FastCheckFAQ

From FastMailWiki

Contents 1 FastCheck Frequently Asked Questions 1.1 Does FastCheck support proxies which require authentication? 1.2 FastCheck doesn't recognise my account details. I'm getting: 'Cannot login to Fastmail.FM. Check your account details' 1.3 How do I install FastCheck? 1.4 Since I upgraded to version xxxx, I always get 'invalid password' 1.5 What does 'acknowledging emails' mean? 1.6 What does 'track application' mean? 1.7 Why does FastCheck sometimes notify me immediately of new emails, and sometimes only after a long time? 1.8 Why does FastCheck try to make contact with http://www.fastmail.fm:80? 1.9 Why does FastCheck try to make contact with www.FastCheck.org when you start it? 1.10 Why is the log window so big, and the account/folder tree list so small? 1.11 Why use FastCheck? 1.12 Code 1.13 Free? 1.14 Portability: can I use FastCheck from a portable drive, or does FastCheck store its settings in the registry?

FastCheck Frequently Asked Questions

Does FastCheck support proxies which require authentication?

FastCheck can use your default internet configuration settings. As far as your internet connection is configured properly, you should be able to use the FastServices connection mode.

FastCheck doesn't recognise my account details. I'm getting: 'Cannot login to Fastmail.FM. Check your account details'

You probably entered your account username as 'username@fastmail.fm'. You do not need to specify '@fastmail.fm' but only 'username'.

How do I install FastCheck?

You can either select the 'installation' package, which will install FastCheck correctly or just download the standalone version, save it wherever you want and run it from there!

Since I upgraded to version xxxx, I always get 'invalid password'

FastCheck now encrypts your password before storing it to your disk, so you will have to re-enter your password, otherwise FastCheck won't be able to check your emails!

What does 'acknowledging emails' mean?

Acknowledging prevents FastCheck from nagging you 'you've got mail' even when you have unread emails. Once you have ack'ed a message, it considers it as read. The folder details will then display:

Inbox - 0 (1)

What does 'track application' mean?

When selecting this option, FastCheck will monitor the browser window you open. Next time you select 'FastMail', the browser window will be brought back to the foreground. If you don't select this option, a new browser will be created each time.

Why does FastCheck sometimes notify me immediately of new emails, and sometimes only after a long time?

Even if you are using direct IMAP connection, IMAP only lets client application monitor one folder. Which means that FastCheck can only be notified 'immediately' of emails coming to your Inbox. For other folders, FastCheck uses the polling interval configured in the Option dialog box and checks periodically if you have received emails in these folders.

Why does FastCheck try to make contact with http://www.fastmail.fm:80?

That's how FastCheck works! As most firewalls won't let through any connection but HTTP (port 80), we have designed a small protocol to check your emails over HTTP. This means FastCheck can be notified of your emails over virtually any kind of firewall!

Why does FastCheck try to make contact with www.FastCheck.org when you start it?

FastCheck automatically checks www.FastCheck.org for new updates when it starts. It downloads the following page: http://www.FastCheck.org/latestversion.php If you want, you can disable this by unchecking "Check for updates on startup" in the Options dialog box.

Why is the log window so big, and the account/folder tree list so small?

This is a Beta version and has therefore extended logging features. The logging window will be shrunk or hidden in the released version.

Why use FastCheck?

FastCheck provides a subset of the functionality of most IMAP clients like Outlook Express, Mozilla, etc--specifically, it tells you when you have new mail. So, why use FastCheck instead of just an IMAP client?

Well, there's lots of reasons why you may find it useful:

• If you prefer FastMail's web interface to other mail clients, but want to know about new mail faster than FastMail's Poll window, FastCheck is great because it provides instant notification
• FastCheck has other advantages over the Poll window, including checking multiple folders (rather than just the inbox), and providing audible and visual notification in the taskbar of new email
• It is better than Outlook Express because you can quickly check many folders for new email, and get taskbar notification if there's new email in any one
• If you are behind a firewall and don't have IMAP access, FastCheck can work over an HTTP proxy; so, it works anywhere that you have access to the web!
• If you are on a PC at work where you cannot install new software like an email client, just pop a disk with FastCheck into your floppy drive--you can run it directly from there!

Code

Q: What language is FastCheck written in?

A: It's in C, compiled with VC2005 (src). It was in Delphi once.

Free?

Q: Is the source code available? (Is it "Free Software", or just free software i.e. free as in freedom, or free as in beer)?

A: No code. It would presumably be here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/fastcheck/ (info)

Portability: can I use FastCheck from a portable drive, or does FastCheck store its settings in the registry?

Although Fastcheck does store its settings in the registry by default, you may configure it to run using a local INI file instead. This would make it completely portable. For details of the registry location and how to use the ini file see the relevant section in the Documention Page