FAQ

F.A.Q. and Tips

 

Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.)

 

Tips and Tricks (Articles)

 

 

How to install the service using a different user account?

Please use the following syntax: 
HOSTNAME\username or .\username
DOMAINNAME\username

You can also change the user from Start->System->Administration->Services
Select "MailList Controller" and "Properties". Now change the user.

 

 

Can I use opt-in on a linked (external) list?

No, the external database is opened read-only. This list mode supports opt-out only. The status information is stored inside MailList Controller.

Please use an internal (standard) list instead and import the recipients.
The internal (standard) list supports opt-in and opt-out. (subscribe and remove)

 

 

Do you have a list of SMTP error codes?

See: SMTP Response Codes and Error Messages

 

 

Does the application work under a Terminal Services environment?

Yes, it works.

 

 

Does it work together with my Anit-Virus solution?

Yes,  but if it includes an active mail-scanner for outgoing messages, it could be required that you change the "#perCon" setting in the (MailList Controller) "Program Options" section "Send Options". Norton Antivirus for example, acts as a relay between the MailList Controller Mail Service and your external mailserver. If you have problems, please select a lower value, e.g. 10. 

See also: Error 100xx with McAfee (or other Anti-Virus products)

 

 

Problem: Task "canceled"

The following reasons are possible, if the program does not send out the message and you see "canceled" in the "Sent Messages" section:

a) Managed List (default, non-linked)
The list does not have any members or does not have any members with status "Subscriber". The program sends out messages to "Subscribers" only!

b) Linked List
The mail service (which runs as windows service) cannot access the external database. This sometimes happens if the external database is located on a networked drive. 

The mail service runs with the user permissions "local system", of the machine on which it is installed. You can change the user in the "Options" -> "Core Settings" -> "Run MailList Controller Core Setup" -> "Custom Setup" -> click "Next" until you see "Run Service as User" and check it. Enter the username and password and click on "Finish".

Please note, that you can only enter the username/password directly in the program if the specified user has the permission to "Log on as a Service" on your local system. (e.g. Windows 7 does not grant this permission by default)

If the user has no permissions to "Log on as a service" or if you have other problems, then you change the service permissions (user access privileges of the mailservice) directly in your system (windows) configuration: 

Go to  Start->System->Administration->Services
Select "MailList Controller" and open the "Properties".
On the properties windows go to "Log On" and select "Log on as" ... "This Account".
Click on "Browse" and enter your login name. (retype the password, even if its already filled in)

The username has the following syntax:
HOSTNAME\username or .\username
DOMAINNAME\username


If you have changed the user and it still does not work, then please try to use an UNC instead of a drive letter (the specified drive letter might not exist for the user).

e.g. \\myserver\share\folder\database.xls instead of g:\folder\database.xls

 

 

Problem: Task never starts

The mail service (which runs as windows service) cannot access the "data" dir. This sometimes happens if data-dir is located on a networked drive. 

The mail service runs with the user permissions "local system", of the machine on which it is installed. You can change the user in the "Options" -> "Core Settings" -> "Run MailList Controller Core Setup" -> "Custom Setup" -> click "Next" until you see "Run Service as User" and check it. Enter the username and password and click on "Finish".

Please note, that you can only enter the username/password directly in the program if the specified user has the permission to "Log on as a Service" on your local system. (e.g. Windows 7 does not grant this permission by default)

If the user has no permissions to "Log on as a service" or if you have other problems, then you change the service permissions (user access privileges of the mailservice) directly in your system (windows) configuration: 

Go to  Start->System->Administration->Services
Select "MailList Controller" and open the "Properties".
On the properties windows go to "Log On" and select "Log on as" ... "This Account".
Click on "Browse" and enter your login name. (retype the password, even if its already filled in)

The username has the following syntax:
HOSTNAME\username or .\username
DOMAINNAME\username


If you have changed the user and it still does not work, then please try to use an UNC instead of a drive letter for the data-directory. (the specified drive letter might not exist for the user).

e.g. \\myserver\share\folder\data instead of g:\folder\data

 

 

Using McAfee Virusscan and MailList Controller

By default McAfee VirusScan blocks all outgoing messages sent by any program that it does not recognise. To solve this problem you need to tell McAfee that amlcSVC.exe (MailList Controller mail service) and editor.exe (internal editor - if you want to send a test message) is a 'trusted' program for sending emails. (Optional: If you want to run the connection test in the new list wizard, you should also add nlw.exe.)

1. Right click on the McAfee icon in the task tray
2. Select "Virus Scan Console"
3. Double-click on "Access Protection"
4. Click on the "Port Blocking" tab
5. Select "Prevent mass mailing worms from sending email" and press "Edit"
6. Add  "amlcsvc.exe,editor.exe" in the "Excluded Processes" edit field.

 

 

How do I upgrade from version 5.x to 6.x/7.x/8.x

We provide free updates for 1 year. If you are qualified for a free update, then please contact us. If you are not qualified for a free update, then we can offer you a discount code for the purchase of the latest version.

!!! Please make a backup/export all your lists before going further !!!

The installation only requires a few steps:

Please uninstall the 5.x version first. 

Now install the new 6.x/7.x/8.x version and start the program.

Select "Custom Setup" and click "Next". 

Click on "Browse" to select the "data" directory of the previous version.
The default location is "c:\program files\arclab\maillist controller\data".

Click "Next", "Next" and "Finish".

Now the program should run and show your existing lists.

 

 

How do I upgrade from version 6.x/7.x to 8.x

  • Freeware Version Update:
    If you are using the freeware version, then please download the latest freeware version from our website.
    Professional or eXtreme Version Update:
    If you are using the professional or eXtreme Version, then please use our "Update Request Form" below.
  • Now you will receive a new License Key from ShareiIt, which can be used to unlock MailList Controller Free Version.
    Please download the free version from our website.
  • !!! Make a backup/export all your lists before going further !!!
  • Uninstall the old version and reboot your computer.
  • Install the new version and allow the Setup to "Run MailList Controller" after the setup was completed.
  • Use either the "Express Setup" or the "Custom Setup" depending on what you have selected in your previous installation.
    (If you are using a custom data storage directory (e.g. on a networked drive) and you have changed the user permissions for the mailservice before, then you should check the user access permissions of the mailservice after you have installed the update!)
  • Click on "File -> Update & License Manager", enter your new "License Key" and click on "Validate License".
  • Now you should see your existing lists.

 

 

How to Update MailList Controller from Version 6.x/7.x/8.x to 9.x

Click here for more information.

 

 

Can I use an IMAP server?

Yes, MailList Controller supports IMAP since version 8.6.

 

 

How can I backup my lists and settings?

You can either export your lists and drafts using the export functions, or backup the complete "data" folder (this works only when using an internal database, this will not work when using an ODBC database!).

The program stores all lists and settings inside the "data" folder. The default location for version 6 is inside the "public documents" or "shared documents" system folder. Please take a look at the "Program Options" for the exact data-dir location or use the function "File->Misc->Explore Data-dir". Its also possible to move your lists from one machine to the other by replacing the data-folder. Please make sure, that the mail service is stopped and the program closed before copying the data-folder.

We recommend to backup or export your lists on a regular base!

 

 

SMTP Error 550 (unable to relay for)

See: SMTP Response Codes and Error Messages

 

 

SMTP Error 221

See: SMTP Response Codes and Error Messages

 

 

How to import Plain Text (.CSV) and MS Excel files

MailList Controller can import MS Access, MS Excel and Plain Text (.csv) format files directly - other formats are supported through ODBC.

The plain text .csv (Comma Seperated Values) file should have the column names (field names) in the first line and one record on each line.
Fields divided by a comma ",".

e.g. file: database.csv (rename the file extension to .csv if you have problems with .txt)!


"Email","Name"
"support@yourdomain.tld","Support"
"office@yourdomain.tld","Office"


Please visit Wikipedia for more information about the csv file format.

The MS Excel file should also contain the column (field) names in the first row.

Please check the sheet for invalid cells (e.g. with ####### in it) and for too large texts if you have problems using the import function.

Download and install the "2007 Office System Driver: Data Connectivity Components" for MS Office 2007 filetypes. 
The ODBC driver can be downloaded from www.microsoft.com.

 

 

Does the software send in TO, CC or BCC mode?

MailList Controller sends one seperate message for each recipient - this means each subscriber get his own message message with only ONE email address in it. Its NOT possible to see the email addresses of other subscribers.

The privacy of your subscribers is not at risk.

If your list has e.g. 1000 members, then the software sends 1000 messages with only one email address in it.

 

 

How many messages can I send out in one hour?

Please take a look at this page.

 

 

I have installed the licensed version, but it sends out only to 100 recipients.

Please take a look at the section "Tasks"..."Info | Detail" (in the middle of the screen).You should see "Service:"and "Version" ... either Professional or eXtreme. If you see Free in the info line, then the mailservice of the free version is still running.

This can happen if the mailservice was running during the installation of the licensed version and a reboot was declined.

Please stop the mailservice (click on "Stop Service"), exit the program and install the licensed version again.

 

 

How can I move all my lists and settings from one computer to another?

You can either:

(A) export your lists and drafts using the export functions, install the software on the new machine, re-create your lists and import the members from the export files

(B) or copy the complete "data" folder.

!!! Please only use this method if you know exactly what you are doing !!!

The program stores all lists and settings inside the "data" folder. All your managed (internal, non-linked) lists are stored inside the internal database. (Please note, that all members from linked (external) lists are not stored inside MailList Controller. You also need to copy this files to the new machine.)

 

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR USERS OF OLDER VERSIONS!
MailList Controller 9 is written in unicode and uses a new database format which is not compatible with the old version format.
You can NOT copy the data-directory from MailList Controller 4,5,6,7,8 to MailList Controller 9.

  • Locate the "data" directory on your old computer.

    Please start the program on your old machine and click on "Program Options" or "Options" for the location of the "data"-dir. Please continue with step 2. if you have found it.

    If you cannot run the program on the old computer anymore, e.g. after a system crash, then you need to search for the "data" directory. The default location of version 5.x is inside the "Program Files" folder - if you are using version 6.x or 7.x, then the default location is inside the "Public Documents" system folder.

    Version 9.x: (Public Documents)
    Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Arclab MailList Controller\data
    Windows Vista and 7: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Arclab MailList Controller\data

    Version 6.x, 7.x and 8.x: (Public Documents)
    Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Arclab\MailList Controller\data
    Windows Vista and 7: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Arclab\MailList Controller\data

    Version 5.x: (Program Files)
    C:\Program Files\Arclab\MailList Controller\data

    Its also possible that the data-directory is on a different location, e.g. if you have updated from version 5 to 6 before or if you used a custom data-directory location. Please double check the data-directory before going any further. The db.mdb inside this folder contains the main database and the "last modified" date should reflect the latest changes. So if the date is very old, or the db.mdb file is very small and you have large managed (internal) lists, then the location might not be correct.

  • Install the sofware on your new computer.

    If you have lost the installation file, then please contact us and include your order ref#, so that we can send you a new download link for the version you purchased.

    We also provide free updates for 1 year. If you are qualified for a free update, then please contact us. If you are not qualified for a free update, then we can offer you a discount code for the purchase of the latest version.

  • Run the program once on your new computer.
    This step is important, because the first start creates some required files.

  • Locate the data-directory on your new computer.
    Please click on "Options" for the location of the "data"-directory.
    This can be a different location as on your old computer!

  • Stop the mailservice (click on "Stop Service") and exit all program parts on the new computer.

  • Stop the mailservice (click on "Stop Service") and exit all program parts on the old computer.

  • Copy the complete "data" folder (located in step 1.) from the old machine and replace the complete "data" folder (located in step 4) with its contents. Its important, that the mailservice is not running, otherwise the files cannot be copied!

  • Start MailList Controller on the new computer. Now you should see your lists on the new computer.

We recommend to backup or export your lists on a regular base!

 

 

How can I change the charset?

International Character Sets (charsets) for email newsletter messages

 

 

I cannot send a message to my list - What can I do?

Please click here to continue.

 

 

Table / background-images and other issues in MS Outlook 2007/2010 ++

If you are missing table background images in MS Outlook 2007 ... this is not a software error ...

Previous versions of MS Outlook use IE to render html messages ...
MS Outlook 2007 uses the MS Word rendering engine instead of the IE engine.

This means:
- no background images in TABLE cells
- no background images in DIV tags
- no animated gif's
- no nested background colors
- no FLOAT attribute in DIV tags
- no POSITION attribute in DIV tags

The following page contains details about the MS Word 2007 support for HTML and CSS:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa338201.aspx

Please test each message before sending it out to your subscribers.

 

 

Why are the fields of the "Subscribe" message not recognized?

Please verify the syntax of the Subscribe message:

The message should have the following format. Its recommended to use plain-text mode.


From: someemail@somedomain.tld
To: your-list@your-domain.tld
Subject: Subscribe

Message-Body:
Email: members-email-address@somedomain.tld
Name: John Smith

The field-names are case sensitive, so "NAME" is not the same as "Name". If you have checked all the fields and have not found any problem, then please try to send a test subscribe message using your regular mailclient.

Its possible that your anti-virus software changes the message, so that the fields could not be recognized, e.g. by adding a anti-virus signature/footer or by converting/changing the message. Please try to disable the signature/footer in your anti-virus software for a test or disable "Scan incoming Messages" for a test. Please make sure, that you enable it again before you access mail with your regular mailclient.

If you are using AVG Antivirus, then please disable the footer/signature for incoming messages - don't turn off the anti-virus.
Go to AVG Control Panel -> Tools / Advanced Settings -> Email Scanner: uncheck Certification

 

 

The program does not or no longer detect incoming returned messages.

Please make sure, that the program has received the message at all. (Click on "Log" after a "Sync" (List Synchronization))
If you have setup the same email account - which is used as list email account - in any other mailclient, then its possible that the message was received there (and removed from the server), so that MailList Controller will never receive the message(s).

Its also possible that the message was received by the wrong list. It will not work if the returned message was received by another list. Click on "Logfile" for details about incoming messages and make sure, that the message was received by the correct list.
(This should not be required for MailList Controller 8.3 or newer - please contact us if you still have any problems regarding this issue!)

Its possible that your anti-virus software changes the message, so that returned messages could not be recognized, e.g. by adding a anti-virus signature/footer or by converting/changing the message. Please try to disable the signature/footer in your anti-virus software for a test or disable "Scan incoming Messages" for a test. Please make sure, that you enable it again before you access mail with your regular mailclient.
(This should not be required for MailList Controller 8.3 or newer - please contact us if you still have any problems regarding this issue!)

If you are using AVG Antivirus, then please disable the footer/signature for incoming messages - don't turn off the anti-virus.
Go to AVG Control Panel -> Tools / Advanced Settings -> Email Scanner: uncheck Certification
(This should not be required for MailList Controller 8.3 or newer - please contact us if you still have any problems regarding this issue!)

 

 

What means "Send failed.; 553 Sorry, over your daily relay limit.; MAIL"? and
"Error: Could not send message to: .....; Send failed.; 451 You have exceeded your messaging limits"

It is not a program limitation - the program cannot send more messages, because your mailaccount / mailserver has a limitation.
Please contact your mailadministrator or mailprovider about this issue.

Please note, that the program cannot send out more messages as your mailserver allows. Some mailserver have limits, e.g. some allow to send only x messages per hour. You can use the List Settings -> Outgoing Messages (SMTP) -> Limit feature to adjust the program to any limit.

If you have setup a limit in the List Settings -> Outgoing Messages (SMTP) then the task (mailing) will stop, the task will be re-scheduled and will continue automatically after the specified delay.

 

 

I have sent out a list message but my members have not received it

Please check the service logfile of the day you sent out the message and search for error messages. The program adds detailed information about each mailing there. Click on "File" -> "Explore Logfiles" and open the logfile.

If no message was sent out, then please go to:
Help - Troubleshooting - Problems with outgoing Messages

If you are sure, that there were no errors / all messages have been sent out, then:

a) your members have received the message in the junk/spam folder.
See also: Why is my Message detected as Spam and how can I avoid it?

b) your account is over the send limit of your mailserver. (this is rare, because normally the mailserver would not accept any more messages after you have reached the limit, so you should see some error messages in the service logfile)

c) some anti-virus programs have problems with larger number of messages. You can try to disable "Scan outgoing Messages" or the anti-virus for a test (don't forget to turn it back on afterwards - it could be dangerous to be unprotected). If thats the problem, then please go to the "Options" -> "Advanced Server Options" and change the "#perCon" to 5. 

 

 

Why does the List "Syncronization" take longer and longer?

If you have sent out a large mailing, then its normal that there will be a lot of returned messages and unsubscribe requests, so it could take some time to download and process all the messages ... but if you have not sent out a mailing and the synchronization takes longer and longer each time you synchronize, then there might be a problem with your settings for non-list messages.

A non-list message is anything which could not be processed automatically by the program, e.g. spam or a question/reply to your newsletter.

If you have selected to "Leave non-list messages on the POP3 server", then you need to take care of this messages by yourself! If you don't process and remove the messages from the POP3 server, then the number will increase and at some point you will have so many non-list messages on the POP3 server that the program cannot work any longer.

The best solution is to use the forward option, which will forward any non-list messages to a different email account and remove the messages from the lists POP3 account, so that the pop3 account will be cleaned each time the program does a "Synchronize".

Please take a closer look at the service logfile (click on "Logfile") after a "Synchronize" if you think that it takes too long. The program adds details about all incoming messages and remaining messages on the POP3 server to the logfile.

 

 

The mailservice won't start anymore - how can I fix it?

!!! Please make a backup / export all your lists before going further !!!

Click on "Options" -> "Core Settings" -> "Run MailList Controller Core Setup" to install/setup the mailserivce again. Please make sure, that you use the same setup type, data-storage directory and user access permissions as you used before. Complete the wizard and start the mailservice.

 

 

When I send a test message the personalization in To: does not work

The program replaces the personalization fields with values from the database when you check the option "Fill Personalization Fields with Values taken from the first Record of the List".

This affects the subject, the message-body and also the friendly name part of the To-field.

The TO-line contains a combination of the friendly name and the email address.  "Friendly Name" <email@sampledomain.tld>
The email address used in the TO-line will be the email address of the test message recipient and NOT the email address taken from the first record of the list! (the test message should be sent to the specifed test message recipient)

 

 

Error AMSG2MIME failed ...

This error indicates that the program cannot access a temporary file or has no write access to the data storage directory or its "send" subfolder.

We also have a report from an user, that this error occured after he has selected an attachment on a mapped drive. 
This could be solved by moving the file to a local drive.
If this also happens on your system, then please drop us a line. The program normally accepts attachments on all kind of drives.

 

 

I have added an image, but the program does not accept it.

This information is obsolete in versions 9.1 ++
The program allows you to add all images - the path or filename does not matter.
Please contact us if you have any problems adding images.

A) The image is located on a network share (UNC)

e.g.
file://\\192.168.0.1\share\amlc-newsletter-system.jpg
file://\\planet\share\amlc-newsletter-system.jpg
\\planet\share\amlc-newsletter-system.jpg

Please use a network drive with a drive-letter (instead of the UNC) or copy the file to your local disk !!!

Sample:
"x:\amlc-newsletter-system.jpg

B) The image or the filepath contains spaces or special chars.

Please don't use spaces or special chars, e.g. "umlauts" in the filename or filepath.
e.g. use "c:\folder\image1.jpg" instead of "c:\folder\image one.jpg"

 

 

When I try to import from a database then I get an "NOEMAIL" error for ALL email addresses.

Please take a look at the import_log.txt.

[SYNTAXERROR] NOEMAIL [DB]

If you get this error message for ALL records and you are sure, that the fields are not empty, then please take a look at the definition of the column. The column should be defined as TEXT or VARCHAR, not NVARCHAR. (NVARCHAR is unicode, the email address should be text!)

Alternative: Export the database into text (.CSV) format and import the text file into MailList Controller.

MailList Controller version 9 (or newer) is written in Unicode, so there should be no conversion problems any longer!

 

 

How can I import email addresses from Microsoft Outlook?

Please export the email addresses from Microsoft Outlook to CSV - Comma Seperated Values (Text) and import the CSV (Text) file to MailList Controller.

Please note, that you can only import data to a "Standard List" (non-linked List), because linked lists are read-only.
Make sure, that you select "Standard List" during the list creation.

 

 

Error: Failed to connect to SMTP server

This means that either the settings for outgoing messages are invalid or a firewall is blocking.

Please take a look at:
Help - Troubleshooting - Problems with outgoing Messages

 

 

Error: Failed to connect to POP3 server

This means that either the settings for incoming messages are invalid or a firewall is blocking.

Please verify the "List Settings" -> "Incoming Messages (POP3)": "POP3 Server", "Username", "Password" and "Port". If your POP3 server requires a SSL (secure connection), then please make sure, that this option is checked.

This information should be provided by your mailprovider.

If you are sure, that everything is setup correctly and it still does not work, then please check your firewall.

 

 

Can I track click-through and open-rates?

Open-Rates are typically based on external images, which contain a "secret" tracking code. The problem ist, that this information is completely inaccurate, because most modern mailclients like e.g. MS Outlook, MS Windows Mail or Thunderbird are blocking all external images for privacy reasons by default. This means, that Open-Rates based on external images will no longer work.

You can gather Click-Through statistics using your webserver and your webstatistic software, e.g. Google Analytics.
How to use Google Analytics for click-through email tracking

 

 

How do I enter my "License Key" and Upgrade the Free or Licensed Version?

Click on "File -> Update & License Manager", enter your "License Key" and click on "Validate License".
The license key has the format: 1234-1234-1234-1234-1234-1234-1234

Important: If the program does not accept your license key, then please make sure, you have entered the code exactly as delivered.
If it still won't accept the code, then exit the program; right-click on the desktop icon;  select "Run as Adminsitrator" and retry.

unlock

MailList Controller Version 8.1 and higher includes an automatic license and update management, which will help you to keep your version of MailList Controller up-to-date. It also shows if you are qualified for a free update or not.

 

 

Error: AMSG2MIME failed

  • This error occurs if you try send an attachment, which is currently opened (or locked) by another application.
    Please close the file (attachment) in the other application and retry.

  • One of your file attachments was removed or renamed.
    Please check your file attachments.

 

 

What means [LMOS] ?

LMOS = Leave Message On Server
This means you have configured the list to "Leave non-list Messages on POP3 Server". 
The program ignores all non-list messages.
See also: Why does the List "Syncronization" take longer and longer?

 

 

How do I add a webform for subscribe/remove to my webpage?

The program has a built-in tool to create a Form for Newsletter Subscription and Removal.
There is no manual coding required - it will generate the form and php-script automatically.

 

 

Setup Error: "Setup files are corrupted"

Please clear your browser cache and retry to download the software. 
It could be a transmission error over the net.

You can also use our alternate download (zip-compressed setup) or our alternate download server.
In some cases it also helps if you rename the newly download file, e.g. to amlc2.exe.

If you get this error message for every application you try to install, then the windows installer on your computer might be damaged.

 

 

On how many computers can I install the software?

  • Its a single license (MailList Controller Pro and eXtreme version). This means you can install on a single computer. 
    Its no problem if you install it on your computer and your laptop, as long as only a single person is working on both machines and only one machine is running at a time.


  • Client/Server Installation (MailList Controller Pro and eXtreme version):

    You can install the program e.g. on your server and the client on your local computer. You can only start the client once, so you don't need an additional license. You can also install the client on mutliple machines, but you should be aware, that you can only run the client from one machine at a time. It will not work properly if you run the software in client mode simultaneously on multiple machines.


  • Mutliple Installations (MailList Controller Pro and eXtreme version):

    If you want to install the software on mutliple machines and multiple persons want to use it, then you need one license for each installation. Please note, that each (regular) installation will have its own database and lists. Please contact us for high volume licensing.


  • If you have upgraded from the professional to the eXtreme version, then you still have a sinlge license. The professional license + the upgrade from professional to eXtreme equals a single eXtreme license.

 

 

Problems with "special chars" in PHP-webforms

In some cases the webform has problems with "special chars".

If you have created a webform with MailList Controller 9, then the message will be already sent in utf-8 format.
Utf-8 contains all characters, so you don't need to care about the charset any longer.

Please try the webform first for your language and add some special chars in one field, like e.g. Umlauts öäü. 
In most cases it will work without any modifications.

If it does not work, then:

a) locate the charset of your webpage (open the html file which contains the webform and look for the header field)
e.g. <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">

(in this sample the charset is: windows-1252)

b) open the php file generated by the webform generator

c) replace the following lines:

# SEND MESSGAE
mail( $recipient, $subject, $body, "From: $recipient") or die ("Error: Mail could not be sent.");

with e.g.:

# SEND MESSGAE
mail( $recipient, $subject, $body, 
"From: $recipient\nMime-Version: 1.0\nContent-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252\nContent-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable") 
or die ("Error: Mail could not be sent.");

(use the charset of the webpage, which contains the form - in this sample: windows-1252)

 

 

Deprecated: Function eregi() is deprecated

This information is obsolete. The included web form generator does no longer use eregi.

If you have installed php 5.3 ++ on your webserver, then you might get the warning, that the function eregi is deprecated. 
The function eregi is used for the email syntax check in the php file generated by the webform generator.

Most webhosts still use php 5.2 because this warning messages effect many php-scripts - others have disabled the warning messages to avoid such problems.

If you have installed php 5.3 on your webserver and you are getting the warning:
Deprecated: Function eregi() is deprecated
then please open the .php file in an editor and replace the lines:

# VERIFY SYNTAX
if(!eregi("^[_a-z0-9-]+(\.[_a-z0-9-]+)*@[a-z0-9-]+(\.[a-z0-9-]+)*(\.[a-z]{2,3})$", $_POST['f16']))
{
die ("Error: Invalid Email Address");
}

with the following lines:

# VERIFY SYNTAX
if(!preg_match("/^[A-Z0-9._%-]+@[A-Z0-9][A-Z0-9.-]{0,61}[A-Z0-9]\.[A-Z]{2,6}$/i", $_POST['f16']))
{
die ("Error: Invalid Email Address");
}

If you don't need/want the email syntax check, e.g. you already check the email syntax in the form, then you can simply remove the lines from the php file.

 

 

How do I change the background color of a message, table or cell and how do I add a border?

See: How to use Email Newsletter Templates and how to edit HTML Templates

 

 

Error: Open Database failed - How to use MailList Controller with a limited user account

If you can start the program as power-user or adminsitrator-user, you have used the express setup option (no custom-data dir) and you try to start the program using a limited user account, then you might get the following error message:

open database failed

The program uses the public documents system folder by default as the data-directory.

MailList Controller Version 6/7/8:
Windows Vista and 7: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Arclab\MailList Controller\data

MailList Controller Version 9:
Windows Vista and 7: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Arclab MailList Controller\data
(Version 9 uses a different location!)

On some systems the limited user accounts have no ODBC access to files in this folder.

Solution: 

  • Uninstall and re-install the program. 

  • Now select "Custom Setup" in the Core Settings.

    custom setup

  • Change the data-directory to a different location, e.g. use c:\MailListControllerData or d:\data

    Important: 
    Don't use a folder inside the "Program Files", "Windows" or "Users" system folder!
    The system uses UAC virtualization and the mailservice will not be able to access the file!

    data dir

  • You can leave all the other options unchanged.

Now the program should also work on limited user accounts.

 

 

Error: POP3 Login failed (New List - Test POP3 Login)

Please make sure, that you enter the correct POP3 Server. The POP3 server is the server for incoming messages. In some cases the servers for incoming and outgoing messages are different. Please take a look at the mailsettings for POP3 on the help pages of your mailprovider.

Please also make sure, that the username is correct. The username is in some cases identical with the email address, but can also be different. You should get this information on the help pages of your mailprovider.

 

 

Changing the "Hostname" or "Message-ID" results in SPAM-detection

The Hostname and Message-ID is used in the message-header.
Please don't change this values unless you are sure what you are doing!

Please only use the chars: a-z, A-Z, 0-9, -, .
DON'T use any other chars
DONT' use spaces or underscore

Using other chars can result in a high spam-rating, because it would produce an invalid Message-ID and Hostname!

The default setting is "auto", which will use the computername of the system, which should be valid.

MailList Controller version > 8.51 (downloaded after 06-MAR-2011) will filter out such chars from the hostname.

 

 

PHP webform seems to be working, but no email will be sent by the php-script

Some hosted webservers require that you define a default sender email address in the webserver configuration before you can use any php-formmailer. You need to define the default sender in the webserver configuration - not inside the program or the php-form! The php-script should work fine after you have defined a default sender. Please also take a look at the help pages and FAQ of your webhosting service.

 

 

"Encountered an improper argument" on Chinese systems (Import)

This error will occur, when you enter or import any chars, which are not supported by the html editor.
MailList Controller version 9 (or newer) is written in Unicode. The charset will be converted automatically to utf-8.

Solution: 

Open the document in your HTML Editor BEFORE you try to import the file. 

Change the charset in the html page from:
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
to
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=gb2312">

Save the file and import it into the MailList Controller editor (use the open button or "Import -> HTML File"). 
This should ensure, that only supported chars are included.

 

 

How do I use an external editor to create an email newsletter message?

Step 1: Click on "New Message" in MailList Controller to open the editor.

Step 2: Click on "HTML Source"

Step 3: Check "Source Mode - Disable Rich-Text (HTML) WYSIWYG Editor".
This ensures, that the html sourcecode will not be changed by the internal ediorr.

Step 4: Create the newsletter message in the external editor and save the .html file to your hard-disk.

Step 5: Go back to the MailList Controller Editor and select "File -> Import HTML" or click on the "Open" icon.

For a more detailed description please take a look at:
How do I use an external HTML Editor to edit an Email Newsletter Message?

 

 

What is my POP3 and SMTP server?

The SMTP server is the mailserver for Outgoing Messages and the POP3 server is the mailserver for incoming messages.

Please refer to the information provided by your mail administrator or provider.

If you run your own domain, then the mail servers are often:
SMTP: smtp.yourdomain.tld or mail.yourdomain.tld 
POP3: pop.yourdomain.tld or pop3.yourdomain.tld or mail.yourdomain.tld 

See also: A List of SMTP and POP3 Mail Servers (Mail Server List)

 

 

How do I check if php is installed on my web server and how to detect the php version?

Please take a look at:
How to Check if php is installed on the Web Server and how to Detect the php Version

 

 

Error: Could not send message to: ... bad_address: ...; Failed when sending RCPT TO:<...>

"bad_address" means that the mailserver for outgoing messages (SMTP) has rejected the specified recipient.
In most cases an invalid authentication method is the reason for it or you have reached some kind of limitation on your mailserver.

A) If the authentication is invalid (you cannot send any message to an outside (external) email address at all)

  • Open the List Settings
  • Go to section "Outgoing Messages (SMTP)"
  • Change the "Authentication" to "SSL" (if it still fails try "StartTLS")

    When you send a test message using the "Test Email" of the internal editor, then please make sure, that you use an "outside" email address, this means an email address, which is not hosted by the same mailprovider. In some cases the mailserver might accept a message for a local recipient without authentication, but will NOT accept an external recipient without proper authentication.

  • See also: Help - Troubleshooting - Problems with outgoing Messages

 

B) If you get this error after you have sent out some messages, then it indicates that you have reached some kind of limitation on your mailserver.  It is not a program limitation - the program cannot send more messages, because your mailaccount / mailserver has a limitation. Please contact your mailadministrator or mailprovider about this issue.

Please note, that the program cannot send out more messages as your mailserver allows. Some mailserver have limits, e.g. some allow to send only x messages per hour. You can use the List Settings -> Outgoing Messages (SMTP) -> Limit feature to adjust the program to any limit.

If you have setup a limit in the List Settings -> Outgoing Messages (SMTP) then the task (mailing) will stop, the task will be re-scheduled and will continue automatically after the specified delay.

 

 

 

Can I connect to a hosted MySQL database?

Yes. Please take a look at: How to Connect to a hosted MySQL Server

 

 

ODBC: How to setup a DSN on 64bit systems for 32bit applications (Windows 7 64bit)

If you have created the DSN using "Administrative Tools" -> "Data Sources (ODBC)" on a 64bit system, then a 32bit application will not be able to access the DSN!

To setup a DSN for 32bit applications (like MailList Controller) on 64bit systems you must use:

"%windir%\syswow64\odbcad32.exe"
(Run the odbcad32.exe in this folder and create a new DSN)

It should also work fine, if you create the DSN from within the software, e.g. during the list setup.

See also: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942976

 

 

IMAP Account:  How does it work?

The program will create a (sub) folder with the name "MailList Controller" the first time you synchronize the lists.

The folder will be created either at top level with the name "Inbox.MailList Controller"
or as sub folder of the Inbox folder with the name "MailList Controller" - depending on your mailserver.

The program will move all automatically processed messages (like Subscribe/Remove) from the folder "Inbox" into the folder "MailList Controller". You can use this folder as storage or backup. Please clean the folder if your account goes over quota - the program only moves processed list messages from the inbox to the storage folder - other messages like question or replies will be left in the "Inbox" folder.

 

 

How can I re-start from scratch?

Please export all your lists, message templates, ... before going any further.
The following steps will remove everything and reset the configuration to a blank-installation!

WARNING: this will permanently delete all lists and members!

  • Locate the data-directory (data storage directory on your PC).
    Go to "Options" and search for the location.
    The default location is:

    Version 9.x: (Public Documents)
    Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Arclab MailList Controller\data
    Windows Vista and 7: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Arclab MailList Controller\data

    Version 6.x, 7.x and 8.x: (Public Documents)
    Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Arclab\MailList Controller\data
    Windows Vista and 7: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Arclab\MailList Controller\data

    Version 5.x: (Program Files)
    C:\Program Files\Arclab\MailList Controller\data

  • Make sure, that you have a copy of your license key! (or go to File->Update & License Management and write it down)
  • Now close the program and uninstall using the programs uninstaller.
  • Reboot (required if you have not closed the tray monitor of if the service was running during the uninstall)
  • Remove the data-directory on your HD - double check, that you have exported everything before !!!
  • Re-install the software.

 

Now you have a blank installation.

If you only want to remove the database (with all lists, members and settings), then you can also stop the mailservice, exit the program and remove ONLY the file db.mdb (WARNING: this will permanently delete all lists and members!). Now restart the program. This will reset the database, but will not remove the message drafts, logs, ... (only the lists and members). This can be required, e.g. if the database was corrupted or damaged and could not be repaired.

 

 

After installing the update I can only see 1 List - what happened?

The license includes free updates for 12 months from the purchase date!

The program informs you if you are qualified for a free update (if you have enabled "Check for Updates"). If you are qualified for a free update, then the program directs you to the download page, where you can download and install the latest version. If you are NOT qualified for a free update, then the program directs you to the "Discount Request Page" (we offer 50% discount for old version updates).

Please don't install the latest version if you are not qualified for a free update, otherwise the program will run in the "Free Version" mode, which means it will support a single list with max. 100 members only!

If you already have installed it, then you can either request a discount for the latest version or re-download the old version from our "Updates" page. Please re-enter your license key in the "File -> Update & License Management" dialog to unlock the version again!

 

 

Error: Could not start Service: Error 193: 0xc1

This error occurs when you have a file with the name "Program" on the system drive. e.g. c:\Program
or if the service file amlcSVC.exe was damaged.

 

 

I have edited the php File, now I get an error:
"Warning: Cannot modify header information – headers already sent"

php Error: "Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent"

 

 

Missing chars in fields when connecting to a MySQL database

MailList Controller version 9 uses unicode. Some older versions of the MySQL ODBC Connector won't support unicode, which could result in missing characters,  e.g. a missing char at the end.

  • Download and install the MySQL ODBC Connector version 5.1 (or newer)
  • Create a new list using the updated MySQL ODBC Connector
  • Open the list and verify the fields

  • If it still won't show the chars, then:
    change the charset in the "Details" of the MySQL ODBC Connector! (use unicode ... or utf-8)

 

 

What means [LMOS] and [NLM] in the logfile?

[LMOS] = Leave Message On Server (when using POP3)
[NLM] = Non List Message (when using IMAP)

 

 

Can I use Amazon AWS SES?

Yes, Amazon's SES supports SMTP, so you can use it with MailList Controller.
Please take a look at How to use Amazon AWS Simple Email Service (SES) for more details.

 

 

The HTML content disappears after pasting or importing HTML code

Remove the CSS3 code e.g. "box-shadow" from the CSS definition and retry.

 

 

Please contact us if you cannot find an answer to your question here.