Think of it like trying to have a conversation with some form China who doesn’t speak English. Just for one moment, let’s assume that you don’t speak Chinese (even if you do!). You won’t get too far. What you need is get a translator to converts the conversation backwards and forwards. And this is what you can do with Outlook and Entourage.

In this case the file formats are talking different languages and are therefore not compatible. The solution is to get another piece of email software involved which can work with both formats and use it to translate. The one we are going t use is Mozilla Sea Monkey. Mozilla created Firefox which you may have heard of. Sea-Monkey is their all-in-one application. It is not only a browser (the software for surfing the web) but it also has an email function and that’s what we are going to use. We can dump it all later once it has translated everything for us.

With the right procedure, it is very easy to get your mail from Outlook to Entourage (i.e. from the PC to a Mac), and keep all the attachments intact. The directions below apply to Windows 2000 on the PC and OSX 10.3 (Panther) and above on the Mac.

1. On the PC, install Mozilla Sea-Monkey and make sure the email option is installed as well (i.e. not browser only).

2. In its Mail application, select Tools, Import, and then select the Mail radio button. Select Outlook from the next dialog box and your Outlook email will be imported (email will remain within the correct folders).

3. In Windows 2000, your mail folders will be created as files located in Documents and Settings/username/Application Data/Mozilla/Profiles folder somewhere (there may be a few more levels under this). The files we want have no extension. Add a .mbox extension to these.

4. Copy the .mbox files to the desktop of your Mac (using a network is easier, although burning them on to a CD will work too). For easier management, add them to a desktop folder called ‘Imported mail’ or something similar. Files with a .mbox extension will be shown with a mailbox icon.

5. On the Mac, drag each .mbox icon (i.e. each folder you used in Outlook) from the desktop to Entourage or its icon in the Dock, and click Import on the dialog box that appears.

6. Repeat step 5 for each .mbox file you want to import into Entourage.

This procedure will successfully move your email from Outlook to Entourage on the Mac. To move calendars, tasks and contacts you can use a PDA —I have no experience with doing this, but I’m sure a method would exist somewhere.

Good luck!

It tends to happen on OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) machines – that is those that have been produced by some anonymous factory somewhere, with Vista and all settings pre-installed. It is then badged with any one of dozens of global brands and sold to you by your local dealer.

Why it happens

Most pre-installed OEM Vista Computers have certain tasks set to repeat themselves, at a pre-set time interval. While most are really useful, the temptation for the original equipment manufacturer is always to squeeze a bit of commission out of you by getting you to buy other stuff from ‘commercial partners’ of theirs, through affiliate deals.  You can try all the obvious stuff, but they don’t want you to get rid of it, so they hide it away..

What sort of pop-ups are usual?

It could be the annoying Easy Internet Sign-Up pop-up which pops up every half an hour, when you are connected to the internet, or the pop up for extended warranty programs or virus protection some such thing!

How to get rid of it

You may not find anything in the add remove programs. And even if you delete the program folder, you may still find it annoying you !

The place to look for is under HIDDEN SCHEDULED TASKS !

Log in as an Administrator > Start Menu > Control Panel > All programs > Accessories > System Tools > Task Scheduler.

On RHS, Under Actions > View > Select Show Hidden Task.

Search for the task under Active Tasks and double click on it. A new window will open.

On the RHS you will see the option to Disable the Task ! For example, if its the Easy Internet Sign-Up pop up which is irritating you, you will want to disable “InternetServiceOffers” ! You can disable any unwanted or annoying task this way.

If there’s an Email Setup option on your smartphone’s home screen, click it.

Alternately, there is a setup wizard on the device which will either start automatically the first time you turn on your smartphone, or will be featured as an icon on the home screen of your smartphone. When you reach the email setup screen of the setup wizard:

Select I want to create or add an email address.

Click Next.

To accept the terms of the license agreement,

Select the I have read and understand the End User Agreement option or check box.

Click I Agree.

To integrate an email address you already use,

Enter your full email address and the password for that email account.

Click Next.

The site will confirm if the email address has been successfully added.

Then Click OK.

If you want to create a new email address for your BlackBerry smartphone (e.g. username@carrier.blackberry.com), you will need to do one of the following, depending on your smartphone:

Click Create a BlackBerry email address OR Click I would like to create a new BlackBerry email address

Then, type the user name that you want to appear before the @ sign in your new BlackBerry email address.

Click Next,

followed by OK.

To return to the setup wizard, click Log Out or Close.

Configuring a new Email Account on Windows Mail (Vista)

Open Windows Mail, and from the Tools menu select Accounts.

Click the Add button.

Now, select Email Account and click Next.

Type in your Display Name: this is the name that your recipients will see in the “From” field of e-mails that you send. Click Next.

Enter your complete email address and click Next. Please make sure to replace “yourdomain.com” with your actual domain name in all examples below.

Select POP3 as Incoming e-mail server type.

• Incoming mail server: mail.yourdomain.com.

• Outgoing mail server: (Your service provider – ISP) e.g. mail.optusnet.com

Note: 

POP3 is for receiving email through your domain hosted area.

SMTP is for sending mail out through your Internet Service Provider – Your ISP is the people you pay money to connect to the internet.

Enter your complete email address in the E-mail username text field and your email account password in the Password text field. 

The email account password is the password you entered when you set up your mailbox in your Control Panel.

Click Next and then – Finish.

There are plenty of ways to solve these and many other email problems. Please give me a call on 07017 343434 and let me help you sort them out.