Inbox

By DON McALLISTER

* Jenny's Hotmail account was closed when she failed to access it for more than 30 days.

That's frustrating isn't it, Jenny? You can stop this happening by regularly using Outlook Express to access it without waiting for the slow web interface to logon. Go to Outlook Express/Tools/Accounts/Mail/Add/Mail. Enter your name and hit Next. Then enter your Hotmail email address, then Next. Select HTTP as Incoming Mail Server, then hit Next. Select Hotmail as the HTTP mail service provider, hit Next and enter your Hotmail login and password. Hit Next/Finish.

* Kester loves Incredimail
but it doesn't delete his mail from the server when he has downloaded it.

Try this, Kester. In IncrediMail/Tools/Accounts, select the account you use. Click Properties/Advanced, uncheck "leave a copy of messages on server". Click OK.

* Diana's Mac refuses to stay online. She says her line is noisy (it crackles and pops in bad weather) and Telecom cannot improve it.

See if your modem is listed on the modem list in the Modem Control Panel, Diana. Then check to see if there is a V34 version of the driver on the list. If there is, select it to limit your modem speed to 33.6Kbps. Reducing the modem speed is a last resort for an identified bad line that cannot be improved. Slowing the modem can make the internet faster. Unlike Macs, Windows machines need to initialise the modem directly to talk V34 language, reducing the speed to a more reliable 33.6Kbps. Xtra has an excellent help page on how to enter modem commands at xtra.co.nz/help/0,,6226-954508,00.html.

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