Howard::Outlook.com / GMail / Yahoo Email Notifier

Settings Export/Import

All settings are stored in the registry at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\CompSoft\Howard
You can use regedit.exe to export and import the settings.

However, your login credentials are usually stored in the Internet Explorer cookies. These can’t be exported/imported.

Seznam.cz using IMAP

Select as IMAP server ‘imap.seznam.cz:993’ and enter your email like ‘user.name@email.cz’ and your password.

is.mendelu.cz using IMAP

Select as IMAP server ‘node.mendelu.cz:993’ and enter your email like ‘xuser23’ and your password.

yandex.com using IMAP

You must enable IMAP at https://mail.yandex.com/#setup/client Mail -> All settings -> Email clients.
Further, create an app password at https://passport.yandex.com/profile/ Passwords and authorization -> App passwords.

Select as IMAP server ‘imap.yandex.com:993’ and enter your email and your app password.

You can also select ‘OAuth2 Auth Code Flow’ as auth method. A login window will guide you through the authentication process. Please note, ‘Mozilla Thunderbird Email’ is shown as email client.

iCloud using IMAP

Select as IMAP server ‘imap.mail.me.com:993’ and enter your email without ‘@icloud.com’ and app specific password from https://appleid.apple.com/account/manage

mail.ru using IMAP

Select as IMAP server ‘imap.mail.ru:993’ and enter your email and your ‘external application password’.

See https://help.mail.ru/mail/security/protection/external/ how to create the ‘external application password’.

Custom E-Mail Reader

You can start any application as E-Mail Reader. Set the corresponding ‘MailHandler’ to a string starting with a @ sign in the registry HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\CompSoft\Howard or ini. MailHandler is for Outlook.com, see existing list for other providers.
%1 will be replaced with the selected website.

Example: MailHandler=@"notepad.exe" foo.txt

Example for Windows Mail Application: MailHandler=@"explorer.exe" "shell:AppsFolder\microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps_8wekyb3d8bbwe!microsoft.windowslive.mail"

Force new Chrome Window instead of new Tab for Inbox

Set the registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\CompSoft\Howard -> MailHandler (this is for Outlook.com, see existing list for other providers) to @"C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome" --new-window %1 (adjust path to your Chrome installation)

Outlook.com using IMAP and OAuth2

Select as IMAP server ‘imap-mail.outlook.com:993’ and enter your email address.

Select ‘OAuth2 Auth Code Flow’ or ‘OAuth2 Device Code Flow’ as auth method. A login window will guide you through the authentication process.

macOS: Start Howard for the first time

macOS security settings might prevent starting Howard.

To start Howard,
- Control-click (Right Click) the app icon
- Choose Open from the shortcut menu
- Select Open

See https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/open-a-mac-app-from-an-unidentified-developer-mh40616/mac for details.

If this is still not working,
- Open System Settings
- Click Privacy & Security
- Scroll down, and click the Open Anyway button.

See https://support.apple.com/en-us/102445 for details.

If this is still not working, try to force the usage of Rosetta.
- Select the app's icon in the Finder
- From the File menu in the Finder menu bar, choose Get Info
- In the Info window that opens, check ‘Open using Rosetta’

See https://support.apple.com/en-us/102527#needsrosetta for details.

Additional Flags

In the registry at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\CompSoft\Howard -> Flags you can setup additional settings. Add the shown hexadecimal value to the existing Flags value.
Exit Howard before changing the Flags value.

0x400000000

Use larger alternative notification icon

GMail using IMAP and OAuth2

Select as IMAP server ‘imap.gmail.com:993’ and enter your email address.

Select ‘OAuth2 Auth Code Flow’ as auth method. A login window will guide you through the authentication process. Please note, ‘Mozilla Thunderbird Email’ is shown as email client.

IMAP Folders

To check for emails in folders below the inbox, use: INBOX/folder. If the folder is not below the inbox use only the name: folder.
In case you have sub folders, build the path with / sign between each folder. Example: folder/subFolder.

Outlook.com

If your newest mail gets automatically marked as unread, please adjust your Outlook / Live / Hotmail settings:
Gear Icon • Mail • Message handling • Select: Mark displayed items as read when the selection changes

GMail using IMAP

Google does no more allow IMAP access for accounts without 2-Step Verification.
Please enable 2-Step Verification on your Google account and use an App Password.

How to turn on 2-Step Verification: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185839.
How to create an App Password: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185833.

ToolTip Display Duration

Windows is restricting the duration of a tooltip. If you want a long display duration, check the ‘Use alternative Tooltip’ option. You can enter any duration like ‘60 minutes’. The listed options are only suggestions.

GMail using IMAP - 2-Step-Verification enabled

Select as IMAP server imap.gmail.com:993 and enter your email. You must create an App Password at https://myaccount.google.com/ -> Security -> Signing in to Google -> App Passwords

See https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185833 for more details.

Internet Explorer

Howard is using internally the Internet Explorer to store the login credentials. Don’t delete IE cookies using some privacy eraser / internet security application, otherwise Howard will ask for login credentials again.

Additional Settings

In the registry at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\CompSoft\Howard you can setup additional settings:

TaskBarWindowWidth	500	Width of the alternative tool tip
AllowToolTipInFullscreen	0	Set to 1 to allow the display of the alternative tool tip if an application is running in full screen
AllowSoundInFullscreen	0	Set to 1 to allow the notification sound if an application is running in full screen
Transparency	255	Specify the transparency of the alternative tool tip
TitleColor	0x505050	Color of the title in the mail list window
TextColor	0x505050	Color of the text in the alternative tool tip and mail list window
BackgroundColor	0xFCFCFC	Background color of the alternative tool tip and mail list window
BackgroundLogoColor	0xF0F0F0	Background color of the alternative tool tip and mail list window where the logo is shown
NoteColor	0xB0B0B0	Color of the mail list window info text if no unreal mail
MailListTopMost	0	Set to 1 to be the mail list top most
UnreadMailCountRegistryLocation	SOFTWARE\FinalWire\AIDA64\ImportValues\DW1	Report unread email count as DWORD at specified registry location
AlternatingShellIcon	0	Number of milliseconds for alternating notification icon when there is an unread email

Custom Notification Icon

You can customize the icon shown for ‘no unread mails’ and ‘unread mails’.
Place in the same folder where Howard is installed (usually C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Local\Howard) a file called PictureNoMails.png and/or PictureMails.png (or .bmp, .gif, .ico, .jpg)

GMail Folders

To check for emails in labeled folders, just enter the name of the label.
In case you have nested folders, specify both labels with a minus sign between. Example: parentLabel-subLabel.

GMail Login - ‘The browser you're using doesn't support JavaScript, or has JavaScript turned off’

GMails error message is misleading. On the ‘Choose an account’ page, don’t click onto the account you want to use, click onto ‘Add Account’ and enter your name and password.

As an alternative, you can use one of the IMAP tabs instead. IMAP is a different method to check for emails.