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 5 of 11)
81. I have had NO LUCK at all in getting messages from your TERRIBLY-designed email "system". Your old system worked, and now, this turkey is in need of shooting. It has ISDN technology. (It Still Does NOTHING!)
I have left SEVERAL messages on Compuserve's fora, TRYING to get a definitive answer on how to set up this JOKE of a "system" to work!
I was instructed to sign in as Bob_Cummins, but that was rejected. Next, My name, with one space beteen my names. Again, rejected!
Posted at 9:56PM on Jun 4th 2009 by Bob_Cummins
82. johnhollingdale, re: emails that get blocked by AOL 'blacklist'
I now remember being told some time ago about antispam measures that were coming, but I don't remember all the details. The general idea was that there was a way of comparing the mailserver actually used to send email with the domain from which the email claimed to come. If they didn't match, then the email would be considered suspect, unless the domain holder had agreed that email from their addresses could come from mailservers other than their own -- possibly any mailserver, or possibly one on a list that they had approved. I think the initial setting was to be to allow any mailserver to be used until a given domain owner decided to join the scheme.
Furthermore, this filtering was done at the receiving end, and the receiving ISP -- AOL in our case -- could either choose to do it or choose to accept all mail. So if Compuserve was not doing this filtering and AOL was, then an email sent via a suspect mailserver would arrive in a Compuserve inbox but not in an AOL inbox, which is the behaviour we're seeing here.
The general idea was supposed to be that in the early stages of the scheme there would be no effect, but as more and more domain owners and ISPs chose to join then the opportunities for spammers to use an open mailserver to send spam that purported to come from somewhere else would decrease and spam levels would decrease.
I don't know whether this scheme actually is becoming more widespread or whether it's being rejected because it is stopping too much legitimate email. Which is worse -- a filter that stops a lot of spam but makes a few legitimate emails disappear, or no filter at all? No doubt there's a wide range of opinions on that.
As for changing from Compuserve/AOL to another email provider to avoid this problem... how effective that is all depends on which way the described scheme is going. If it's headed for universal acceptance, then changing providers will produce only temporary relief. If it's going to die out, then the problem will go away once AOL drops out. I don't have a clue how long it might take to get to either extreme. Heck, I don't even understand how it works well enough to explain it properly, but I hope I've given a rough idea.
Posted at 9:51PM on May 26th 2009 by Mike Strauss
83. John Hollingdale.
You are right. My ISP was being turned back, but after raising a ticket - don't know if it would have happened anyway - for the very first time this morning, a test mail arrived virtually instantaneously ! :-) The bad news is that this black-listing apparently happens quite frequently.
My only outstanding issue - a big one - is the inability to connect to pop.csi.com Other UK users, including one on my ISP CAN connect. Both my Windows and Linux PCs refuse and so it's looking increasingly like just my own IP ! Is that possible ? < sigh >
Posted at 2:06AM on May 27th 2009 by Andy Coleman
84. Ok, time to eat a bit of humble pie, though the support has still been dreadful.
The reason I couldn't connect to pop.csi.com was because I had IM ports closed on my router. Now they're open and my ISP is no longer blocked, my mail clients are working as expected.
Now I just need to teach the AOL spam filter that emails with 'penis' in the title are invariably spam !
Posted at 7:11AM on May 27th 2009 by Andy Coleman
85. To Rohit: Your management should've stepped out of their ivory towers & asked or paid you to look into this blog last week. Better late than never, I guess.
You write: "If you have ever set-up a friendly name for your compuserve account, this will take priority. You can only use the friendly name to login or send mail from.
Please try logging in using your complete email address for webmail or POP3/IMAP access to your mailbox (e.g. friendlyname@compuserve.com)."
I've done that & yet there's still no connecting to pop.csi.com nor smtp.csi.com.
I find it a bit precious to think spam passing CompuServe is too much of a lady to allow a tracert to work when spam free Google Mail has absolutely no problem with it. So, tracerts to pop.csi.com & smtp.csi.com still time-out from here.
Something's seriously wrong with this business.
Posted at 8:57AM on May 27th 2009 by mikewelsh
86. mikewelsh
Although I now have access to pop.csi.com ping and tracert still time out.
Open telnet window ( Don't enter the whole command on the Run line )
Set preferences to Local Echo and VT100
Connect to 205.188.105.225 or 64.12.137.129
Port 110
Should come up OK POP3
Did you see my comment about having IM ports closed on the router? This only affected pop.csi.com of all the pop servers I tried.
Posted at 9:31AM on May 27th 2009 by Andy Coleman
87. This was to expect .... ;-((( Compuserve is not able to really make this move happening w/o bog problems ... The demise of this once proud and kicking Online Provider is evident and sad ..!!! I mean, why the heck, can I log in on my desktop computer under the new webmail address but on the notebook, I always am transferred to the AOL mail site, which doesn't (logically ..) accept my USER ID / mail adress _ password (for Compuserve ...)
Don't have any problems with POP3, though ...(fortunately)...
Trying to clarify that via support phone makes me go broke ... always busy lines ...
What a luck, CSI is only my secondary mail provider now ... I had to change to a regular ISP, since CServe is blacklisted with several large ISPs (like Hotmail) and it happende several times, I couldn't use Cserve anymore to communicate with people etc ... So what does an unreliable mail provider help ...?! Nothing at all ..!! And the even don't care about it ... Almost 2 years ago I tried to direct CServe's attention to that point that mail is not delivered anymore e.g. to Hotmail ... CServe replied, that's not their fault & I would have to solve that alone ..!!! But it's certaimly not *my fault, that CServe is blacklisted a lot as a huge spam distributor ...!! Shame on you Compuserve ..!!
Posted at 11:12AM on May 27th 2009 by tom sperlich
88. To: Andy Coleman
Did see the reference to IM ports. Interesting. Nonetheless, messing about with my router yet again isn't necessary with gmail, I'm uneasy contemplating doing this to myself for CompuServe's sake.
After installing the Telnet feature here, I was able to replicate what you're seeing (without messing about with the router first). Now I'm thoroughly confused.
Also came across a post that suggested special characters in passwords may not be wise (I have a couple) and another comment that suggested the whole problem was because I'd migrated using my userid numbers @ compuserve.com instead of my friendly name @ compuserve.com. Like said, thoroughly confused.
Thanks for the suggestions though.
Posted at 12:20PM on May 27th 2009 by mikewelsh
89. Yesterday I was for the fisrt time able to log on to the new mail system and send/recv mail until about 4:00pm. Then I could log on but it wouldn't let me look in my inbox and still won't today.
I noticed the big white screen had changed (I use a dial up isp) to NOT include the "Slow system?" link or button since my inbox has not been accessible. Possibly dialup users are having the same problem.
So today I set up outlook express and the mail DID come in. (Although I'm still not able to check the "remember passord" checkbox)
Unfortunatley it won't send any mail.
I have the outgoing port address as:
smtp.csi.com
port # is:
587
The client recv's mail ok and deletes from the server once I move it to a folder on my computer. Once again I'm using a dialup ISP.
This is the message I get when trying to send mail from outlook express:
Your server has unexpectedly terminated the connection. Possible causes for this include server problems, network problems, or a long period of inactivity. Account: 'compuserve', Server: 'smtp.csi.com', Protocol: SMTP, Port: 587, Secure(SSL): Yes, Error Number: 0x800CCC0F
Posted at 12:20PM on May 27th 2009 by ntp
90. To Mikewelsh
If you're seeing POP OK you are connecting to the server.
You should then be able to enter
user username
which should again return OK. If not the username is unrecognised.
If it is, go to the logon dialogue and select change password, which should straighten out any problems in that department.
HTH
Posted at 12:41PM on May 27th 2009 by Andy Coleman
91. To ntp,
If you are using smtp with SSL, you need to use port 465 (NOT 587).
Thanks,
Rohit
Posted at 1:29PM on May 27th 2009 by Rohit
92. Then why does it say, in FAQ 7 at the top of this page "smtp.csi.com ; port 587"? If this is incorrect, or incomplete, please amend the FAQ.
Posted at 2:12PM on May 27th 2009 by Mike Strauss
93. While on the subject of blacklisted mailservers, readers here might be amused to learn that for a couple of years I was unable to send any email using my Compuserve address to anyone with an AOL address. The messages didn't bounce, but they never got where they were going either. And that happened after Compuserve became a part of AOL! Compuserve claimed the problem wasn't theirs, and AOL claimed likewise, so no progress ever was made to work out why this was happening. Knowing what I've learned here, I'd guess that AOL had blacklisted the Compuserve mailserver!
For the record, I'll add that the problem went away about a year ago.
Posted at 2:23PM on May 27th 2009 by Mike Strauss
94. Well, I've been able to download into Outlook, scan for spam in Mailwasher, and look at my mail in mail2web.com almost from day one. However I can't send any message, anywhere, nix!
CS support seems to be on holiday.
Trouble is, there doesn't appear to be any logic in what will work - and when. I am of the opinion 'somebody' at CS is scurrying around with a fag-packet, trying to get something to work - sometime. The whole thing smells bad.
Posted at 2:48PM on May 27th 2009 by 101714.1343
95. Thanks Mike and Andy for input on the 'blacklist' issue bouncing mails. Also interestting to note your comments Mike on the need for smtp domains to align with email domains...
Not sure if this is widespread practice now as I have two other email accounts and mail goes happily between all of them with misaligned domains - except to Compuserve now and actually in the past have had suspicions about lost mail to, as you mention Mike, AOL and Hotmail from Cim. Getting to Hotmail and back now seesm to be working but maybe someone filled in a form like Andy mentioned and got hotmail 'whitelisted!!'
Andy, I belive you are in UK, me likewise and the isp that these mails seems to bounce via is Plus Net which was mentioned in that link I posted in msg 80. So maybe I need to fill in a form with all that stuff in and see if they get whitelisted!
Just headed over to the Support Forum now to see if there is more info in the thread I started over there about Mail Lost & Bouncing (link also in msg 80) see Discussions under New Mail sytem; well seems some wizop may be looking into issue - dont hold your breath (or stay logged in!) John
Posted at 3:12PM on May 27th 2009 by johnhollingdale
96. For johnhollingdale
Indeed it was Plusnet but it seems OK now. I have raised a ticket and it has been escalated to their network people but I believe if it has been cleared off the list, no further action will be taken.
I understand AOL blacklists Plusnet periodically but there seems to be no long term resolution. I guess all we can o if it keeps happening is keep moaning or move elsewhere. Having said that, I believe Plusnet CS to be one of the best in the business, so I wont be leaving soon. :-)
Posted at 3:42PM on May 27th 2009 by Andy Coleman
97. I have lost my Compuserve password. Therefore I cannot migrate to the AOL e-mail system. I see no possibility to obtain a new pass word. Therefore I assume that I have to cancel my subscription to Compuserve. I have already lost 10 days of e-mail. The setup of te migration has been badly setup.
Posted at 5:30PM on May 27th 2009 by jean le ber
98. OK, for all of us that have been using Compuserve Classic, we have all know this day will come. First, it was disappointing that they didn't provide greater additional notice. I've been a user since 1978-79 and have hundreds of emails & contacts in my address book. OK, so I thought that after all these years of paying for this service, they would have at least provided a way to move my contacts and emails to another common email client like Thunderbird or Outlook. It's sad, but I guess it's the American way of doing business today, they just don't care about their customers, many of which made them what they are today. Let's see, 30 years, $20 a month and your on your own...
Posted at 10:15AM on May 28th 2009 by guyellenberger
99. To jean le ber
If you ring CS helpline - extremely long wait but they still answer, or were yesterday - they can migrate it for you. The password has to be changed anyway, so have one ready.
Posted at 1:38AM on May 28th 2009 by Andy Coleman
100. To Andy, thanks for reply. Yes I find PlusNet CS to be excellent. May give them a call and get their take on this delivery failure/blacklist issue. If you raised the issue maybe they have been cleared but as you say they could get put back on periodically. No plans to leave them - may use their email instead of Cim!
Will get my peoples to send some mails this weekend and see if they bounce still - the systems may be catching up with routing tables etc and issue may get cured. As Hotmail was getting thru again recently yet six months ago bounced.
No other pearls of useful wisdom receieved yet from Cim Support re my mail or in the Forum.
Not the best couple of weeks with all this migration stuff but then come to expect nothing better these days. Dont think Compuserve Support got a handle on this project really, despite us being paying clients! John
Posted at 4:39AM on May 28th 2009 by johnhollingdale