Welcome CompuServe Classic Users
Posted May 21st 2009 11:20AM by Webmail Team
Important Update (June 9, 2009, 4:28pm ET):
We believe we have fixed the majority of issues with the new mail system and have noticed that the system has been stable for the past 12 hours.
We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience through this migration. If you are experiencing any problems, please call Tech Support at 1-800-848-8990 or email us (websuiteblog@aol.com) to let us know exactly what is happening and provide as much detail as you can. This will help us to resolve your issue.
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As mentioned in earlier communications, the CompuServe Classic service will no longer operate as an Internet Service Provider as of June 30th, 2009. As a result, we have been working on enabling you to retain your CompuServe Classic email address -- by migrating to a new email system. Your email service is available to you at no charge -- but you will need to provide your own Internet access.
Some of the benefits of the new system include:
- Unlimited storage, which lets you keep as many messages as you want
- Ability to receive large messages (up to 16MB per message)
- Industry leading spam and virus protection to help eliminate threats and hassles
- Open accessibility and compatibility with IMAP and POP3
- Seamless integration with AIM for instant messaging
1. How do I login to my CompuServe Classic mailbox?
Once you have completed the migration, you will need to go to http://webmail.compuserve.com and login with your full compuserve email address (e.g. username@compuserve.com) and the password you created during the migration.
NOTE: we have fixed the problem with selecting the "Stay signed in until I sign out" option.
2. Which username should I use to login to my CompuServe Classic mailbox?
If you only have a numeric based User ID (e.g. 77777.7777), you will enter the User ID along with "@compuserve.com" (e.g. 77777.7777@compuserve.com) in the "E-mail or Screen Name" field.
However, if you have a friendly name (in addition to your numeric based User ID), you will need to use your friendly name as the username (i.e. friendlyname@compuserve.com). Your "friendly name" has been made the primary login name and the numeric based Member ID as an alias (which will allow you to continue to receive email sent to this User ID).
3. If I have a friendly name and a numeric based Member ID, which address will mail that I send from my CompuServe Classic mailbox display from?
If you have a friendly name and a numeric-based User ID, all mail that you send from your CompuServe Classic mailbox will display from the friendly name.
4. If I have a friendly name and a numeric based Member ID, will I continue to receive email that is addressed to my numeric based Member ID?
Yes, you will still receive any email that is addressed to your numeric-based User ID, however when you reply to that email, it will be addressed from your friendly name.
5. I just logged into my new CompuServe Classic mailbox and I don't see any of my old email?
We are working on migrating all your old email. It should be available to you within 24 hours of when you initiated your mailbox's migration.
6. Why is my CompuServe Classic account no longer forwarding email to my CompuServe 2000 account?
The new email system does not support the auto-forwarding of email at this time. We are working to support this feature in the future. You will need to login to your CompuServe Classic mailbox (http://webmail.compuserve.com) to read, reply, and send messages -- or access your mailbox via a POP3 or IMAP client.
7. Can I use a third party email client (Outlook, Thunderbird, etc) to send and receive email to my CompuServe Classic mailbox?
Yes, you can use any third-party email client that supports either POP3 or IMAP. Below are the POP3, IMAP, and SMTP settings that you will need to configure into the third-party email client:
pop.csi.com ; port 110 (SSL = port 995)
imap.csi.com ; port 143 (SSL = port 993)
NOTE: The port numbers are entered in a separate field from the POP or IMAP hostname.
When you are setting up your POP3 or IMAP client, you will need to use your complete email address (e.g username@compuserve.com) as your username and use the password you created as part of the migration. You will also need to configure your SMTP, or outbound email connection, to use:
smtp.csi.com ; port 587 (SSL = port 465)
NOTE: This new SMTP server will require you to supply your complete email address (e.g username@compuserve.com) and password to send mail.
8. What is the difference between POP3 and IMAP?
There are two basic ways to set up an email program such as Eudora, Entourage, Thunderbird, or Outlook to check your email. One is to use a POP (POP3: Post Office Protocol) and the other is to use IMAP (IMAP4: Internet Message Access Protocol).
POP3 is a one-way communication path. Your device asks us for data and pulls it from our servers -- but that's it. Things you do on your device have no effect on the server. If you read a message on your phone, then log in to your mailbox, you will see that same message marked as unread.
IMAP is a two-way communication path. Unlike with POP, your devices talk back to our servers and sync your changes automatically with IMAP. When you sign in to your account in a web browser, actions you've taken on your email client or mobile device (like putting a message in a 'work' folder) will also appear in webmail (your message will be in your 'work' folder). This all happens automatically once you set up IMAP, so you don't have to read or sort all your mail twice. This is really helpful when accessing your mailbox from multiple devices.
We recommend that you use IMAP access to ensure that you will always have the same view of your mailbox no matter where you view it -- at home, office, mobile, or anywhere. Below are the advantages to using IMAP:
- messages are stored on the server are accessible from any computer and webmail anywhere in the world
- IMAP mail folders remain synchronized with IMP (webmail)
- sent messages and drafts are also stored on the server
- IMAP mail is backed up on the server and can be restored
- ease of migration from a program to a program and from a computer to another computer/location
- ease of setting up additional computers to check your email, no need to copy anything fro one computer to another
9. Why don't I see the email addresses that are in my CompuServe Classic Client Address Book in this new webmail experience?
The email addresses in your old address book are stored on your local computer, so we have no way to migrate them into the new email system. If you are using either CS3 and CS4 clients, you can find your address book (ADDRBOOK.DAT) in the SUPPORT subdirectory. Make a copy of this file and save it in another location (such as your Desktop). Once you have completed this step, you will need to download a free utility that converts a .DAT file into a .CSV file. There are many of these tools available -- just go to AOL Search and search for "DAT to CSV".
Once you have converted your address book from a .DAT to a .CSV file, you can import the addresses into your new CompuServe Classic mailbox. You will need to login using CompuServe Classic webmail (http://webmail.compuserve.com) and use the instructions on how to import these addresses at our Help Portal.
10. Why can't I set mail filters in webmail?
Our development team is working on making this feature available. We anticipate that this feature will be available in mid July 2009.
We hope you enjoy your new webmail experience.
Rohit Kinra, AOL Mail Team
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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 11)
21. To: Eberhard
When I can't log into webmail it's not because I'm omitting @compuserve.com. If I leave that out, the system thinks I'm entering a screen name rather than an email address, and since you can't have underscores in a screen name the system complains that I've entered an invalid screen name.
To: hafox
I also thought that as long as I could use Outlook Express to fetch my mail under the new system then it was no big deal if I couldn't access my mail via webmail. Thinking a bit more, however, I realised that there are good reasons why I need webmail to work.
1. If I could use webmail, then when I'm away from my PC I could still check my email with any internet connection. I used to be able to do this via www.e-mailanywhere.com, but that stopped working when I migrated. I suspect that's because it's still looking at my old mailbox. There seems to be no way to tell that system to use pop.csi.com instead of pop.compuserve.com and my only hope is that the problem will go away once that is turned off at the end of June, but that's probably very unlikely.
2. The spam controls are only accessible via the webmail interface. I don't know how much control we might have, but I'd expect that at the very least there would be a 'Junk' folder to hold email suspected of being spam. Some of the legitimate mail that others have reported as having gone missing might have ended up in that folder, but it's impossible to know that if one can't log in to webmail and take a look at the contents of that folder. There should also be options of setting up whitelists and blacklists, but again this is useless if you can't log into webmail. In that circumstance, if the system thinks a message is spam then you'll never see it, and if the spam filter is letting too much through to you there's also nothing you can do about it.
For these reasons, I'd really like to figure out how to get into the webmail system!
To: mikewelsh
I've tried to ping and also get nothing but timeouts. My tracerts have similar results -- for both pop and smtp, 15 steps gets me to ow2-mtc-ae0.net.aol.com [66.185.135.58] and then they time out. One thing I do note is that, for me, pop.csi.com also resolves to east.geast.us.imap.aol.com, but the IP address I got the first time was 64.12.137.129 -- the second time I got 205.188.105.225 like you did. I don't understand enough about IP addresses to know whether this is normal or unusual.
Could user location be a factor in any of this? I'm in England.
Posted at 8:07PM on May 22nd 2009 by Mike Strauss
22. I want to save some of my email in a folder on my computer instead out on some server. You can understand that some email that I might receive contains sensitive data such as account numbers, money amounts, addresses, etc. How can I save emails to my computer hard disk? And if this can be done, how can I access such saved emails and be able to read them?
Posted at 1:33PM on May 23rd 2009 by ekunita
23. I MAY HAVE CRACKED IT !!!!!
Nobody's going to believe this -- I'm not even sure I do -- but I've happened across what I need to do differently in order to log into webmail.
Do NOT tick the "Stay signed in until I sign out" box!
If I tick the box, I get "Invalid Screen Name or Password. Please try again." If I don't tick the box, I get logged in.
It would be helpful if someone else who was having this problem -- Josh? -- would try this and see if they get the same result. Please post your experiences here for the benefit of others.
Further to my comment about spam filtering, once logged in I found that there is a Spam folder -- and seven of the ten emails in it were legitimate ones! I've now moved those into my Inbox so that Outlook Express could fetch them onto my PC, but if I hadn't managed to log into webmail I never would have seen them.
Moral: Log into Webmail regularly and check your Spam folder!
There are spam controls. If you access Webmail regularly. you could try to use them -- and possibly 'train' them. If you don't, you could turn them down or off. If you can't get into Webmail at all, then perhaps Compuserve Technical Support could turn off the filtering for you and you could operate without using Webmail at all.
Posted at 8:58PM on May 22nd 2009 by Mike Strauss
24. To: Mike Strauss
Had a similar experience with the "Stay signed in until I sign out" box. If I check it, I get "Invalid Screen Name or Password. Please try again." There are no special characters in my userid, just letters.
As for location, I'm in Toronto, Canada & I too know very little about IP addresses & networking so I'm not sure I can add anything coherent let alone accurate about the changing IP for "east.geast.us.imap.aol.com". I only pinged because someone earlier mentioned it & my Primus.ca ISP DSL support guy reminded me about tracert. So, wait & see.
Started to set-up an IMAP connection through Outlook (POP mail with CompuServe has always been good enough so I've never bothered 'til now) but realized there'd be issues when I couldn't successfully ping or tracert to imap.csi.com. Seems imap.csi.com & pop.csi.com resolve to the same IP address, that is:
C:\>ping imap.csi.com
Pinging east.geast.us.imap.aol.com [205.188.105.225] with
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Ping statistics for 205.188.105.225:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss)
Tracert's the same as in my last post as I'm obviously tracing the route to the same IP address.
I really hope tech support at TimeWarner-AOL-CompuServe (don't'cha just love corporate shenanigans - wouldn't we be bored without 'em?) are paying some attention to these comments. It'd be nice if someone with some sway said something - anything. Ah well, it's the start of the weekend on the NA Eastern Seaboard... doubtful much will happen 'til Monday.
Posted at 10:28PM on May 22nd 2009 by mikewelsh
25. Ummm... just in case someone thought it really doesn't matter:
GlobalTV.com is advertising to me presently on the CompuServe.Mail web page. Buddy, can you spare a dime? You really gotta wonder how many vice-presidents salaries that little advert's covering.
Posted at 10:33PM on May 22nd 2009 by mikewelsh
26. mikewalsh - "I really hope tech support at TimeWarner-AOL-CompuServe are paying some attention"
Agreed !
It's clear that some parts of the world can not gain access to the pop server. Also I have sent several test message to me address, another this morning, and none have arrived in the inbox. However, one from a friend in Germany DID arrive. So what's the difference ?
It's ridiculous that everyone is trying to identify their own problem, when clearly there is something major wrong with the network routing.
Could one of the moderators PLEASE raise this with some technical support guys, else you will be losing lots of potential customers.
Posted at 2:05AM on May 23rd 2009 by Andy Coleman
27. Missing e-mails? Check Spam Box via Web Client! You won't see stuff in this via your POP3 client (Outlook whatever)
People were telling me they had sent me e-mails which I hadn't seen. I found them all in Spam web folder. The new mail service has a far more aggressive Spam filter than the old 'Compuserve' service.
No rhyme or reason - some messages from the same people were getting through.
Posted at 3:35AM on May 23rd 2009 by mhduncan
28. No they're not in the Spam folder - I can log into Webmail
I have sent five messages now over two days, from my UK ISP and none has arrived. I suspect they are sat on a server somewhere.
Neither can I use pop.csi.com although telnet reports POP OK
Posted at 3:47AM on May 23rd 2009 by Andy Coleman
29. The comment about telnet working to pop.csi.com is wrong. :-(
Someone else was testing it for me and I have been unable to replicate it.
Posted at 4:03AM on May 23rd 2009 by Andy Coleman
30. I have migrated successfully. I notice that I can still use my desktop CS3 for OUTGOING mail via Comcast. Will that stop on June 30?
Posted at 7:49AM on May 23rd 2009 by terimurphy
31. anglo scan
You should only enter the pop.csi.com bit. The port is in a separate box. The bad news is it still probably wont work, well I think If you're in the UK.
As a matter of interest, can you send mail to your migrated Compuserve address, because I can't, although others can as evidenced by the spam.
Posted at 8:35AM on May 23rd 2009 by Andy Coleman
32. Seeing as this thread was initiated by the AOL Webmail team, their lack of input to all the concerns is somewhat surprising. Is anyone from AOL listening ?
Posted at 9:04AM on May 23rd 2009 by Andy Coleman
33. Ok I've been doing a bit of testing. Perhaps someone more experienced can comment. AOL ?
I can Telnet my own ISP's mail server i.e connect to Port 110 and get an OK response. I can then enter user XXXXXXXX ( username ) and again get OK and lastly enter pass XXXXXXX ( password ) and get connected.
I believe list then gives you a list of available emails and quit drops the connection.
Trying to Telnet to pop.csi.com 110 does absolutely nothing and until it does, presumably I'm not going to get my client working.
Can anyone point to why the server might not be accessible. As I say, also no emails I've sent to my migrated address has arrived, though a few others have appeared, including several spam messages.
Posted at 10:18AM on May 23rd 2009 by Andy Coleman
34. Further to my previous message reporting I can't Telnet pop.csi.com, I have now done a tracert on pop.csi.com
The path to east.geast.net.aol.us.imap.aol.com [64.12.137.119]
reaches ow2-mtc-ae0.net.aol.com [66.185.135.58] and then stalls
Clearly the problem is within the AOL setup
Any chance of this being sorted. It's 5 days now !
Posted at 10:45AM on May 23rd 2009 by Andy Coleman
35. Found that I could not access my emails today, my (correct) password was rejected. Then instead of logging on directly via webmail.compuserve.com/ I went through http://www.compuserve.nl/ then I clicked the "Compuserve Mail on the Web" situated in the centre of the page and found I could retrieve my email.
PLease Compuserve suggest some help on your compusrrve.co.uk opening page. We all need more information and help. I cannot access my email on my iphone or through A[pple Mail.
We cannot get through to your Premium Rate help line.
Brian Ollier in Sunny Macclesfield Cheshire, UK,
Posted at 11:20AM on May 23rd 2009 by photograph
36. Well, being a CompuServe member since 1992, I have to say I am impressed with the commitment of AOL to keeping our email addresses alive. I'd have thought they would have just folded up and gone home. But no, someone had enough common sense to realize that some of us are still using this ancient email address as our primary address. I quit using CIS's other services years ago, but the email has been a constant staple.
BTW, everything is working just fine for me.
GOOD JOB AOL/TIME-WARNER/CIS! THANK YOU!!
Dondeg
Posted at 11:39AM on May 23rd 2009 by Don
37. Well, I think someone mentioned it before for the webmail access, but it appears the full email address is also required in the "username" field of your POP3 email client in order to successfully retrieve your email.
I'm using Eudora so now it logs in with . This wasn't obvious to me and I stumbled upon it after much trial and error. Hope this helps someone else. I have been using this address for more than 15 years, so I'm glad its working again.
- John
Posted at 1:43PM on May 23rd 2009 by newittja
38. trying to add the part removed in my previous comment in a way that isn't stripped out:
I'm using Eudora so now it logs in with username"at"compuserve.com"at"csi.com
Posted at 11:55PM on May 25th 2009 by newittja
39. I migrated and can get the compuserve webmail fine. When I use Outlook (not express) via a ATT/Yahoo ISP the pop.csi.com receive is not working at all. I get incorrect user id, password msgs. Spent hours on the phone with 3 diff CS techs plus billing, and another hour with ATT. Before I migrated Outlook worked fine with pop.compuserve.com (or whatever it was). In cs webmail I did NOT check stay logged on. I always use my old screen name + @compuserve.com. Any suggestions? TIA. Smiley Face. Sigh.
Posted at 2:16PM on May 23rd 2009 by 104541.344
40. I have made the transition to the new compuserve email system and have access to it with Internet Explorer. However, I have an older computer that I use with compuserve Navigator. Can I use Navigator with the new email system or is it obsolete? How do I set it up? I like Navigator because it is fast and I can select, delete and compose email offline. I still use dial-up service and have been using compuserve for over 20 years. -GDR
Posted at 12:45PM on May 30th 2009 by 72115.1424