GroupWise 2012 Client Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

This Novell GroupWise 2012 User Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) is intended to help GroupWise users who have not found the information they need in the GroupWise online help or User Guides:

Feedback

We want to hear your comments and suggestions about this manual and the other documentation included with this product. Please use the User Comment feature at the bottom of each page of the online documentation.

Additional Documentation

For additional GroupWise documentation, see the following user guides at the Novell GroupWise 2012 Documentation Web site:

1.0 How Do I Find What I Need in the GroupWise User Documentation?

1.1 Step 1: Online Help in the GroupWise Client

Online help is always available in GroupWise.

  • Windows Client: Click Help > Help Topics and Help > Training and Tutorials.

  • WebAccess: Click Options icon > Help.

  • WebAccess Mobile: Tap Help icon.

The online help offers three ways to access the information provided in the help:

  • Contents: Provides task oriented (“How Do I”) access to the help information. This is a great place for beginners to get started.

  • Index: Provides alphabetical access to common tasks and features. This is a great help when you know what you want to do but you can’t figure out how to do it.

  • Search: Provides a full text search of the help information based on keywords. If the index doesn’t have it, the full text search should.

If the online help doesn’t help you, proceed to Step 2: Online Training and Tutorials in the GroupWise Windows Client or Step 3: User Guides on the GroupWise Documentation Web Site.

1.2 Step 2: Online Training and Tutorials in the GroupWise Windows Client

If you are using the GroupWise Windows client, click Help > Training and Tutorials for additional assistance. By default, this option displays the GroupWise 2012 End-User Training page provided by BrainStorm, Inc. However, your GroupWise administrator can customize the URL that displays when you click Help > Training and Tutorials. It might be more in-depth training provided by BrainStorm, or it might be customized training provided by your GroupWise administrator. Make sure you are familiar with the contents of the Training and Tutorials feature.

1.3 Step 3: User Guides on the GroupWise Documentation Web Site

All GroupWise user versions have an easy-to-access User Guide posted on the GroupWise 2012 Documentation Web site:

  • Windows Client: Click Help > User Guide.

  • WebAccess: Click Help > Novell GroupWise 2012 Documentation Web site > GroupWise WebAccess User Guide.

  • WebAccess Mobile: Tap More > Help > Novell GroupWise 2012 Documentation Web site > GroupWise WebAccess Mobile User Guide.

The User Guides are provided in both HTML and PDF format. Both formats are searchable and yield different kinds of search results.

  • HTML Search: To search the HTML version of a User Guide, click the main link to the guide on the GroupWise 2012 Documentation Web site. In the Search for field, type the word or phrase to search for, then press Enter. Web search technology is used to return pages where the word or phrase is found in the User Guide, ranked according to the likelihood that the page is what you’re looking for.

  • PDF Search: To search the PDF version of a User Guide, click the PDF link to the guide on the GroupWise 2012 Documentation Web site. In the Find field, type the word or phrase to search for, then press Enter to find the first instance. Click Find Forward to continue searching through the document for instances of the word or phrase. This full text search procedure is more thorough than the Web search approach.

HINT:When you are in the HTML version of a User Guide, you can click View PDF at the top of any page to immediately open the PDF version of the User Guide.

If the User Guide doesn’t help you, proceed to Step 4: User Comments Link in the User Guides.

1.4 Step 4: User Comments Link in the User Guides

If you have searched the online help and the User Guide for the version of GroupWise you are using and you still cannot find the information you need, you can submit a user comment about the documentation. Just click Add Comment at the bottom of any page of the HTML version of the documentation.

IMPORTANT:For best results, submit your comment on the page of the User Guide where you tried to find the information.

When you submit a user comment, one of the following things happens:

  • We know where the answer to your question is in the current documentation. We send a response to you to help you find the information you need.

  • We know the answer to your question and we discover that it is not in the current documentation. We send a response to you and post the information on the page where you made your comment. The information will be added to the next version of the GroupWise documentation.

  • We don’t know the answer to your question. We find the answer to your question, then proceed as described above.

  • We technical writers can’t help you resolve problems with the GroupWise software. When GroupWise doesn’t work for you the way it’s supposed to, we refer you to Step 5: GroupWise Support Forum.

NOTE:Response times vary.

1.5 Step 5: GroupWise Support Forum

The GroupWise Support Forum provides assistance from expert volunteer Knowledge Partners from around the world, not to mention helpful GroupWise users from around the world as well. If GroupWise isn’t working for you as documented, post your problem on the GroupWise Support Forum for free assistance.

2.0 GroupWise Windows Client FAQ

NOTE:External cross-references in the section are found in the GroupWise 2012 Windows Client User Guide.

The default GroupWise color scheme changed in GroupWise 2012. How do I change it back?

See Customizing Individual GroupWise Appearance Settings.

What happened to Resend and Retract in GroupWise 2012?

The Resend feature has been replace by Edit and Duplicate.

Use Edit to change information in an appointment that you have already sent. The existing appointments in users’ Calendars are updated with your changes, so you do not need to retract the appointment that you originally sent.

Use Duplicate to use an existing appointment as a boilerplate for a new appointment. Because you are creating a copy of an existing appointment, modifying it, and then sending a new appointment, the original appointment is not affected when you duplicate it.

How do I change my password when I know my current password?

See Assigning a Password to Your Mailbox.

I’ve forgotten my password or user name. How do I access my account?

Contact your organization’s GroupWise administrator.

If your GroupWise system includes GroupWise WebAccess, you can use the Can’t log in? link on the WebAccess Login page for more information about how to get your password reset in your organization.

How do I customize the Home View?

See Understanding the Main GroupWise Window and Using Panels to Organize Your Home Folder.

Help! I’ve had fun playing with my Home View. Now how do I put it back?

Right-click the Home icon, then click Properties > Display > Customize Panels > Restore Defaults.

How do I set up an automated response to let people know that I’m on vacation or out of the office?

See Creating a Vacation Rule or Auto Reply.

How do I add text, such as contact information, to the bottom of every message I send?

See Adding a Signature or vCard.

My personal information in the GroupWise Address Book is out of date. How do I update it?

You cannot edit the information in the GroupWise Address Book yourself. You must contact your GroupWise administrator in order to update your personal information.

How do I change the way my name appears in messages?

See Changing Your Display Name. If the conditions described in this procedure do not apply to your circumstance, you must have your local GroupWise administrator use ConsoleOne to change how your name appears.

How do I display just my unopened items?

The default Home View includes an Unread Items panel, as described in Understanding the Main GroupWise Window.

If you don’t use the Home View, you can create a Find Results folder, as described in Understanding Find Results Folders. Use an Advanced Find, and set it up so that Item Status does not include Opened (or any other status that you do not want listed in the Find Results folder). You can then look in this folder to see all your unopened items as a group.

How do I get notified of incoming messages?

See Starting Notify.

How do I turn on sound or change the sound of my appointment alarms?

See Setting How to Be Notified for Calendar Alarms. To change the sound that plays when a new item arrives in your mailbox, see Setting Notification for New Items.

Can I set an alarm on a task?

At present, you can’t set alarms on tasks.

Can I send automatic email reminders to other users?

For a single message, you could use the Delay Delivery feature to have a message delivered on a specified day at a specified time. See Delaying Delivery of an Item. However, the Delay Delivery feature cannot be used in conjunction with recurring items. If you want to remind others of something every two weeks, for example, you must set up each reminder individually.

How do I schedule an annual event, like a birthday or anniversary?

See Scheduling a Custom Recurring Item by Formula if you want to use reminder notes, or see Scheduling an Appointment for Yourself if you want to use all day events.

How do I change my default font for composing and viewing messages?

See the following sections:

How do I turn on or turn off the header on messages I print?

For a Plain Text formatted message, right-click the message, then click Print > Print Options. Select or deselect Print Header as needed.

For an HTML formatted message, the message displays and prints according to your current Internet Explorer browser settings (File > Page Setup > Headers and Footers).

How do I print a specific personal calendar?

See Printing a Specific Calendar.

What do all the little symbols next to my messages mean?

See Identifying Icons Appearing Next to Items.

Someone gave me proxy access to a mailbox. How do I access it?

See Mailbox/Calendar Access for Proxy Users.

How do I change the ownership of a shared folder?

At present, there is not an easy way to transfer ownership of a shared folder from one user to another. As a workaround, one of the users with whom the folder is shared can create a new folder and move the contents of the shared folder into it, then share that new folder with the other users, thus becoming the owner of the newly shared copy of the original shared folder. The new owner must have full rights to the original shared folder.

Help! My folder list has disappeared. How do I get it back?

Click View > Folder List. If you’re in a context where that doesn’t work, click Tools > Options > Environment > Appearance > Display Folder List.

Help! A column header has disappeared. How do I get it back? And how do I add more columns?

Right-click an existing column heading, click More Columns, then select the columns you want to display.

Where is the Accounts menu that I need in order to set up a POP or IMAP email account in GroupWise?

The Accounts menu is availably only if your GroupWise administrator has enabled this feature, as described in Modifying Environment Options in Client in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide. Ask your GroupWise administrator to enable the feature. Your GroupWise administrator might also require you to be in Caching mode in order to add accounts.

Can I delete attachments from a received message?

No. Not at the present time. However, there are third-party applications that can do this for you. See the Novell Partner Product Guide for suggestions.

In the Attach File dialog box, how do I set the default file listing to Details (to include file size, type, and date) instead of List (which just lists the file names)?

Unfortunately, you cannot change the default list presentation in GroupWise or in the Windows operating system environment.

How do I forward all my mail from my GroupWise account to a personal email account?

See Creating a Rule to Forward All Mail to Another Account.

Can I send a message to a cell phone?

Most cell phones include an email address for SMS messages. If you want to forward your messages to your own cell phone, you need to contact your carrier to determine the email address of your phone. If you want to send a message to someone else’s cell phone, you need to know the email address of that person’s phone.

Why have my items disappeared out of my mailbox?

This has to do with your personal cleanup options. Keep in mind that your administrator can override your personal settings for cleanup options.

See Archiving Items Automatically.

How do I move my archive?

In the Windows client, click Tools > Options > Environment > File Location, then look at the Archive directory path to see where your archive is right now. Delete the current location and save the blank setting of no archive directory, so that no archiving can be performed while you are moving the archive. Copy your archive directory to the desired location, then go back to Tools > Options > Environment > File Location and provide the new location. Make sure you can access your archive in the new location, then delete the archive from the original location to conserve disk space.

Why are there discrepancies between the folder structure in my archive and in my Online or Caching mailbox?

Theoretically, the folder structure in your archive should match the folder structure in your mailbox. However, over time, you have probably renamed folders, deleted folders, and moved folders as you worked in your mailbox. The archive does not keep up with all these changes to the mailbox folder structure. Therefore, sometimes items aren’t archived where you expect them to be archived. Sometimes you need to use the Find feature to locate archived items.

This issue is more frequent with users whose GroupWise archives date back through numerous GroupWise releases.

Can I transfer my GroupWise archive onto a CD to save space on my workstation and then access it from the CD when I need to refer to old items?

If you copy your GroupWise archive onto a CD, it is marked read-only. At present, GroupWise cannot open a read-only archive. You can copy it from the CD back into a read-write environment in order to access it.

You set your archive location using Tools > Options > Environment > File Location > Archive Directory. You need to be careful that your archive location is always set to the correct directory where you want ongoing automatic archiving to take place. At present, we do not recommend or support multiple archive locations, although it is possible.

How do I get GroupWise to start maximized?

Manually size the GroupWise client window by dragging its borders to occupy your full screen. Do not use the Maximize button. If you want GroupWise permanently maximized, you can right-click the GroupWise desktop icon, then click Properties. In the Run drop-down list, select Maximized.

I’ve run out of space in my mailbox. I’ve deleted everything I can think of. Now what?

You need to actually empty the Trash before your disk space consumption goes down.

3.0 GroupWise Mac/Linux Client FAQ

NOTE:External cross-references in the section are found in the GroupWise 8 Mac/Linux Client User Guide.

Why is the GroupWise 8 Mac/Linux client included with GroupWise 2012?

Novell is currently formulating a long-term GroupWise Mac/Linux client strategy. In the interim, the GroupWise 8 Mac/Linux client has been included in GroupWise 2012. Although no enhancements have been made to this client, it is completely compatible with a post office that has been updated to GroupWise 2012.

I'm used to the GroupWise Windows client. What differences am I going to see when I use the Mac/Linux client?

See GroupWise Comparison.

How do I change my password when I know my current password?

See Assigning a Password to Your Mailbox.

I’ve forgotten my password or user name. How do I access my account?

Contact your organization’s GroupWise administrator.

How do I set up an automated response to let people know that I'm on vacation or out of the office?

See Creating a Vacation Rule or Auto Reply

How do I add text, such as contact information, to the bottom of every message I send?

See Adding a Signature or vCard

My personal information in the GroupWise Address Book is out of date. How do I update it?

You cannot edit the information in the GroupWise Address Book yourself. You must contact your GroupWise administrator in order to update your personal information.

How do I change the way my name appears in messages?

See Changing Your Display Name If the conditions described in this procedure do not apply to your circumstance, you must have your local GroupWise administrator use ConsoleOne to change how your name appears.

How do I schedule an annual event, like a birthday or anniversary?

See Scheduling Recurring Items if you want to use reminder notes, or see Scheduling an Appointment for Yourself if you want to use all day events.

How do I change my default font for composing and viewing messages?

See the following sections:

What do all the little symbols next to my messages mean?

See Identifying the Icons Appearing Next to Items

How do I add another column to a list of items?

Right-click an existing column heading, click More Columns, then select the columns you want to display.

Can I delete attachments from a received message?

No. Not at the present time. However, there are third-party applications that can do this for you. See the Novell Partner Product Guide for suggestions.

Someone gave me proxy access to a mailbox. How do I access it?

See Becoming a Proxy User in Another User’s Mailbox

How do I change the ownership of a shared folder?

At present, there is not an easy way to transfer ownership of a shared folder from one user to another. As a workaround, one of the users with whom the folder is shared can create a new folder and move the contents of the shared folder into it, then share that new folder with the other users, thus becoming the owner of the newly shared copy of the original shared folder. The new owner must have full rights to the original shared folder.

How do I forward all my mail from my GroupWise account to a personal email account?

See Creating a Rule to Forward Mail to Another Account

Can I send a message to a cell phone?

Most cell phones include an email address for SMS messages. If you want to forward your messages to your own cell phone, you need to contact your carrier to determine the email address of your phone. If you want to send a message to someone else’s cell phone, you need to know the email address of that person’s phone.

Why have my items disappeared out of my mailbox?

This has to do with your personal cleanup options. Keep in mind that your administrator can override your personal settings for cleanup options.

See Archiving Items Automatically.

How do I move my archive?

In the Mac/Linux client, click Tools > Options > Environment > File Location, then look at the Archive directory path to see where your archive is right now. Delete the current location and save the blank setting of no archive directory, so that no archiving can be performed while you are moving the archive. Copy your archive directory to the desired location, then go back to Tools > Options > Environment > File Location and provide the new location. Make sure you can access your archive in the new location, then delete the archive from the original location to conserve disk space.

NOTE:On a Mac, click GroupWise > Preferences instead of Tools > Options.

I’ve run out of space in my mailbox. I’ve deleted everything I can think of. Now what?

You need to actually empty the Trash before your disk space consumption goes down.

4.0 GroupWise WebAccess FAQ

NOTE:External cross-references in the section are found in the GroupWise 2012 WebAccess User Guide.

I’ve forgotten my password or user name. How do I access my account?

Contact your organization's GroupWise administrator. Additional information should be available by clicking the Can’t log in? link on the Login page.

I'm used to the GroupWise Windows client. What differences am I going to see when I use GroupWise WebAccess?

See Novell GroupWise Comparison Web page.

I don’t see a Help icon. How do I access online help?

Click Options icon > Help.

Where's the Home tab?

The Home folder was a new feature in the GroupWise 7 Windows client. It is not yet available in GroupWise WebAccess.

How do I stop my password from being automatically provided on the GroupWise WebAccess login page?

This functionality is being provided by your Web browser, not by GroupWise WebAccess client. Consult your Web browser documentation for instructions on disabling this feature.

What do I do if my session times out while I’m working on a message?

If your GroupWise administrator has configured WebAccess as described in Setting the Timeout Interval for Inactive Sessions in WebAccess in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide, you should not lose a message your are working on when your session times out. If you do lose messages under these conditions, contact your GroupWise administrator.

How do I set up an automated response to let people know that I'm on vacation or out of the office?

See Creating a Vacation Rule or Auto Reply.

How do I add text like contact information to the bottom of every message I send?

See Adding a Signature.

My personal information in the GroupWise Address Book is out of date. How do I update it?

You cannot edit the information in the GroupWise Address Book yourself. You must contact your GroupWise administrator in order to update your personal information.

How do I change the way my name appears in messages?

You must have your local GroupWise administrator use ConsoleOne to change how your name appears.

What do all the little symbols next to my messages mean?

See Identifying the Icons Appearing Next to Items.

Why do messages keep disappearing from my mailbox?

GroupWise performs cleanup activities on you mailbox, such as archiving or deleting old messages, on a regular basis. When you use GroupWise WebAccess, items are archived or deleted according to the default settings provided by your GroupWise administrator in ConsoleOne or according to settings you provide in the GroupWise Windows client, as described in Archiving Items Automatically in the GroupWise 2012 Windows Client User Guide.

How do I block unwanted messages from my mailbox?

In GroupWise WebAccess, you are dependent on whatever your GroupWise administrator has set up for your GroupWise system, as described in Blocking Unwanted Email from the Internet in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide.

When you use the GroupWise Windows client, you have more control over what you allow into your own mailbox, as described in Handling Unwanted Email (Spam) in the GroupWise 2012 Windows Client User Guide.

If you have a small number of specific addresses that you want to block, you can set up a rule, as described in Creating a Rule.

Can I delete attachments from a received message?

No. Not at the present time. However, there are third-party applications that can do this for you. See the Novell Partner Product Guide for suggestions.

Someone gave me proxy access to a mailbox. How do I access it?

See Accessing a Mailbox or Calendar as a Proxy.

How do I forward all my mail from my GroupWise account to a personal email account?

See Forwarding Email to Other People.

Can I send a message to a cell phone?

Most cell phones include an email address for SMS messages. If you want to forward your messages to your own cell phone, you need to contact your carrier to determine the email address of your phone. If you want to send a message to someone else’s cell phone, you need to know the email address of that person’s phone.

I’ve run out of space in my mailbox. I’ve deleted everything I can think of. Now what?

You need to actually empty the Trash before your disk space consumption goes down.

5.0 GroupWise WebAccess Mobile FAQ

NOTE:External cross-references in the section are found in the GroupWise 2012 WebAccess Mobile User Guide.

I’ve forgotten my password or user name. How do I access my account?

Contact your organization's GroupWise administrator. Additional information should be available by clicking the Can’t log in? link on the Login page.

I'm used to GroupWise WebAccess in a desktop browser. What differences am I going to see when I use WebAccess on a tablet device?

See What’s Different.

See also the Novell GroupWise Comparison Web page.

How do I log out of my GroupWise mailbox?

Click More > Logout.

6.0 Non-GroupWise Clients FAQ

How do I access my GroupWise mailbox from a handheld device?

See Mobile Devices in the GroupWise 2012 Interoperability Guide.

How do I access my GroupWise mailbox from Microsoft Outlook?

See Outlook Express and Microsoft Outlook in Non-GroupWise Email Clients in the GroupWise 2012 Interoperability Guide.

How do I access my GroupWise mailbox from Evolution?

See Evolution in Non-GroupWise Email Clients in the GroupWise 2012 Interoperability Guide.

7.0 GroupWise Comparison

7.1 Comparing GroupWise User Environments

GroupWise includes multiple methods for accessing your GroupWise mailbox:

  • Windows Client: A proven e-mail client, the GroupWise 2012 Windows client is a robust, full-featured access point from your Windows desktop to your GroupWise mailbox. It offers a wide array of features to meet the needs of basic to advanced users.

  • Linux/Mac Client: First introduced in 2004, the GroupWise 8 Linux/Mac client offers the most vital GroupWise features to Linux and Macintosh users, with additional GroupWise functionality being added with each new GroupWise release. The GroupWise 8 Linux/Mac client can be used with GroupWise 2012.

  • WebAccess: WebAccess provides access to your GroupWise mailbox in any environment (Windows, Linux, and Macintosh) where a browser and an Internet connection are available. In addition, using the WebAccess basic interface, you can access your GroupWise mailbox from a mobile device such as a cell phone.

  • WebAccess Mobile: WebAccess Mobile provides access to your GroupWise mailbox from a table device such as an Apple iPad.

7.2 Comparing GroupWise with Other Email Solutions

GroupWise functionality compares very favorably with competitive email solutions:

8.0 Where Do I Go for More Help?

In addition to the GroupWise product documentation, the following resources provide additional information about GroupWise 2012: