Netscape Navigator mail has the capability to define and use multiple email accounts and email servers. While this is quite helpful, there is no mechanism in Netscape Navigator mail to facilitate changing these account settings depending on your network settings. While NetSwitcher does have the ability to modify your Windows networking settings, the settings for email servers are application specific and therefore each individual email client program must be supported. While we are working on adding support for the most popular email clients into NetSwitcher, many users have asked for assistance in this.
This FAQ describes a method of switching the default mail account in Netscape Navigator mail V4.0 and later using the NetSwitcher RunCommand feature. This method may be useful with other Netscape Navigator mail versions but no attempt to verify the accuracy of this with other versions has been made.
Step 1: Netscape Navigator mail stores its SMTP and POP server information in its prefs.js file. This file is found in the same general area as the Netscape Navigator mail program file. By default, this will be:
C:\Program Files\Netscape\Users\<YOUR USERNAME>\prefs.js
Please locate this file and note that your file location may be different depending on how you installed Netscape or configured its email account. Note that there may be more than one folder under the Users folder and you need to locate the correct one for your account.
Step 2: Create a folder called Configs under C:\Program Files\Netscape\Users\<YOUR USERNAME> and copy your current prefs.js file into it. Rename this copied file (not your original prefs.js file) to some name relating to its configuration. In my case, I used NETSW.js to reflect the mailserver at netswitcher.com.
Step 3: Start Navigator mail and configure it for your alternate mail server configuration. If you are just having trouble sending mail due to SPAM prevention measures on your ISP (i.e. you are getting the "Relaying Denied..." message) all you usually need to change is the SMTP server address. Once you've changed this, exit Netscape mail and then copy the now updated prefs.js file to the Configs folder. Rename it to some name relating to its configuration. In my case, I used WR.js to reflect another email server I use.
Step 4: To make this simpler in the NetSwitcher user interface, we setup a Windows BAT file as follows and store it in C:\Program Files\Netscape\Users\<YOUR USERNAME>\Configs:
@ECHO OFF
SET NSPATH=C:\Progra~1\Netscape\joe\Configs\%1
SET INPATH=C:\Progra~1\Netscape\joe\prefs.js
SET CPCMD=COPY /Y %NSPATH %INPATH
%CPCMD
Of course, your file may differ slightly depending on where the files for your Netscape Navigator installation are stored.
Step 5: Start NetSwitcher and go to the Extensions tab. Configure one to look like:
Click OK on this dialog and then SAVE this configuration with the SAVE button.
Now configure the another to look like:
And then save this configuration out under another name.
Step 6: That's all there is to it..... Test the setups out to make sure you have everything correct and then.... Enjoy! One thing to remember about Netscape. It writes out its settings to the prefs.js file every time it exits. So be sure that Netscape and Netscape mail are not running when you switch these things.