Intuit® ProConnection® Troubleshooting

Here we provide background on several issues that affect our readers, so they can continue to enjoy the Intuit® ProConnection® Newsletter without interruption.

The two most frequent problems encountered by our readers are as follows:

• Links Not Working in E-Mail Newsletter
• Not Receiving Intuit ProConnection E-Mail Newsletters

Reminder: A current copy of Intuit ProConnection and our archives are available online 24/7.

Links Not Working in E-Mail Newsletter

Reasons for e-mail links not working in your e-mail newsletter may vary depending on whether you are receiving an HTML e-mail or a text-based e-mail. Users currently have the ability to choose their preferred method of delivery (HTML or text) in their User Profile. If a preference is not set in the Profile, users receive a version based on their browser settings.

NOTE: The following comments relate to newsletters on or after March 2007. Previous newsletters relied on links via a previous vendor site, and those links are no longer viable. Stories in earlier newsletters as far back as 2005 can usually be found in our search capability (see above).

Which Type of Newsletter Am I Receiving? The text-based e-mail will only contain text and no graphics. Links in the text-based newsletter will display the URL address directly in all cases, starting with http:// or https://.

In contrast, the HTML newsletter will include graphics or graphics links, and links to the Web will include hyperlinks (where the URL is embedded in the text but not visible).

• HTML Newsletter Links Are Not Working
• TEXT Newsletter Links Are Not Working

HTML Newsletter Links Are Not Working

The most common reason links in an HTML e-mail newsletter stop working is because of a change in the Web browser or e-mail browser software.

CHECKLIST

1. Check Other E-Mails. See if links in other e-mails are still working. In most cases, the problem you are experiencing is across all links in HTML e-mails and not just with Intuit ProConnection. If the problem is across other e-mails too, proceed to Step 2. Otherwise, forward your newsletter, with an explanation, to IPC-Editor@Intuit.com.



2. Check Local Solutions. If you are working in a setting with support from a Help desk or network administration, pursue a solution through these resources. They will be knowledgeable about your computing environment and the most effective solution. Otherwise, continue.



3. Common Setting When Links Don't Work. Frequently the problems users have with failed links in HTML e-mails occur when the e-mail browser is Outlook Express. The following discussion assumes that Outlook Express is the e-mail browser. If you are having problems with an e-mail browser other than Outlook Express, such as Outlook or another product, the following comments may still be helpful.



4. Understand the Nature of the Problem: Pre-IE7. Because Outlook Express was linked closely with Internet Explorer, and changes to either could disrupt the ability of HTML links to function properly. Prior to the 2007 release of Internet Explorer 7, links would fail most often when the user added a third-party toolbar to the Web browser, started a service that provided a customized Web browser, or was involved with similar modifications. Message boards would share their issues and concerns on the topic. Microsoft has attempted to deal with many of these problems through later updates to either Outlook Express or Internet Explorer.

If you are using Outlook Express and Internet Explorer 6, and the products have their most current updates and the problem persists, the most common solutions involve resetting the program access and defaults. The following screenshots are from a computer on Windows XP SP2.

1. From "Start" Menu, Choose "Set Program Access and Defaults." See following.





2. From "Set Program Access and Defaults," Choose "Custom" Setting.



3. At "Custom" Settings, Select E-Mail and Web Browser. Click on the radio button for Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. Then click on the OK button. For many users, simply confirming Outlook Express and Internet Explorer as the e-mail and Web browser resolve the issue with HTML links in e-mails.






Note: For advanced users, you may want to refer to an exhaustive article on tweaking Internet Explorer 6 with Outlook Express, posted here.




5. Understand the Nature of the Problem: Post-IE7. The public rollout of Internet Explorer 7 affected many users who updated their software. The Microsoft team working on Internet Explorer did so independently of the team working on updating Outlook Express.


Microsoft has partially resolved some issues with ongoing updates. Microsoft has documented the problem of link failures in relation to IE7, as for example here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/904942/en-us



The Microsoft site includes recommendations for you to follow. If you are using IE7, we recommend you follow the procedures outlined for your operating system.


6. Sometimes the Microsoft Solutions Are Not Effective. The problem is that even following the instructions provided, not all users are able to restore the link.



7. Check the Microsoft Download Center. It's possible that forthcoming updates will further solve this problem. You need to make your own decisions on whether to accept individual updates, but you can review them here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/Search.aspx?displaylang=en




8. QuickBooks® Financial Software and Internet Explorer 7. Some QuickBooks products are not compatible with IE7. Intuit provides an Internet Explorer 7.0 Resource Center for guidance to QuickBooks users.

TEXT Newsletter Links Are Not Working

The most common reason why links may not work in a text newsletter is that the e-mail browser may break a longer URL with a hard carriage return. What's happening? Behind the scenes, the software inserts the break automatically after a certain number of characters, to fit the parameters of the e-mail browser display.

Example

Here are examples from a 2007 story on payroll.

Original Link

This link takes the user to the payroll story:

http://accountantservices1.intuit.com/r/c/r?2.1.3K7.2YV.17Zryw.C9HUfE.2.T.Crn4.1I9k.KaaEdN00

Link as Broken in E-Mail Browser

When broken the link is partial. Note that only the top part of the link is enabled. In this case the link takes the user to a default Intuit site. In other cases, the user may receive a "page not found" message.

http://accountantservices1.intuit.com/r/c/r?2.1.3
K7.2YV.17Zryw.C9HUfE.2.T.Crn4.1I9k.KaaEdN00

Short-Term Solution

If the link is broken, you will need to cut and past both parts of the link — the first part and the second part - into your Web browser address line so they form a single text link with no spaces.

Longer Term Solution

Explore the settings on your e-mail browser. You may have some control over how wide the text display is and this may control the automated insertion of hard carriage returns.

Not Receiving Intuit ProConnection E-Mail Newsletters

We want you to receive every issue of Intuit ProConnection, so we've developed a series of steps you can follow as listed below. In the meanwhile, we try to have the most current issue of the newsletter available online for your reference.

If you have a network or systems administrator in your office, that person may be able to help you resolve the issue directly. However, we know many of our readers are sole practitioners. Therefore the following CHECKLIST is provided to walk you through several steps to help make sure you are able to receive the newsletter.

CHECKLIST

1. Check with Our Editor


Let our editor know at IPC-Editor@Intuit.com for further assistance. Our editor can check the status of your account and determine if the existing account is valid.

You may want to proceed along the following steps on your own before you hear back from the editor, especially Steps 2 through 5.


Steps 2 through 4 relate to e-mail options on your desktop.


2. Address Book


Add our "sending" address to your address book. Just having our address in your e-mail address book can help our e-mails reach you in some cases.

That address is

IntuitProConnection@accountantservices1.intuit.com




3. Check Your Junk E-Mail Folder


Most e -mail browsers are set to deal with certain kinds of e-mail as junk or spam.

You can learn more about how your e-mail browser deals with junk or spam messages by visiting Help for your specific browser. The following examples come from Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, SP2. (Screenshots are edited for ease of presentation.)


1. Access the Junk Folder. Find the folder by first using the Go pulldown menu and choosing Folder List.





2. Select the Junk Folder.





3. Review the Folder


The Junk E-Mail folder will be displayed, including any messages currently sent to the folder. If the Intuit ProConnection Newsletter is not currently in the Junk E-mail folder, skip ahead to step 5 below.

If the newsletter is currently in the Junk E-Mail Folder, you can change how the e-mail browser handles such e-mails, so they won't go into the Junk folder.




4. Right-Click the E-Mail Message to Change How It's Handled.


If you put your mouse cursor over the message in question and right-click the mouse, a pop-up menu will let you change how your e-mail browser will handle future e-mails. See the graphic following:



Select Junk E-mail and click on the right-hand triangle to open up various options. From those options, click on Add Sender's Domain to Safe Sender's List.


4. Junk E-Mail Filters and the Safe Senders List


As an alternative to Step 4 - or if you did not find the newsletter in the Junk folder, but still want to make sure it will not be sent there in the future - you can work with the Junk E-Mail Filters and the Safe Senders List directly.


1. Choose "Options" from the "Tools" Menu. The Options dialog box will appear.





2. On the "Preferences" Tab of the Options Dialog Box, Click the "Junk E-Mail" Button. This will call up the Junk E-Mail Options Dialog Box.





3. At the "Junk E-Mail Options" Dialog Box, Review "Options." See below. The default setting for the Junk E-Mail Filter is Low. You can choose any setting you prefer. At our next step, we will add the newsletter to the Safe Senders list.





4. Add the E-mail Address Domain to your "Safe Senders" List. First, click on the tab heading for Safe Senders. (See graphic below.) Then click on the Add button.





5. Enter the Domain Name into the Add Box. The Add address or domain box will appear as shown, below.




Type in the domain name,

@accountantservices1.intuit.com



and then click on the OK button.



Notes:
• An e-mail domain is the most general part of the address, including the @ sign and what follows. Examples are @aol.com or @msn.com.



• The e-mail address requires a unique identifier preceding the domain name. Examples of unique identifiers are jsmith or Dale4. When joined to domains, they form complete e-mail addresses. Examples are jsmith@aol.com and Dale4@msn.com.



• We recommend including the entire domain name in case there are any minor changes in the unique part of our e-mail address (the part to the left of the @ sign).



6. Check for the Addition to the Safe Senders List. Look in the Safe Senders List area of the Safe Senders Tab on the Junk E-mail Options Dialog Box. If it is okay, then click on the OK button at the bottom of the dialog box. When the Add box closes, the address or domain should





7. Confirm All Your Changes on the "Options" Dialog Box. After you click OK on the Junk E-Mail Options Dialog Box, above, you will be returned to the Options Dialog Box, shown following. Be sure to click the OK button on this box to confirm your changes.





Steps 5 through 7 relate to possible interception of the e-mail newsletter before it gets to your desktop.


5. Check with Any System Administrators


As noted above, if you work in an office setting where there is a systems or network administrator who helps your organization manage e-mail, work with that administrator. Feel free to share this link and see if the administrator can assist you, especially if there are any e-mail management programs installed at a local server level.


6. Working with Spam Blockers and White Lists


For practitioners operating with more direct connection to their Internet Service Provider (ISP), one possible point of intervention is a software service called a Spam Blocker.

Many Spam Blockers function between your e-mail browser and the ISP server, so that a blocked e-mail message would never appear on your system.

If you have a Spam Blocker program, it's likely you would know about it, since they are initiated by the user. Spam Blockers have names like ChoiceMail One, QuikCop, SpamAI, SpamArrest, SpamElimination, SpamFighter, etc.


1. Go the documentation or online Help for your Spam Blocker.



2. Identify what steps you can take to approve e-mail from a specific domain or an address.



3. Many Spam Blockers use the term White List to refer to approved e-mail domains and addresses.



4. The White List may exist independent of the Safe Senders list discussed above in Step 5.



5. If the White List accepts domains, add the domain @accountantservices1.intuit.com to the list.



6. If the White List will only accept complete addresses, add the address IntuitProConnection@accountantservices1.intuit.com to the list.



7. ISPs and Their Contractors


On occasion, the following steps will have been taken and the e-mail newsletter may still not be getting to you. Because ISPs are eager to protect their clients from Spam, if a certain address, domain, or e-mail vendor is identified with potentially abusive practices, they may be added to a filter so the ISP clients will be spared potential junk or spam e-mail.

On occasion, the filters are applied so liberally at the ISP level that opt-in e-mail messages, like your Intuit ProConnection Newsletter, are also affected.


1. Contacting Your ISP. Some ISPs are very responsive, and could let you know if they have any filters in place that might knock out Intuit ProConnection. Other ISPs may not be so responsive.



2. Escalation. If you are not hearing back from your ISP, let us know at IPC-Editor@Intuit.com . We can't make any promises, but in some cases we may be able to escalate your inquiry.



3. ISP Contractors. While rare, the situation can be complicated by nonstandard policies in place with any of the contractors who supply services to your ISP. Most ISPs set anti-spam standards for their contractors to follow; on occasion a contractor standard differs from that of the ISP.