Getting Started
What is TrueSwitch?
How does TrueSwitch work?
Will TrueSwitch work with my computer (system requirements)?
Does TrueSwitch support my Internet Service Providers?
Which email programs will TrueSwitch work with?

Using TrueSwitch
How do I copy my personal information to my new Internet account?
How do I notify contacts with my new email address?
How do I setup email forwarding?
How do I cancel my old Internet account?
What is "Contact Update"?

 
Miscellaneous
Will the TrueSwitch service copy all attachments and downloads I received through my emails from my old ISP to my new account?
What is a "Site Access Error" that I received in my confirmation email?
What does the "Account Not Initialized" mean in the confirmation email?

Downloading and Installation
How do I download TrueSwitch?
What if I'm having problems installing?
Should I uninstall AOL (or MSN)?

What is TrueSwitch?

TrueSwitch is a service that provides you assistance with switching Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or email accounts.  Many users have felt "trapped" by their existing ISP because they have all their personal information stored in a proprietary application (e.g., AOL, CompuServe, Earthlink, MSN, etc.), their friends all know their email address, or simply because canceling the old account is such a hassle. No more!

TrueSwitch offers you an easy, fast and simple way to switch to your new ISP or email account. TrueSwitch automatically copies your personal data to your new account, notifies your friends with the new email address and forwards any e-mails arriving at their old e-mail addresses.  The five major functional components of TrueSwitch are:

1. Personal Data Copying.  You have the option to request that TrueSwitch copy your personal data (e.g., address book, calendar, stored emails, favorites, etc.) from your old Internet account to your new Internet account.

2. Notify Your Contacts.  You have the option to request that TrueSwitch notify contacts in your address book of (i) the change in email address, and (ii) updated personal contact information (e.g., home address, phone numbers, etc.).

If you select the 'Notify Your Contacts' option, TrueSwitch generates a change of email notification ("Change of Address Notification") and emails it to all the contacts in your address book. If you choose the "Express Switching" option in the Software, all entries in your address book with a valid email address will be sent a Change of Address Notification.  If you prefer not to use this feature, or to choose which contacts to notify, please select the "Custom Switching" option when using the Software.

If you select the 'Update Your Contact Information' option, TrueSwitch generates a message containing your contact information ("Update Contact Information Notification") and emails it to all the contacts in your address book.  Each Update Contact Information Notification also provides the recipient with the information pertaining to that individual from your address book.  The Update Contact Information Notification requests the recipient to update his / her records with your latest information, and also to update / confirm the accuracy of the contact information for the recipient from your address book.

3. Instant Messaging ('IM") Switching.  If you select the 'IM Switching' option, TrueSwitch generates a message containing your old and new IM screen names ("Update IM Notification") and instant messages it to all the screen names in your IM contact list (also referred to as your Buddy List® directory on AOL Instant MessengerT).

4. Email Forwarding.  You have the option to request that TrueSwitch check your old Internet account at your old ISP and forward any new emails to your new Internet account.  This feature will only work while both your old and new Internet accounts remain active and provided that you do not change the password to your old account after initiating a request for email forwarding.

5. Account Cancellation.  You have the option to request that TrueSwitch send you a reminder message to the TrueAssistant Message Center to cancel your old account.  For certain ISPs that support cancellation by email or fax, TrueSwitch can also collect the necessary account information and automatically send an email or fax on your behalf requesting that your old Internet account be cancelled.  Esaya does not guarantee the cancellation of the old account, as ISPs may change their cancellation policies without notice.  You are responsible for canceling your old Internet account to avoid incurring any additional charges.

Additional information on the functional components within TrueSwitch is available at www.trueswitch.com

Technical support for TrueSwitch, as made available by Esaya, is described at www.trueswitch.com/help

To initiate your use of TrueSwitch, you need to click on the "Get Started" or "Download Now" buttons on the Website.  This will install the TrueSwitch Wizard Software that will guide you through the steps to switch your ISP or email account.

How does TrueSwitch work?

The TrueSwitch service is built around two components: the TrueSwitch Wizard (or Software) and an application hosted on our web servers.

The TrueSwitch Wizard is a small software program that you download to your computer. When run, it can detect the Internet accounts installed on your computer. You select which account you wish to switch from, and which one to switch to…the TrueSwitch Wizard will do the rest.

There are two modes of operation that you can select.  "Express Switching" and "Custom Switching".  If you select the "Express Switching" the Software will attempt to:

• Copy all your personal data (Address Book, Calendar, Favorites, Stored Email) from your old account to your new account.  If you prefer not to use this feature, or to choose which personal data to copy, please select the "Custom Switching" option when using the Software.

• Notify all your contacts.  TrueSwitch emails a Change of Address Notification to all the contacts in your address book with a valid email address. If you prefer not to use this feature, or to choose which contacts to notify, or wish to customize the "Change of Address Notification", please select the "Custom Switching" option when using the TrueSwitch Wizard.

• Forward your emails.  TrueSwitch will check your old Internet account at your old ISP and forward any new emails to your new Internet account for a period of 30 days. This feature will only work while both your old and new Internet accounts remain active and provided that you do not change the password to your old account after initiating a request for email forwarding.  If you prefer not to use this feature, please select the "Custom Switching" option when using the Software.

• Help cancel your old account.  TrueSwitch send you a reminder message to the TrueAssistant Message Center to cancel your old account providing you with the phone number to call, the information that you will need, etc. . (This message will be sent 21 days later if "Forward your emails" is selected.)  For certain ISPs that support cancellation by email or fax, TrueSwitch can also collect the necessary account information and automatically send an email or fax on your behalf requesting that your old Internet account be cancelled. Esaya does not guarantee the cancellation of the old account, as ISPs may change their cancellation policies without notice. You are responsible for canceling your old Internet account to avoid incurring any additional charges.

You can customize the settings for each part of your switching between these accounts by choosing the "Custom Switching" option when running the TrueSwitch Wizard.  The "Custom Switching" option also gives you access to the "Contact Update" feature

The Software communicates with our servers which validate your access to the accounts you have selected and then the switch begins.  Please note that some actions are performed by our servers logging into your old account, retrieving information, logging into your new account and re-entering the information.  This can take several hours.  Please watch for status update messages in the Message Center of TrueAssistant.

Will TrueSwitch work with my computer (system requirements)?

TrueSwitch is designed to work with most Personal Computers made in the last five years, and to support the most popular email software and Internet Service Providers.

The basic system requirements are:

• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows XP Home / Professional with Internet Explorer 5 or higher

• Pentium II 233 MHz or higher

• 64 MB of memory or higher

For best results, the TrueSwitch Wizard is designed to run on the same computer that you use to access your old Internet account and after you have installed the software provided by your new Internet Service Provider. For example, if you are switching from AOL to MSN and you access AOL from both your home computer and your office computer, the recommended sequence is as follows:

• Install the MSN software on your home computer

• Download and run the TrueSwitch Wizard on your home computer from www.trueswitch.com/msn

• You can then access your new MSN account from both your home and office computers

• Optionally, once you have received a message via the Message Center confirming that your switch has been completed successfully, you can then uninstall AOL from your computer.

TrueSwitch does not currently support Apple Macintosh or Linux. If you would like to be notified when we have added such support, please complete the feedback form with the operating system type and version number you use.

TrueSwitch does not officially support Netscape or Opera browsers, although you can use these browsers to download and run the TrueSwitch Wizard. TrueSwitch doesn’t support Netscape mail, or Opera mail. If you would like to be notified when we have added such support, please complete the feedback form.

Does TrueSwitch support my Internet Service Provider?

TrueSwitch currently supports switching between most major Internet Service Providers (ISPs) including:

TrueSwitch supports switching to or from each of the major ISPs shown below.  Not all features are supported by all ISPs (for example, Comcast doesn't offer a calendar function).

The following versions of ISPs with their own email program, etc. are supported

If you have more than one PC (e.g., home and work), the best results will be seen when you use TrueSwitch on the PC where you have installed the (e.g., AOL) software.  You can run TrueSwitch from a different PC and still access some TrueSwitch features.  For example, if AOL is installed on your home PC, and you use your work PC to access AOL email via the web, you can still run TrueSwitch on either the home or work PC.  However, any emails stored on the other PC will not be switched to your new account. 

We continue to add support for more Internet Service Providers and email clients: if you would like to be notified when we have added support for a particular ISP or email client, please send us feedback.

Which email programs will TrueSwitch work with?

TrueSwitch currently supports switching between most of the popular email programs including:

If you use a different email application, but have Microsoft Outlook Express installed on your computer, you might still be able to use TrueSwitch. TrueSwitch can copy your stored email and address book entries to Outlook Express. You may then be able to import this information to your preferred email application. For example, for instructions on how to do this for Qualcomm's Eudora please see www.eudora.com/techsupport/kb/1507hq.html.

We will continue to add native support for more email applications (e.g., Netscape, Qualcomm’s Eudora).

How do I copy my personal information to my new Internet account?

The easiest way is to download and run the TrueSwitch Wizard on the PC that you usually use to access your old Internet account (e.g., your home PC) and select the "Express Switching" option.  The Software will then attempt to copy all your personal data (Address Book, Calendar, Favorites, Stored E-Mail) from your old account to your new account.

Any information stored on your local PC is copied immediately. Information stored on the website of your old Internet Service Provider is copied by TrueSwitch's computers into your new account -- this usually takes less than an hour, but can take up to 24 hours.  Please see the status messages in the Message Center of TrueAssistant for further details.

If you prefer not to copy your personal information, or to choose which personal data to copy, please select the "Custom Switching" option when using the Software.

If you are switching multiple Internet accounts (for example, child accounts on AOL), simply re-run the TrueSwitch Wizard for each such account.

How do I notify contacts with my new email address?

The easiest way is to download and run the TrueSwitch Wizard and select the "Express Switching" option. This emails a Change of Address Notification to all the contacts in your address book with a valid email address. If you prefer not to use this feature, or to choose which contacts to notify, or wish to customize the "Change of Address Notification", please select the "Custom Switching" option when using the TrueSwitch Wizard.

In addition, the Express Switching mode includes activating email forwarding for 30 days. So, if a friend or contact writes to you at the old email address, TrueSwitch will forward that email to you at your new email address and you will have the option of telling the sender your new email address.

You can, of course, edit the contents of your address book before running the TrueSwitch Wizard and, if you select the "Custom Switching" option, you can personalize the Change of Address Notification email that will be sent on your behalf. In addition, using the Custom Switching mode, you can also select the Contact Update feature which sends an email to your friends and contacts with all your contact information (address, phone numbers, etc.). Your friends and contacts can then update their records, and send you their own updated contact information.

How do I setup email forwarding?

The easiest way is to download and run the TrueSwitch Wizard and select the "Express Switching" option. This will setup email forwarding for a period of 30 days. Please note that you must not cancel your old Internet account, or change your user name and password for this function to work correctly.

If you wish to disable email forwarding, click on the TrueAssistant icon in the system tray.

How do I cancel my old Internet account?

The easiest way is to download and run the TrueSwitch Wizard and select the "Express Switching" option. This will send you an email in 21 days with the details of how to cancel your account (phone number to call, information that your old Internet Service Provider will require, etc.) If you are canceling an AOL account, the email will include a form that you can print, sign and fax to AOL requesting cancellation of your account.

If you wish to cancel your account immediately, visit My TrueSwitch from within TrueAssistant. Please note that if you cancel your old account, your old email address may be deactivated and email forwarding will no longer function.

What is "Contact Update"?

Contact Update is a feature designed to take the hassle out of keeping your personal or business address books up to date. If selected by using the Custom Switching mode of the TrueSwitch Wizard, you can decide which personal information (home address, home phone, business address, etc.) you wish to share with your contacts. TrueSwitch will then email this information to your contacts so that they can update their address book entry for you. This email also contains the contact information that you have for this person and a request that they review and reply with their own updated contact information that you can use to update your address book entry. In this way, both of you will now have accurate, complete and up-to-date information on each other.

Will the TrueSwitch service copy all attachments and downloads I received through my emails from my old ISP to my new account?

Yes.  The current version of the TrueSwitch Wizard will copy all of your locally stored emails.

What is a "Site Access Error" that I received in my confirmation email?

This error usually means that the TrueSwitch servers had difficulty accessing your data stored on the website of your old or new ISP. The cause may have been due to either your old or new ISP web-sites being slow or inaccessible at the time the TrueSwitch servers attempted to access your account (the servers automatically keep trying so this error should be rare). Please read the status message and follow the recommended steps to retry the TrueSwitch Wizard or contact Technical Support.

What does the "Account Not Initialized" mean in the confirmation email?

Selecting to copy data to an application that you currently have not setup yet at the new ISP will result in the error message "Account Not Initialized". For example, if you are copying calendar events to a new MSN account, you need to initialize your calendar at MSN before TrueSwitch can access your account to copy the events to. To resolve this, please login to your new account and setup the service.

How do I download TrueSwitch?

The TrueSwitch Wizard is available for downloading from our website at www.trueswitch.com/download_start.htm. In most cases, the download should start automatically.  Depending on your web browser's security settings, a security window like the one shown below may pop up. Make sure to click "Yes" or installation will be aborted.

If you are using Netscape Navigator, or Mozilla, you will receive a prompt to save the TrueInstall file.  Save the file to the desktop by clicking "Save". Then double-click on the "TrueInstall" icon on the desktop to complete the download of the TrueSwitch Wizard.

What if I'm having problems installing TrueSwitch?

If you are having problems downloading TrueSwitch, the Wizard can be downloaded manually from TrueSwitch web site.

If the TrueInstall program won't run, please check that you meet the System Requirements.

• Operating System: Windows 2000, Windows Home, Windows XP and Windows Vista.
• Pentium II 133 MHz or higher
• 64 MB of Memory or higher
• Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher
• Connection to the Internet

If you meet these requirements and are still having problems, please contact our technical support.

Should I uninstall AOL (or MSN)?

Do NOT uninstall AOL (or any other software installed by your new Internet Service Provider) until you have received a confirmation message via the TrueAssistant Message Center (accessible by clicking the TrueAssistant icon in the system tray) from TrueSwitch confirming that your switch has been completed successfully.

For best results, the TrueSwitch Wizard is designed to run on the same computer that you use to access your old Internet account and after you have installed the software provided by your new Internet Service Provider. For example, if you are switching from AOL to MSN and you access AOL from both your home computer and your office computer, the recommended sequence is as follows:

• Install the MSN 9 software on your home computer

• Download and run the TrueSwitch Wizard on your home computer

• You can then access your new MSN account from both your home and office computers

• Optionally, once you have received a message via the TrueAssistant Message Center (accessible by clicking the TrueAssistant icon in the system tray) confirming that your switch has been completed successfully, you can then uninstall AOL from your computer.

You do not need to keep the AOL software on your computer in order to take advantage of email forwarding. However, you will need to keep the AOL account active for 30 days in order to use email forwarding. You may be billed by AOL again during this 30 day period if you choose email forwarding. AOL does offer a $4.95 per month Light Usage Plan which is sufficient for most users of email forwarding.

Where do I find my personal data in my new account?

Once you have successfully run the TrueSwitch Wizard, your personal information stored on your computer will have been copied to the new account. If you have additional personal information stored at the website of your old ISP, it can take up to 24 hours for this information to be copied to your new Internet account. You will receive a message via the TrueAssistant Message Center when this information has been copied.

Select the Internet Service Provider that you are switching to (your new Internet account) to get detailed information on how to locate your personal information in the new account.

AOL
CompuServe
Earthlink
MSN
SBC Yahoo!
Other (using Microsoft Outlook Express)