Is there any way to leave messages on the server after retrieving them?

No--currently Mailshell always automatically deletes retrieved messages.

Is there any way to retrieve only the unread messages on the server?

No--currently Mailshell always attempts to retrieve all messages on the server.

Why aren't my messages being retrieved properly?

There are several reasons why Mailshell may run into problems retrieving your messages after the initial setup is done:

• Some accounts may require you to activate POP or IMAP access before Mailshell can retrieve messages; check with your email provider if you are not sure whether you need to do this. (Note that, although Yahoo! requires you to pay a fee for POP access, Mailshell doesn't use POP to retrieve messages from their accounts. You do not need to activate POP access to clean a Yahoo! account.)



• If you have changed your password for an account, Mailshell will not be able to access your messages. You will need to update the password for that account with Mailshell.



• If the mail servers for an account are experiencing problems or downtime, Mailshell may not be able to connect properly.



• If the mail servers for an account have been placed behind a firewall that was not previously there, Mailshell may also not be able to connect properly.



• If you are using another email client and downloading messages from the same account, Mailshell may not be able to get messages retrieved by that other client.



• If your account has been deactivated or deleted, Mailshell will not be able to retrieve messages. Be aware if your email provider has any policies regarding deactivation of accounts that haven't been signed in to in a while.

If Mailshell has repeated problems accessing your messages, the account may be disabled.

One of my accounts was disabled by the system. Why did that happen?

If Mailshell experiences repeated problems retrieving messages from one of your email accounts--because of an incorrect password, incorrect username, server difficulties, or other problems--that account may be disabled by the system. We suggest you check that all of your setup information is still correct and try re-enabling the address.

Note that if you have a free trial account, your accounts will also be disabled once your 30-day trial period ends. You can upgrade to the Premium Service to continue cleaning those accounts.

If the setup information is correct and Mailshell is still unable to retrieve messages, you may want to wait for a while and then try again. If it still doesn't work, you may be able to use other options to have Mailshell clean your email.

If Mailshell can't retrieve messages from my existing address, what else can I do?

If Mailshell still isn't able to retrieve messages even with the advanced setup information (e.g., because of a corporate firewall, a proprietary system, or other technical reasons), you may not be able to use this feature for that email address. But there are other options you may be able to use to have Mailshell clean your email:

• Auto-forwarding. Many ISPs and email services let you forward email to a different address, although some do not. For example, if you want to forward your Yahoo! email you could create a yahoo@your-name.com disposable address, then set your Yahoo! email to forward to that address. Use the Address Options for yahoo@your-name.com to set the Spam Catcher strength and other settings to whatever you like.



• Create a filter. Many ISPs and email services also let you create custom filters that forward some messages to another email address. You could create a filter to forward your email to a Mailshell address the same way you would with auto-forwarding. (You can also do this with some email clients, like Outlook and Outlook Express.)

If you do decide to try either of these options, note that you should also add the address you're forwarding from to your Approved Senders list. Because the Spam Catcher normally penalizes messages that aren't addressed directly to the Mailshell address that receives them, messages that are simply auto-forwarded are more likely to be filtered out as spam even if they aren't. By adding the address you're forwarding to this list, the Spam Catcher won't apply that penalty and will be able to assess the messages more accurately.