Copyright: WinBiff 3.9a, (C) 1992-98, Paul A. Steckler


table of contents
WinBiff 3.9a

(C) Copyright 1992-98, Paul A. Steckler

WinBiff is a Windows mail notification program for use in conjunction with several different mail systems, including Pegasus Mail, Eudora for Windows, Microsoft Mail, Windows Messaging, cc:Mail, Lotus Notes, FirstMail, Novell GroupWise, Novell MHS, FSUUCP, PC-NFS, UUPC/extended, and Waffle.  WinBiff also works as a POP3 and IMAP4 client using WinSock.  WinBiff can display MIME-encoded headers for Internet mail.

WinBiff comes in a 16-bit version for Windows 3.1 and a 32-bit version for Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT.

WinBiff is distributed as shareware.  See Registering WinBiff for more information.

Table of Contents

Installation	Using WinBiff
Example command lines	Clearing the window and alarm
Multiple mailboxes	Launching the mail reader
Network installation	Resizing and moving the window
Configuration	Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Special configuration topics	Registering WinBiff
Modifying the configuration	Contacting the author
	Obtaining updates
	Disclaimers


Installing WinBiff

When you run SETUP.EXE in the WinBiff distribution, the WinBiff files are copied to your hard disk in a suitable directory.  You may need to modify your DOS path, as described in what follows.

For some configurations, WinBiff requires that certain Windows Dynamic Link Libraries (.DLL's) be available.  A .DLL file is available to WinBiff if the .DLL's directory is in your DOS path, or if the .DLL is in the Windows or Windows System directories, or if the .DLL is in the same directory as WinBiff.  See your DOS or Windows manual for details on how to set your DOS path.

If you are using POP3 or IMAP4, WinBiff uses your WinSock library, WINSOCK.DLL (16-bit) or WSOCK32.DLL (32-bit).

If you are using Microsoft Mail, Windows Messaging, or Novell GroupWise, Windows uses MAPI.DLL (16-bit) or MAPI32.DLL (32-bit).

If you are using cc:Mail, WinBiff uses the Vendor-Independent Messaging library, VIM.DLL (16-bit) or VIM32.DLL (32-bit).  If your copy of cc:Mail did not come with these files, you can obtain dual-mode DB6 and DB8 VIM libraries from the Lotus World-Wide Web site, in the directory

    http://www2.support.lotus.com/ftp/pub/comm/ccmail/dev_tools

in the files vdlwin.zip (16-bit) and vdlw32.zip (32-bit).

If you are using Lotus Notes, WinBiff uses _NOTES.DLL (16-bit) or NNOTES.DLL (32-bit).

Note that some .DLL's themselves require other .DLL's (see Frequently Asked Questions).

In Windows 3.1, add WinBiff as a new Program Item to an appropriate Program Group in Program Manager.  In Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT, add WinBiff as an entry to the Start Menu.  Optionally, you may specify the name of a configuration file as an argument in the Command Line.  By default, WinBiff will create a configuration file with the name WINBIFF.INI.  A configuration file must have the extension .INI, but the extension need not be specified explicitly.

See also:

Example command lines

Multiple mailboxes

Network installation


command lines, example
Example command lines

By using a given Command Line, you can specify the name and location of the .INI file used by WinBiff.

Examples:

Command line	Effect
WINBIFF	uses WINBIFF.INI
WINBIFF MYCONFIG	uses MYCONFIG.INI
WINBIFF C:\MYCONFIG.INI	uses MYCONFIG.INI
	in the root directory of drive C:


multiple mailboxes
Installing WinBiff for multiple mailboxes

You may run multiple copies of WinBiff to monitor multiple mailboxes. For each mailbox to be monitored, you will need a separate configuration file.

In Windows 3.1, for each mailbox, add a Program Item to a Program Group in Program Manager.

In Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT, for each mailbox, add an entry to the Start Menu.

For each mailbox to be monitored, specify a configuration file in its Command Line.  You may wish to name the configuration files after the accounts with mailboxes to be monitored.  For example, if you have mailboxes for accounts fred and sally, you might use configuration files named FRED.INI and SALLY.INI.

Note for users of Microsoft Mail:  WinBiff can only monitor one Microsoft Mail mailbox at a time.  This is due to limitations of the MAPI implementation used with Microsoft Mail.  You can still monitor a Microsoft Mail mailbox and another kind of mailbox simultaneously.

See also:

Example command lines

Network installation

Configuring for UUPC/extended


network, installing WinBiff on
Network installation

You may run WinBiff from a network server.  You may use multiple configuration files stored on individual network nodes, or a single configuration file stored on the server.

If you use multiple configuration files, the configuration file at a given node provides the settings used by WinBiff when run by a user at that node.

If you use a single configuration file stored on the server, you can use environment variables to specialize settings at each node.  For example, the configuration file might give the Mail File specification as C:\MAIL\$USER$, which contains the environment variable USER.  The AUTOEXEC.BAT file at each node should set the environment variable USER to an appropriate value.  See your DOS or Windows manual for details on how to set environment variables.

See also:

Multiple mailboxes

Using DOS environment variables

Configuring for NetWare and Pegasus Mail


Configuring WinBiff

To configure WinBiff the first time, start the program. The Setup dialog box will appear on the Windows desktop.  To change the configuration subsequently, choose Setup from the system menu.

When you are finished with configuration, click on the OK button to save your changes, or click on the Cancel button to cancel any changes.  Clicking on the Help button provides context-sensitive help.

The Setup is organized into pages:

Message source

Mailbox

Window

Mail reader

Colors

Sound

WAVBase

Network

See also:

Special configuration topics


message source
Message source page

Click on the appropriate Message Source for your mail system.  If you wish to view only unread mail messages, check the "Unread mail only" box.

Table of setup pages

See also:

NetWare and Pegasus Mail

Eudora

PC-NFS

UUPC/extended


mailbox
Mailbox page

The fields that appear on this page depend on the Message Source selected.

For all Message Source selections, set the Polling Interval.  This setting specifies how often WinBiff checks for new messages.

For a Message Source of Disk File:

The Mail File specification gives the name of the file(s) containing mail messages.  For example, if mail is stored in the file USER.MBX in the directory MAIL on drive C, the Mail File specification would be C:\MAIL\USER.MBX.  You may use DOS wildcard characters ("*" and "?") or DOS environment variables in the Mail File specification.

Unless running under NetWare, Pegasus Mail users should use "*.CNM" in the mail file specification.  If you run Pegasus Mail under NetWare, see Configuring for NetWare and Pegasus Mail.  Waffle creates two mailbox files, a text file with a  ".F" extension, and an index file with a ".I" extension.

If you use Waffle, specify the ".F" file. Novell MHS mail systems create mail files without an extension, so MHS users should use "*." in the mail file specification.  In 16-bit WinBiff, you may use the SYS: volume name or a mapped drive name in the mail file specification.  If you use the SYS: volume name, you may also specify a server.  In 32-bit WinBiff, you may use a UNC-format name or mapped drive.

By default, UUPC/extended creates mail files with an extension of .SPB (see also Configuring for UUPC/extended).

Users of PC-NFS should specify a mail file on an NFS-mounted drive (see Configuring for PC-NFS).

For a Message Source of PMail/NetWare:

You may select a Server from the table given.  If the Server is omitted, a default server is used. DOS environment variables may be used in the in the Server specification.  Note that this Message Source is not available under Windows NT using the 32-bit version of WinBiff, although it is available with the 16-bit version.

For a Message Source of cc:Mail:

Enter a login and the path to your Post Office directory.  Normally, the Post Office directory is named CCDATA.  For example, if your cc:Mail installation is on the C: drive, your Post Office directory might be "C:\CCDATA".  You may enter a password or choose to have WinBiff prompt for it.

For a Message Source of Lotus Notes:

Choose whether you wish to see polling errors or not.  It is recommended that you check this box until you are sure your setup works. If you are using a Notes 3.x mail database, check "Notes 3.x mailbox".  In that case, WinBiff uses the "Received by Category" view by default.  You can choose a different view by putting an entry

Notes3xView=My View

in the WinBiff .INI file.  If you are using a newer mail database, choose which folder you wish WinBiff to keep track of.  Most users will use the "Inbox" folder.  Next, choose whether you wish to use the settings in your NOTES.INI.  If you choose not to use those settings, you will need to indicate an .ID file, a server, and mail database explicitly.  The list of servers is generated from your Notes Personal Address book.  You may need to update your Personal Address book if the server you need does not appear in the list.

For a Message Source of Microsoft Mail:

Enter a login.  You may enter a password or choose to have WinBiff prompt for it.

For a Message Source of Windows Messaging:

Enter a Profile (16-bit version) or choose a Profile from the available list (32-bit version).

For a Message Source of GroupWise:

Enter a login. You may enter a password or choose to have WinBiff prompt for it.

For a Message Source of POP3:

Enter a login and the Mail Host for a POP3 server.  The host name may be specified symbolically (such as host.mycompany.com) or as an IP address in dotted decimal format (such as 255.255.1.10).  You may enter a password or choose to have WinBiff prompt for it.

For a Message Source of IMAP4:

Enter a login and the Mail Host for an IMAP4 server.  The host name may be specified symbolically or as an IP address in dotted decimal format.  Optionally, you may specify an IMAP4 mailbox name.  If you do not specify a mailbox, the default "inbox" is used.  You may enter a password or choose to have WinBiff prompt for it.

Table of setup pages


window
Window page

The settings in the Window page affect how the WinBiff window is displayed.

Caption

Enter a caption for the WinBiff title bar.  If no caption is specified, a default is used. The macro "%n" used in the caption expands to the number of pending messages.

Action

The "To top" option indicates that the WinBiff window moves to the top of the window order when new mail arrives.  The "Restore" option indicates that the window is activated when new mail arrives, and restored if it is iconized; also, the window becomes iconized after all mail has been read.  If you choose the "Stay on top" option, the WinBiff window becomes topmost when there is new mail.  With that option, the window stays on top until there are no pending messages, or WinBiff is cleared by using the "Clear" menu item.  In Windows 3.1 and older versions of Windows NT that display icons on the desktop, the "Stay on top" option also applies to the WinBiff icon.

Icon

If the "Save icon position" option is chosen, the WinBiff icon will be displayed in the same location each time it is run.  If the "Hide icon" option is chosen, the icon is hidden when there is no mail (or the window has been cleared).  Passing the mouse cursor over the hidden icon will display the icon until the mouse cursor is moved elsewhere.  In Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT4, the WinBiff icon appears in the Taskbar Notification area, so these icon options are not available in 32-bit WinBiff when running under those Windows versions.  The "Blink on poll" blinks the icon during polling.  In versions of Windows without a taskbar, only the icon caption blinks.  The blink option is not available if the "Hide icon" option is chosen.

Headers

The "Show headers" option specifies whether to show message headers.  The "Reverse sort" option shows the most recent messages at the beginning of the list of headers.

Menu

Checking the "Use Exit menu item" option add an extra item to the WinBiff system menu.  When this option is selected, the usual Close menu item, as well as the close button and Alt-F4 key combination, only minimize the WinBiff window; the Exit item must be selected to shut down WinBiff.  Selecting this option makes it more difficult to accidentally shut down WinBiff.

Table of setup pages

See also

Using custom icons


mail reader
Mail reader page

Mail reader

Enter the filename for the mail reader you wish to launch from WinBiff, if any.  You can also use this field for any other program you wish to launch from WinBiff, a pager, for instance. Optionally, you may specify a start directory for the mail reader.

Options

The "Launch reader on startup" option launches the specified mail reader each time WinBiff is run.

The "Launch reader on new mail" option launches the mail reader when new mail arrives.

Choosing "Minimize on reader launch" minimizes WinBiff when the mail reader is launched from WinBiff.

Use "Suspend polling while reader active" to prevent WinBiff from contending with your mail reader for access to messages.  This option is often necessary when using the POP3 Message Source.

If you choose the "Detect running reader" option, WinBiff will search for a running instance of the mail reader.  This feature is useful in conjunction with the "Suspend polling" option, and also prevents accidentally launching a second instance of the reader from WinBiff.  If this option is not checked, WinBiff is aware of the reader only when it has been launched from WinBiff.  In order for WinBiff to detect the reader, it must be identifiable from the reader's executable filename.

Table of setup pages


colors
Colors page

Use the scrollbar controls to set the colors for the area indicated.  Select an area by clicking on its name or by clicking on the displayed samples.

The "Defaults" button restores default colors for all the areas.

The "Desktop" button sets the color for the selected area to the Windows desktop color.

Table of setup pages


sound
Sound page

Filename

Enter the name of a .WAV file if you are using the "Custom" sound option or you are using the WAVBase option and have the Alarm set.  You may use DOS environment variables in this field.

Option

The sound option specifies what kind of sound is played when new mail arrives.  "Beep" plays the default system beep; "Custom" plays the file given indicated; and WAVBase plays sounds according to string matches on the From and Subject lines of mail messages.

Alarm

Checking the "Alarm on" option plays a repeated alarm when mail arrives.  If you use the "Beep" sound option, the alarm plays the beep.  If you use the "Custom" or "WAVBase" options, the alarm plays the .WAV file in the Filename field.  The frequency of the alarm is indicated by the Interval field.

Table of setup pages

See also:

Using DOS environment variables


WAVBase


WAVBase, using
WAVBase page

This page is accessible only if you have selected the "WAVBase" sound option.

Default

In the Default field, you may indicate a .WAV file to be played for messages which do not match any WAVBase string.  You may use DOS environment variables in this field.

Play WAVs just once

If this box is checked, then for any string matched, its .WAV is played just once, and also, the default .WAV is played at most once.

Adding a WAVBase entry

To add a new WAVBase entry, click on the Add button.  Enter the string to be matched, click on the button indicating where to look for matches (From, Subject, or From or Subject), and enter the name of the .WAV file to play.  Click on the Done button when all information has been entered.

Editing a WAVBase entry

For an existing entry, you may directly edit the .WAV file indicated or change where to look for matches by clicking on another button.

Delete a WAVBase entry

You may delete a WAVBase entry by selecting the string in the list of strings, and clicking on the Delete button.

Table of setup pages

See also:

Sound options

Using DOS environment variables


Network page

This page is accessible only if you have selected POP3 or IMAP4 as a Message Source.

Timeouts

You may specify timeout values for WinSock initialization, the time to connect to a mail host, and network inactivity.  For most users, the default values should work acceptably.  If you get frequent timeout messages, you may change these settings.

Ports

Some POP3 and IMAP4 servers are configured to use nonstandard ports.  You may specify such ports here.  You can select the standard ports by hitting the Defaults button.

Show network errors

By checking this box, error messages generated by network problems are displayed.  It is recommended that when first using WinBiff, you use this option.  After you are confident that WinBiff is operating correctly, you can disable network errors to prevent display of errors due to transient network problems.

Check for connection on COM port n

If you check this box, WinBiff will check that the specified COM port has been opened before polling.  This feature prevents WinBiff from generating unwanted error messages when you do not have a modem connection.  Note that WinBiff cannot determine which program is using the COM port, so it cannot distinguish between a WinSock connection and another kind of connection.  Also, the mechanism WinBiff uses to implement this feature cannot reliably detect when a 16-bit program is using the COM port under Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT.

Table of setup pages


Special configuration topics

See the following topics for special configuration information:

Using custom icons

Using DOS environment variables

PC-NFS

NetWare and Pegasus Mail

Eudora

Microsoft Mail

UUPC/extended

WinOS2


custom icons, using
Using custom icons

By default, WinBiff uses built-in icons to display when the window is minimized.  There are two such icons, one used when there is mail, and the other used when there is no mail.  The user may instead place custom icons with the names NOMAIL.ICO and NEWMAIL.ICO in the same directory as WinBiff.


custom icons, using
Using DOS environment variables

In most text fields, you may use DOS environment variables by bracketing each variable name with dollar signs.  For example, if the DOS environment variable LOGIN indicates a subdirectory where mail is sent, you might enter "C:\MAIL\$LOGIN$\*.*" as the mail file specification.  If you need to indicate a literal dollar sign, use two of them.  For example, the specification "C:\MAIL\$$USER\*.*" indicates that mail is sent to the directory C:\MAIL\$USER.  Environment variable names used by WinBiff may not contain dollar signs.  For security reasons, environment variables are not supported for the password field and the Notes mail database field.


configuring for Netware and Pegasus
Configuring for NetWare and Pegasus Mail

If you use the DOS or Windows versions of Pegasus Mail (PMail) under Novell NetWare, WinBiff allows you to choose a Message Source of PMail/NetWare to simplify setup.  You may specify a server in the Server field.  If you omit a server, WinBiff will look for mail on the preferred server, if any, otherwise on the default server.  Since the PMail/NetWare choice relies on the NetWare bindery, you must be running bindery emulation in NetWare 4.x.  See Frequently Asked Questions for more information if you have trouble with the bindery.

You may instead choose a Message Source of Disk file and enter the Mail File specification manually.  In 16-bit WinBiff, you may enter

    SYS:MAIL\<objid>\*.CNM

or

    SERVER/SYS:MAIL\<objid>\*.CNM

where <objid> is the hexadecimal digit NetWare object id assigned to the user. In 32-bit WinBiff, you must enter the Mail file specification in Universal Naming Convention (UNC) format, including the server name:

   \\SERVER\SYS\<objid>\*.CNM

Note that the PMail/NetWare Message Source is not available under Windows NT using the 32-bit version of WinBiff, although it is available with the 16-bit version.  Under Windows NT, you may use Disk file as the Message Source, as just described.


Configuring for Eudora for Windows

Eudora for Windows has its own mail notification mechanisms, but you can use WinBiff for more flexible mail notification.  You may have WinBiff scan your disk for mail files created by Eudora, although it is recommended that you choose POP3 as the Message Source for incoming mail.

If you choose to scan for Eudora disk files:

Eudora normally creates a file named "IN.MBX" in the directory where Eudora is located.  If you do not wish WinBiff to poll the POP3 server, you may instead set the Message Source to "Disk File" and set the Mail File field to that file.  For instance, if Eudora is located in the directory "C:\EUDORA", then the WinBiff Mail File specification should be "C:\EUDORA\IN.MBX".  Eudora also allows the user to create custom mailboxes; you may specify such a mailbox file in the Mail File field.  You may use separate WinBiff instances to monitor separate Eudora mailboxes, for instance, the "Out" mailbox ("OUT.MBX") and the "Trash" mailbox ("TRASH.MBX").

While it is running, Eudora does not automatically remove mail messages from disk files after they have been read.  Therefore, WinBiff will show messages as pending, even after they have been read, until the button for compacting a mailbox is pressed, the "Compact Mailboxes" option is chosen from the "Special" menu, or Eudora is exited.

See also:

Multiple mailboxes

Mail reader page


configuring for Eudora for Windows
Configuring for Microsoft Mail and Windows Messaging

When WinBiff runs with the Message Source set to MS Mail or Windows Messaging, WinBiff starts a spooler program if it is not already running.  The spooler controls how often mail is delivered to a user's mailbox.  To set how often the spooler attempts to deliver mail, you must make the setting from within MS Mail or Windows Messaging.  In MS Mail, the relevant setting is called "Check mail every ... minutes", in the dialog box obtained by picking Options from the Mail item in the menu bar.  In Windows Messaging, click on Tools/Services in the menu bar; click on "Microsoft Mail" from the list of services and press the "Properties" button; then choose the tab "Delivery"; finally, enter the delivery frequency in the field "Check for new mail every ... minutes".

Note that the spooler setting is independent of the WinBiff Polling interval.  Once you have made the spooler setting, you do not need to run MS Mail or Windows Messaging at the same time as WinBiff.


PC-NFS, configuring for
Configuring for PC-NFS

If your PC is on a network with a Unix machine which can export directories using Sun Microsystems' Network File System (NFS), and you run PC-NFS, WinBiff can monitor mail sent to the Unix machine.  Export the mail spool directory where your mail arrives so that it appears as a directory on a logical DOS drive on the PC.  In the WinBiff Setup dialog, specify the file that is created on the logical drive when mail arrives as the Mail File.


UUPC, configuring for
Configuring for UUPC/extended

UUPC/extended places new messages in a file in the mail spool directory as they are received.  You should specify this file as the Mail File, so that you will be notified of new messages.

If you set the "Multitask" option, when the UUPC/extended mail reader MAIL.EXE (either the DOS or the OS/2 version) is started, messages are moved to another file in the account's home directory.  If you wish to track old messages (those that remain after MAIL.EXE is run), you will need to run a second copy of WinBiff with the Mail file set to the mailbox in the account's home directory.

See also:

Multiple mailboxes


WinOS2, WinBiff and
WinBiff and WinOS2

You may run WinBiff under WinOS2 (version 3.1 or above).  If you run WinOS2 in a full-screen session, you can run WinBiff as you would run it under Windows itself.  Similarly, if you minimize windows to the Desktop, WinBiff may be run in a seamless mode session as it would run under Windows.

If you wish to run WinBiff in a WinOS2 seamless mode session, and you hide minimized windows, or you minimize windows to the Minimized Window Viewer, you need to exercise a little care.  In this case, Windows icons are not visible in seamless mode.  Therefore, you should either (1) run WinBiff as a window all the time (choose "To Top" or "No action" as the Window Action), or (2) choose the "Restore" option as the Window Action.

If you run WinBiff in a seamless mode session, and you pick WinBiff from the OS/2 Window List, the window may not be restored to the proper size.  This is due to an idiosyncrasy of the integration of OS/2 and WinOS2.  If you run WinBiff as described above, it should not be necessary to use the Window List.  If the window is restored to a wrong size, simply resize the window manually.


Using WinBiff

After you have configured WinBiff, you should test the configuration by sending a mail message to the account being monitored.  WinBiff should respond when the message is delivered.

See also:

Modifying the configuration

Clearing the mailbox and the alarm

Launching the mail reader

Resizing and moving the window


configuration, modifying
Modifying the configuration

To modify the configuration, select Setup from the system menu.  You can pop up the system menu by clicking on the WinBiff icon, or, if WinBiff is running as a window, by clicking on the box in the upper-left corner.  For either the icon or window, pressing ALT-SPACE will also pop up the system menu.

See also:

Configuring WinBiff


clearing mailbox, alarm
Clearing the mailbox and the alarm

After mail has arrived, the user may force the appearance of the original, no-mail icon (or window) by selecting Clear from the system menu.  If Clear is chosen, the menu item changes to Show.  Choosing Show will redisplay the mail window or headers. If mail is pending, but not displayed on startup (because the Show old mail option has not been selected), choosing Show will also display the mail window or mail headers for the old mail.

If you have set the WinBiff alarm, when mail arrives, the alarm will sound repeatedly until turned off.  Any of the following actions will turn off the alarm:

o	Mouse-clicking on the WinBiff icon or window
o	Scrolling the WinBiff window (horizontally or vertically)
o	Restoring WinBiff from an icon to a window
o	Popping up the system menu
o	Launching the mail reader
o	Starting WinBiff Help

See also:

Sound page

Launching the mail reader


Launching the mail reader

To launch the mail reader, double-click with the right mouse button on the icon or window.  If the window (not the icon) is displayed, you may also double-click with the left mouse button or hit RETURN.  The reader is invoked whether or not you actually have mail pending.

See also:

Mail reader page


resizing, moving the window
Resizing and moving the window

You may freely move or resize the WinBiff window. WinBiff maintains two window sizes, one for when headers are displayed, and the other for the plain window.  When WinBiff is started, the last window position and the two window sizes from the last WinBiff session are used.

For those versions of Windows which place icons on the desktop, you may also move the WinBiff icon to any location on the screen.  If you select "Save icon position" in the Window page, the next time you run WinBiff, the icon will appear at its location from the previous session.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

(1) Why the name "WinBiff"?

"biff" is the name of a standard Unix mail notification utillity.  Legend has it that one of the Unix programmers had a dog named Biff, who barked when he saw the mailman.  So "WinBiff" is a biff-like program for Windows.

(2) Why don't you provide telephone support for WinBiff?

Because my employer prefers that I spend time on my real job while I'm there.

(3) What language is WinBiff written in?

WinBiff is 99.44% C, with the rest in assembly.

(4) What differences are there between the unregistered and registered versions of WinBiff?

None, except for the registration reminder dialog in the unregistered version.

(5) How do I launch my mail reader from the WinBiff icon?

Double right-click on the icon with the mouse.

(6) Why can't I use two copies of WinBiff to monitor two Microsoft Mail mailboxes?

The Simple MAPI implementation supplied with MS Mail only allows one active MAPI user at a time.

(7) The "unread mail only" option doesn't work with my POP3 server.  What's wrong?

Nothing's wrong.  WinBiff uses the Status: header that some POP3 servers use to indicate whether a message has been read.  That header is not part of the POP3 standard, and some servers legitimately don't support it.

(8) Why do I sometimes get the message "Invalid POP3 password or mailbox locked"?

Probably because WinBiff and another program, such as your mail reader, are trying to access your POP3 server simultaneously.  A properly-designed POP3 server allows only one client to access a mailbox at a time.  The way to prevent such contention from occurring is by preventing WinBiff from polling when your mail reader might be polling.  Look at the "Suspend polling while reader active" option on the Mail reader page of the setup.

(9) WinBiff complains that it is unable to load a .DLL, even though that .DLL is available.

Some .DLL's themselves require other .DLL's in order to load.  It's not always obvious what those other .DLL's are.  One solution to the problem is to copy the WinBiff executable to the usual directory containing the .DLL in question.  Another solution is to add the usual directory containing the .DLL to your DOS path.  Note that you need to reboot Windows for changes to your DOS path to take effect.

(10) Why does the WinBiff window disappear when polling for Windows Messaging mail?

Some of the MAPI functions provided by Microsoft to access Windows Messaging messages have the (erroneous) side effect of activating the window of the application that calls them.  Therefore, while actively polling for messages, the WinBiff window is hidden.

(11) WinBiff doesn't poll as often as it should when I'm running a full-screen DOS application.  Why is that?

In Windows 3.1 standard mode (used by 286-class machines), all Windows applications are suspended while a DOS applications runs.  Therefore, in standard mode, WinBiff cannot check for mail while a DOS application is running.  Similarly, in enhanced mode (used by 386, 486, and Pentium machines), if a DOS application has the "Exclusive" option set in its .PIF file, WinBiff will be suspended while the DOS application runs.  Also, in enhanced mode, if a DOS application is running full-screen, WinBiff will check for mail somewhat less frequently than is specified by the nominal polling interval.  All these effects are limitations of the Windows environment.

(12) What is the NW-PMAIL.LOG that I see when using the PMail/NetWare Message Source?

The information in this file tells you where WinBiff is looking for mail, based on calls to the NetWare bindery.  This file is created primarily so that I can help you if there's a problem.

(13) Using WinBiff with Lotus Notes, I get a message "Unable to get Notes unread note table".

For the "Unread mail only" feature to work with a remote Notes server, both server and client must be version 4.5 or later.  Try unchecking the "Unread mail only" box.

(14) WinBiff is supposed to support MIME, but I don't see Cyrillic when I get mail from friends in Russia.

Currently, WinBiff only supports ISO-Latin-1 font for MIME-encoded messages.  I hope to support other font sets in the future.

(15) I think I've spotted a WinBiff bug.  How can I get you to fix it?

In order to track down bugs, I need as much information as possible.  The most important information is what Message Source you are using, the circumstances under which the bug occurred, and the exact error message you receive.  If you get a GPF or Page Fault, the addresses indicated in the error message are of critical importance.  If you are able to reproduce the bug, it helps a lot if you can tell me how to make the bug appear here.

(16) I've got a great idea for a new WinBiff feature.  How can I get you to implement it?

One of the design goals is to keep WinBiff small and light.  Therefore, I try to resist adding new features just for novelty's sake.  Persuade me that the feature is truly useful, and that many users will find it so.  Make your case!  Many of the features found in the current version of WinBiff were added at the suggestion of users.


Registering WinBiff

WinBiff is a shareware program.  It is not free software.  If you use the program in a commercial setting, or non-commercially on a regular basis, you must submit a registration.  Registered users automatically receive updates by e-mail.  The registration prices are:

No. of copies	            Price per copy (U.S. dollars)

1	12.00/10.00/5.00 (see below)

2	10.00

3	9.00

4	8.00

5	7.00

6	6.50

7	6.00

8	5.50

9 or more	5.00

Site licenses are available.  Please contact the author for details.

There are three ways to register:  by check, by credit card (over the telephone or using the World-Wide Web), and through CompuServe.

You may send a check made out to "Paul Steckler" to:

Paul Steckler

1720 Dryden, Box 125

Houston, TX  77030

U.S.A.

Texas residents add state sales and any local taxes.  Checks in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank are preferred.  When submitting your registration by mail, also be sure to contact the author at steck@stecksoft.com or at 75354,16 in CompuServe so you can receive your software promptly.  In your message, please indicate your e-mail address, and whether you are registering the 16-bit or 32-bit version.

Single-user cash discount:  Although the price for a single copy is listed as $12, if you pay by check, the registration fee is only $10.

Student cash discount:  Full-time students may register via check for only $5.

You may also submit your WinBiff registration by credit card.  To register using your MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover card, call Public Software Library at 800/242-4PsL (800/242-4775); outside the US and Canada, +1 713/524-6394; FAX: 713/524-6398; Internet: 10972@pslweb.com.  These numbers are for credit card registrations only.  The WinBiff author cannot be reached at those numbers.

You may also register WinBiff through Public Software Library using the World-Wide Web.  Visit the WinBiff Home Page at http://www.stecksoft.com/winbiff.htm and follow the link to Public Software Library.

CompuServe users may register WinBiff in the Shareware Registration Forum (GO SWREG).  After entering the forum, simply follow the menus that appear.  WinBiff's identification numbers are 5537 (16-bit) and 11843 (32-bit).  Please note that CompuServe offers registrations only at the $12 single copy price.  Therefore, you should order only enough copies so that the value of your order is close to the price as given in the above scale.  For instance, if you wish to register 5 copies, the above scale gives the price as $7 per copy, for a total of $35.  If you register 3 copies from CompuServe, the price is $36, which is close to the suggested $35 price.

To reach the author about site licensing, volume discounts, version information, or technical information, please contact the author at steck@stecksoft.com or at 75354,16 in CompuServe. When inquiring about site licenses, please indicate how many computers you wish to install WinBiff on, and whether the licensing organization is commercial, educational, non-profit, or charitable.


author, contacting
Contacting the author

E-mail correspondence about WinBiff may be submitted to:

        steck@stecksoft.com

on the Internet, or at

        75354,16

in CompuServe.

Suggestions for improvements are particularly welcome.

If you write to report a change of email address, please include your old as well as your new address.

If you write to report a suspected bug, please provide as much information as possible so that the bug can reproduced.  In particular, please indicate the WinBiff version shown in the About box, and whether you are running the 16-bit or 32-bit version.  If reporting a Windows GPF, please note the exact error message.


updates, obtaining
Obtaining WinBiff updates

The latest version of WinBiff is available from The Ultimate Collection of WinSock Software site (TUCOWS), http://www.tucows.com and its mirrors.  Look in the Email Checkers sections of the Windows 3.1 (16-bit) and Windows 95 (32-bit) areas.

A link to the TUCOWS WinBiff entry may be found on the WinBiff Home Page, http://www.stecksoft.com/winbiff.htm.

CompuServe users may find the latest version of WinBiff in the Novell User Library (GO NOVUSER).  Search for the relevant file by the author's CompuServe ID, 75354,16.


Disclaimers

Other than the name "WinBiff", all names and trademarks mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.

You use WinBiff at your own risk.  All liability for damages, whether direct or consequential, is explicitly disclaimed by the WinBiff author.  All warranties express and implied arising out of the use or purchase of WinBiff are disclaimed by the WinBiff author.


UUPC/extended

A uucp system for PC's running DOS, Windows, Windows NT, and OS/2, distributed by Kendra Electronic WonderWorks (software@kew.com).  Archived at ftp.clarkson.edu.


Waffle

A mail and news system for Unix and DOS systems, archived at ftp.halcyon.com.


Pegasus Mail (PMail)

Davis Harris' mail system for PC's, available in DOS and Windows versions, often run with Novell NetWare.  Archived at risc.ua.edu and tyr.let.rug.nl.


Eudora for Windows

A POP3 (Post Office Protocol) mail client, available in freeware and commercial versions.  The freeware version is archived at ftp.qualcomm.com.


FirstMail

A mail system distributed with some versions of Novell NetWare which uses the MHS file format.


Novell MHS

A family of mail systems for PC's running Novell NetWare which use the MHS file format.


Microsoft Mail

A mail system distributed by Microsoft Corporation.


Windows Messaging

A mail client included with Windows 95, formerly known as Exchange.


cc:Mail

A mail system distributed by Lotus Development Corporation.


Lotus Notes

A groupware system that includes mail capabilities, distributed by Lotus Development Corporation.


POP3 (Post Office Protocol)

A client/server protocol for distribution of electronic mail.


IMAP4 (Internet Message Access Protocol)

A client/server protocol for distribution of electronic mail.


MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions)

A set of protocols for the inclusion of non-ASCII text and non-text information in Internet mail messages.


WinSock (Windows sockets)

An application program interface (API) used by Windows programs to communicate with other programs over networks.


FSUUCP

A uucp implementation for PC's running DOS, distributed by Fubar Systems, archived at toys.fubarsys.com.


PC-NFS

A PC-hosted implementation of Sun Microsystems' Network File System, alllowing remote file systems to appear as logical DOS drives.


WinOS2

The version of Windows built into the OS/2 operating system.


NetWare

An operating system sold by Novell, Inc., for creating PC-hosted local area networks (LAN's).


GroupWise

A groupware system sold by Novell, Inc., which includes email capabilities.