's PC Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Today's Mac Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Today's Newsbytes (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


ZD Net - Get PC Week Stories (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | ZD Net Features

This script downloads the today's stories from PC Week magazine and stores them in ZD Net/PC Week pseudo forum.

You must be a member of ZD Net before using this script.

To join ZD Net, go on-line manually and type GO ZD Net. There are additional monthly charges for joining. See the information on-line when you join.


Related Topics

For more information about ZD Net scripts, see:

ZD Net - What's New (CIS)

ZD Net - Get Mac Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Today's PC Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Today's Mac Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Today's Newsbytes (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


ZD Net - Get Mac Week Stories (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | ZD Net Features

This script downloads the current week's stories from MacWeek magazine and stores them in ZD Net/Mac Week pseudo forum.

You must be a member of ZD Net before using this script.

To join ZD Net, go on-line manually and type GO ZD Net. There are additional monthly charges for joining. See the information on-line when you join.


Related Topics

For more information about ZD Net scripts, see:

ZD Net - What's New (CIS)

ZD Net - Get PC Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Today's PC Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Today's Mac Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Today's Newsbytes (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


ZD Net - Today's PC Week Stories (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | ZD Net Features

This script downloads the current week's stories from PC Week magazine and stores them in ZD Net/PC Week News Today pseudo forum.

You must be a member of ZD Net before using this script.

To join ZD Net, go on-line manually and type GO ZD Net. There are additional monthly charges for joining. See the information on-line when you join.


Related Topics

For more information about ZD Net scripts, see:

ZD Net - What's New (CIS)

ZD Net - Get PC Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Get Mac Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Today's Mac Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Today's Newsbytes (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


ZD Net - Today's Mac Week Stories (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | ZD Net Features

This script downloads the current week's stories from PC Week magazine and stores them in ZD Net/MAC Week News Today pseudo forum.

You must be a member of ZD Net before using this script.

To join ZD Net, go on-line manually and type GO ZD Net. There are additional monthly charges for joining. See the information on-line when you join.


Related Topics

For more information about ZD Net scripts, see:

ZD Net - What's New (CIS)

ZD Net - Get PC Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Get Mac Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Today's PC Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Today's Newsbytes (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


ZD Net - Today's Newsbytes (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | ZD Net Features

.Newsbytes is a daily, international on-line newswire available on the ZD Net News forum, providing independent general computer and telecommunications news to an estimated 4.5 million readers on major online networks, via magazines, newspapers and newsletters, world-wide.

This script downloads Today's Newsbytes to the ZD Net/Newsbytes pseudo forum.

You must be a member of ZD Net before using this script.

To join ZD Net, go on line manually and type GO ZD Net. There are additional monthly charges for joining. See the information on line when you join.


Related Topics

For more information about ZD Net scripts, see:

ZD Net - What's New (CIS)

ZD Net - Get PC Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Get Mac Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Today's PC Week Stories (CIS)

ZD Net - Today's Mac Week Stories (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


CompuServe Billing Scripts

 See Also

Special Menu | Billing

CompuServe billing information is available on-line. You can get the following information:

•	Account Balance

•	Account History

•	Current status of time allowances

•	Detailed Session statement

♦ Note

No information is displayed while the billing information is being collected, but the status bar of the terminal window tells you what is happening.

Depending on CompuServe, it can take some time to get the information - up to 2 minutes on busy days.

For more information about each category of scripts, see:

Remote Search

Basic Services

Microsoft Support

News Services

Financial and Executive Options

ZD Net Features

Weather

Forum/Messages

Sysop Basic Functions

Others


Related Topics

For more information about CompuServe billing, see:

Account Balance and Time Left (CIS)

Account History (CIS)

Detailed Session History (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Account Balance and Time Left (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Billing

Get Account Balance shows you the current status of your account and the current allowances.

The current balance information is shown in Charges/Account Balances and the current allowance is shown in Charges/Allowances pseudo forum.

♦ Note

No information is displayed while the billing information is being collected, but the status bar of the terminal window tells you what is happening.

Depending on CompuServe, it can take some time to get the information - up to 2 minutes on busy days.


Related Topics

For more information about CompuServe billing, see:

Account History (CIS)

Detailed Session History (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Account History (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Billing

The Account History script collects a list of all credits and debits to your account for the last few weeks and the status of your time allowances.

The result is shown in the Charges/Account History pseudo forum.

♦ Note

No information is displayed while the billing information is being collected, but the status bar of the terminal window tells you what is happening.

Depending on CompuServe, it can take some time to get the information - up to 2 minutes on busy days.


Related Topics

For more information about CompuServe billing, see:

Account Balance and Time Left (CIS)

Detailed Session History (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Detailed Session History (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Billing

This script allows you to collect detailed information about a specific week of connections. The drop down box lists the options for which week, in relation to the current week, you want to collect information for.

The result is shown in the Charges/Detailed Activity pseudo forum.

♦ Note

No information is displayed while the billing information is being collected, but the status bar of the terminal window tells you what is happening.

Depending on CompuServe, it can take some time to get the information - up to 2 minutes on busy days.


Related Topics

For more information about CompuServe billing, see:

Account Balance and Time Left (CIS)

Account History (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


CompuServe Weather Scripts

 See Also

Special Menu | Weather

There are several weather scripts:

•	Local weather - the weather at the node you used to connect to CompuServe

•	US Weather Maps - current forecast by sections of the US

•	World Weather Maps - current and extended forecast for different countries

•	Severe Weather - US Weather Service severe weather warnings

•	Extended State Forecast - forecast by state for the next several days

All weather maps are placed in the download directory in GIF format. You will need to use your own viewer as Virtual Access does not have an internal GIF viewer.

For more information about each category of scripts, see:

Remote Search

Basic Services

Microsoft Support

News Services

Financial and Executive Options

ZD Net Features

Billing

Forum/Messages

Sysop Basic Functions

Others


Related Topics

For more information about getting Weather information see:

Local Weather (CIS)

US Weather Maps (CIS)

World Weather Maps (CIS)

Severe Weather (CIS)

Extended State Forecast (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Local Weather (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Weather

This scripts collects the weather report for the node you used to connect to CompuServe. The result is displayed in the Weather/Local forum.

♦ Bug

There is currently a problem using this script if you Telnet into CompuServe. The problem is that it doesn't know your location and therefore doesn't know what "local" means to select the weather report.


Related Topics

For more information about getting Weather information see:

US Weather Maps (CIS)

World Weather Maps (CIS)

Severe Weather (CIS)

Extended State Forecast (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


US Weather Maps (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Weather

This script collects weather maps for specific areas of the US. The drop down box lists the maps currently available. The are three pieces of information in the drop down list:

•	the CompuServe menu item used by the script

•	the abbreviation that is used as the root of the filename (NEUS will produce NEUS.GIF)

•	the area of the US covered by the map

The maps are placed in your installation directory and a message put in WEATHER/MAPS to let you know it has been downloaded.

♦ Tip

The message in WEATHER/MAPS contains the line FILE:<filename> so that you can use the Operate On Function (@ key) to view the file. This will only work if you have a program associated with the .GIF file extension.

For more information, see Operate On a Message


Related Topics

For more information about getting Weather information see:

Local Weather (CIS)

World Weather Maps (CIS)

Severe Weather (CIS)

Extended State Forecast (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


World Weather Maps (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Weather

This script collects weather maps for various countries. The drop down box lists the maps currently available. The are three pieces of information in the drop down list:

•	the CompuServe menu item used by the script

•	the abbreviation that is used as the root of the filename (CAN will precede all Canadian maps)

•	the area of the US covered by the map

The maps available differ for some countries. The following is used to determine the filename for each map:

•	all map files start with the country abbreviation in the drop down list (CAN, UK)

•	the next letters indicate what type of map CURR for current forecast, FOR for forecast, SAT for satellite

•	all files end with .GIF for the file type

So UKFOR.GIF is the UK forecast and UKCURR.GIF is the UK current weather map/

The maps are placed in your installation directory and a message put in WEATHER/MAPS to let you know it has been downloaded.

♦ Tip

The message in WEATHER/MAPS contains the line FILE:<filename> so that you can use the Operate On Function (@ key) to view the file. This will only work if you have a program associated with the .GIF file extension.

For more information, see Operate On a Message


Related Topics

For more information about getting Weather information see:

Local Weather (CIS)

US Weather Maps (CIS)

Severe Weather (CIS)

Extended State Forecast (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Severe Weather (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Weather

This script collects the severe weather warning issued in the US.

The following options are available in the drop down list:

•	Hurricane Advisory Reports

•	Hurricane Strike Probability Reports

•	Both hurricane reports

•	All Severe Weather Outlooks

•	General Storm Watches

In addition, you can over type the entry in the drop down list with the two character abbreviation of any state and get all the severe weather warnings for that state only.

The results are displayed in the Weather/Severe Weather forum.


Related Topics

For more information about getting Weather information see:

Local Weather (CIS)

US Weather Maps (CIS)

World Weather Maps (CIS)

Extended State Forecast (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Extended State Forecast (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Weather

This scripts will get the extended forecast for US states. The script asks for the 2 character state abbreviation.

The results are displayed in the Weather/State Weather forum.


Related Topics

For more information about getting Weather information see:

Local Weather (CIS)

US Weather Maps (CIS)

World Weather Maps (CIS)

Severe Weather (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

 See Also

Special Menu | Forum/Messages

These scripts give you the following service:

•	High Message Number - allows you to reset the HMN on a forum to indicate the last message number you have read

•	Announcements - allows you to collect the forum announcements, except the Newsflash

•	Newsflash - allows you to collect the forum Newsflash

•	Set High Message Number - allows you to reset the forum high message number

•	Unjoined Compose - allows you to send a message to a forum that you are joined to on CompuServe, but is no longer in your local message base

For more information about each category of scripts, see:

Remote Search

Basic Services

Microsoft Support

News Services

Financial and Executive Options

ZD Net Features

Billing

Weather

Sysop Basic Functions

Others


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Remote Search

High Message Number

For more information about Forum and Message scripts, see:

Announcements (CIS)

Newsflash (CIS)

Set High Message Number (CIS)

Unjoined Compose (CIS)

Fetch Full Thread (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Announcements (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Forum/Messages

This script downloads forum announcements for the forum specified, except the Newsflash, which is updated automatically.

The forum announcements contain the rules of the forum, with information on sections, libraries, conferences and the forum sysops.

The script requires you to specify the forum name.

When you join a forum, all the announcements for that forum are downloaded.

♦ Tip

Virtual Access downloads all the section names and library names as part of the announcements. At the top of this message are any flags that relate to the forum, such as whether private messages are enabled, free or sysop flags.


Related Topics

For more information about Forum and Message scripts, see:

Newsflash (CIS)

Set High Message Number (CIS)

Unjoined Compose (CIS)

Fetch Full Thread (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Newsflash (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Forum/Messages

This script downloads the forum Newsflash.

Although the Newsflash is collected automatically whenever the change flag has been set by the sysop, this script allows you to collect it for a specific forum or in case of an error during the connection.

The script requires you to specify the forum name.


Related Topics

For more information about Forum and Message scripts, see:

Announcements (CIS)

Set High Message Number (CIS)

Unjoined Compose (CIS)

Fetch Full Thread (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Set High Message Number (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Forum/Messages

This script resets the high message number (HMN) of a forum; only messages after this number will be downloaded.

The script asks for the forum you want to change and the number you wish to be set.

♦ Note

You can also set the HMN back a specific number of messages from the highest number on the forum by using a negative number. For example -100 will set the HMN back so only the last 100 messages in the forum would be downloaded.

Note that the HMN is across the entire forum, so if you only collect some sections, using a negative number may not collect any messages for a specific section.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

High Message Number

For more information about Forum and Message scripts, see:

Announcements (CIS)

Newsflash (CIS)

Unjoined Compose (CIS)

Fetch Full Thread (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Unjoined Compose (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Forum/Messages

This script lets you create a new message in a forum from which you no longer have any messages on your PC. This can happen if you use the Remove Dormant Forums option in Prune.

You can also use this to create a message in a section that you have not downloaded messages from.

To send message

1.	Select Special | Forum/Messages | Unjoined Compose

2.	Fill in the name of the forum

3.	Enter the section number for the message

4.	Enter the address of the person to send the message to

5.	Enter the subject for the message (maximum 24 characters)

6.	Enter the text of the message

There are two CompuServe forum policies you should be aware of before using this script:

1.	Most forums require you to join before you can post messages. If you have not joined before using this script, it will not work.

2.	Forum membership may be purged periodically by the sysops. If you have not accessed a forum for a long time, say 6 months, you may no longer be a member and the script will not work.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Prune

For more information about Forum and Message scripts, see:

Announcements (CIS)

Newsflash (CIS)

Set High Message Number (CIS)

Fetch Full Thread (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


Fetch Full Thread (CIS)

 See Also

Special Menu | Forum/Messages

This script fetches a thread based on the current message number you are reading.

As the script does not search backwards to the root message, you should move to the root message to make sure the correct message number is used.

If the root message is missing, you can ask for it to be collected, using the Goto | Go to Original Message


Related Topics

For more information about Forum and Message scripts, see:

Announcements (CIS)

Newsflash (CIS)

Set High Message Number (CIS)

Unjoined Compose (CIS)

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


CompuServe Sysop Scripts

 See Also

Special Menu

All sysop functions are contained in the main program. If you have Sysop flags on a CompuServe forum, Virtual Access will recognize the flags and set SYSOP access for that forum within the program.

When you are in your forum, an additional menu items appears on the Special menu, labeled "Sysop …" with submenus of all the currently available sysop scripts.

♦ Notes

1) For more information about the sysop program, sysop scripts and access to the closed sysop area on the Ashmount forum, please leave a message to *SYSOP on the Ashmount forum (GO ASHMOUNT)

2) B (Board) flag scripts in the current version support both ASCII and NISA forums. At the time of writing the help file Forward Message to Board was not working in NISA forums due to a CIS host problem.

3) For the status of other scripts, please drop a message on the forum.

For more information about each category of scripts, see:

Remote Search

Basic Services

Microsoft Support

News Services

Financial and Executive Options

ZD Net Features

Billing

Weather

Forum/Messages

Others


Related Topics

For more information about sysop scripts, see:

CompuServe Sysop Basic Functions

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


CompuServe Sysop Basic Functions

 See Also

The following scripts do not requires sysop privileges, but are generally used by sysops for forum management.

Forum Statistics

Collects the number of messages and subjects for the previous day and previous week. The percentage each section is using is displayed. The results are stored in <FORUM>/MSG_STATS

Who IS

Who Is will take the given User ID and return the name in the membership records and the last time that user visited the forum.

The results are placed in <FORUM>/USERS

Users Online (ASCII forums only)

Returns a list of everyone in the forum at the time the command was issued.

The results are placed in <FORUM>/USERS


Related Topics

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts

CompuServe Other Scripts


CompuServe Other Scripts

 See Also

Special Menu | Other

Set CIS Options

This script sets the global CompuServe defaults for ASCII access. See Set Options for more information.

For more information about each category of scripts, see:

Remote Search

Basic Services

Microsoft Support

News Services

Financial and Executive Options

ZD Net Features

Billing

Weather

Forum/Messages

Sysop Basic Functions


Related Topics

For more information about CompuServe actions and scripts, see:

Remote Search Messages (CIS)

CompuServe Basic Services Scripts

CompuServe Microsoft Support Scripts

CompuServe News Services

CompuServe Financial & Executive Options Scripts

CompuServe ZD Net Features Scripts

CompuServe Billing Scripts

CompuServe Weather Scripts

CompuServe Forum/Messages Scripts

CompuServe Sysop Scripts


Comms Setup for CIX

 See Also

File Menu

Communication setup is one of the most critical, and sometime the most difficult part, of installing Virtual Access. The specific requirements for your system will depend on what hardware you have installed and the remote service requirement.

♦ Modem Requirement

Virtual Access requires that your modem be setup for

1.	hardware flow control (both send and receive) and

2.	error correction.

See your modem manual for the exact commands required to enable these commands.

♦ Notes

1) If the modem string requires a command with a backslash (\) in it, you must use two backslashes (\\) in the modem init string.

2) The Welcome section for each service you installed, has a lot of information for getting started and using Virtual Access. It is strongly recommended that you read through these first.

New users to CIX and Off-Line Readers may also find the manual useful for going through the program step by step.

3) You can click on the tab graphic above to quickly switch to the help for that tab.


Related Topics

For more information about Communication Settings, see:

CIX Comms Setup - Service

CIX Comms Setup - Messages

CIX Comms Setup - Comms

CIX Comms Setup - Modem Button

CIX Comms Setup - Dial-Up Button

CIX Comms Setup - ZModem Button

CIX Connect via Telnet to CIX

For more information about using CIX, see:

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


CIX Comms Setup - Service

 See Also

File Menu

The information in the Service tab contains information that is global to all communication settings for CIX.

Click on the graphic above to quickly switch to the information on each tab.

Account Details

Nickname

You login ID for CIX. There is only one ID for all communications settings.

Password

Your CIX password.

Options

Download Directory

Directory to store files downloaded from CIX.

Workgroup Names

In addition to using a special color for threads that you are involved in, you can create a list of CIX IDs and Virtual Access will mark threads that they contribute to with the Workgroup Involvement Color. Separate each user name in the list with a semicolon.

Terminal Log

If checked, Virtual Access creates a terminal log capture file for each session. The maximum number of backups is set in the Tools | Options | System.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Options - Appearance

Options - System

For more information about Communication Settings, see:

CIX Comms Setup - Messages

CIX Comms Setup - Comms

CIX Comms Setup - Modem Button

CIX Comms Setup - Dial-Up Button

CIX Comms Setup - ZModem Button

CIX Connect via Telnet to CIX

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


CIX Comms Setup - Messages

 See Also

File Menu

Click on the graphic above to quickly switch to the information on each tab.

The messages tab contains options for mail, including automatic decoding for UUEncoded and MIME messages, and newsgroup threading.

Mail Options

Fetch Mail

If checked, Virtual Access will collect mail when you connect to CIX

Delete Read Mail

If checked, Virtual Access will delete your mail after collecting it when you connect to CIX.

The default for CIX is No. If enabled on CIX, it does a "quick clear" before reading the mail.

Thread Mail by Subject

If checked, thread mail messages using the Subject field.

If unchecked, Virtual Access will thread by the message-id, which may not always be reliable particularly for Internet lists.

Newsgroup Options

Thread Newsgroups by Subject

Thread newsgroups messages using the Subject field. This option can lead to better threading.


Related Topics

For more information about Communication Settings, see:

CIX Comms Setup - Service

CIX Comms Setup - Comms

CIX Comms Setup - Modem Button

CIX Comms Setup - Dial-Up Button

CIX Comms Setup - ZModem Button

CIX Connect via Telnet to CIX

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


CIX Comms Setup - Comms

 See Also

File Menu

Click on the graphic above to quickly switch to the information on each tab.

The Comms tab lets you create or select multiple communication setups and sets up the basic communication information. The Modem, RAS/DUN and ZModem buttons set up other options for each comms setting.

Session

Current

The name of the currently active setup. This name is created when you add a new session setting. You can select any setting from the drop down box to make it current.

New

Press this to create a new comms setting. After selecting NEW, Virtual Access will ask you for the name you want to give this session setting and then makes the new session the current one.

You can then change the phone number and script as needed for the new number. It is also a good idea to check that all the other comms setup values are correct for the new setup.

You can have a maximum of 20 settings per service.

Delete

Delete the current communications setting.

Default

Set the current communications setting as the default.

Other Settings

Phone No/Address

The phone number to dial when using this comms setting. If you need to access an outside line you should precede the number by the access code. You can use a comma to send a pause to the modem if required.

If you are connecting via Telnet, enter the Internet address here: cix.compulink.co.uk

Phone Directory Button

The Phone Directory is a list that you can create to access different numbers so that you can easily copy phone numbers into new settings. Pressing the Phone Directory button calls up a small dialog box listing any current number. You can use the Add, Delete and Edit buttons to change the entries.

Connect by

The Comm Port that your modem is attached to or Winsock for connecting by Telnet over the Internet

Script

The script to execute when using this comms setting. Use cix.scr for serial connections and cixtel.scr for Winsock/Telnet connections.

Baud Rate

Speed of the connection between your computer and your modem. This should equal or exceed the speed you are connecting to the remote service.

Dial Type

Whether you phone use Tone or Pulse tones to dial

For more information, see:

Modem Button

Dial-up Button

ZModem Button


Related Topics

For more information about Communication Settings, see:

CIX Comms Setup - Service

CIX Comms Setup - Messages

CIX Comms Setup - Modem Button

CIX Comms Setup - Dial-Up Button

CIX Comms Setup - ZModem Button

CIX Connect via Telnet to CIX

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


CIX Comms Setup - Modem Button

 See Also

File Menu

Click on the graphic above to quickly switch to the information on each tab.

The modem setup you need for Virtual Access will depend on your specific modem. There is a large list of modem strings for commonly available modems to select from.

If your modem is not on the list, please try one of the general Hayes-compatible list or simply AT&F. If you are having problems, post a message in one of the Virtual Access support areas. Someone else may have the same modem and have found the best modem control strings already.

The following fields need to be set up for modem control:

Modem Control Strings

Modem

You can select a modem from a list of the most common types. Selecting a modem will set the Init String to the recommended value for that modem. If your modem is not listed, try the Hayes Compatible or Generic modem at the top of the list.

Init. String

The string that is sent to the modem when Terminal starts. Consult your modem manual for details of commands.

Virtual Access requires hardware flow control and error correction. The default of AT&F is often enough to get the modem working. Use &F1 for US Robotics modems to set hardware flow control.

If the modem init string contains a \ (backslash), you must use two of them (\\) in the string.

Dial Tone

The string to use to indicate tone dialing. This is generally ATDT

Dial Pulse

The string to use to indicate pulse dialing. This is generally ATDP

Hang-up

Specifies a string to be sent to the modem when Terminal terminates, usually ATH0

Acknowledge

Defines the message sent by the modem when it connects successfully, This is generally OK

Redials

Number of times to try to make a connection

Flow Control

Select the type of flow control to use. It is strongly recommended that hardware flow control be used. Note the modem init string must enable the type of flow control you use.


Related Topics

For more information about Communication Settings, see:

CIX Comms Setup - Service

CIX Comms Setup - Messages

CIX Comms Setup - Comms

CIX Comms Setup - Dial-Up Button

CIX Comms Setup - ZModem Button

CIX Connect via Telnet to CIX

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


CIX Comms Setup - Dial-Up Button

 See Also

File Menu

Click on the graphic above to quickly switch to the information on each tab.

If you are using Windows 95 or Windows NT, you can setup Dial Up Networking to dial you Internet Provider and connect to a service.

The following options are needed for DUN setup:

Dial Up Networking

Connect using RAS

If checked, the comms setting will use Dial Up Networking to dial the connection.

Connection

This provides a list of the current entries in your DUN Phone book. Select the correct entry for your Internet provider.

User Name/Password

The user name and password for connecting to a service.


Related Topics

For more information about Communication Settings, see:

CIX Comms Setup - Service

CIX Comms Setup - Messages

CIX Comms Setup - Comms

CIX Comms Setup - Modem Button

CIX Comms Setup - ZModem Button

CIX Connect via Telnet to CIX

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


CIX Comms Setup - ZModem Button

 See Also

File Menu

These are the options when using ZModem.

Alternate ZModem protocol

This uses the older Virtual Access ZModem protocol. If you are having problems with communications, try enabling this option.

ZModem block on write

Use block writes. Disable this if you are having communications problems.


Related Topics

For more information about Communication Settings, see:

CIX Comms Setup - Service

CIX Comms Setup - Messages

CIX Comms Setup - Comms

CIX Comms Setup - Modem Button

CIX Comms Setup - Dial-Up Button

CIX Connect via Telnet to CIX

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


CIX Connect via Telnet to CIX

 See Also

If you are connected to the Internet through a company network or by dialing a local service provider, you may prefer to connect to remote services using Telnet rather than dialing in directly.

To connect via Telnet

1.	The telephone number on File | Comms Setup | Comms tab to cix.compulink.co.uk

2.	Set the Connect by to Winsock

If there is a problem it is almost certainly in the CIXTEL.SCR script file. You may need to customize this file by adding additional lines at the start to negotiate any firewall or other gateway structure on your local network.

♦ Note

If you are using Windows 95 or Windows NT, you can setup Dial Up Networking to dial the connection for you by filling in the Dial-Up options in File | Comms Setup | Comms | Dial-Up Button

Your password is passed through the Internet unencrypted. It is recommended that you change your password frequently if accessing remote services via Telnet.


Related Topics

For more information about Communication Settings, see:

CIX Comms Setup - Service

CIX Comms Setup - Messages

CIX Comms Setup - Comms

CIX Comms Setup - Modem Button

CIX Comms Setup - Dial-Up Button

CIX Comms Setup - ZModem Button

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


Connect to CIX

 See Also

CIX supports three connection types:

•	Connect - connects to CIX and executes any pending actions, such as replies, files for downloading, etc. and collects and downloads new messages in all the conferences you have joined.

•	Actions only - connects to CIX and executes any pending actions, but does not collect new messages.

•	Manual - connects to CIX, logs you on and lets you perform any action you wish.

In addition, you can schedule a connections with the Connect Scheduler to connect at specific times.

♦ Failed Connections

When a connection does not complete, the scratchpad is left on CIX. When Virtual Access connect to CIX, it checks to see if there is a previous scratchpad. If the scratchpad exists, Virtual Access will pop up a dialog asking if you want to download it. Virtual Access waits 10 seconds for you do answer and then downloads the scratchpad automatically.


Related Topics

For more information about connecting to a remote service, see:

Connect to a Remote Service

For more information about Connecting to CIX, see;

Collecting CIXNews

Scheduling Events for CIX

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


Collecting CIXNews

 See Also

CIXNews is the Usenet Newsgroups carried by CIX. Usenet is a hierarchy of thousands of discussion groups distributed around the world using the Internet. You can read and contribute to Usenet Newsgroups using CIX and Virtual Access, but do remember that the majority of people contributing to Usenet are not on CIX.

Although the names of Usenet groups are hierarchical, they do not work like the topics in a CIX conference and you have to join and resign from each group individually. You will find that many users are not joined to all the groups in a hierarchy and that many messages are posted to more than one group.

CIXNews can be downloaded at the same time you connect to CIX.

To collect CIXNews select

1.	Select the Special menu, click on Usenet and select Read Newsgroup Messages

2.	CIXNews will be collected on your next connection to CIX

You can also use the Tools | Scheduling | Set Routine to collect CIXNews at specific times.

♦ Note

CIXNews is not a separate service. Newsgroups are included within the CIX Conferences. The information up to the first period is used as the conference name and the rest of the newsgroup as the topic name.

For example, the newsgroups alt.comp.security, alt.revisionism, rec.climbing are displayed in the following conference/topic hierarchy:

alt

comp.security

revisionism

rec

climbing


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Review

Scheduling Events - Set Routine

Scheduling Events for CIX

CIX Scripts - Read Newsgroup Messages

For more information about Connecting to CIX, see;

Scheduling Events for CIX

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


Scheduling Events for CIX

 See Also

Tools | Scheduling | Set Routine

Using Set Routine you can schedule events to occur when you connect, such as:

•	checking for FTP files

•	collecting CIXNews

•	running scripts or updating file lists

•	clear mail box of read messages

The Set Routine box lists some common actions and all the file lists in your local message base.

To schedule other scripts

In addition, you can schedule most scripts (using the User Defined scripts in the Scheduler) to execute daily, weekly or monthly.

1.	Select Tools | Scheduling | Set Routine menu item to open the dialog

2.	Select the User Defined xxx script that matches the time you want the scripts to run - Always, Daily, etc.

3.	Press the ADD button

4.	Select the script from the list and enter any needed information for that script and press OK


Related Topics

For more information about the Scheduler, see:

Scheduling Events

For more information about Connecting to CIX, see;

Collecting CIXNews

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


CIX Mail

 See Also

You can send and receive e-mail to and from other users of CIX and any Internet address.

Virtual Access puts mail from CIX into the pseudo conference MAIL/MESSAGES in your local message base. The mail conference is treated like any other conference - you read it, reply to messages using the icons and short cuts and use the commands available in other conferences..

If you want to send new mail to someone, click on the mail icon or select the Message | Post New Mail menu item. You can fill in the address yourself, take it from your address book or click the Originator button to insert the name of the sender the message you are currently viewing.


Related Topics

For more information relating to connecting to CIX, see:

Retrieving Binary Files from CIX

Send Mail

For more information about CIX Mail, see;

Send Binary Files by CIX Mail

Send Fax by CIX

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


Send Binary Files by CIX Mail

 See Also

Message Menu

You can send binary files by using the Attach File button in the Mail Message Editor.

If you send a binary file to another CIX user, it is not encoded.

If you send a binary file to an external address, it will be encoded by the method you check in the File Attach dialog: UUEncode or MIME.

When you receive encoded messages, Virtual Access looks at the Tools | Options | Decode option for when to decode the message.

See Options - Decode and Viewing Encoded Messages for more information.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Operate on a Message

For more information about CIX Mail, see;

Send Fax by CIX

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


Send Fax by CIX

 See Also

Message Menu

You can send a fax consisting of text only by CIX's Fax Gateway.

When you select Message | Send Fax, the Message Editor opens with three fields for you to fill in:

To:

This is the name of the person to whom the fax is addressed and will be included on the cover letter.

Phone:

This is the phone number of the fax machine you are sending it to.

Regardless of the destination, you must include the International Country Code at the beginning of the phone number and then the phone number.

For example:

•	For U.S. destinations, prefix with a 1

•	For UK destinations, prefix with a 44 and omit the 0 in the code e.g. 181

Subject:

This is the subject of the fax and will be included on the cover letter.

Options

In addition, the following option is available when sending through the CIX Fax Gateway:

•	No Cover -sends a fax without the customary cover page


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Mail, see;

Send Binary Files by CIX Mail

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

 See Also

You can download binary files from CIX as well as downloading messages and mail.

There are 3 sources for you to get files from CIX:

•	Binary mail (binmail) when you are sent a file by mail. Note that these files are collected automatically for you.

•	From topics that have file lists and files associated with them.

•	Retrieve a file from an FTP site and then download it to your computer

You can collect files sent by mail or in a topic by selecting the Special | Download File menu item if you know the name, or using the conference file list.

FTP request are best handled by using BatchFTP which sends the commands for CIX to get the file. You then logon later and collect it from CIX using the Special | Download File menu item.

For more information see CIX File Lists.

♦ Note

When you receive binary mail, Virtual Access will automatically mark the file to be downloaded the file on your next connection.

If you have downloaded the file manually, you should delete the entry using Review.

If you want to turn this feature off, edit the [main] section of the ASHMOUNT.INI file in so that the entry for AutoDownload reads:

AutoDownload=NO


Related Topics

For more information, see:

BatchFTP

For more information about retrieving files, see:

CIX File Lists

Refresh File Lists for CIX

Download a File from CIX

Upload a File to CIX

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


CIX File Lists

 See Also

CIX file lists are stored as messages but have a special viewer to display them in the Message View Window. The file list conference name is stored with a special hidden character to differentiate from the conference messages.

Prune does not affect any flist messages.

You can view the file list by selecting the ALL or LIBRARY tab on the MessageBase Window. The file list for a conference is displayed in blue.

The files in your mail directory are now stored in MAIL/DIRECTORY.

The File List viewer has the following buttons at the bottom:

1.	Download - marks the highlighted file for download

2.	Refresh - refreshes the file list

3.	Erase (moderator only) - erases the highlighted file from CIX

4.	Modify (moderator only) - get an updated moderator file list

♦ Tip

If you double click on any file in the file list, it will be marked for downloading.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

BatchFTP

For more information about retrieving files, see:

Refresh File Lists for CIX

Download a File from CIX

Upload a File to CIX

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


Refresh File Lists for CIX

 See Also

Special Menu

CIX topics that have associated File Lists displays (Files) in the MessageBase Window.

To collect a File List while reading messages in that conference

1.	Select the Special  Menu and click on Refresh File List

2.	A dialog box asks you to confirm you want to download the File List

To collect a File List from the MessageBase Window

1.	Highlight the conferences or File Lists you want to collect new File Lists

2.	Select the Special Menu and click on Refresh File List

♦ Notes

1) If you select a conference, it will ask if you want to collect the File List for each topic that has the (Files) flag. You can say Yes to All or go through the list for each topic selecting Yes or No.

Selecting the CIX service will ask for each file list in your message base.

2) You can use the Refresh Button or Right Mouse Button in the MessageBase Window as a quick shortcut instead of the Special menu item.


Related Topics

For more information about retrieving files, see:

CIX File Lists

Download a File from CIX

Upload a File to CIX

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


Download a File from CIX

 See Also

 	Special Menu

There are two ways to download a file from CIX:

If you know name and topic of the file

1.	View the topic with the file in its file list

2.	Select the Special | Download File menu item

3.	Enter the name of the file, and press OK.

The file will be downloaded the next time you connects to CIX. Files are downloaded into the directory specified in the Comms Options.

♦ Tip

This is a very easy way to download files that are announced in messages in file conferences.

Using the File List

1.	View the file list and look for the file you want to download

2.	Highlight the filename and press the DOWNLOAD button at the bottom left of the screen.

3.	A dialog box with the file name is displayed to let you double check.

The file will be downloaded the next time you connects to CIX. Files are downloaded into the directory specified in the Comms Options.

♦ Notes

1) The Download Pending Symbol is placed next to the filename when you request it to be downloaded. It is then replaced with the Disk Symbol after the file has been downloaded.

2) Virtual Access will look at the subject line of a message and if it looks like a filename will fill in the download dialog box. If the filename is in a message, you can highlight the filename and it will appear in the dialog box.

3) If the file you have asked Virtual Access to download is already in the download directory, you will be told that the file already exists locally already and asked if you want to continue the download. If you say yes, Virtual Access will try to use the resume feature of ZModem, to download the rest of the file.


Related Topics

For more information about retrieving files, see:

CIX File Lists

Refresh File Lists for CIX

Upload a File to CIX

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


Upload a File to CIX

 See Also

 	Special Menu

You may want to upload a file to a topic on CIX.

To upload a file:

1.	Switch to the topic where the file is to be uploaded

2.	Select the Special | Upload File menu item

3.	Select the file to upload from the dialog box.

4.	You can send a note to the conference moderator to tell them what the file is. Virtual Access automatically inserts the following text:

Upload Notification

Filename: <name of file>

File size: <size in bytes>

Topic: <conference/topic>

5.	Press OK when you are finished


Related Topics

For more information about retrieving files, see:

CIX File Lists

Refresh File Lists for CIX

Download a File from CIX

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


Finding CIX Conferences

 See Also

CIX has a very large number of conferences and more are being added all the time. It can be difficult finding what conferences are available for you to join.

There are several commands to help you find the conferences you are interested in:

•	View Service Lists displays a list of all services. You select CIX to get a list of all conferences. You can request an updated list or join a conference from this list.

•	Join Remote lets you join a specific conference

•	Get Conference Information updates the names of conference topics and moderators.

•	View Remote Information shows the current topic names and moderators


Related Topics

For more information about finding CIX Conferences, see:

View List of CIX Conferences

Join a Conference on CIX

Update List of Available CIX Conferences

View CIX Conference Information

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


View List of CIX Conferences

 See Also

 	Message | View Service Lists

The View Service Lists menu item calls in a dialog listing all services. You select CIX to get a list of all CIX conferences.

The list of conferences available on CIX is stored in your CIX sub-directory in a file called CONF.LIS. You can view this list by selecting View Service Conferences and select conferences that you want to join.

There are several buttons at the top of the list:

Button	Meaning
Close	Close the list box
Find	Use this to search for a string of text
Print	Print out the list - beware it is a very long list
Join	Press Join a highlighted conference name
Refresh	Collect an updated list of available conferences on the next connection
As new conferences are being added daily, this list will rapidly become out of date. It is a good idea to refresh it occasionally.


Related Topics

For more information about finding CIX Conferences, see:

Join a Conference on CIX

Update List of Available CIX Conferences

View CIX Conference Information

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


Join a Conference on CIX

 See Also

 	Message | Join Remote

To join a conference whose name you know

1.	If you know the conference name, select the Message | Join Service Remote menu item and type it in.

To join any conference

1.	If you don't know the conference name, use the Message | View Service List, then select CIX to show a list, highlight the one you want and press the Join button.

With either method, a dialog box appears with the following fields:

1.	Conference - name of conference you want to join

2.	Handle (greed out, not relevant to CIX)

3.	New Messages - the number of messages you want to collect on first joining each of the topics. This applies to each topic and is only relevant when you first join a conference. Setting this options overrides the default setting held in your CIX profile(usually 100 messages).

You will then be joined to the conference and the messages downloaded on your next connection to CIX.

♦ Note

On average a CIX messages is approximately 512 bytes: thus 100 messages is about 50,000 bytes of download. In a large conference with many topics, such as Windows with more than 15 topics, this can result in 15X50,000=750,000 bytes to download.

Be careful when joining a new conference so you don't download large files of messages you may not want: if necessary, get the conference information before joining to determine exactly which topics you wish to join and select the topics and number of new messages appropriately. You can always go back and collect missing material later.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Get Profile

Get Conference Information

View Conference Information

Download Some Messages

For more information about finding CIX Conferences, see:

View List of CIX Conferences

Update List of Available CIX Conferences

View CIX Conference Information

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


Update List of Available CIX Conferences

 See Also

 	Message | View Service List

As new conferences are added to CIX, the local list will become out of date.

To update the CIX conference list

1.	Select the  Message | View Service Lists menu item and select CIX

2.	Press the Refresh button.

A new list will be downloaded on your next connection to CIX.


Related Topics

For more information about finding CIX Conferences, see:

View List of CIX Conferences

Join a Conference on CIX

View CIX Conference Information

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


View CIX Conference Information

 See Also

 	Message | View Remote

Information about each conference is kept in the local message base.

When you join a new conference, the conference profile is collected on the next connection to CIX.

To view the conference information

1.	View the topic in the conference to you want to see

2.	Select the  Message | View Remote Information menu item

The information for each conference is:

1.	a list of available topics

2.	the moderators of the conference

3.	a short description of the conference

If new topics are added or the moderators change, this list will become out of date. You can update the list with Get Conference Information.

♦ Note

If you have selected AutoJoin in User Options you will automatically be joined to any new topics that are created in conferences that you are joined to but the conference information isn't updated automatically.


Related Topics

For more information about finding CIX Conferences, see:

View List of CIX Conferences

Join a Conference on CIX

Update List of Available CIX Conferences

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


Moderating CIX Conferences

 See Also

CIX allows you to set up and run a conference on almost any subject. You can do all of the moderating necessary to set up a conference off line.

Virtual Access has scripts that allow you to:

•	create open, closed and private conferences and topics

•	add and remove moderators

•	add and remove participants

•	handle the file lists of any topics containing files.

Once a conference has been set up, the main duties of the moderator(s) are adding participants (if the conference is closed or private) and flisting files.


Related Topics

For more information about moderating CIX Conferences, see:

Creating a CIX Conference

Maintaining CIX File Lists

Modify CIX File List Buttons

Add Participant to a Closed or Private CIX Conference

Moderator - Withdraw Message with Notify (CIX)

Encrypted CIX Conferences

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


Creating a CIX Conference

 See Also

Special Menu

Before you set up a conference, check the conference list to see if a similar conference already exists, or check on CIX in the conference "conference" (yes, there is a conference called conference!) to see if there is a conference covering the same area.

CIX has three types of conference:

Open Conference - shows up in the CIX Conference List, and anyone can join it. To create an open conference use the Create Open Conference script.

Closed Conference - shows up in the CIX Conference List, but people cannot join it themselves. They must be joined by a moderator using the Add Participant or Add This Person scripts. To create a closed conference use the Create Closed Conference Script

Private (or Closed Confidential) Conference - does not show up in the CIX Conference List, nor can anyone join it themselves. They must be joined by a moderator using the add participant or add this person scripts. To create a closed conference use the Create Private Conference Script

In all cases creating the conference follows the same procedure.

To create a conference

1.	Select Special | Moderate | Make Conference menu item

2.	Select the type of conference from the drop down list (open, closed or private)

3.	Conference Name (14 characters max.)

4.	Conference Description (60 characters max.) This is not required for private conferences.

5.	Topic Name (14 characters max.)

6.	Topic Description (60 characters max.)

7.	If the Topic has files (yes/no)

The next time you connect to CIX the scripts will create the conference and the first topic and post a message so that it will show up in Virtual Access.


Related Topics

For more information about moderating CIX Conferences, see:

Maintaining CIX File Lists

Modify CIX File List Buttons

Add Participant to a Closed or Private CIX Conference

Moderator - Withdraw Message with Notify (CIX)

Encrypted CIX Conferences

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


Maintaining CIX File Lists

 See Also

The main duty of a moderator is maintaining the file lists, listing and making available the files that are uploaded (by the moderators and participants) or including references to files available in the Filepool.

To update a File List:

1.	Open the current file listing for the topic whose file list you want to modify

2.	Press the Modify button. Note this is only available if you have Moderator rights for the conference.

3.	If you do not have a moderator's version of the FileList, then Virtual Access will offer to download it for you on your next connection.

Using the Modify FileList dialog, you can add, remove and edit lines in the file list. For more information on the FileList buttons, see Modify CIX File List Buttons.

If you have made any changes to the FileList, then Virtual Access will automatically upload it and download the participants file list next time you connect to CIX.

♦ Note

Filenames should always be in lower case.


Related Topics

For more information about moderating CIX Conferences, see:

Creating a CIX Conference

Modify CIX File List Buttons

Add Participant to a Closed or Private CIX Conference

Moderator - Withdraw Message with Notify (CIX)

Encrypted CIX Conferences

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


Modify CIX File List Buttons

 See Also

There are several buttons on the right side of the Modify FileList dialog.

Pressing either Insert or Edit brings up the Edit File List dialog. The dialog box has the following buttons, which is used to indicate what section you want to modify.

•	File Comment - description of the file

•	Text Comment - full line of text displayed to all users

•	Private Note - insert a private note displayed to sysop when modifying the library list

•	Section File - insert a file in the section library list

•	Filepool - not applicable to local forums - CIX only.

In addition there are two boxes to fill in:

•	Filename - you can type the name of the file or press the Filename button and a list of files in the directory will be displayed.

•	Comment - the comment that is displayed to describe the file (same as File Comment)

To insert a new entry:

1.	Move the cursor to the correct location

2.	Select the Insert button

3.	Select Section File

4.	Fill in the Filename

5.	Fill in the Comment field with the description

6.	Press OK

To Edit an Existing Entry

1.	Select the item to edit

2.	Select the Edit button

3.	Select what you want to edit (File Comment, Text Comment, add a Private Note)

4.	Insert the new information.

5.	Press OK

Delete an Existing Entry

1.	Select the item to delete

2.	Press the Delete button

3.	Deletes the entry from the library list, but not from the CIX

Delete an Entry and Remove from CIX

1.	Select the item to delete

2.	Press the Erase button

3.	Deletes the entry from the CIX on your next connection

Upload/Download

Allows you to mark a file to be uploaded or downloaded a file while editing the library list.

Rename

Change the name of a file

Get Flist

Gets the moderators flist

Get Fdir

Get the file in the directory, which include files not flisted yet

View Fdir

Allows you view the Fdir


Related Topics

For more information about moderating CIX Conferences, see:

Creating a CIX Conference

Maintaining CIX File Lists

Add Participant to a Closed or Private CIX Conference

Moderator - Withdraw Message with Notify (CIX)

Encrypted CIX Conferences

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


Add Participant to a Closed or Private CIX Conference

 See Also

Special Menu

People cannot join closed or private conferences. They must be explicitly joined by a moderator.

There are two ways to do this, available on the Special | Moderator flyout menu.

These two ways are similar, but slightly different:

•	Add Participant - adds participants, whose names you must supply, in the current conference you are viewing.

•	Add Person to Conference - adds the author of the current message you are viewing in the conference whose name you supply.


Related Topics

For more information about moderating CIX Conferences, see:

Creating a CIX Conference

Maintaining CIX File Lists

Modify CIX File List Buttons

Moderator - Withdraw Message with Notify (CIX)

Encrypted CIX Conferences

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


Moderator - Withdraw Message with Notify (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu

As a moderator, you can withdraw any message in a conference that you moderate.

To do this view the message and then select the Special | Moderate | Withdraw Message with notify menu item.

Virtual Access will then:

1.	withdraw the message from CIX on the next connection

2.	send a mail message to the author of the message telling him that you have withdrawn the message,

Virtual Access loads the message editor with a mail message addressed to the author of the message so you can explain why you are withdrawing it.


Related Topics

For more information about moderating CIX Conferences, see:

Creating a CIX Conference

Maintaining CIX File Lists

Modify CIX File List Buttons

Add Participant to a Closed or Private CIX Conference

Encrypted CIX Conferences

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


Encrypted CIX Conferences

 See Also

You can make any existing closed or closed confidential conference, or any topic in such a conference encrypted, or you can create new encrypted conferences.

Setting up an encrypted conference:

If you are the moderator the procedure is as follows:

1.	If it is an existing conference/topic being encrypted for the first time ensure there is at least one message in your message base, then proceed to step 3) below

2.	If you are creating a new conference or topic, create it and make sure that you have created and received at least one message in plain text.

3.	Decide on the password(s). There can be separate passwords for each topic or a single password for the whole conference. Passwords are case sensitive.

4.	Notify the participants of the password, but not by e-mail or by posting it in the conference.

5.	Create a text file in your Virtual Access install directory called PASS.TP containing text in the form:

conference password

or

conference/topic password

The single space after the last character of the conference or topic name is significant.

The form of the conference or topic should always be exactly as it is on CIX, not as it appears in DOS filenames.

Each conference, or topic, should be on a separate line.

6.	Copy the file PASS.TP to the CIX service directory.

7.	 Within Virtual Access, switch to the conference or topic and proceed to create the first encrypted Say (this is not the seed message which should already exist before you encrypt the conference)as a normal Say.

Encrypted messages should never ever be edited in Review.

8.	Connect to CIX.

Accessing an encrypted conference:

If you are not a moderator, you only need to know the password to access an encrypted conference. While processing incoming messages Import will detect the presence of an encrypted message base and if PASS.TP does not exist (or there is no entry for that conference or topic in PASS.TP), Virtual Access will ask you for the password.

If you press ENTER without supplying the password Virtual Access will import the message in encrypted format. You can decrypt the message later by

•	copying the topic file out to another location,

•	editing PASS.TP files (which Virtual Access will have created with a blank entry for the conference/topic password), to remove the whole conference topic line.

•	reimporting the messages


Related Topics

For more information about moderating CIX Conferences, see:

Creating a CIX Conference

Maintaining CIX File Lists

Modify CIX File List Buttons

Add Participant to a Closed or Private CIX Conference

Moderator - Withdraw Message with Notify (CIX)

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences

CIX Actions and Scripts


CIX Actions and Scripts

 See Also

Actions specific to CIX are listed on the Special menu.

The following functions are covered in this section. The Special menu groups different actions by category:

•	Billing

•	Resumes

•	Basic Services Scripts

•	Mail Scripts

•	Internet

•	Moderate Scripts

•	Administrate Scripts

•	Other Scripts


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Scripts and Actions, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Billing

CIX Reconstruct

CIX Resumes

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts

For more information about using CIX, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Connect to CIX

CIX Mail

CIX File Lists and Retrieving Files

Finding CIX Conferences

Moderating CIX Conferences


Remote Search on CIX

 See Also

Special Menu

Remote Search ask for a text string to search for in the topic you are currently viewing.

The search results, showing the message number and the line of text found, are stored in the pseudo conference Actions/Search.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Scripts and Actions, see:

CIX Billing

CIX Reconstruct

CIX Resumes

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


CIX Billing

 See Also

Special | Administration Menu

CIX provides a monthly statement with detailed billing information about every connection you have made to CIX using your account, noting date, time and the time of each connection.

To collect this information select the Special | Administration | Billing menu item. This will display a dialog box to select the month and year for the billing information.

Results are placed in the Billing/Details pseudo conference.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Scripts and Actions, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Reconstruct

CIX Resumes

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


CIX Reconstruct

 See Also

Tools | Messagebase Management

Reconstruct will fill in all missing messages in all conferences.

To reconstruct the CIX message base

1.	Select Tools  | Messagebase Management | Reconstruct and select CIX from the service list.

2.	A dialog asking do you want to reconstruct all pointers in all conferences is displayed. Answer Yes

3.	Virtual Access will then go and look for all missing messages in all your conferences and build a file called POINT.BSC in the installation directory

4.	A entry to reconstruct is put in the Review Outbasket to execute the command the next time you connect to CIX.

♦ Tip

POINT.BSC will generally be a very large file and a complete reconstruct can be very time consuming. Reconstruct fills in any missing gaps, regardless of the time space. If you had kept a very early message and had pruned a large section, reconstruct will mark all of these messages to be downloaded. This may not be what you want.

If you only want to reconstruct certain conferences, you can modify the POINT.BSC file using an ASCII editor.

The format of the file is:

q

join ashmount/files

no

hea skip to 57

file 35

file 36

. . .

You can remove any conferences you do not want to reconstruct. Be sure that each conference you leave in has the correct format.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Scripts and Actions, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Billing

CIX Resumes

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


CIX Resumes

 See Also

 Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl-R	Special | Resumes

Every person on CIX can have a resume, which is a text file about themselves. You can put anything you like into your resume.

Virtual Access allows you to upload and download your resume for editing and you can also download the resume of other users.

When you ask for a resume, a dialog box asks you for the CIX nickname of the person whose resume you want to download.

The dialog box also has three buttons that use the resume you select from the list:

•	Close - close the resume window

•	View - read the resume

•	Collect - obtain a resume for the person on the next connection to CIX

•	Delete - remove the resume from the message base

•	Originator - collect the resume of the sender of the message currently open in the Message Window

 Edit My Resume

You can edit your own Resume by using the Special | Resume | Edit My Resume menu item. If your resume if not available, Virtual Access will ask if you want to collect it first. After you've edited it, Virtual Access will automatically upload the updated resume next time you connect.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Scripts and Actions, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Billing

CIX Reconstruct

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


CIX Basic Services Scripts

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

These scripts allow you to perform some basic tasks on CIX, such as:

•	downloading a specific range of message

•	getting the contents of an . ARC or . ZIP file

•	finding where a file is located

•	finding a text string in a topic

•	handling conferences that you have resigned on CIX or which have been pruned from your message base


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Basic Services, see:

Download Some Messages (CIX)

Get Contents of ARC/ZIP (CIX)

Copy this Message to another Topic (CIX)

Find File on CIX

Quick Search this Topic (CIX)

Get Original Message on CIX

Get File Stats (CIX)

Show Information (CIX)

Show Participants (CIX)

Get CIX Conference Information

Rejoin Resigned Topic (CIX)

Rejoin Expired Topic (CIX)

Say in Expired Topic (CIX)

Get a Help File (CIX)

Get List of CIX Help Files(CIX)

Grab FileList From Unjoined (CIX)

Grab File From Unjoined (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Download Some Messages (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

This script downloads a range of messages from the topic that you are currently viewing.

After issuing this script you are asked for:

1.	first message number

2.	last message number

Use the same number for the first and last number to download a single message

The messages will automatically be imported into your message base.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Basic Services, see:

Get Contents of ARC/ZIP (CIX)

Copy this Message to another Topic (CIX)

Find File on CIX

Quick Search this Topic (CIX)

Get Original Message on CIX

Get File Stats (CIX)

Show Information (CIX)

Show Participants (CIX)

Get CIX Conference Information

Rejoin Resigned Topic (CIX)

Rejoin Expired Topic (CIX)

Say in Expired Topic (CIX)

Get a Help File (CIX)

Get List of CIX Help Files(CIX)

Grab FileList From Unjoined (CIX)

Grab File From Unjoined (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Get Contents of ARC/ZIP (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

This script retrieves a list of the contents of a specified . ARC or . ZIP file from the flist of the topic that you are currently viewing

The contents of the zip file are placed in the Actions/Archive pseudo conference.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Basic Services, see:

Download Some Messages (CIX)

Copy this Message to another Topic (CIX)

Find File on CIX

Quick Search this Topic (CIX)

Get Original Message on CIX

Get File Stats (CIX)

Show Information (CIX)

Show Participants (CIX)

Get CIX Conference Information

Rejoin Resigned Topic (CIX)

Rejoin Expired Topic (CIX)

Say in Expired Topic (CIX)

Get a Help File (CIX)

Get List of CIX Help Files(CIX)

Grab FileList From Unjoined (CIX)

Grab File From Unjoined (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Copy this Message to another Topic (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

This script copies the currently viewed message to a conference and topic on CIX that you specify.

Virtual Access will ask you for:

1.	the conference and topic to copy the message to.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Basic Services, see:

Download Some Messages (CIX)

Get Contents of ARC/ZIP (CIX)

Find File on CIX

Quick Search this Topic (CIX)

Get Original Message on CIX

Get File Stats (CIX)

Show Information (CIX)

Show Participants (CIX)

Get CIX Conference Information

Rejoin Resigned Topic (CIX)

Rejoin Expired Topic (CIX)

Say in Expired Topic (CIX)

Get a Help File (CIX)

Get List of CIX Help Files(CIX)

Grab FileList From Unjoined (CIX)

Grab File From Unjoined (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Find File on CIX

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

This script retrieves a list of all files available on CIX matching the file name (or partial name) you supply. The list shows the conference/topic and exact filename of each files found.

The information is placed in the Actions/Ffind pseudo conference

♦ Note

Do not type in the wildcard * at either the end or start of the filename you supply, as CIX does this automatically.

CIX will only search in open conferences. It will not look in closed or confidential conferences even if you are a member.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Basic Services, see:

Download Some Messages (CIX)

Get Contents of ARC/ZIP (CIX)

Copy this Message to another Topic (CIX)

Quick Search this Topic (CIX)

Get Original Message on CIX

Get File Stats (CIX)

Show Information (CIX)

Show Participants (CIX)

Get CIX Conference Information

Rejoin Resigned Topic (CIX)

Rejoin Expired Topic (CIX)

Say in Expired Topic (CIX)

Get a Help File (CIX)

Get List of CIX Help Files(CIX)

Grab FileList From Unjoined (CIX)

Grab File From Unjoined (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Quick Search this Topic (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

This searches from the last message backwards in the currently viewed topic for the text you supply.

The headers of messages containing this text are downloaded into the Actions/Search pseudo conference..

 When you select this script Virtual Access brings up a dialog box for you to type the search text into.

♦ Note

The search string is case sensitive and a maximum of 13 characters long, with up to two ? characters in it (? matches any character)


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Basic Services, see:

Download Some Messages (CIX)

Get Contents of ARC/ZIP (CIX)

Copy this Message to another Topic (CIX)

Find File on CIX

Get Original Message on CIX

Get File Stats (CIX)

Show Information (CIX)

Show Participants (CIX)

Get CIX Conference Information

Rejoin Resigned Topic (CIX)

Rejoin Expired Topic (CIX)

Say in Expired Topic (CIX)

Get a Help File (CIX)

Get List of CIX Help Files(CIX)

Grab FileList From Unjoined (CIX)

Grab File From Unjoined (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Get Original Message on CIX

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

This script command will download the original (parent) message to the message you are currently viewing.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Basic Services, see:

Download Some Messages (CIX)

Get Contents of ARC/ZIP (CIX)

Copy this Message to another Topic (CIX)

Find File on CIX

Quick Search this Topic (CIX)

Get File Stats (CIX)

Show Information (CIX)

Show Participants (CIX)

Get CIX Conference Information

Rejoin Resigned Topic (CIX)

Rejoin Expired Topic (CIX)

Say in Expired Topic (CIX)

Get a Help File (CIX)

Get List of CIX Help Files(CIX)

Grab FileList From Unjoined (CIX)

Grab File From Unjoined (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Get File Stats (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

This command retrieves the number of times each file in the currently viewed topic has been downloaded.

The results are placed in the Actions/Statistics pseudo conference


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Basic Services, see:

Download Some Messages (CIX)

Get Contents of ARC/ZIP (CIX)

Copy this Message to another Topic (CIX)

Find File on CIX

Quick Search this Topic (CIX)

Get Original Message on CIX

Show Information (CIX)

Show Participants (CIX)

Get CIX Conference Information

Rejoin Resigned Topic (CIX)

Rejoin Expired Topic (CIX)

Say in Expired Topic (CIX)

Get a Help File (CIX)

Get List of CIX Help Files(CIX)

Grab FileList From Unjoined (CIX)

Grab File From Unjoined (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Show Information (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

The Show Information script allows you to see information about a conference.

•	New Messages - list of new messages

•	All CIX membership - Gets a list of all CIX members. Warning - this list is long.

•	Options Setting - gets a list of your current CIX profile settings. See Get Profile for more information.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Basic Services, see:

Download Some Messages (CIX)

Get Contents of ARC/ZIP (CIX)

Copy this Message to another Topic (CIX)

Find File on CIX

Quick Search this Topic (CIX)

Get Original Message on CIX

Get File Stats (CIX)

Show Participants (CIX)

Get CIX Conference Information

Rejoin Resigned Topic (CIX)

Rejoin Expired Topic (CIX)

Say in Expired Topic (CIX)

Get a Help File (CIX)

Get List of CIX Help Files(CIX)

Grab FileList From Unjoined (CIX)

Grab File From Unjoined (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Show Participants (CIX)

 See Also

This script shows who is joined to a conference. A drop down list lets you select any CIX conference in your local message base.

The results are stored in ACTIONS/SHOW.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Basic Services, see:

Download Some Messages (CIX)

Get Contents of ARC/ZIP (CIX)

Copy this Message to another Topic (CIX)

Find File on CIX

Quick Search this Topic (CIX)

Get Original Message on CIX

Get File Stats (CIX)

Show Information (CIX)

Get CIX Conference Information

Rejoin Resigned Topic (CIX)

Rejoin Expired Topic (CIX)

Say in Expired Topic (CIX)

Get a Help File (CIX)

Get List of CIX Help Files(CIX)

Grab FileList From Unjoined (CIX)

Grab File From Unjoined (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Get CIX Conference Information

 See Also

Special Menu

Information about each conference is kept in the local message base.

As new topics are added to a conference or the moderators change, the local information may become out of date. You can update this information using Get Conference Information.

To update the conference information

1.	View a topic in the conference to you want to update

2.	Select the Special | Basic Services | Get Conference Information menu item

The information will be updated on your next connection to CIX.

When you join a new conference, a script is automatically generated to collect this information on the next connection to CIX.

The information for each conference is:

1.	a list of available topics

2.	the moderators of the conference

3.	a short description of the conference

You can view the information in the local message base with View Conference Information.

♦ Note

If you have selected AutoJoin in User Options you will automatically be joined to any new topics that are created in conferences that you are joined to but the conference information isn't updated automatically.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Basic Services, see:

Download Some Messages (CIX)

Get Contents of ARC/ZIP (CIX)

Copy this Message to another Topic (CIX)

Find File on CIX

Quick Search this Topic (CIX)

Get Original Message on CIX

Get File Stats (CIX)

Show Information (CIX)

Show Participants (CIX)

Rejoin Resigned Topic (CIX)

Rejoin Expired Topic (CIX)

Say in Expired Topic (CIX)

Get a Help File (CIX)

Get List of CIX Help Files(CIX)

Grab FileList From Unjoined (CIX)

Grab File From Unjoined (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Rejoin Resigned Topic (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

If you have resigned from a single topic of a conference, there is a CIX bug that sometimes prevents you rejoining it.

This script command gets round that bug.

It should be issued when viewing a different topic of the same conference and will ask for the topic name to rejoin.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Basic Services, see:

Download Some Messages (CIX)

Get Contents of ARC/ZIP (CIX)

Copy this Message to another Topic (CIX)

Find File on CIX

Quick Search this Topic (CIX)

Get Original Message on CIX

Get File Stats (CIX)

Show Information (CIX)

Show Participants (CIX)

Get CIX Conference Information

Rejoin Expired Topic (CIX)

Say in Expired Topic (CIX)

Get a Help File (CIX)

Get List of CIX Help Files(CIX)

Grab FileList From Unjoined (CIX)

Grab File From Unjoined (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Rejoin Expired Topic (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

If a topic has been pruned from your hard disk and no new messages are posted to it on CIX, the join command will not cause the topic to appear.

This command gets round this limitation. After issuing this command you are asked first for the conference to rejoin, and then the topic to rejoin.

On your next blink a message will be downloaded from that topic causing it to appear again locally


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Basic Services, see:

Download Some Messages (CIX)

Get Contents of ARC/ZIP (CIX)

Copy this Message to another Topic (CIX)

Find File on CIX

Quick Search this Topic (CIX)

Get Original Message on CIX

Get File Stats (CIX)

Show Information (CIX)

Show Participants (CIX)

Get CIX Conference Information

Rejoin Resigned Topic (CIX)

Say in Expired Topic (CIX)

Get a Help File (CIX)

Get List of CIX Help Files(CIX)

Grab FileList From Unjoined (CIX)

Grab File From Unjoined (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Say in Expired Topic (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

If a topic has been pruned from your hard disk and no new messages are posted to it on CIX, you cannot post a new message into that topic.

This command gets round this limitation. After issuing this command you are asked for:

1.	the conference, and then the topic name.

2.	the message title - up to 60 characters.

You will then be put into the message editor to type in the text of your message.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Basic Services, see:

Download Some Messages (CIX)

Get Contents of ARC/ZIP (CIX)

Copy this Message to another Topic (CIX)

Find File on CIX

Quick Search this Topic (CIX)

Get Original Message on CIX

Get File Stats (CIX)

Show Information (CIX)

Show Participants (CIX)

Get CIX Conference Information

Rejoin Resigned Topic (CIX)

Rejoin Expired Topic (CIX)

Get a Help File (CIX)

Get List of CIX Help Files(CIX)

Grab FileList From Unjoined (CIX)

Grab File From Unjoined (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Get a Help File (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

This script downloads the CIX Help Information for a specific subject.

The information is put into the Actions/Helpfiles pseudo conference.

For a list of available subject names, use the Get a List of Help Files script.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Basic Services, see:

Download Some Messages (CIX)

Get Contents of ARC/ZIP (CIX)

Copy this Message to another Topic (CIX)

Find File on CIX

Quick Search this Topic (CIX)

Get Original Message on CIX

Get File Stats (CIX)

Show Information (CIX)

Show Participants (CIX)

Get CIX Conference Information

Rejoin Resigned Topic (CIX)

Rejoin Expired Topic (CIX)

Say in Expired Topic (CIX)

Get List of CIX Help Files(CIX)

Grab FileList From Unjoined (CIX)

Grab File From Unjoined (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Get List of CIX Help Files(CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

This script downloads a list of all CIX Help Files.

The list is placed in the Actions/Helpfiles pseudo conference.

You can review this list and then collect the help for a specific subject using the Get a Help File script.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Basic Services, see:

Download Some Messages (CIX)

Get Contents of ARC/ZIP (CIX)

Copy this Message to another Topic (CIX)

Find File on CIX

Quick Search this Topic (CIX)

Get Original Message on CIX

Get File Stats (CIX)

Show Information (CIX)

Show Participants (CIX)

Get CIX Conference Information

Rejoin Resigned Topic (CIX)

Rejoin Expired Topic (CIX)

Say in Expired Topic (CIX)

Get a Help File (CIX)

Grab FileList From Unjoined (CIX)

Grab File From Unjoined (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Grab FileList From Unjoined (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

This script will collect a Flist from a conference you are not joined to.

The script asks you to specify:

1.	conference name

2.	topic name

The filelist for that topic is downloaded into the Actions conference.

This script joins you to the topic, downloads the filelist and then resigns you from the topic.

♦ Note

If you use this script on a topic that you are joined to it, the script will resign you from it.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Basic Services, see:

Download Some Messages (CIX)

Get Contents of ARC/ZIP (CIX)

Copy this Message to another Topic (CIX)

Find File on CIX

Quick Search this Topic (CIX)

Get Original Message on CIX

Get File Stats (CIX)

Show Information (CIX)

Show Participants (CIX)

Get CIX Conference Information

Rejoin Resigned Topic (CIX)

Rejoin Expired Topic (CIX)

Say in Expired Topic (CIX)

Get a Help File (CIX)

Get List of CIX Help Files(CIX)

Grab File From Unjoined (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Grab File From Unjoined (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Basic Services

This script will collect a file list from a conference you are not joined to.

The script asks you to specify:

1.	conference name

2.	topic name

This script joins you to the topic, downloads the filelist and then resigns you from the topic.

♦ Note

If you use this script on a topic that you are joined to it, the script will resign you from it.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Basic Services, see:

Download Some Messages (CIX)

Get Contents of ARC/ZIP (CIX)

Copy this Message to another Topic (CIX)

Find File on CIX

Quick Search this Topic (CIX)

Get Original Message on CIX

Get File Stats (CIX)

Show Information (CIX)

Show Participants (CIX)

Get CIX Conference Information

Rejoin Resigned Topic (CIX)

Rejoin Expired Topic (CIX)

Say in Expired Topic (CIX)

Get a Help File (CIX)

Get List of CIX Help Files(CIX)

Grab FileList From Unjoined (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


CIX Mail Scripts

 See Also

Special Menu | Mail

These scripts give you access to several mail functions on CIX, including managing files in your mail directory.

The functions are:

1.	manipulate files in your mail directory, such as upload, download, erase or rename

2.	delete a mail message or mark it as unread so Virtual Access will download it

3.	get the contents of your in and out mail baskets


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Mail scripts, see:

Upload Mail File (CIX)

Download Mail File (CIX)

Send Binmail (CIX)

Erase Mail File (CIX)

Rename Mail File (CIX)

Export Mail File (CIX)

Send File via Mail (CIX)

Mark Mail Unread (CIX)

Delete Mail Message (CIX)

Read Baskets (CIX)

Clear Read Mail (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Upload Mail File (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Mail

This script uploads a file to your private mail directory on CIX. The file will remain in your mail directory until you or CIX delete it.

CIX removes files that are older than 30 days at midnight.

When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for:

1.	the name of the file to upload


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Mail scripts, see:

Download Mail File (CIX)

Send Binmail (CIX)

Erase Mail File (CIX)

Rename Mail File (CIX)

Export Mail File (CIX)

Send File via Mail (CIX)

Mark Mail Unread (CIX)

Delete Mail Message (CIX)

Read Baskets (CIX)

Clear Read Mail (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Download Mail File (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Mail

This script downloads a file from your private mail directory to the download directory.

When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for:

1.	the CIX filename of the file to download

♦ Note

Normal ? and * wildcards are supported.

It is probably easier to collect the mail directory (you can do this automatically every time you connect to CIX by using the Scheduler) and download files from there, selecting the filename and then clicking on the Download button.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Mail scripts, see:

Upload Mail File (CIX)

Send Binmail (CIX)

Erase Mail File (CIX)

Rename Mail File (CIX)

Export Mail File (CIX)

Send File via Mail (CIX)

Mark Mail Unread (CIX)

Delete Mail Message (CIX)

Read Baskets (CIX)

Clear Read Mail (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Send Binmail (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Mail

This script command allows you to send a file in your private mail directory to another person at CIX. The file must already be in your mail directory when you send this command, or it will fail.

When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for:

1.	the filename

2.	the CIX nickname of the recipient

♦ Note

You cannot Send a binary file to someone outside CIX using this script command.

If you want to send a file that you have not yet uploaded, create a mail message and use the Attach File button.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Mail scripts, see:

Upload Mail File (CIX)

Download Mail File (CIX)

Erase Mail File (CIX)

Rename Mail File (CIX)

Export Mail File (CIX)

Send File via Mail (CIX)

Mark Mail Unread (CIX)

Delete Mail Message (CIX)

Read Baskets (CIX)

Clear Read Mail (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Erase Mail File (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Mail

This script will delete the specified file from your mail directory.

When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for:

1.	the filename to erase.

♦ Tip

You can use the * and ? wildcards to specify files Using just * deletes all files. CIX removes any files that are over 30 days old from your binmail directory automatically.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Mail scripts, see:

Upload Mail File (CIX)

Download Mail File (CIX)

Send Binmail (CIX)

Rename Mail File (CIX)

Export Mail File (CIX)

Send File via Mail (CIX)

Mark Mail Unread (CIX)

Delete Mail Message (CIX)

Read Baskets (CIX)

Clear Read Mail (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Rename Mail File (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Mail

This script command will rename a file in your mail directory.

When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for:

1.	the current filename

2.	the new filename


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Mail scripts, see:

Upload Mail File (CIX)

Download Mail File (CIX)

Send Binmail (CIX)

Erase Mail File (CIX)

Export Mail File (CIX)

Send File via Mail (CIX)

Mark Mail Unread (CIX)

Delete Mail Message (CIX)

Read Baskets (CIX)

Clear Read Mail (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Export Mail File (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Mail

This script copies a specified file from your mail directory to the file directory of the current topic.

When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for:

1.	the filename to export.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Mail scripts, see:

Upload Mail File (CIX)

Download Mail File (CIX)

Send Binmail (CIX)

Erase Mail File (CIX)

Rename Mail File (CIX)

Send File via Mail (CIX)

Mark Mail Unread (CIX)

Delete Mail Message (CIX)

Read Baskets (CIX)

Clear Read Mail (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Send File via Mail (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Mail

As the mail editor is unable to handle text files larger than 32K, you can use this script to send a text file from your disk to either another CIX user or an external mail address. This will allow you to send large files, such as UUEncoded files.

The script brings up a dialog box for you to select the file and asks for the address of the recipient. Note that the address book is not available while running this script.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Mail scripts, see:

Upload Mail File (CIX)

Download Mail File (CIX)

Send Binmail (CIX)

Erase Mail File (CIX)

Rename Mail File (CIX)

Export Mail File (CIX)

Mark Mail Unread (CIX)

Delete Mail Message (CIX)

Read Baskets (CIX)

Clear Read Mail (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Mark Mail Unread (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Mail

This script marks an already existing mail message as unread so that it will be downloaded on the next blink.

When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for the CIX mail message number to mark unread.

This is not the same as the local mail message number, you must use the CIX mail message number.

♦ Tip

If you use the read in basket/read out basket scripts to get the CIX mail message numbers, a drop down list of the messages is available. If this list is out of date, you can overtype the information with a specific mail message number.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Mail scripts, see:

Upload Mail File (CIX)

Download Mail File (CIX)

Send Binmail (CIX)

Erase Mail File (CIX)

Rename Mail File (CIX)

Export Mail File (CIX)

Send File via Mail (CIX)

Delete Mail Message (CIX)

Read Baskets (CIX)

Clear Read Mail (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Delete Mail Message (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Mail

This script will delete the specified mail message from your CIX in and out basket.

When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for:

1.	the CIX mail message number to mark unread.

This is not the same as the local mail message number, you must use the CIX mail message number.

♦ Tip

Use the read in basket/read out basket scripts to get the CIX mail message numbers. If you are reading the mail/basket topic, you can highlight a message number and it will be fill in the dialog box.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Mail scripts, see:

Upload Mail File (CIX)

Download Mail File (CIX)

Send Binmail (CIX)

Erase Mail File (CIX)

Rename Mail File (CIX)

Export Mail File (CIX)

Send File via Mail (CIX)

Mark Mail Unread (CIX)

Read Baskets (CIX)

Clear Read Mail (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Read Baskets (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Mail

This script downloads a list of all messages in your CIX mail in and out baskets.

The information is placed in the Mail/Baskets pseudo conference.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Mail scripts, see:

Upload Mail File (CIX)

Download Mail File (CIX)

Send Binmail (CIX)

Erase Mail File (CIX)

Rename Mail File (CIX)

Export Mail File (CIX)

Send File via Mail (CIX)

Mark Mail Unread (CIX)

Delete Mail Message (CIX)

Clear Read Mail (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Clear Read Mail (CIX)

 See Also

Special | Mail Menu

Clear Read Mail clears out all the read messages in both your In and Out Baskets on CIX.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Mail scripts, see:

Upload Mail File (CIX)

Download Mail File (CIX)

Send Binmail (CIX)

Erase Mail File (CIX)

Rename Mail File (CIX)

Export Mail File (CIX)

Send File via Mail (CIX)

Mark Mail Unread (CIX)

Delete Mail Message (CIX)

Read Baskets (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


CIX Internet Feature Scripts

 See Also

Special Menu | Internet

FTP sites are large public archives of files on the Internet and you can download files from these using CIX. CIX has two ways of collecting files from FTP sites:

1.	The first way is to do it on line, transferring the file from a remote FTP site to CIX, then downloading it. This can take a long time, first to get the file from the remote FTP site to CIX, and then to download it.

2.	The second way is to send the commands to CIX to retrieve the file. You can disconnect and then log on later to collect the file from CIX.

The Batch Get File script implements the second method and is the recommended way of getting files by FTP when used in conjunction with the Batch Download script.

Using the Internet scripts you can also get directory listings, and search for people, names and files on the Internet.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Internet scripts, see:

Batch Get File (CIX)

FTP File to You (CIX)

FTP Multiple Files to You (CIX)

Read FTP Directory (CIX)

Recurse FTP Directory (CIX)

Upload File to FTP Site (CIX)

Erase File from FTP Site (CIX)

Find File (Archie) (CIX)

Finger Person (CIX)

Ping (CIX)

Who Is (CIX)

Batch Download (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Batch Get File (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Internet

This script issues a command to CIX to collect a file from a remote FTP site and bring it to CIX so that you can download it later.

It typically takes 20 minutes to 1 hour for CIX to process this command, plus the time taken to transfer the command to CIX (at say 100Kb per minute).

When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for:

1.	the site name

2.	the path/file name

Note these names are case sensitive..

When you run this script, CIX places this file in your private Internet directory, but it is not downloaded automatically.

♦ Note

You must collect the file within 48 hours (using Batch Download) or CIX will delete the file.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Internet scripts, see:

FTP File to You (CIX)

FTP Multiple Files to You (CIX)

Read FTP Directory (CIX)

Recurse FTP Directory (CIX)

Upload File to FTP Site (CIX)

Erase File from FTP Site (CIX)

Find File (Archie) (CIX)

Finger Person (CIX)

Ping (CIX)

Who Is (CIX)

Batch Download (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


FTP File to You (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Internet

This script retrieves a file from an FTP site to CIX, and then downloads it straight to your machine.

When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for:

1.	the site name

2.	the path name

3.	the file name (* and ? are NOT allowed)

Note these names are case sensitive.

♦ Note

This script requires that you to stay on line for the time it takes to FTP the file to CIX and for the time it takes to download the file to your machine. This is a faster way of downloading files as you do not have to wait for CIX to process the command (typically 20 minutes to one hour) but you will be on line for longer so it is more expensive than the Batch Get File script.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Internet scripts, see:

Batch Get File (CIX)

FTP Multiple Files to You (CIX)

Read FTP Directory (CIX)

Recurse FTP Directory (CIX)

Upload File to FTP Site (CIX)

Erase File from FTP Site (CIX)

Find File (Archie) (CIX)

Finger Person (CIX)

Ping (CIX)

Who Is (CIX)

Batch Download (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


FTP Multiple Files to You (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Internet

This script allows you retrieve multiple files that all match a given files specification from an FTP site, download them to CIX and then download them straight to your machine.

When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for:

1.	the site name

2.	the path name

3.	the file specification (* and ? are allowed)

Note these names are case sensitive.

♦ Note

This script requires that you to stay on line for the time it takes to FTP the file to CIX and for the time it takes to download the file to your machine. This is a faster way of downloading files as you do not have to wait for CIX to process the command (typically 20 minutes to one hour) but you will be on line for longer so it is more expensive than the Batch Get File script.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Internet scripts, see:

Batch Get File (CIX)

FTP File to You (CIX)

Read FTP Directory (CIX)

Recurse FTP Directory (CIX)

Upload File to FTP Site (CIX)

Erase File from FTP Site (CIX)

Find File (Archie) (CIX)

Finger Person (CIX)

Ping (CIX)

Who Is (CIX)

Batch Download (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Read FTP Directory (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Internet

This script will retrieve the directory listing of a given directory at a specified FTP site. When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for:

1.	the site name

2.	the directory name

The information will be downloaded and put into a pseudo conference called FTP in a topic with the site name. The message title will be the directory name.

If you do not know the directory names on the FTP site try /pub or / as the initial directory name and explore from there.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Internet scripts, see:

Batch Get File (CIX)

FTP File to You (CIX)

FTP Multiple Files to You (CIX)

Recurse FTP Directory (CIX)

Upload File to FTP Site (CIX)

Erase File from FTP Site (CIX)

Find File (Archie) (CIX)

Finger Person (CIX)

Ping (CIX)

Who Is (CIX)

Batch Download (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Recurse FTP Directory (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Internet

This script will get a recursive directory listing of a given directory at a specified FTP site. When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for:

1.	the site name

2.	the directory name

The information will be downloaded and put into a pseudo conference called FTP in a topic with the site name. The message title will be the directory name.

A recursive directory list reads all the directories below the directory that you have specified, and all the directories below those and so on. This will typically produce a massive file, if done at the root directory of an FTP site, say 20Mb, and take 6 hours to process.

If you want the whole listing there is normally a file called LS-LR.TXT(or maybe a zipped version) in the root of most sites. FTP that file instead.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Internet scripts, see:

Batch Get File (CIX)

FTP File to You (CIX)

FTP Multiple Files to You (CIX)

Read FTP Directory (CIX)

Upload File to FTP Site (CIX)

Erase File from FTP Site (CIX)

Find File (Archie) (CIX)

Finger Person (CIX)

Ping (CIX)

Who Is (CIX)

Batch Download (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Upload File to FTP Site (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Internet

This script will upload a file to a FTP site via the CIX Internet Gateway. You must specify all information completely as there is no validation checking:

•	FTP Site - the name of the site to upload the file to

•	Username - the name you use to logon to the site.

•	Password - the password to logon to the site

•	Directory on site - the directory on the site where the file will be uploaded

•	Local file - the name of the file to upload. Specify the full pathname


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Internet scripts, see:

Batch Get File (CIX)

FTP File to You (CIX)

FTP Multiple Files to You (CIX)

Read FTP Directory (CIX)

Recurse FTP Directory (CIX)

Erase File from FTP Site (CIX)

Find File (Archie) (CIX)

Finger Person (CIX)

Ping (CIX)

Who Is (CIX)

Batch Download (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Erase File from FTP Site (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Internet

This script will erase a file on an FTP site via the CIX Internet Gateway. You must specify all information completely as there is no validation checking:

•	FTP Site - the name of the site to upload the file to

•	Username - the name you use to logon to the site.

•	Password - the password to logon to the site

•	Path and filename - the location of the file to erase


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Internet scripts, see:

Batch Get File (CIX)

FTP File to You (CIX)

FTP Multiple Files to You (CIX)

Read FTP Directory (CIX)

Recurse FTP Directory (CIX)

Upload File to FTP Site (CIX)

Find File (Archie) (CIX)

Finger Person (CIX)

Ping (CIX)

Who Is (CIX)

Batch Download (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Find File (Archie) (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Internet

This script invokes a program called Archie, which will go off and search FTP sites for the filename that you supply.

The results of the search are placed in the Actions/Archie pseudo conference

Wildcards are acceptable, and the search is case sensitive


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Internet scripts, see:

Batch Get File (CIX)

FTP File to You (CIX)

FTP Multiple Files to You (CIX)

Read FTP Directory (CIX)

Recurse FTP Directory (CIX)

Upload File to FTP Site (CIX)

Erase File from FTP Site (CIX)

Finger Person (CIX)

Ping (CIX)

Who Is (CIX)

Batch Download (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Finger Person (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Internet

This script command does a "finger" of the Internet email address that you specify. Fingering someone is the Internet way of asking for their resume.

Many sites (CIX is one) do not give any result from doing a finger, as they see it as compromising their security.

The information is placed into the Actions/Finger pseudo conference.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Internet scripts, see:

Batch Get File (CIX)

FTP File to You (CIX)

FTP Multiple Files to You (CIX)

Read FTP Directory (CIX)

Recurse FTP Directory (CIX)

Upload File to FTP Site (CIX)

Erase File from FTP Site (CIX)

Find File (Archie) (CIX)

Ping (CIX)

Who Is (CIX)

Batch Download (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Ping (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Internet

This script command will "ping" a specified Internet site. Pinging a site will check that it is alive (i.e. up and running and active) or tell you if it is not.

The information is placed in the Actions/Ping pseudo conference.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Internet scripts, see:

Batch Get File (CIX)

FTP File to You (CIX)

FTP Multiple Files to You (CIX)

Read FTP Directory (CIX)

Recurse FTP Directory (CIX)

Upload File to FTP Site (CIX)

Erase File from FTP Site (CIX)

Find File (Archie) (CIX)

Finger Person (CIX)

Who Is (CIX)

Batch Download (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Who Is (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Internet

This script searches the Internet for information about the text that you supply. It will search for email addresses or directory names that match you text, supplying a * wildcard before and after your text to find all possible matches.

The information is placed in the Actions/Ping pseudo conference.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Internet scripts, see:

Batch Get File (CIX)

FTP File to You (CIX)

FTP Multiple Files to You (CIX)

Read FTP Directory (CIX)

Recurse FTP Directory (CIX)

Upload File to FTP Site (CIX)

Erase File from FTP Site (CIX)

Find File (Archie) (CIX)

Finger Person (CIX)

Ping (CIX)

Batch Download (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Batch Download (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Internet

This script downloads any files in your FTP directory on CIX to your download directory.

You can also tell Virtual Access to check for FTP downloads regularly with the Connect Scheduler .

We would recommend that you schedule this to happen at least once a day (or maybe every blink) because CIX deletes files in your FTP directory that are over 48 hours old.


Related Topics

For more information see:

Scheduling Events for CIX

For more information about CIX Internet scripts, see:

Batch Get File (CIX)

FTP File to You (CIX)

FTP Multiple Files to You (CIX)

Read FTP Directory (CIX)

Recurse FTP Directory (CIX)

Upload File to FTP Site (CIX)

Erase File from FTP Site (CIX)

Find File (Archie) (CIX)

Finger Person (CIX)

Ping (CIX)

Who Is (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


CIX Moderate Scripts

 See Also

Special Menu | Moderator

CIX allows you to setup and run a conference on almost any subject.

You can do all of the moderating involved in setting up the conference off-line. The various scripts allow you to create open, closed or private conferences; add topics; add and remove moderators; add and remove participants and handle the file lists of any topics containing files.

Before you set up a conference, do check the conference list to see if a similar conference already exists, or check on CIX in the conference "conference" (yes, there is a conference called conference!) to see if there is a conference covering the same area.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Moderator scripts, see:

Withdraw Message w/notify (CIX)

Add this Person to CIX Conference

Add Participant(s) (CIX)

Remove Participant (CIX)

Make CIX Conference

Add Topic (CIX)

Remove Topic (CIX)

Toggle Read Only (CIX)

Prune Topic (CIX)

Add Moderator (CIX)

Remove Moderator (CIX)

Export to Filepool (CIX)

Get Topic Size (CIX)

Modify Moderators Flist (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Withdraw Message w/notify (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Moderator

This command withdraws the currently viewed message and sends a mail message to the person telling them that you have withdrawn their message; you can explain in the message why you have done this.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Moderator scripts, see:

Add this Person to CIX Conference

Add Participant(s) (CIX)

Remove Participant (CIX)

Make CIX Conference

Add Topic (CIX)

Remove Topic (CIX)

Toggle Read Only (CIX)

Prune Topic (CIX)

Add Moderator (CIX)

Remove Moderator (CIX)

Export to Filepool (CIX)

Get Topic Size (CIX)

Modify Moderators Flist (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Add this Person to CIX Conference

 See Also

Special Menu | Moderator

This script adds the author of the currently viewed message to a conference that you specify.

When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for the conference name to add the person to.

Virtual Access will then open the message editor. The text you type will be sent to the person as a mail message. You should tell the person why you are joining them to this conference, and what the conference is about.

♦ Note

There is a difference between this command and the Add Participants script.

The Add This Person script joins the author of the currently view message to a conference you specify.

The Add Participants script lets you specific the participants to join the current conference you are viewing .

♦ Tip

If you run closed or private conferences, this script is a quick way of adding people who request admittance to the conferences when you receive mail messages from them.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Moderator scripts, see:

Withdraw Message w/notify (CIX)

Add Participant(s) (CIX)

Remove Participant (CIX)

Make CIX Conference

Add Topic (CIX)

Remove Topic (CIX)

Toggle Read Only (CIX)

Prune Topic (CIX)

Add Moderator (CIX)

Remove Moderator (CIX)

Export to Filepool (CIX)

Get Topic Size (CIX)

Modify Moderators Flist (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Add Participant(s) (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Moderator

This command adds the specified persons to the currently viewed conference.

When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for the nicknames of the persons to add. You can supply multiple nicknames together, but you must use spaces to separate them.

Virtual Access will then open the message editor. The text you type in will be sent to the person as a mail message. You should tell the person why you are joining them to this conference, and what the conference is about.

♦ Note

There is a difference between this command and the Add this Person script.

The Add This Person script joins the author of the currently view message to a conference you specify.

The Add Participants script lets you specific the participants to join the current conference you are viewing .


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Moderator scripts, see:

Withdraw Message w/notify (CIX)

Add this Person to CIX Conference

Remove Participant (CIX)

Make CIX Conference

Add Topic (CIX)

Remove Topic (CIX)

Toggle Read Only (CIX)

Prune Topic (CIX)

Add Moderator (CIX)

Remove Moderator (CIX)

Export to Filepool (CIX)

Get Topic Size (CIX)

Modify Moderators Flist (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Remove Participant (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Moderator

This command excludes the specified persons from the currently viewed conference.

When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for the nicknames of the persons to be removed. You can supply multiple nicknames separated by a space.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Moderator scripts, see:

Withdraw Message w/notify (CIX)

Add this Person to CIX Conference

Add Participant(s) (CIX)

Make CIX Conference

Add Topic (CIX)

Remove Topic (CIX)

Toggle Read Only (CIX)

Prune Topic (CIX)

Add Moderator (CIX)

Remove Moderator (CIX)

Export to Filepool (CIX)

Get Topic Size (CIX)

Modify Moderators Flist (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Make CIX Conference

 See Also

Special Menu | Moderator

This script command creates a new, private conference, and creates the first topic, It also posts a dummy message to start the topic. Virtual Access will ask for the following information:

1.	Conference name (14 characters max.),

2.	Topic name (14 characters max.),

3.	Topic description (60 characters max.),

4.	If the topic has files (yes/no)

Virtual Access creates a message and posts it into the topic you have created so that the conference will show up in Virtual Access

There are a lot of closed conferences on CIX that may already use the conference name you have chosen.

It is strongly recommended that you watch the connection while this script is executing,. If a conferences is already using the name you have chosen then CIX will reject the name of the conference and wait for you to supply a different one.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Moderator scripts, see:

Withdraw Message w/notify (CIX)

Add this Person to CIX Conference

Add Participant(s) (CIX)

Remove Participant (CIX)

Add Topic (CIX)

Remove Topic (CIX)

Toggle Read Only (CIX)

Prune Topic (CIX)

Add Moderator (CIX)

Remove Moderator (CIX)

Export to Filepool (CIX)

Get Topic Size (CIX)

Modify Moderators Flist (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Add Topic (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Moderator

This script command adds a new topic to the currently viewed conference. It also creates the first message and posts it into the topic you have created Virtual Access will ask you for the following information:

1.	Topic name (14 characters max.),

2.	Topic description (60 characters max.),

3.	If the topic has files (yes/no)

Virtual Access creates a message and posts it into the topic you have created so that the conference will show up in Virtual Access

♦ Note

All participants will be joined to this new topic, providing that you remain on line and let the procedure complete, at the rate of approximately 2 people per second.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Moderator scripts, see:

Withdraw Message w/notify (CIX)

Add this Person to CIX Conference

Add Participant(s) (CIX)

Remove Participant (CIX)

Make CIX Conference

Remove Topic (CIX)

Toggle Read Only (CIX)

Prune Topic (CIX)

Add Moderator (CIX)

Remove Moderator (CIX)

Export to Filepool (CIX)

Get Topic Size (CIX)

Modify Moderators Flist (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Remove Topic (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Moderator

This command deletes a specified topic of the currently viewed conference. .

When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for the name of the topic to be removed.

♦ Note

It is a good idea to warn people that you plan to remove a topic to prevent errors generated by postings to a deleted topic.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Moderator scripts, see:

Withdraw Message w/notify (CIX)

Add this Person to CIX Conference

Add Participant(s) (CIX)

Remove Participant (CIX)

Make CIX Conference

Add Topic (CIX)

Toggle Read Only (CIX)

Prune Topic (CIX)

Add Moderator (CIX)

Remove Moderator (CIX)

Export to Filepool (CIX)

Get Topic Size (CIX)

Modify Moderators Flist (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Toggle Read Only (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Moderator

This script toggles the currently viewed topic from read-only to read-write status (or back again).

This status only affects participants not moderators - the topic is always read-write as far as a moderator is concerned.

♦ Note

Used to make files or information topics read only.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Moderator scripts, see:

Withdraw Message w/notify (CIX)

Add this Person to CIX Conference

Add Participant(s) (CIX)

Remove Participant (CIX)

Make CIX Conference

Add Topic (CIX)

Remove Topic (CIX)

Prune Topic (CIX)

Add Moderator (CIX)

Remove Moderator (CIX)

Export to Filepool (CIX)

Get Topic Size (CIX)

Modify Moderators Flist (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Prune Topic (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Moderator

This script will remove all the withdrawn messages from the topic on CIX.

The script will prune the current topic you are viewing in the Reading Window.

This can be used when a topic is getting close to full or before making a full topic read-only.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Moderator scripts, see:

Withdraw Message w/notify (CIX)

Add this Person to CIX Conference

Add Participant(s) (CIX)

Remove Participant (CIX)

Make CIX Conference

Add Topic (CIX)

Remove Topic (CIX)

Toggle Read Only (CIX)

Add Moderator (CIX)

Remove Moderator (CIX)

Export to Filepool (CIX)

Get Topic Size (CIX)

Modify Moderators Flist (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Add Moderator (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Moderator

This command adds the specified person as a co-moderator with you to the currently viewed conference.

When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for the username of the person to be given moderator rights. This command should always be used to add one new moderator at a time.

♦ Note

Be aware that anyone you add in as a co-moderator has full moderator rights, up to and including the right to remove you as a moderator!


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Moderator scripts, see:

Withdraw Message w/notify (CIX)

Add this Person to CIX Conference

Add Participant(s) (CIX)

Remove Participant (CIX)

Make CIX Conference

Add Topic (CIX)

Remove Topic (CIX)

Toggle Read Only (CIX)

Prune Topic (CIX)

Remove Moderator (CIX)

Export to Filepool (CIX)

Get Topic Size (CIX)

Modify Moderators Flist (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Remove Moderator (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Moderator

This command removes the specified person from being a co-moderator with you to the currently viewed conference.

 When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for the username of the person to be stripped of their moderator rights.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Moderator scripts, see:

Withdraw Message w/notify (CIX)

Add this Person to CIX Conference

Add Participant(s) (CIX)

Remove Participant (CIX)

Make CIX Conference

Add Topic (CIX)

Remove Topic (CIX)

Toggle Read Only (CIX)

Prune Topic (CIX)

Add Moderator (CIX)

Export to Filepool (CIX)

Get Topic Size (CIX)

Modify Moderators Flist (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Export to Filepool (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Moderator

This command exports the specified file (which must be in the file directory of the Topic you are viewing) to the Filepool, so it can be flisted in many different conference and topics.

When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for the filename to export.

You can also do this using the modify file list dialog box.

♦ Note

You should send a message to mmuir (the moderator of Filepool) telling him what you have done so that he can announce the file there.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Moderator scripts, see:

Withdraw Message w/notify (CIX)

Add this Person to CIX Conference

Add Participant(s) (CIX)

Remove Participant (CIX)

Make CIX Conference

Add Topic (CIX)

Remove Topic (CIX)

Toggle Read Only (CIX)

Prune Topic (CIX)

Add Moderator (CIX)

Remove Moderator (CIX)

Get Topic Size (CIX)

Modify Moderators Flist (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Get Topic Size (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Moderator

The Get Topic Size script tells you the current size of the topic and its maximum size. The results are put in the Actions/Statistics pseudo conference as follows:

wigwam/bugs: 254263 bytes, limit = 2047000


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Moderator scripts, see:

Withdraw Message w/notify (CIX)

Add this Person to CIX Conference

Add Participant(s) (CIX)

Remove Participant (CIX)

Make CIX Conference

Add Topic (CIX)

Remove Topic (CIX)

Toggle Read Only (CIX)

Prune Topic (CIX)

Add Moderator (CIX)

Remove Moderator (CIX)

Export to Filepool (CIX)

Modify Moderators Flist (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Modify Moderators Flist (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Moderator

Downloads the moderators Flist. This is the same thing as viewing a Flist and pressing the Modify key.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Moderator scripts, see:

Withdraw Message w/notify (CIX)

Add this Person to CIX Conference

Add Participant(s) (CIX)

Remove Participant (CIX)

Make CIX Conference

Add Topic (CIX)

Remove Topic (CIX)

Toggle Read Only (CIX)

Prune Topic (CIX)

Add Moderator (CIX)

Remove Moderator (CIX)

Export to Filepool (CIX)

Get Topic Size (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


CIX Administration Scripts

 See Also

Special Menu | Administration

These scripts perform housekeeping and administration tasks on CIX.

The scripts allow you to:

•	Reset message pointer and synchronize your local message base with CIX.

•	Access your CIX profile

•	Set CIX options for the current session

•	Execute a specific CIX command


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Administration scripts, see:

Get Billing information (CIX)

Reset CIX Msgs to 12 p.m.

Get All CIX Topics

Set CIX Back n Days

Get Profile for Editing (CIX)

Replace Profile (CIX)

Enter Absence (CIX)

Set CIX Option

Send CIX Command

Change CIX Password

Check Mail Forward Status (CIX)

Toggle Mail Forwarding (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Get Billing information (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Administration

CIX provides a monthly statement with detailed billing information about every connection you have made to CIX using your account, noting date, time and the time of each connection.

To collect this information select the Special | Administration | Billing menu item. This will display a dialog box to select the month and year for the billing information.

Results are placed in the BILLING/DETAILS pseudo conference.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Administration scripts, see:

Reset CIX Msgs to 12 p.m.

Get All CIX Topics

Set CIX Back n Days

Get Profile for Editing (CIX)

Replace Profile (CIX)

Enter Absence (CIX)

Set CIX Option

Send CIX Command

Change CIX Password

Check Mail Forward Status (CIX)

Toggle Mail Forwarding (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Reset CIX Msgs to 12 p.m.

 See Also

Special Menu | Administration

This script resets your CIX pointers to where they were at midnight on the previous day.

If a connection to CIX has failed, this script sets the message pointers backwards and all the messages will be downloaded again on the next Full Download.

This script does not affect mail messages, which you must mark as unread separately.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Administration scripts, see:

Get Billing information (CIX)

Get All CIX Topics

Set CIX Back n Days

Get Profile for Editing (CIX)

Replace Profile (CIX)

Enter Absence (CIX)

Set CIX Option

Send CIX Command

Change CIX Password

Check Mail Forward Status (CIX)

Toggle Mail Forwarding (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Get All CIX Topics

 See Also

Special Menu | Administration

This script will set your pointers back by one message in every topic that you are joined to on CIX.

This will means that you will download one message from each topic on CIX, which will cause them all to appear in your MessageBase.

This script takes about a second to run for each topic that you are a member of.

This script does not affect mail messages, which you must mark as unread separately.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Administration scripts, see:

Get Billing information (CIX)

Reset CIX Msgs to 12 p.m.

Set CIX Back n Days

Get Profile for Editing (CIX)

Replace Profile (CIX)

Enter Absence (CIX)

Set CIX Option

Send CIX Command

Change CIX Password

Check Mail Forward Status (CIX)

Toggle Mail Forwarding (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Set CIX Back n Days

 See Also

Special Menu | Administration

This script resets the message pointers on CIX back a number of days in all topics.

If you are missing some messages that should have been downloaded a few days previously, this is a good way of recovering the messages. This script does not affect mail messages, which you must mark as unread separately.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Administration scripts, see:

Get Billing information (CIX)

Reset CIX Msgs to 12 p.m.

Get All CIX Topics

Get Profile for Editing (CIX)

Replace Profile (CIX)

Enter Absence (CIX)

Set CIX Option

Send CIX Command

Change CIX Password

Check Mail Forward Status (CIX)

Toggle Mail Forwarding (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Get Profile for Editing (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Administration

This script downloads your CIX profile (which controls how CIX is set up for you) to a file myprofil.txt so that you can view and edit your profile off line.

Be careful when editing the profile, as your profile controls all of your CIX defaults and you can cause problems if you do not know what you are doing. In addition make sure that there are no blank lines left at the end of the profile


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Administration scripts, see:

Get Billing information (CIX)

Reset CIX Msgs to 12 p.m.

Get All CIX Topics

Set CIX Back n Days

Replace Profile (CIX)

Enter Absence (CIX)

Set CIX Option

Send CIX Command

Change CIX Password

Check Mail Forward Status (CIX)

Toggle Mail Forwarding (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Replace Profile (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Administration

This script works with the Get Profile for Editing script above.

It uploads the specified file and makes that your profile. When you select this script Virtual Access asks you to select the file that you want to upload to become your profile.

♦ Note

Be careful with this as your profile is critical and controls all of your CIX defaults.

Remember not to include any blank lines at the end of the profile.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Administration scripts, see:

Get Billing information (CIX)

Reset CIX Msgs to 12 p.m.

Get All CIX Topics

Set CIX Back n Days

Get Profile for Editing (CIX)

Enter Absence (CIX)

Set CIX Option

Send CIX Command

Change CIX Password

Check Mail Forward Status (CIX)

Toggle Mail Forwarding (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Enter Absence (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Administration

This script allows you to enter an absence command on CIX.

You specify a start date and an end date. This causes CIX to send messages to people who mail you saying that you are away from CIX.

After selecting the command Virtual Access asks you for a start date in and an end date. These dates are inclusive.

Entering absences is less useful these days as all off line readers ignore the absence flag and send the mail anyway.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Administration scripts, see:

Get Billing information (CIX)

Reset CIX Msgs to 12 p.m.

Get All CIX Topics

Set CIX Back n Days

Get Profile for Editing (CIX)

Replace Profile (CIX)

Set CIX Option

Send CIX Command

Change CIX Password

Check Mail Forward Status (CIX)

Toggle Mail Forwarding (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Set CIX Option

 See Also

Special Menu | Administration

This command allows you to set a CIX option that will apply for the rest of the current session.

When you select this script Virtual Access asks for the option you wish to specify. You do not need to type in opt or supply the quit at the end.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Administration scripts, see:

Get Billing information (CIX)

Reset CIX Msgs to 12 p.m.

Get All CIX Topics

Set CIX Back n Days

Get Profile for Editing (CIX)

Replace Profile (CIX)

Enter Absence (CIX)

Send CIX Command

Change CIX Password

Check Mail Forward Status (CIX)

Toggle Mail Forwarding (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Send CIX Command

 See Also

Special Menu | Administration

This command allows you to send a specific CIX command to CIX.

When you select this script Virtual Access will ask you for the command you wish CIX to execute.

Virtual Access will issue the exact command that you type in here. By calling the script several times for each command you want to give, you can control CIX with a considerable degree of precision.

♦ Note

Although this allows you to control exactly, there is no error checking. Please use with caution and be sure you are aware of the results of the commands you send.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Administration scripts, see:

Get Billing information (CIX)

Reset CIX Msgs to 12 p.m.

Get All CIX Topics

Set CIX Back n Days

Get Profile for Editing (CIX)

Replace Profile (CIX)

Enter Absence (CIX)

Send CIX Command

Change CIX Password

Check Mail Forward Status (CIX)

Toggle Mail Forwarding (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Change CIX Password

 See Also

Special Menu | Administration

However, if you get it wrong you will be locked out of CIX until you can phone them up and get them to change it for you.

After issuing this script your password will be changed the next time you blink - at that point, after the blink, you should change the password on the Admin | Comms Setting menu item to match the new password.

Please note that the password is case sensitive

Use this script very carefully. You can lock yourself out of CIX if you make a mistake and you can only get back on line by phoning CIX and getting them to change your password.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Administration scripts, see:

Get Billing information (CIX)

Reset CIX Msgs to 12 p.m.

Get All CIX Topics

Set CIX Back n Days

Get Profile for Editing (CIX)

Replace Profile (CIX)

Enter Absence (CIX)

Set CIX Option

Send CIX Command

Check Mail Forward Status (CIX)

Toggle Mail Forwarding (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Check Mail Forward Status (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Administration

You can forward your mail from your CIX conferencing account to your CIX Internet account.

This command checks the status of this capability by looking for a forward to file on the CIX system.

If you don't have a forward file, it will tell you that all mail will go to your CIX Conferencing email address. This is also the response if you don't have a CIXIP account.

If you do have a forward file it will display it and tell you that all mail is going there.

Look in the actions/information report for the connection to see where your mail is being sent.

See Toggle Mail Forwarding to change the forward status.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Administration scripts, see:

Get Billing information (CIX)

Reset CIX Msgs to 12 p.m.

Get All CIX Topics

Set CIX Back n Days

Get Profile for Editing (CIX)

Replace Profile (CIX)

Enter Absence (CIX)

Set CIX Option

Send CIX Command

Change CIX Password

Toggle Mail Forwarding (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Toggle Mail Forwarding (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Administration

You can forward your mail from your CIX conferencing account to your CIX Internet account. If you use this script and don't have a CIXIP account, it will report that you can't use this command.

This command will toggle where your email messages will end up.

If you have a CIXIP account, the command will toggle between creating a forward file to your CIX Internet email address, and removing the forward file.

See Check Mail Forward Status to check where your email will currently be sent.

Look in the actions/information report for the results.

♦ Note

This program works from the information stored on CIX about your CIX Conferencing nickname, and the CIX Internet hostname which is linked to that nickname. As this may be out of date, please check the email address mail will for forwarded to.

If you have more than one CIX Internet account linked to a nickname (unlikely) the first CIX Internet account will be chosen to have your email forwarded to it.

If someone else on CIX Conferencing sends you mail, the message to you will remain marked unread in their outbasket, even though you have read it. The reason for this is because you have read the email off CIX Conferencing.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Administration scripts, see:

Get Billing information (CIX)

Reset CIX Msgs to 12 p.m.

Get All CIX Topics

Set CIX Back n Days

Get Profile for Editing (CIX)

Replace Profile (CIX)

Enter Absence (CIX)

Set CIX Option

Send CIX Command

Change CIX Password

Check Mail Forward Status (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


CIX Usenet Scripts

 See Also

Special Menu | Usenet

The CIX Usenet scripts can be used for accessing the CIX Usenet Gateway.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Usenet scripts, see:

Read Messages from Newsgroups (CIX)

Subscribe to a Newsgroup (CIX)

Unsubscribe from a Newsgroup (CIX)

Collect Newsgroup List (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts


Read Messages from Newsgroups (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Usenet

Selecting this script will download all messages from CIXNews for the newsgroup you have subscribed to.

You can schedule this action to happen on a regular basis. See Scheduling Events for CIX for more information.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Usenet scripts, see:

Subscribe to a Newsgroup (CIX)

Unsubscribe from a Newsgroup (CIX)

Collect Newsgroup List (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Subscribe to a Newsgroup (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Usenet

This scripts brings up a dialog asking for the name of a newsgroup to join and how many new messages you want for the initial download.

You can also subscribe to a newsgroup using View | Newsgroups.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Usenet scripts, see:

Read Messages from Newsgroups (CIX)

Unsubscribe from a Newsgroup (CIX)

Collect Newsgroup List (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Unsubscribe from a Newsgroup (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Usenet

This script asks for the name of a newsgroup that you no longer want to download.

You can also unsubscribe from a newsgroup using the Resign button on the MessageBase Window.


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Usenet scripts, see:

Read Messages from Newsgroups (CIX)

Subscribe to a Newsgroup (CIX)

Collect Newsgroup List (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Collect Newsgroup List (CIX)

 See Also

Special Menu | Usenet

This script will download an updated list of all available newsgroups.

You can also refresh the list using View | Newsgroups


Related Topics

For more information about CIX Usenet scripts, see:

Read Messages from Newsgroups (CIX)

Subscribe to a Newsgroup (CIX)

Unsubscribe from a Newsgroup (CIX)

For more information about CIX Scripts, see:

Remote Search on CIX

CIX Basic Services Scripts

CIX Mail Scripts

CIX Internet Feature Scripts

CIX Moderate Scripts

CIX Administration Scripts

CIX Usenet Scripts


Prune

 See Also

 	Tools | Messagebase Management

One of the benefits of the local message base is that it allows you to see every new message in context. You can also retain those messages or threads that are useful to you and to build up your own private set of reference material, organizing these into your own conferences.

However, as you download more and more messages, the message base can grow large and consume a lot of disk space. You can remove old messages by running the Prune command.

At its simplest, the Prune command deletes all messages in threads that have not received any new messages for a predefined number of days. However, you can specify specific settings for different groups or folders.

Please note that it's not the date of an individual message that determines if Virtual Access will keep or remove the thread, but the date of the last message in that thread. You keep all messages in active threads unless marked specifically for deletion.

You can either delete these 'pruned' messages completely, or store them in an archive file. You can compress this or store it on a backup if you think you may want the messages again

You can cancel a Prune, but it will complete the current folder before it terminates.

Messages Marked for Deletion

Any messages marked for deletion will be removed the next time Prune is run, regardless of their age, unless the folder's Prune Option is set to Never.

Messages Marked for Keeping

Prune does not delete Kept messages however old they are or whatever the Prune Setting for that folder.


Related Topics

For more information, see

Keep Messages

Delete Messages

For more information about Prune, see:

Prune Options

Prune Add Options

Prune Filename Options

Run Prune

Prune Encrypted Folders

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Prune Options

 See Also

 	Tools | Messagebase Management

The default for Prune is to remove threads that have not had any new messages for 30 days, except for mail, which is set as Delete Only.

However, there will probably be some groups or folders where you want to keep messages for longer or shorter periods. The Prune Options allow you to fine-tune the way Prune works. You may set options for each folder or a specific group.

There are three choices for how Prune deletes messages. You can:

1.	remove all messages more than N days old

2.	remove only messages marked for deletion

3.	do not remove any messages at all

You can also globally alter the default age in days or change it to delete only or never.

To Add a folder with a special Prune setting

From the Tools | Messagebase Management | Prune Options dialog box:

1.	select the Prune setting (days, delete or never) to apply to a folder or group

2.	press the Add button to bring up a list of all groups and folders

3.	select the group or folder you want this setting to apply to

Remember: if you don't change the setting, threads will be pruned when they match the default setting.

See Prune Add Options for more information.

To Change a special Prune setting

1.	You can change the Prune setting for an existing folder, by selecting the new settings for the folder and then double clicking on the name in the list box.

To Remove a special Prune setting

1.	You can remove a folder and restore it to the Prune default, by selecting the name from the list box and pressing the Remove button.

Prune Filename

This specifies the location and filename to store messages that are pruned.

We recommend that you always prune messages to a file. If you do not want to keep or archive them, you can delete the file after a successful prune. However, if you prune to a file, the messages are still available in case you change your mind.

For more information about prune filenames, see Prune Filename Options.

Remove Dormant Message Files

Prune will normally leave one message in a folder so that you can still create messages in those folders.

If you do not plan to access the folder or group again, checking this option will remove the folder or group once all messages have been pruned.


Related Topics

For more information about Prune, see:

Prune Add Options

Prune Filename Options

Run Prune

Prune Encrypted Folders

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Prune Add Options

 See Also

When you press the ADD button in Prune Options, a dialog box listing all the services, groups and folders is displayed.

There are some special options so that you can mark all mail or all of a group. The table below shows the layout of the section text.

The first section sets the defaults.

Sections	Meaning
*All Mail Folders (Default)*	All mail folders in all services, including local. This allows you to set a default value for all mail folders and will include any new folders created by mail rules without your having to change the prune options. The general recommendation is to set this to Delete Only, so mail messages are only pruned when you explicitly mark them for delete.
*All Libraries (Default)*	All CompuServe Libraries. CIX File Lists are not affect by prune.  This can be used to setup a default value for libraries which can be overridden by setting a value on specific libraries.
*Default*	This is the general default for prune. It can be overridden by any setting on a specific group, folder or library.
The second section lists  the groups and folders in your message base. You can set the Prune option for specific folders or the entire group. Any setting here will override the default value set above.

local:group/folder	Specific folder of a local group Overrides all other settings for the group
local:group	Local group setting for all sections Overrides Default Setting
cis:forum/folder	Specific section of a CompuServe forum Overrides ALL other settings for the section
cis:forum	CompuServe forum setting for all sections, both library and messages Overrides Default and  Library Default Setting
cis:forum/Libraries	CompuServe forum setting for all libraries Sets the value for a specific forum library sections Overrides Library Default Setting
cis:forum/Messages	CompuServe forum setting for all message sections Sets the value for a specific forum message sections Overrides Default Setting
cix:conference/topic	Specific topic of a CIX conference Overrides all other settings for the conference
cix:conference	CIX conference setting for all topics Overrides Default Setting
net:ng-hierarchy/name	Specific Internet newsgroup setting Overrides all other settings for the newsgroup
net:newgroup-hierarchy	Setting for a top level newsgroup setting, such as alt, comp, etc. Overrides Default Setting


Related Topics

For more information about Prune, see:

Prune Options

Prune Filename Options

Run Prune

Prune Encrypted Folders

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Prune Filename Options

 See Also

The following variables are available for creating the name of the file to hold pruned messages:

%s	Name of service
%d	Day
%m	Month
%y	Year
%f %c	Group or Conference name
%n	Increments on each prune (starts at 1)
Win 95/Win NT Filenames

Win96 and WinNT use long filenames and the filenames will use the full expansion of the variable

 1) %s%f%n.prd <servicename><groupname><sequence number>.prd

ciswinuser1.prd

cisashmount1.prd

cixreg_ashmount1.prd

Note: the next time prune is run, the sequence number 2 will be used.

2) %s%m%y.pru <service><month><year>.prd

netjan95.prd

3) pruned/%s/%m%y.pru <service>/<month><year>.prd

pruned/net/jan96.prd

♦ Note

You must create the directories first as Virtual Access will not create new directories.

Win 3.x Filenames

Win 3.x is limited to 8.3 filenames. Therefore using the extensions above, it is very likely that the file name will be shortened. The filename is stopped when it reaches 8 characters.

1) %f%n.prd <group name> <seq number>

If the group name is less than eight characters, then the sequence number will be added. If the group name is equal or greater than eight characters, the sequence number will not be used.

ashmount.prd

winsdk1.prd

This also means that pruning newsgroups the filename will probably not be unique for many groups, as the first 8 characters are identical.

2) %n%f.prd <sequence number> <group>

This will put the sequence number first and then the first seven characters of the group name.

1ashmo.prd

3) %s%f.%n <service> <group> . <sequence number>

This will put the service name, then the group name to fill up to eight characters and then the sequence number as the extension.

cisashmo.1

3) pruned/%s/%m%y.pru  pruned/<service>/<month><year>.prd

pruned/net/jan96.prd

♦ Note

You must create the directories first as Virtual Access will not create new directories.


Related Topics

For more information about Prune, see:

Prune Options

Prune Add Options

Run Prune

Prune Encrypted Folders

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Run Prune

 See Also

 	Tools | Messagebase Management

When you run Prune a dialog box asks you what you want to Prune. You can run Prune on the message base as follows:

Current folder	The folder that is open in the Message Pane
Selected folder(s)	The folders that are highlighted in the MessageBase window.
	You can prune all groups in a service by highlighting the service name in the MessageBase Window
	You can highlight several groups or folders to prune using Shift+Left mouse for a block or Ctrl+Left mouse for separated folders. These can be from any service.
All folders	The entire message base.
You can cancel a Prune, but it will complete the current folder before it terminates.

♦ Note

In the Workgroup version, Prune no longer requires everyone to log off. If a topic to be pruned is being read by someone, Prune will skip that topic.


Related Topics

For more information about Prune, see:

Prune Options

Prune Add Options

Prune Filename Options

Prune Encrypted Folders

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Prune Encrypted Folders

 See Also

Some folders of the message base may store the messages in encrypted form for security:

1.	All local:mail folders are encrypted

2.	Some CIX conferences may be encrypted

3.	Local conferences can be encrypted by the administrator

When you run prune, messages in encrypted groups will be removed if they meet the prune criteria, but they are NOT saved to the prune file.

If you wish to save encrypted messages, you can save them to a file prior to Prune by using File | Save.

♦ Tip

Using bookmarks or save a range of messages makes it easier to save a group of messages.


Related Topics

For more information about Prune, see:

Prune Options

Prune Add Options

Prune Filename Options

Run Prune

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Build

 See Also

 	Tools | Messagebase Management

It is possible that under some circumstances the internal data structures that organize your messages will become corrupted.

If you are unable to view certain messages or groups, or if 'index file error' is reported when you are reading messages or adding messages to the message base, then this is likely to be the reason.

The Build command rebuilds all internal data structures from the messages themselves. You can choose either to build:

Current folder	The folder that is open in the Message Pane
Selected folder(s)	The folders that are highlighted in the MessageBase window.
	You can build all groups in a service by highlighting the service name in the MessageBase Window
	You can highlight several groups or folders using Shift+Left mouse for a block or Ctrl+Left mouse for separated folders. These can be from any service.
All folders	The entire message base.
In exceptional circumstances, more than one Build may be necessary. Virtual Access will not be able to fix these problems automatically, so it's important not to ignore problems that are reported by Virtual Access. The program will not run successfully if you do not complete the Build successfully.

Although you can interrupt Build, you will not be able to access the message base until you have allowed Build to finish. If you do interrupt a Build you will be warned about this. Build can be a lengthy operation depending on the size of your message base.

Build works in two ways, depending on whether or not you check the Full Index File rebuild box:

•	Regular Build - rebuilds the index and thread files, but does not affect any flags for keep, delete, read, fetch, etc.

•	Full Index Build Box checked - this totally recreates the index and thread files. Any flags set for keep, delete, or fetch will be lost. However, it will not affect the unread flag.

♦ Tip

If you want to run a full build without losing track of messages that you have marked to keep, collect the numbers of these messages using Bookmarks and save them to a file.


Related Topics

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Import Messages

 See Also

 	File Menu

Messages are imported into the message base by a background task called Import.

Import adds each file to the message import queue as it is closed. This means that each folder messages are imported after collecting and while Virtual Access is collecting messages from the next folder.

If you are having problems with import using resources during a connection, you can delay import until after all messages have been collected by checking Tools | Options | System | Stop import of messages during a connection.

When you select Import Messages a dialog box lists any files currently in the queue for processing.

Virtual Access keeps a log file called IMPORT.LOG in the installation directory which records what happens each time import runs. This file can grow quite large and should be deleted periodically. A message is displayed warning you when the file has grown over 20K.

While import is running, the Message Count Icon on the Status Bar is animated to show the letter being pulled into the mail box and the outside of the mail is green.


Related Topics

For more information about import, see:

Manually Import Files

Text File Import

Import and Message Count Notes

Message Import from other Readers

Ashmount Format

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Manually Import Files

 See Also

File | Import Messages

You can also manually import messages in case of an error or to restore messages you have previously pruned from the message base.

Not all files can be imported as they may not be in the correct format or have the correct coding to be processed.

Files that can be imported

1.	*.msg files in the Backup directory that contain messages collected from CompuServe or CIX

2.	*.dat files in the Temp directory that contain messages collected from an Internet provider

3.	pruned files

4.	any Virtual Access message file

To import a file, press the ADD button. This will bring up a dialog box with the following options:

Service

The service where the messages should be added.

Default mail folder

The default mail folder is generally messages.

Filename

The filename to import. You can use the Browse button to point to the file.

Delete file after importing

If checked, the file will be deleted after the messages are imported.

 When prune saves messages to a file, it also writes the control codes for importing the messages back into Virtual Access with the service it was originally from.  If you wish to change the service it is in, remove the following line and it will import into the service in the Import Message dialog:

#pragma service=XXX

where XXX is the name of the service to import the message into.


Related Topics

For more information about import, see:

Text File Import

Import and Message Count Notes

Message Import from other Readers

Ashmount Format

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Text File Import

 See Also

In addition to using File | Message Import,  you can use drag and drop from the File Manager or Explorer to import messages into Virtual Access.

To import using Drag and Drop

1.	Drag a file to the MessageBase Window and drop it on the service or folder where you want to import the messages.

2.	A dialog box appears asking how you want to import the message:

•	As a single message into the folder you dropped it on (File as message body into folder)

•	As a file containing messages for the service you dropped it on (File containing message into service)

•	Do you want to delete the original file after import

3.	Select the option applicable and press OK

Files that can be imported

In order to import multiple messages from a file, the file must be correctly formatted. The following files are formatted and can be imported directly:

1.	*.msg files in the Backup directory that contain messages collected from CompuServe or CIX

2.	*.dat files in the Temp directory that contain messages collected from an Internet provider

3.	pruned files

4.	any Virtual Access message file

Import Text File

You can also import any text file as a single message into any folder.

This allows you to take information from other documents and be able to access them inside Virtual Access.

Virtual Access treats all files as ASCII text. If you import a word processing document or a graphic, it is read as text and will contain garbled text.

Import Word Processing or Graphic files

If you want to be able to read a word processing or graphic file, do the following:

1.	UUEncode it first using an external UUEncode program

2.	Import the encoded file into Virtual Access.

Virtual Access will import the file, recognize the encoding and treat the text as a file attachment.

 If you import a text file into a folder for a remote service, Virtual Access will use the next message ID for the file. When a message with that number is received from the remote service, it will overwrite the text file.

It is highly recommended to use the Local Service or pseudo folders for text files.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Operate On

Viewing Encoded Files

Options - Decode

For more information about import, see:

Manually Import Files

Import and Message Count Notes

Message Import from other Readers

Ashmount Format

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Import and Message Count Notes

 See Also

Import is a background task. This means that you can continue to read messages while new messages are being added to the message base.

When import is active and adding new messages, the outline of the Message Count Icon on the Status Bar turns green and shows a letter being pulled into the letter box.

Deferred Import

Virtual Access will also check to see if any files are pending import when you switch folders and start Import if any files waiting.

When you change to a new folder, import will add the waiting messages. Selecting File | Import Messages will show you a list of files waiting to be imported.

Unread Message Counts

The unread message counts are displayed on both the Status Bar and the MessageBase window. The unread message count is updated as follows:

•	the MessageBase window is updated when you switch folders

•	if the Tools | Options | Display | Always refresh unread pointers option is checked, import will refresh the screen when it finishes and update the unread count.

♦ Note

You can manually update the count of unread messages in the MessageBase window by clicking on the Message Count Icon on the Status Bar or placing the Refresh Unread icon on the tool and using that.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Options - Display

Options - System

For more information about import, see:

Manually Import Files

Text File Import

Message Import from other Readers

Ashmount Format

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Message Import from other Readers

 See Also

Due to internal changes in the format for this release, you can not import messages from other Off-Line Readers.

We are currently working on developing programs for importing messages from other Off-Line Readers. These will be released on the Virtual Access support areas when available.


Related Topics

For more information about import, see:

Manually Import Files

Text File Import

Import and Message Count Notes

Ashmount Format

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Ashmount Format

 See Also

You can import files that are already in Ashmount Format by using the File | Import Message.

All messages that are saved from the message base, such as by File Save or Prune, are in Ashmount Native format.

You can re-import messages that you have previously pruned. Be sure to set the type to Ashmount, regardless of the service that the messages originally came from.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Connection Files - Backup and Recovery

For more information about import, see:

Manually Import Files

Text File Import

Import and Message Count Notes

Message Import from other Readers

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

 See Also

You may want to create additional services within Virtual Access to:

•	access different Internet Service Providers or news servers

•	use different logons for CompuServe or CIX

When deciding what name to give the additional service, the following rules apply for Virtual Access to determine the type of service (Internet, CompuServe or CIX):

•	the default is a net type service

•	if the service name starts with NET, CIS, or CIX, Virtual Access will assume the service type is the applicable service. Thus CIS, CIS2, CIS3 are all seen as CompuServe type services.

Microsoft News Server

To setup access to the Microsoft news servers, run the NETWIZ program. This will setup the service with the correct configuration.

♦ Tip

To setup additional Internet services, you can run the NETWIZ program.


Related Topics

For more information about adding services, see:

Add Internet Services

Add CIX and CompuServe Services

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

General Management Notes


Add Internet Services

 See Also

File | New

You can create additional net services by running the NETWIZ program again. You can access the Net Wizard using File | New. This is the best way to configure new Internet services.

To create the new service manually

1.	Create a new directory under the Virtual Access installation with the name you want for the Net service (within DOS' eight character limit). For example, C:\VA\NETCIXIP or C:\VA\DEMON.

2.	Copy the NETINT.CNF file in the NET directory to the new directory. You do not need to copy any other files or the sub-directories.

3.	Rename the copy of NETINT.CNF to match the directory name as <service_name>.CNF

4.	Configure the comms setting for the service

5.	Start Virtual Access and go to Messages | View Service Lists. Since the newsgroup list for the new service does not exist, it will ask if you want to collect one. Press Yes.

6.	Connect to the service and download the newsgroup list. You can then select which newsgroup you want to download.

♦ Note

Service names can only contain letters and numbers. You can not use any special characters including underscores or punctuation.

 It is strongly recommended that you use the Net Wizard to create a new Internet service. The Wizard ensures the information is setup correctly.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Comms Setup for the Internet

For more information about adding services, see:

Add CIX and CompuServe Services

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Add CIX and CompuServe Services

 See Also

To create a new service,  you must create a folder under the Virtual Access installation directory and then copy some files from the current CIS sub-directory to the new folder you have created.

Then both services will be available within Virtual Access to be configured and used.

To create the new service:

1.	Create a new directory under the Virtual Access installation with the name you want for the service, i.e. CIS2, CIX2

2.	Copy the following files in the CIS or CIX subdirectories to the new service.

*.EBS, *.SCR LIST.INI USERLIST.INI (if exists)

3.	Rename the copy of <service>INT.CNF to match the directory name as <service_name>.CNF, such as CIX2INT.CNF, CIS2INT.CNF

4.	Configure the comms setting for the service

♦ Note

For CompuServe and CIX installations, it is highly recommended that you use CIS2, CIS3, CIX2, etc. as the service names.

For more information see Add CompuServe Service Details.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Comms Setup for CIX

Comms Setup for CompuServe

For more information about adding services, see:

Add CompuServe Service Details

Add Internet Services

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Add CompuServe Service Details

 See Also

These instructions assume that:

•	the new CompuServe ID has not yet been used with Virtual Access

•	the new CompuServe ID will take the place of the old one for the existing CIS MessageBase

•	the old CompuServe ID will be used in the newly created CIS2 service

•	the new CIS2 service may be active in all the forums of the old CIS service.

Create the CIS2 Service

These steps will create the service so that Virtual Access can connect, but the new service will not show up in the MessageBase Window until it has a message.

1.	In Explorer or File Manager, create a new folder, under the Virtual Access installation folder, with the name you want for the service, e.g. CIS2 in this example.

2.	Copy the following files in the CIS folder to the CIS2 folder.

*.EBS, *.SCR

 	LIST.INI  USERLIST.INI (if it exists)

*.NAM, *.SEL

3.	In the CIS2 directory, rename CISINT.CNF to CIS2INT.CNF

4.	Configure the new settings for the old CIS service

File | Comms Setup and select CIS (not CIS2)

Change to the new CIS ID and Password (and change Name if desired)

5.	Configure the comms setting for the new CIS2 service:

File | Comms Setup and select CIS2

Fill in the Name, old CIS ID and old Password and check the modem settings

6.	Close down VA and reopen it so that it knows about the changes.

Make Changes on CompuServe for CIS2

This step will set the ASCII Options for you on CompuServe

1.	When the CONNECT box comes up, select CIS2 and ACTIONS ONLY. This will set the CIS options for the new CIS2 service and will collect any mail that may have accumulated under your old CIS ID

Join and Forum High Message Numbers

At this moment you cannot connect to your existing forums in the CIS service using the new CompuServe ID because these forums do not know your new CompuServe ID and password.

1.	In CIS in your MessageBase Window and rejoin them using Message | Join Remote for each one.

Each forum will treat you as a visitor and your last message read will be the lowest message on the forum. Unless you want to download hundreds of messages you have already seen, you have a choice:

a) Set the number of days in the JOIN dialog for example to 1 for one day of messages

b) Use the Reconstruct function Tools | Messagebase Management | Reconstruct and select the CIS service

Reconstructs sets up a series of commands to set the CIS HMN in each forum to the highest in your local message base.

2.	CONNECT | CIS | ACTIONS ONLY in order to join and set the HMN in each forum

This should now give you two services:

CIS under your new ID and

CIS2 under your old ID.

Using two CIS Services

You  can ask Virtual Access to connect to both services, although unless you are using Dial Up Networking, it will make two phone calls. Then you can easily collect mail and forum message for the CIS service and mail for the CIS2 service.

Mail Only Connect for CIS2

If you make a blank section to collect file with a name such as NONE.SEL for CIS2, you can do a multiple service blink

1.	Select Message |  Sections to Collect. To make a NONE.SEL just take any one of your SEL files and SAVE AS:  	NONE.SEL

2.	Then making sure that the SEL Manager is headed NONE.SEL, click on the CLEAR ALL button which will clear all settings in all Forums. Then close the dialog.

3.	You can select two or more services in order to connect to both by using CTRL + click e.g. CIS + CIS2.

NOTE that you have to first select the SEL you want to run for each service by opening using Message |  Sections to Collect or the CHANGE button on the Connect Window and loading the SEL file you want for that service. Once you click select a second service to connect, you do not see what SEL is selected for the second and subsequent services.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Connect to Multiple Services

Sections to Collect

For more information about adding services, see:

Add Internet Services

Add CIX and CompuServe Services

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


General Management Notes

 See Also

This section has notes on various aspects of Virtual Access. Included are sections dealing with:

•	General files and directories in Virtual Access

•	Moving Virtual Access to a new location

•	Upgrading from 16 to 32 bit versions

•	Options for starting VA


Related Topics

For more information about general management, see:

Message Base Files

Move the MessageBase

Starting Virtual Access

Upgrading from 16 to 32 Bit Virtual Access

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX


Message Base Files

 See Also

This is a brief overview of the major files and directories used by Virtual Access. Please see the manual for more information.

The directory where you installed Virtual Access contains the executable programs, the help system and the control files. The main control files are:

•	ASHMOUNT.INI - for global program settings

•	<user>.INI - user options. There is one file for each Virtual Access local ID. The installation default is for the user name: admin

The following directories below the main installation directory are used by Virtual Access:

Directory	Used for
backup	Backup of connection files
BITMAPS	Optional directory to hold bitmaps for the Portrait function
DOWNLOAD	Default directory for downloaded files
pending	Messages to be imported into the message base
SCRIPTS	CompuServe login scripts
spool	Contains subdirectories for each NET service to hold backup files
temp	Temporary files, including messages waiting to be posted.
<Service>	Each installed service has its own directory to hold messages from that service
<user>.ui	Directory for each Virtual Access user for tracking read message pointers
The CompuServe and CIX service directories contains the following files:

File or Extension	Purpose
*.scx	Scripts used to schedule routine events
*.nam	Forum section and library names
*.cnf	List of Scripts for the service, displayed on the Service menu
special.cnf	User scripts menu
confs.lis	List of all forums
modems.ini	Modem strings
*.EBS	Communications scripts
*.EBC/*.EBX	Communication scripts in compiled form
The Internet Service directories contain the following files:

File or Extension	Purpose
CONFS.LIs	List of all newsgroups for the service
CONFS.SEL	Subscribed newsgroups
*.CNF	Scripts for Internet services
KILLFILE.INI	Kill/Get File information
RULES.DAT/USERS.DAT	Mail Rules
*.LOG	Files used for tracking actions while connecting
For each group, newsgroup or conference that you have joined, there is a subdirectory of the service for each group.

The following files are used for messages:

Extension	Purpose
*.ind	The index file for a folder
*.thr	The threading information for a folder
No extension	The actual messages for a folder
*.r	Read only folder
*.c	Encrypted


Related Topics

For more information about general management, see:

Move the MessageBase

Starting Virtual Access

Upgrading from 16 to 32 Bit Virtual Access

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Move the MessageBase

 See Also

If you want to move the message base to another computer or another drive, you need to do the following:

1.	Copy the entire Virtual Access installation including all subdirectories to the new location.

2.	Modify the ashmount.ini for the new location. Check the entire file for all directory references.

3.	Check each <user>.ini file for any directory references and make sure they are valid.


Related Topics

For more information about general management, see:

Message Base Files

Starting Virtual Access

Upgrading from 16 to 32 Bit Virtual Access

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Starting Virtual Access

 See Also

There are three command line options that you can use with Virtual Access:

•	user login name - the default is user

•	password - the default is user

•	/nowin - don't open any windows when starting Virtual Access

•	/nobmp - don't display the opening bitmap

•	/sync - scans all NET services and updates the CNF file for all services. This is only required after an upgrade to the CNF file.

•	/GO:=VA:<service>:<group>/<folder>#<number> to open Virtual Access at a specific message. This command goes at the end of the command line.

If there is only one local Virtual Access user, Virtual Access will not ask you for a login name when you start the program.

You can use the /nowin option when there is a problem with the message base and the folder that Virtual Access is trying to open when it starts up.

♦ Note

All the commands with a switch should go after the username and password.


Related Topics

For more information about general management, see:

Message Base Files

Move the MessageBase

Upgrading from 16 to 32 Bit Virtual Access

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Upgrading from 16 to 32 Bit Virtual Access

 See Also

If you are currently using the 16 bit version of Virtual Access and change to Win95 or Win NT, you can change to the 32 bit version.

To upgrade to the 32 bit version

1.	Download the full 32 bit from one of the Virtual Access support areas.

2.	Install the 32 bit version in the same directory as the 16 bit version. This will make sure your current configuration and registration information is available for both versions.


Related Topics

For more information about general management, see:

Message Base Files

Move the MessageBase

Starting Virtual Access

For more information about messagebase management, see:

Prune

Build

Import Messages

Adding Services - Internet, CIS, CIX

General Management Notes


Local Users

 See Also

Tools | Messagebase Management

The single user version of Virtual Access can have up to five local IDs within Virtual Access. These can be used for:

•	different people using the same computer, although only one person can access the message base at a time

•	separate logins for business and leisure groups

Each login can be joined to specific groups and maintains its own list of read and unread messages.

To create a new user

1.	Select Tools | Messagebase Management and click on Users from the flyout menu

2.	Press the ADD button and enter the new user name and press OK

3.	Enter the password for the user and press OK

For more information about options to setup users, see User Management.

Multiple Logons and Icons

You can bypass the requirement to enter local ID's and passwords by setting up multiple icons that include the local ID and password on the command line of the icon properties box:

~path_to_VA\VA.EXE admin admin

The entry takes the form \pathname\filename id password. Clicking on such an icon will then log in automatically. By creating and labeling an icon for each local ID, you can have a icon that correctly reflects your own personal needs.

Each local ID can decide which groups they will see by using the Resign function to stop reading messages. You can rejoin groups that you have previously resigned from.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Resign a folder

Rejoin a folder

Local Folders


Local Folders

 See Also

File Menu

Local folders give you the ability to store messages as you wish for future reference.

Local Folders are totally under your control. You can copy messages to them and then mark the messages for keep or delete the same way as a remote service.

You can also add your own comments in Local Folders, by using the reply function, or even start a new thread in a folder.

The possible uses for Local Folder are limited by your imagination but include:

•	Messages relating to a particular subject, possibly from several groups, grouped together for quick reference

•	Keep a list of things to do or a list of places to look for information or a collection of the funniest messages you've found.

To create a local group or folder

There are two ways to create local groups and folders:

1.	Select File | New and select create local group or local folder

2.	Use Copy to Folder. If you want to create a new group or folder, type the new name at the top of the dialog.

 If you move messages from several groups to the same Local Folder, there may be a conflict with the messages numbers. If the same message number already exists, it is overwritten. To prevent a problem, you should use the Append option in the Copy to Folder command. This will lose the threading information but make sure the older message is not lost. You can use the Tools | ReThread Message command to manual rethread the messages.


Related Topics

For more information about moving messages to Local Folders, see:

Copy to Folder

Local Users


Administrator Functions

 See Also

Certain functions can only be carried out by an administrator. In general, these functions relate to accessing remote services and managing the message base.

The following functions can only be carried out by an administrator:

•	Connect to a Remote Service. See Connect to a Remote Service and the service specific sections for more information.

•	Select Sections to be collected from a remote service. See the service specific sections for more information.

•	Broadcast message to a user.

•	Set Options for Virtual Access

•	Set Communications Options for each remote service

•	Schedule connections and events for a remote service. See Scheduling Connections and Actions and the service specific sections for more information.

•	Mark messages for keep (will not be pruned) and delete (will be removed the next time prune is run on that folder).

•	Perform all local sysop functions.

•	Prune the message base to remove messages

•	Rebuild the message base indexes

•	Reconstruct pointers between message base and remote service

•	Delete a group from the message base and resign from groups on remote systems.

Depending on the settings in Tools | Options | System, these function may setup for administrator only:

•	Review - determined by "Everyone can Review"

•	Create new logons - determined by "Self Registration of new users".

•	Create local groups and folders - determined "Everyone can create local groups"


Related Topics

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


Sysop Functions

 See Also

Sysops are responsible for specific groups. There are two possible kinds of sysops:

Sysops, sometimes called moderators, on a remote service. If you have sysop access on a remote system, you will have certain capabilities that other group members do not have, such as handling File Lists, withdrawing any message, etc. Please consult the service specific section of the help and your service documentation for more information

Sysops within Virtual Access (Local Sysops), have certain capabilities for dealing with the message base:

Local sysops have the following capabilities:

1.	add/remove participants in a group. This applies to both local and remote service groups. See Modify Participants for more information.

2.	modify the File List for the local group. See File Lists in Local Group for more information.

3.	add new folders to a local group. See Add a Folder for more information.

4.	change the options for a group - has a File List, read-only, local encryption. See Group Properties for more information.

5.	add or remove sysops of the group

♦ Note

There is no on screen display that local sysop access is enabled.


Related Topics

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


User Management

 See Also

Admin Menu

Virtual Access installs several icons for the workgroup version:

•	Admin User (logon id: admin password: admin ) used setup with administrator access

•	Default User (logon id: default  password: admin) used to setup the default values for new users

•	Create New User (with no login or password) used to create new users quickly.

Note if your site does not allow users to create login names in Tools | Options | System | Self Registration of new users, this will not work.

•	Password program for changing the password to logon as an administrator using the Admin menu Logon as Administrator function

After Virtual Access is installed you should do the following:

1.	Logon as admin and change the password for the Admin logon. See Modify a User Password for more information.

2.	Change the password for logging on as an administrator by the Admin menu function. This also changes the password for the user "default". See Change Admin Password for more information.

3.	Create the logons for your site. See Create a New User Logon for more information.

ALL Virtual Access PASSWORDS ARE CASE SENSITIVE

Please make sure that anyone who needs these passwords are informed of the change. You should also follow any site guidelines for emergency access to passwords.


Related Topics

For more information about user management, see:

Create User Defaults

User Logons - Options to Consider

User Logons - Default Groups

Create User Logon Defaults

Create a New User Logon

Modify a User Password

Modify Participants in a Group or Folder

Change Admin Password

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


Create User Defaults

 See Also

Admin Menu

User defaults are copied from the Virtual Access user login "default" which is setup by the installation.

There are two portions to the user defaults:

1.	Options which are changed using Tools | Options. All options except the System tab are user specific.

2.	Default groups joined

Some options have network loading implications and you should think how to set them up for your site.

You may want to join remote groups and set up local groups before you setup the user logons. You can then setup the default groups for all users, make sure they are joined to the correct groups, have the correct privileges, etc.

For more information about user logons, see the following:

•	User Logons - Options to Consider for a discussion of various User Options and their impact on the network and user

•	User Logons - Default Groups for a discussion of setting up default groups

•	Create User Logon Defaults for details of setting up the default user

•	Create a New User Logon for details of how to create a user logon

♦ Note

The installation creates an icon labeled "Default User". This should only be used for changing the defaults and not as a regular login account.


Related Topics

For more information about user management, see:

User Logons - Options to Consider

User Logons - Default Groups

Create User Logon Defaults

Create a New User Logon

Modify a User Password

Modify Participants in a Group or Folder

Change Admin Password

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


User Logons - Options to Consider

 See Also

The following options set for each user should be thought about when setting up your installation:

Tools | Options | General | Auto - Join New Folders

If checked, users are automatically joined to any new group or folder.

You need to decide whether everyone will be joined to new folders automatically and then let them resign from unwanted folders or whether they should decide to register explicitly in a folder.

It is easier to resign large numbers of groups or folders at one time, than it is to join them at one time, as resign will accept a multi-select in the MessageBase Window.

Recommend: None, depends on site requirements

Tools | Options | Display | Always Refresh Unread Pointers

If checked, the screen is refreshed every time import finishes and the message counts updated on the screen.

Import is used to add messages after connection to remote services, when sending local mail or adding messages to local groups and when using the Copy to Folder and Move Message/Thread functions.

Although this gives the most accurate information, it does lead to interruptions to the user when the screen is refreshed and requires more information to be passed across the network.

A user can request an update of the pointers, by clicking on the Message Count Icon on the status bar. The pointers are also updated when Virtual Access is started.

Recommend: Off

Tools | Options | Display | MessageBase Unread Count

When checked, the MessageBase Window updates for every change in the unread count as you read messages. If unchecked, the MessageBase Window is updated when you switch folders.

Recommend: Off

Tools | Options | Display | Thread Count

When checked, the Status bar updates for every change in the unread message count as you read messages.

Recommend: On


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Options - General

Options - Display

Copy to Folder

ReThread Message

For more information about user management, see:

Create User Defaults

User Logons - Default Groups

Create User Logon Defaults

Create a New User Logon

Modify a User Password

Modify Participants in a Group or Folder

Change Admin Password

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


User Logons - Default Groups

 See Also

If you are not using the Auto Join function option, you can setup a core group of groups which all new users are joined and then let them register in any additional groups. Whatever groups the user "default" belongs to, will be carried over to all new logins.

If you have enabled Auto Join, all users will be joined to all the groups and folders and must then resign from any they do not want to read.

If you want to set up a core selection of groups and folders, you will need to join the groups on the remote services and setup your local groups before setting up the user logons.

For more information, see:

•	See the service specific section for how to join a remote group

•	See Create a Local Group for details on creating local groups and folders.

•	See Create User Logon Defaults, for instruction on setting up the default groups.

♦ Note

It is easier to resign large numbers of groups or folders at one time, than it is to join them at one time, as resign will accept a multi-selection in the MessageBase Window, but join requires selecting each group one by one.

Which way is better will depend on the requirements of your installation.


Related Topics

For more information about user management, see:

Create User Defaults

User Logons - Options to Consider

Create User Logon Defaults

Create a New User Logon

Modify a User Password

Modify Participants in a Group or Folder

Change Admin Password

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


Create User Logon Defaults

 See Also

To set the defaults, start Virtual Access and logon as default, using the admin password. Then set all the options as you want for your site:

1.	Set Tools | Options - see User Logons - Options to Consider for a discussion of various options and their impact on the network and user

2.	Set the toolbar as you want using Options | Toolbar

3.	Set the default groups by resigning or registering in the appropriate groups - see User Logons - Default Groups for a discussion of default groups

4.	When all options are correct, exit Virtual Access

Once the options are setup for the default user, you can then add other users for your site. See Create a New User Logon.


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Options - Toolbar

For more information about user management, see:

Create User Defaults

User Logons - Options to Consider

User Logons - Default Groups

Create a New User Logon

Modify a User Password

Modify Participants in a Group or Folder

Change Admin Password

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


Create a New User Logon

 See Also

Tools | Messagebase Management Menu

Selecting Tools | Messagebase Management | Users brings up a dialog box with a list of all current users and buttons for adding and removing users and changing user passwords.

To create a new user

1.	Select the Tools menu, click on MessageBase Management and select Users from the flyout menu to open the dialog box

2.	Press ADD to create a new logon based on the Default User or highlight a specific user name and press COPY to use their setup

3.	Enter the user logon name (between 1 and 20 characters)

4.	Enter the password (between 1 and 20 characters)

For more information about default user, see Create User Defaults. It is recommended that you review the default user setup so you know exactly what defaults are set and that they are set correctly for your installation.

The following buttons are available:

Add

Adds a new user logon. This will use the default user setup.

Copy

Adds a new user logon by copying the options and group/folder list of the user name selected in the user list.

Remove

Removes the user logon name selected in the user list. You are asked to confirm you want to remove the user.

Password

Changes the password for the user logon name selected in the user list. The password is not displayed as it is typed and you are not asked to retype it to confirm.

 Remember that passwords are case sensitive

Users can change their passwords at any time using the Tools | Options | Users menu item.

Close

Close the User Management dialog box


Related Topics

For more information about user management, see:

Create User Defaults

User Logons - Options to Consider

User Logons - Default Groups

Create User Logon Defaults

Modify a User Password

Modify Participants in a Group or Folder

Change Admin Password

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


Modify a User Password

 See Also

Admin Menu

Normally a user can change his or her password by selecting the Tools | Options | Users menu item.

If a user has forgotten a password, you can create a new one by using the Tools | Messagebase Management | Users

To create a new password for a user

1.	Select the Tools menu, click on MessageBase Management and select Users from the flyout menu to open the dialog box

2.	Select the user whose password you want to change

3.	Press the Password button

4.	Enter the password (between 1 and 20 characters)

The password is not displayed as it is typed and you are not asked to retype it to confirm.

 Remember that passwords are case sensitive


Related Topics

For more information about user management, see:

Create User Defaults

User Logons - Options to Consider

User Logons - Default Groups

Create User Logon Defaults

Create a New User Logon

Modify Participants in a Group or Folder

Change Admin Password

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


Modify Participants in a Group or Folder

 See Also

MessageBase Window Button

Modify Participants allows you to add or remove users from groups or folders. Modify Participants must be used to join users to Closed Groups. In addition, you can use it to join a user or group of users to a specific folder or group if auto-join is not enabled on your site.

Please note that the groups and folders to join are determined by the selection in the MessageBase Window.

When you select the Modify Participants button, a dialog box is displayed. The dialog box consists of two lists and buttons to move users from one list to the other:

•	Non-members - users who are not joined to the selected groups or folders

•	Member - users who are joined to the selected groups or folders

Add

Moves the selected list of non-members to the joined list. Pressing OK will perform the actual join

Remove

Moves the selected list of members to the unjoined list. Pressing OK will remove the users from the group.

The results of the modify participants, including errors, are logged to the pseudo folder Actions/Admin in the Local Service.

♦ Note

A user must be logged off in order to be joined to a new group. If you attempt to join a user who is logged on, an error is reported in the Actions/Admin folder. It is a good idea to check this folder after using the Modify Participants function.


Related Topics

For more information about auto join, see:

 Options - General

User Logons - Default Groups

For more information about user management, see:

Create User Defaults

User Logons - Options to Consider

User Logons - Default Groups

Create User Logon Defaults

Create a New User Logon

Modify a User Password

Change Admin Password

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


Change Admin Password

 See Also

In addition to having specific logons that have administrator privileges, you can logon as the administrator from any logon using the Tools | Administration | Login  menu item. When you select this function, it asks for the administrator password.

The administrator password is set by the password.exe program that is delivered with the program. However, the password program is not copied to your disk when Virtual Access is installed.

To change the workgroup version administrator password:

1.	install the floppy that contains the password program

2.	execute the password program

3.	you are then asked for the location of the Virtual Access program

4.	it then asks for you input the admin password (maximum of 11 characters)

5.	it then asks you to retype the password

Remember that passwords are case sensitive

♦ Notes

1) This applies only to the Workgroup version password to login as workgroup Administrator. It is not used in the single user version.

2) Remember changing the admin password affects the password for the user "default"

3) Use password.exe for changing the 16 bit version and password32.exe for changing the 32 bit version of Virtual Access. If you have both versions installed be sure to use both programs.

It is strongly recommended that you change the administrator password when you install Virtual Access. You should also store the installation disks that contain the password program in a secure location.


Related Topics

For more information about user management, see:

Create User Defaults

User Logons - Options to Consider

User Logons - Default Groups

Create User Logon Defaults

Create a New User Logon

Modify a User Password

Modify Participants in a Group or Folder

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


Communicating with Users

 See Also

Tools | Administration Menu

There are times when you may want to determine who is currently using Virtual Access or send them a message, such as:

•	before taking a system down

•	before performing a prune or build which requires all users to be logged off

•	before using the Modify Participants function for a user

The two commands available within Virtual Access are: Currently Using VA, to see who's logged in and Broadcast Message to send messages to a user.


Related Topics

For more information about communicating with users, see:

Currently Using VA

Broadcast Message

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


Currently Using VA

 See Also

Tools | Administration Menu

The Current Using function displays a dialog box with the following information:

•	the logon name of those using Virtual Access

•	the time the user logged on

Currently Using can be used to check who is active on Virtual Access before performing a function, such as prune or build, which require all users to be logged off or when you want to shut a server down.


Related Topics

For more information about communicating with users, see:

Broadcast Message

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


Broadcast Message

 See Also

Tools | Administration Menu

Broadcast message lets you send a message to all users currently logged in to Virtual Access.

The message will be delayed depending on the poll period set in Global Options before the message will be displayed to user.

If a user editing message or using function that read the message base, such as Find or Search, the message won't be displayed until they finished.

♦ Note

Remember also, that a user may be logged on but not at the terminal at the time. Sometimes the old fashioned methods of telephones and going to the physical location of the user may be required.


Related Topics

For more information about communicating with users, see:

Currently Using VA

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


Administration Information

 See Also

Information for an administrator can be obtained in several places:

View | Messagebase Statistics which displays a list of groups and folders in the message base and information about the number of messages and disk space they are currently using. This information can be printed out or saved to a file. See Messagebase Statistics for more information.

The Actions/Admin folder in the Local service contains the results of the Modify Participant command. See Modify Participants for more information.

The Actions/Informaion folder in each service has a record of the connection, including the status of each action. See Connection Information for more details.


Related Topics

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Local Groups

Network Information


Local Groups

 See Also

Local groups are totally within Virtual Access, but have many of the same capabilities as remote services:

1.	Groups where you create new thread and replies in different folders

2.	File Lists where you store files to be downloaded by others in the group.

3.	Sysops who are responsible for maintaining the File Lists, creating new folders as needed

4.	If the "Everyone can Create Local Groups" option is not checked in Tools | Options | System, then only an administrator can create a new local group.

Sysops perform the following functions for the group where they are the sysop:

1.	add or remove users

2.	modify the File List so uploaded files are available to the group members

3.	add a new folder

4.	change the folder options for a group (read-only, local encrypted, has a File List)

♦ Note

Sysop and Administrator privileges are two different functions. An administrator can perform all sysop functions.


Related Topics

For more information about local groups, see:

Create Local Group

Add Folder to Local Group

Remove a Local Group or Folder

Moderating Local Groups

File Lists in Local Groups

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Network Information


Create Local Group

 See Also

File | New Menu

To create a local group

There are three steps to creating a new local group

1.	Select File | New to open the create dialog

2.	Select Create new local group

3.	Fill in the dialog to create the group, the first folder and first message.

The create group dialog has three sections for inputting information:

Name

This section asks for the group name and the first folder for the group. Note the group and folder together must be less then 53 characters.

Flags

The flags determine specific options available for the local group:

Local Encrypt - Indicates a closed group where the group messages are stored in encrypted form on the disk and user must be explicitly joined to the group by the sysop. A closed group will not show up on the list of unjoined groups.

File List - Indicates there is a File List for this folder.

Read Only - the folder is read-only. Only the sysop can add new messages to the folder.

Initial Message

When a folder is first created, you must insert one message so that it can be seen by other users. The initial message is often used for a short statement of what the folder is for and any applicable rules.

The initial message folder lets you write the subject and text for the first message. Additional messages are adding by creating new messages in the folder itself.


Related Topics

For more information about local groups, see:

Add Folder to Local Group

Remove a Local Group or Folder

Moderating Local Groups

File Lists in Local Groups

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


Add Folder to Local Group

 See Also

File | New Menu

To create a local group

There are three steps to creating a new local group

1.	Select File | New to open the create dialog

2.	Select Create a new local folder

3.	Fill in the dialog to create the folder, the first folder and first message.

The folder name will be filled with one of the following, depending on which window has the focus:

1.	the name of the group selected in the MessageBase Window OR

2.	the name of the group open in the Message Window

For more information about the options, see Create Local Group.


Related Topics

For more information about local groups, see:

Create Local Group

Remove a Local Group or Folder

Moderating Local Groups

File Lists in Local Groups

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


Remove a Local Group or Folder

 See Also

MessageBase Window

Only the administrator can remove a group or folder from the message base using the resign button on the MessageBase Window and selecting "Delete Messages".

Other users who do not want to read the messages in a group can resign and select "Stop Reading Messages" and the group or folder will be removed from their list in the MessageBase Window, although they can rejoin later using the Register button.


Related Topics

For more information about local groups, see:

Create Local Group

Add Folder to Local Group

Moderating Local Groups

File Lists in Local Groups

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


Moderating Local Groups

 See Also

Sysops perform the following functions for the group where they are the sysop:

•	add or remove users

•	modify the File List so uploaded files are available to members

•	add a new folder

•	add or remove sysops of the folder

To set a user a sysop for a local group

1.	In the MessageBase Window, highlight any section in the local group to add or change the local sysop

2.	Press the properties button or select it from the Right Mouse Button menu

3.	Press the Local Sysops button on the properties button

4.	The list on the left is all Virtual Access users. The list on the right is the local sysop for the group. You can add or remove users using the Add and Remove buttons.

For more information about sysop functions, see:

•	Modify Participants in a group to add or remove users

•	File Lists in Local Groups for information about modify File List

•	Add Folder for how to add a new folder to an existing group

♦ Note

There is no on screen display that local sysop access is enabled.

Sysop access is granted by the administrator or another sysop of the group.


Related Topics

For more information about local groups, see:

Create Local Group

Add Folder to Local Group

Remove a Local Group or Folder

File Lists in Local Groups

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


File Lists in Local Groups

 See Also

Special Menu

When a file is uploaded to a local group, the file is stored in a subdirectory of the local group called SectionN.dir, where N is the number of the folder. However, the file is not visible until the sysop adds it to the library list.

To edit the File List

1.	Select Special | Edit moderator File List

2.	Modify the File List as appropriate

Moderator File List Dialog

Selecting the Modify button on the File List brings up a large dialog box in two sections

1.	a large text section to display the text of the File List

2.	a large number of buttons on the right to manage the File List

The text section is what is displayed to the users when they view the File List. There are three pieces of information for each file:

1.	the filename

2.	the size of the file

3.	comment describing the file

In addition you can insert text notes not related to any file or a private note that is only displayed to the sysop only when modifying the library list.

For more information about modifying a File List, see:

Modify File List Buttons for the function of each button and step by step instructions.


Related Topics

For more information about local groups, see:

Modify Local File List Buttons

Create Local Group

Add Folder to Local Group

Remove a Local Group or Folder

Moderating Local Groups

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


Modify Local File List Buttons

 See Also

There are several buttons on the right side of the Modify File List dialog.

Pressing either Insert or Edit brings up the Edit File List dialog. The dialog box has the following buttons, which is used to indicate what section you want to modify.

•	File Comment - description of the file

•	Text Comment - full line of text displayed to all users

•	Private Note - insert a private note displayed to sysop when modifying the library list

•	Topic File - insert a file in the library list

•	Filepool - not applicable to local groups - CIX only.

In addition there are two boxes to fill in:

•	Filename - you can type the name of the file or press the Filename button and a list of files in the directory will be displayed.

•	Comment - the comment that is displayed to describe the file (same as File Comment)

To insert a new entry:

1.	Move the cursor to the correct location

2.	Select the Insert button

3.	Select Topic File

4.	Fill in the Filename

5.	Fill in the Comment field with the description

6.	Press OK

To Edit an Existing Entry

1.	Select the item to edit

2.	Select the Edit button

3.	Select what you want to edit (File Comment, Text Comment, add a Private Note)

4.	Insert the new information.

5.	Press OK

Delete an Existing Entry

1.	Select the item to delete

2.	Press the Delete button

3.	Deletes the entry from the library list, but not from the disk

Delete an Entry and Remove from disk

1.	Select the item to delete

2.	Press the Erase button

3.	Deletes the entry from the disk.

Upload/Download

Allows you to upload or download a file while editing the library list.

Rename

Change the name of a file


Related Topics

For more information about local groups, see:

Create Local Group

Add Folder to Local Group

Remove a Local Group or Folder

Moderating Local Groups

File Lists in Local Groups

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups

Network Information


Network Information

 See Also

Virtual Access requires a network that supports DOS file sharing and file locking. Virtual Access has been tested on the following networks:

•	Windows NT

•	Windows 95

•	Windows for Workgroups 3.11

•	Novell 2.11, 3.00 and Netware Lite

•	Artisoft Lantastic

•	Sun PC-NFS

Virtual Access runs under OS/2 (under WINOS2), Warp, NT and Windows 95.

♦ Note

Using various file locking and share mechanisms across different network types, such as Novell and NFS, can cause problems

Win 3.x users should use vshare.386 whenever possible. Vshare.386 is part of Window for Workgroups 3.11 and versions for Windows 3.1 are available on most online services, or contact Ashmount for a copy.

Virtual Access doesn't currently support modem sharing via Int 14, Nacs or Nasi.


Related Topics

For more information about administrator functions, see:

Administrator Functions

Sysop Functions

User Management

Communicating with Users

Administration Information

Local Groups


Glossary of Terms

A

Alias

Archie

Article

ASCII

Ashmount support forums

ATM

B

Backbone

Bandwidth

Baud/Bits per second (bps)

BBS

Binary

Bookmark Symbol

C

Cancel Symbol

CISINET

CIX

Client

CSi

CSLIP

Cyberspace

D

Dedicated Line

Delete in Thread Symbol

Delete Symbol

Dial-up

Digest

Discussion group

Disk Symbol

DNS

Download Pending Symbol

DUN

E-mail

E

Encryption

Ethernet

F

FAQ

Fetch Symbol

Finger

Firewall

Flame

Flist Symbol

FTP

G

Gateway

Gopher

H

Headers

HMI

Home page

Host

HTML

Hypertext

I

IMAP4

Information Bar

IRC

ISDN

ISP

J

K

Keep in Thread Symbol

Keep Symbol

L

LAN

Leased line

M

Mail reflector

Mailing list

Message Count Icon

Message Pane

MIME

MMM

Modem

MUD

Multipart Encoded Message

N

Navigation keys

Netfind

Netiquette

Netnews

NISA forum

NNTP

O

P

Packet

Ping

POP3

Postmaster

PPP

Pseudo Folder

Q

Quoting

R

RAS

Reading Window

Remote host

Reply Bubble Symbol

Root Message Symbol

Root Missing Symbol

Router

S

Search Header Information

Service provider

Signature

Site

SLIP

SMTP

Spam

Subscribe

T

TCP/IP

Telecommuting

Telnet

Thanks

Thread Pane

U

UNIX

Unread Message in Thread Symbol

Unread Symbol

URL

Usenet

Usenet Moderator

Username

UUEncode

V

View Tab

View Window

Virtual Access support

Virus

W

Winsock

World Wide Web (WWW)

X

Y

Z


A~


Alias

A shortened form of a long name, used to facilitate sending messages. Alias can also be used as a short name for a list of people.


Archie

A lookup tool for locating files that are publicly available by anonymous FTP.


Article

A message in a newsgroup.


ASCII

American Standard Code for Information Interchange. The set of 255 characters recognized by most computers. These characters are plain text with no formatting information.


Ashmount support forums

Ashmount on-line support is available on the following services:

Service	Forum/Conference	ID
CompuServe	Ashmount	70007,5437
CIX	ashmount	ashmount
Internet	www.ashmount.com	support@ashmount.com
	www.vamail.com	support@vamail.com


ATM

Asynchronous Transfer Mode is a high speed packet switching technology using small packets (cells) of fixed size. ATM is also known as "fast packet."


B~


Backbone

The primary long-distance connections on the Internet.


Bandwidth

The volume of information that can be sent over a network in a specified time.


Baud/Bits per second (bps)

Terms used to describe the measures of speed needed to send data from one computer to another.


BBS

Bulletin Board System/Service. An electronic system in which people dial up by modem to send and receive messages and files.


Binary

The data format which stores graphics and sound files.


Bookmark Symbol

The small picture indicating the message marked is part of the active bookmark set


C~


Cancel Symbol

 The small picture indicating that Virtual Access will withdraw this message from the remote service next time you connect.


CISINET

The name of the Virtual Access service for accessing CompuServe as an Internet Service Provider for newsgroup access.


CIX

CIX within Virtual Access refers to CompuLink Information Exchange, a conferencing system located in the UK.

CIX on the Internet refers to Commercial Internet Exchange, a consortium of commercial Internet service providers.


Client

The user of a server or service.


CSi

CompuServe Interactive, also know as CompuServe Information Services (CIS). CompuServe is a large conferencing system in the US with access around the world.


CSLIP

A newer, faster SLIP that uses compressed packets.


Cyberspace

The whole collection of sites and electronic exchanges on the Internet


D~


Dedicated Line

A phone line used for 24 hour network communications.


Delete in Thread Symbol

 The small picture indicating the message there is a deleted messages in a collapsed thread that will be removed the next time Prune is run.


Delete Symbol

 The small picture indicating the message will be deleted the next time Prune is run.


Dial-up

An connection using a modem and a phone to dial to a remote service.


Digest

A group of mail messages sent together instead of one at a time. Some mailing lists can be received either as one long message daily (digest) containing new messages or with each message received individually.


Discussion group

A group of people exchanging messages on a given topic. This is often used as a generic terms for newsgroups.


Disk Symbol

 The small picture in a Library or File List indicating that Virtual Access has downloaded the file.


DNS

Domain Name System is a distributed database translating computer names (like ashmount.com) into numeric Internet addresses for transferring your messages and commands across the Internet.


Download Pending Symbol

 The small picture in a Library or File List indicating you have told Virtual Access to download the file.


DUN

Dial Up Networking is the function within Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.x that lets you dial into the Internet or another computer.

Windows NT 3.x has the same feature, but is called Remote Access Service (RAS).


E-mail

Electronic mail. The sending of messages from one person to another by computer.


E~


Encryption

The scrambling of a message so that it can't be deciphered without a proper decryption key.


Ethernet

Common Local Area Network (LAN) hardware.


F~


FAQ

Frequently Asked Question(s). Newcomers to discussion groups often ask questions which have been asked and answered many times before. To help these newcomers (and to save the trouble of trotting out the same old answers) old hands often create FAQs - lists of common questions and their answers.


Fetch Symbol

 The small picture indicating that you have told Virtual Access to download the full text for the message.


Finger

An Internet command for displaying information about a specific user.


Firewall

A firewall is a security system designed to protect a local network of  computers from outside interference.

Hardware or software based filtration of traffic between locations on a  network according to administrator defined rules. A firewall's primary purpose is to ensure that only authorizedtraffic can pass into or out of the firewall protected areas.

Such authorization can be based upon the identity of the individual or machine, the size of the traffic items, the nature of the message or command, the time of day and many other conditions. Firewall devices are increasingly being combined with and sold as proxy servers, however they need not be so.


Flame

An angry reaction to an on-line message and often a personal attack. Although common, they are not considered good netiquette.


Flist Symbol

 CIX Only. The small picture on the Information Bar indicating there is a Flist associated with the current topic.


FTP

The file transfer protocol often used to send files around the Internet. There are public ftp sites where you can download public domain and shareware programs, updated drivers for your PC's graphics card and many other useful files.


G~


Gateway

A link between two systems which may otherwise be incompatible; often a link between two on-line systems.


Gopher

A menu based system for exploring Internet resources.


H~


Headers

Lines prefacing a mail message which give information about the message including its source, destination, subject and delivery route.


HMI

Host Micro Interface is a proprietary protocol used on CompuServe.


Home page

A first menu of predefined World Wide Web locations (resources).


Host

A computer which makes up a network. This is also used to refer to the central computers on a conferencing system such as CompuServe or CIX.


HTML

Hyper-Text Markup Language. The language used to communicate on the World Wide Web.


Hypertext

A method of linking related documents, graphics and multimedia objects.


I~


IMAP4

Internet Message Access Protocol (Version 4) used by some mail servers.


Information Bar

The area separating the Thread Pane and the Message Pane in the Reading Window.


IRC

Internet Relay Chat. A worldwide Internet conferencing system.


ISDN

Integrated Services Digital Network is a high-speed, digital connection over a phone line which requires special equipment at both ends, individual or business; sometimes known as IAP; Internet Access Provider.


ISP

Internet Service Provider. The company that provides you with your connection to the Internet.


J~

No entries for this letter.


K~


Keep in Thread Symbol

The small picture indicating that there is a kept message in a collapsed thread. Kept messages are not removed from the message base by Prune.


Keep Symbol

 The small picture indicating that the message will be kept and not removed from the message base by Prune.


L~


LAN

Local Area Network is a system connecting multiple computers together.


Leased line

A permanently connected telephone line between two locations.


M~


Mail reflector

Software that automatically distributes incoming messages to mailing list members.


Mailing list

A discussion group which uses E-mail to communicate.


Message Count Icon

 The small icon on the Status Bar showing how many messages have not been read yet. Double clicking on this icon will update the unread message count.

 This icon is also available to be placed on the toolbar to refresh the unread message count.


Message Pane

The area of the Reading Window that contains the message text.


MIME

Multimedia Internet Mail Extensions is a standard that lets you attach files to mail messages to send to people. The file is converted into text and embedded in a mail message that is sent with your e-mail; the mail server at the other end will re-attach it to the mail message.


MMM

Multi-media messaging. Communications which include various forms such as sound, graphics and video.


Modem

A device which allows digital computer data to be sent and received via analog phone lines.


MUD

Multi-User Dungeon - a text-based multi-user role playing game , like Dungeons & Dragons(TM), running on a server on the Internet. You can connect using Telnet and join in with other players. Sometimes referred to as MUSHes, MUCKs and MOOs.


Multipart Encoded Message

An MIME or UUEncode message that is stored in more than one messages.

This is often done in Usenet newsgroups as the total size is too large for many systems.


N~


Navigation keys

These are the keystrokes for the most common tasks.

You will find them to be the quickest way to read and reply to messages.


Netfind

A service for looking up someone's electronic address.


Netiquette

Network etiquette for communicating appropriately, particularly in newsgroups.


Netnews

The collection of Usenet news groups distributed worldwide.


NISA forum

NISA is the New Information System Architecture on CompuServe that only supports HMI access to the forums.


NNTP

Net News Transfer Protocol is the standard method for distributing Usenet newsgroups across the Internet. NNTP allows you to download just the headers or the full messages. Virtual Access uses this to allow you control which messages you download.


O~

No entries for this letter.


P~


Packet

A unit of data transmission on a network.


Ping

A program used to verify an active connection to an Internet site.


POP3

Post Office Protocol 3 is an advanced Internet mail service that allows your ISP to store your mail for you until you dial in. You may also be able to store collected mail for reference for a certain time.


Postmaster

The general anonymous E-mail account for a network, used for questions and for mail to a person whose address in unknown. You can generally address mail questions to postmaster@site.


PPP

Point-to Point Protocol is a low bit rate highly reliable connection protocol for TCP/IP and other network protocols, designed for use over telephone lines. The alternative is SLIP.


Pseudo Folder

A Virtual Access folder that exists locally, on your hard drive, not on a remote service

Pseudo folders are used to hold messages such as ACTIONS/INFORMATION that reports the results as each connection..

Many pseudo folders are read-only since you cannot send messages to them.


Q~


Quoting

When you reply to an e-mail message or a Usenet post you can include the message you are replying to, marked with ">" characters. It is considered good netiquette not to include more of the message than necessary.


R~


RAS

Remote Access Server. A computer which you can dial up to get access to facilities, for example a company Local Area Network.

RAS is also the name of a function within Windows NT 3.x that lets you dial the Internet or another PC.

Windows 95 and Window NT 4.x have the same feature, but it is called Dial Up Networking (DUN).


Reading Window

The window where you read messages.

It contains the Thread Pane, the Message Pane and the Information Bar.


Remote host

Another computer on a network which you are accessing.


Reply Bubble Symbol

 The small picture indicating the message has a reply that has not been uploaded.


Root Message Symbol

There are two symbols that indicate the root message (a message to which there are comments and replies):

 Indicates a root message and that the thread is collapsed so no replies are displayed.

 Indicates a root message and the thread is expanded showing any replies.


Root Missing Symbol

 The small picture indicating that the Root, or first message of a thread, is not in your local message base.


Router

A system that transfer data between two networks that use the same protocols.


S~


Search Header Information

The "header" for search purposes is all header fields (including all Internet header fields), except for CIX Conference messages.

For Internet header fields, the search can be done on specific header fields by using a regular expression on the field. For example, From:*part_or_all_of_address* would only search the From: field.

CIX Conference message have only the message number, the message date and for replies, the message number it is a reply to.

Note that the local service messages do not have a header.


Service provider

A company which provides access to the Internet, also referred to as Internet Service Provider (ISP).


Signature

The last part of a message, usually the author's name, E-mail address, and a short comment or quote. Virtual Access can add signatures automatically to your messages.


Site

A group of administered computers.


SLIP

Serial Line Internet Protocol is a low bit rate highly reliable connection protocol for TCP/IP, designed to work over telephone lines. C.f. CSLIP. The alternative is PPP.


SMTP

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is used to send e-mail across the Internet. Some Internet Providers send your e-mail to you by SMTP as well and this allows you to receive mail under several different names at the same account (e.g. support@ashmount.co.uk, sales@ashmount.co.uk) but this is more complicated to set up than a POP3 mail connection. You also have to collect your mail by dialing in directly to the service and the mail is not stored on the server after you have collected it.


Spam

A message, usually commercial advertising, sent indiscriminately to many inappropriate places on the Internet, usually by e-mail or via Usenet newsgroups. This is a form of net abuse.

In response, many Net users send large mail messages in an attempt to overload the spammer's account


Subscribe

To join a discussion group, thus automatically receiving messages and being able to send messages.


T~


TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol is the protocol used for sending information between computers connected to the Internet.


Telecommuting

The act of letting your work travel digitally rather than your body physically.


Telnet

Telnet is a protocol which allows you to connect and login from one computer to another across the Internet.

Virtual Access uses Telnet when you connect to your Internet Service Provider and then connect to CompuServe or CIX.


Thanks

Thanks to Eric Day for producing the new bitmaps and icons.

Many people have helped develop this file. I would like expressly thank:

My neighbor, Eileen Gibson, who fed me cups of coffee and let me vent my frustration with Winhelp compilers, even though she didn't understand a word.

My colleagues at Ashmount and the beta teams for their help and support and general patience in putting up with me.

Brandy J. Williams


Thread Pane

The area of the Reading Window that contains the threading information, message number, author and text information.


U~


UNIX

An operating system used by many computers and popular on Internet hosts.


Unread Message in Thread Symbol

 The small picture indicating that there is a message in the thread that you have not read yet. Applies to collapsed threads only.


Unread Symbol

 The small picture indicating the message has not been read


URL

Uniform Resource Locator

A format for specifying the protocol, server (if required) and directory path to a file. URLs are used to on the Internet to specify web pages, FTP, etc.

In addition, Virtual Access uses URLs in the message text to specify the location of files to be decoded or viewed.

See Operate On for more information about the text strings (URLs) that Virtual Access will recognize and the actions it will take for each string.


Usenet

A collection of Internet discussion groups using the NNTP protocol to exchange news articles.


Usenet Moderator

A person who controls submissions to a discussion group.


Username

The ID of a user account on a computer.

You may have several usernames:

•	Your local Virtual Access username to logon to Virtual Access

•	Each remote service may have different usernames


UUEncode

A method of encrypting a binary file into ASCII for transmission across the Internet.

To send binary mail via the Internet, the file must be encoded by the sender and decode by the receiver. Virtual Access will do both automatically.


V~


View Tab

The tabs at the bottom of the Message Base Window that show different views of the message base. The default tabs are: All, Messages, File Lists and Mail.


View Window

The window used for displaying messages. It is displayed in two parts:

•	Message Pane - contains the message text

•	Thread Pane - contains the threading information, message number, author and text information.


Virtual Access support

		USA		Europe
Sales		1-800 4VAMAIL		+44 171 831 4000
Support		(612) 924 0540		+44 171 831 4000
Fax		(612) 915 1133		+44 171 831 4400
Internet		support@vamail.com		support@ashmount.com
CompuServe		70007,5437		70007,5437
WWW		www.vamail.com		www.ashmount.com
Address		Virtual Technology Corporation		Ashmount Research Ltd.
		3100 West Lake Street		9-10 Southampton Place
		Suite 400		London
		Minneapolis		WC1A 2EA
		MN 55416		United Kingdom
		USA
Newsgroup Support

In addition we to the above, we maintain our own support newsgroups on our company server. To access these newsgroups within Virtual Access, install the Ashmount or VAMail service.

To access from another program, point to the news.ashmount.com server.


Virus

A program which infects a legitimate program and attempts to damage the system in some way.

It is a good idea to check all files you download before running them.


W~


Winsock

A Windows add-on that allows you to use the TCP/IP networking protocol. You need to have WINSOCK.DLL running before you can use any Internet software. Windows 95 and Windows NT come with their own Winsock, as do may Internet software packages


World Wide Web (WWW)

World Wide Web. A hypertext-based system that allows browsing of available Internet resources.


X~

No entries for this letter.


Y~

No entries for this letter.


Z~

No entries for this letter.


Symbols are small pictures that give information. Icons are pictures that perform an action when you click on them.


View Threads:
 Displays each message in a thread
View Root Only:
 Displays only the first (the root) message of a thread.


A postponed folder  is shown by a (P) on the right in the MessageBase Window.
Virtual Access returns to postponed folders after you have read all other folders.


Mark Unread (Shortcut: U), marks a message unread and places the Unread Symbol next to the message.


The Status Bar at the bottom of the screen shows the number of unread messages in:
  the thread
  the folder
  total for the message base


The Status Bar at the bottom of the screen shows the number of unread messages in:
  the thread
  the folder
  total for the remote service(s)


Previous Message (Backspace) moves you backs to the previous message you were reading.


Prune is a housekeeping task that you run to remove old messages based on how many days it has been since a new message was received in a thread, or messages that you have explicitly marked to be deleted..


Prune is a housekeeping task that you run to remove old messages based on how many days it has been since a new message was received in a thread, or messages that you have explicitly marked to be deleted..


This is a fixed font - all the letters take up the same amount of space.


Blink is a British term for a connection to a remote service. Shower comes from the ability to connect to several services in the morning and then go off and take a shower while Virtual Access works.


A private (closed confidential) conference does not show up in the CIX Conference List. People cannot join it - or even ask to join it, as they will not know its name. All members must be added in by a moderator.


A closed folder is encrypted on the disk and is not visible when a user looks at the unjoined groups list.