As of version 1.4.0, POP Collector can now install itself as a service, so long as the Windows 2003 Server Resource Kit Tools are installed (downloadable from Microsoft).

Note that this method has been tested in: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 2003, Windows 2008.

To install as a service:

- Start POP Collector.
- Tools... Install Service...
- You will get confirmation that the service installed if the operation is successful.

To remove the service, you can use the Remove Service menu link.

If installed this way as opposed to manual installation using srvany, POP Collector can detect if the service is running when it is started. This means that you can open the UI to make configuration changes, and the service will automatically be stopped on load. Once you have made the changes, the service will be started again when you exit POP Collector. This overcomes the irritation of having to stop and restart the service manually to pick up any config changes.

Hi,

Does the install path of either exchange / POP Collector or the Windows Support Tools have any influence on the functioning of the "install as a service" option?

My config is as follows:

Exchange installed on D: (with stores on E:)
POP Collector programm installed on D:
Windows Support Tools installed on C: (used to be on D:)

And I keep getting the message:

Window title: "Required files missing"

Text displayed above "OK" button: "Please download and install Windows 2003 Resource Kit Tools for this functionality to work"

Am I missing something? Any help would be greatly appreciated

PS: thanks for a wonderfull product

The installation path of POP Collector will make no difference. Currently, however, the support tools need to be installed to the default location - POP Collector checks the %PROGRAMFILES%\Windows Resource Kits\Tools\ folder for instsrv.exe. It shouldn't matter which drive %PROGRAMFILES% is on though - so long as the environment variable to it is set correctly.

To find out where POP Collector is looking, try opening a command prompt and typing:

echo %programfiles%

Windows 2000 server

I created folder "Windows Resource Kits\Tools" under "C:\Program Files" and copied there instsrv.exe and srvany.exe

echo %programfiles% returns "C:\Program Files"

The Tools menu for services are still grey out.

Thanks

The option will only become enabled on Windows XP and Windows 2003. This is because it hasn't been tested on other versions of Windows (and definitely won't work with later versions).

If you want to try it with Windows 2000, I've attached a version that will enable the option on Windows 2000 as well. Once installed, just overwrite your POP Collector.exe with the attached.

Please post back as to whether it works or not - if it does, I can include this in the release version.

It works! Thank you.

If you add SSL support to POP Collector it will be great.

Thanks for letting me know, I'll include the change in the next update.

There is unlikely to be SSL support in POP Collector due to the complexities of writing an SSL layer in VB6. I haven't the time to write my own implementation, and I am not aware of any third party tools or utilities that offer this facility for free (and I won't be paying for any of these as POP Collector makes me no money!!). If anyone does know of an SSL component or similar that I could incorporate (that won't cost me anything!), then I would be happy to take a look - but that is the only way PC will get SSL support.

There will be SSL support in EmerSMTP. There isn't a release date for this yet - and there will be a small charge once it is released (though the charge will be hugely lower than any similar offerings). EmerSMTP is taking time as it is a fully fledged mail-server as well as gateway/forwarder.