When I try to install Caliban Mailer I get a warning message that DAO is missing. How do I fix this?

Caliban Mailer uses a Microsoft Access database file (CalibanMailer.mdb) based on Microsoft Access 2000, which uses Data Access Objects (DAO) 3.6, also known as "Microsoft Jet 4.0". The Windows system files required by DAO 3.6 are included with the Windows Me, Windows 2000 and Windows XP, and the installation programs of many database-oriented applications. Note that if you are using Windows 95 or 98, and you are using Microsoft Office 97 or Access 97, you will have DAO 3.5 which Caliban Mailer does not recognize. For detailed information on obtaining the latest version of DAO and how to upgrade to the latest version, see this Microsoft Product Support article (239114).

When I send a number of messages, the delivery appears to stop. I try to cancel the delivery, but all I get is the "Disconnecting..." message. The only way out is to click the Exit button. What is going on?

This problem appears to be Windows 95 specific, and is the result of an out-of-date version of the Windows "socket" system files. Microsoft has an update patch, the "Windows Socket 2 Update", and detailed instructions can be found here.

I use a LAN without a modem to connect to the Internet, but the Connection page shows that I have a modem and a dial-up connection with a scrambled name. How do I fix this?

This problem appears to be Windows 95 specific, and is the result of an out-of-date version of the Windows dial-up networking system files. Microsoft has a update patch, the "Dial-Up Networking 1.3 Upgrade". Detailed instructions can be found here.

My server requires me to log in, and I've entered my login name and password in the server settings. So why do I get an error when I try to send my messages?

While most, if not all, ISP's require you to have a valid POP account to receive email, many allow you to send outgoing email directly through their SMTP server without an account. Spammers know about this security hole, and send their junk through these open servers. Often the ISP or network administrator isn't even aware of this problem. For example, the CBS news magazine "60 Minutes" ran a piece on Internet fraud, and interviewed a guy who demonstrated how easy it was to send email through a US government SMTP server! This makes it look like the email was created by Uncle Sam. 

To deal with this security problem, some ISP's are using an extended protocol (ESMTP) on their email servers, and some of these servers require that you supply a user name and password in order to connect to them. Caliban Mailer supports a login system known as "Auth Login". However, if login info is sent to a server that isn't expecting it, the server will return an error, usually error 20002.

If you are not sure if your server requires an Auth Login account and password, first try to send a test message without the login information. To make this setting, go to the Servers section of the Options tab, and click the "Passwords" button. In the "Outgoing Mail Server Authentication" section, clear (uncheck) the "My server requires authentication" option. If your test message gets through without error, you do not need to enter a user name or password here. If your server requires login information, check the "My server requires authentication" option, click the Settings button, and enter the details in the dialog.

Messages sent from Caliban Mailer take several hours to reach their destination. Why is this happening?

This can happen if you are using Freeserve as your ISP, as Freeserve will delay email they suspect as being spam. Precisely how Freeserve makes this determination is unclear, but it is possible that they have a list of 'approved' email clients. If outgoing email does not originate from an approved email client (the name of the email client is indicated in the "x-mailer" email header field), Freeserve will check it before sending it out.

When I run the Subscription Manager and click Update, Caliban Mailer crashes. Why is this happening?

This is problem in 1.10.8, and is the result of an incorrect password or account name in the server settings. This problem is fixed in the current release. In the mean time, ensure that your logon information is correct.

What is the log file? Why would I make one, and what's in it?

It is a plain-text record of the instructions passed between Caliban Mailer and the email server. Creation of the log file is optional, and can be turned on in the Logging section in the Options tab If you are encountering problems connecting to your email server or sending email. Email the log file to support@caliban.com and we will try to diagnose the problem.

Privacy Note: Due to the way the log file information is generated, the email addresses of your recipients will be included in the file. We recommend that you edit the log file with a standard text editor (Notepad, for example) and remove these or any lines you consider private before sending the file to Caliban Computing.

What is the meaning of Error 20002 "unexpected server response"?

This is a "catch all" error message from the email server, and as such can be difficult to resolve. This error occurs when the email server does not accept a command issued by Caliban Mailer. It could be anything from an improperly formatted email address to an unimplemented command on the server. This error can also appear after another error has been reported. Usually it means that the server is not replying with one of the recognized Internet standard messages. Here are some things you can try:

1. If the error occurred before any messages were sent, the initial email server connection may have failed, possibly the result of a login error. See the section "My server requires me to log in" for more information.
2. If the error occurred after one or more messages were sent, verify that the email addresses in your list are correctly formatted. Ensure that the addresses contain no typing mistakes or unexpected characters such as punctuation marks, spaces, and the like.
3. Finally, to assist in solving this problem run the same mailing again with the troubleshooting log file turned on.

I've created a new mailing list. When I check it later only one address is shown over and over.  What happened and how can I fix this?

There is a known problem in Caliban Mailer 1.0 with the way the mailing list is created when the "Add All" or "Remove All" buttons are used in the New Mailing List and Edit Mailing List dialog. If you encounter this duplicate address problem, the following steps will repair your list:

1. Edit the offending list in the Mailing Lists tab.
2. Click the "Remove All" button in the Edit Mailing List dialog, then click OK to save this now empty list.
3. Edit the list again, but this time add addresses to the list via the "Add" button. You may select multiple addresses by using shift-click. To select all of the addresses, first select the topmost address in the box, then press ctrl-shift-End. Clicking "Add" will include all of the selected addresses.

This problem was fixed in Caliban Mailer 1.10, and we recommend installing this free upgrade. In the mean time, avoid using the "Add All" option.  It is also recommended that you avoid the "Remove All" button, except to create an empty mailing list as described above.

Make sure that the file hasn't been deleted or renamed. As well, Caliban Mailer versions prior to 1.30.4 would not deliver read-only attachment files.

This error message usually means that your SMTP email server or password settings are incorrect.