Get started in 5 minutes

• Windows and OneNote: You need Windows 10/11 x64 and a separate 64-bit Win32 OneNote desktop app; 64-bit Windows does not mean the OneNote app is 64-bit. MentorBrief has been validated with Microsoft 365 desktop OneNote; the free edition has not been tested. Mac, web, and iPad editions are outside this Windows guide.
• Shared student notebooks: Open each shared notebook in OneNote while signed in to your advisor account, then let it finish syncing before enrollment.
• Scheduled runs: Keep the PC powered on and the Windows account used to set up MentorBrief signed in at the scheduled time.
• AI service: Bring a compatible AI service/API and your own key; provider usage charges are billed to you separately.
• Email: Prepare a mailbox you can access for the test message and reports.

1. Open email settings from the control center

   In OneNote, open the control center from the MentorBrief tab, then choose Reports & delivery → Email delivery. Reopening reads the saved connection and settings but does not carry over the previous window's receipt confirmation; check for the test message again in the current window.

2. Select a sign-in method and enter the sender

   For QQ Mail, open webmail, select the avatar in the top-right corner → Settings → Account & security → Security settings → Enable service → Generate authorization code. Enter that code in MentorBrief, not your mailbox sign-in password. See QQ Mail's official steps

   For Gmail, 2-Step Verification must be on before an app password can be created. Some managed accounts, security-key-only setups, and Advanced Protection policies do not offer this option; Gmail OAuth is not supported. Read Google's official guidance

   For a personal Microsoft 365 subscription, choose Outlook / Hotmail; for an organization or school primary mailbox, choose Microsoft 365. Enter that account's primary mailbox as sender and recipients (blank sends to yourself), select Sign in with Microsoft, and complete sign-in plus delegated SMTP.Send consent in the system browser using that same mailbox. A successful sign-in saves the local mail connection but sends no email. Only the signed-in primary mailbox is supported as sender; aliases, shared mailboxes, and sending as another mailbox are unsupported and are not inferred. This is the separate SMTP email-sending path. Microsoft Learn: OAuth for SMTP

3. Enter recipients if needed

   You can enter one or more recipient addresses. Leave the field blank to send to the sender. The reserved example.test domain in this guide is only an example and cannot receive mail.

4. Check each sign-in method's server settings

   In password mode, when the sender domain is exactly qq.com or gmail.com, MentorBrief fills the matching host and 587 / STARTTLS; this preset does not verify an account. For other password-based providers, select “Use custom server (off restores automatic settings)” and enter the provider's host, port, and username. Microsoft sign-in uses fixed hosts: Outlook / Hotmail uses smtp-mail.outlook.com:587, and Microsoft 365 uses smtp.office365.com:587; both require STARTTLS and XOAUTH2, with no custom host or port.

   Advanced settings apply only to password / client authorization-code mode: port 465 uses implicit TLS with TLS 1.2; other ports use STARTTLS. There is no automatic mode switch or downgrade, and implicit TLS on 994 is unsupported. On 465, sender and recipient addresses must be ASCII; SMTPUTF8 is unsupported, while Chinese display names, subjects, and bodies are supported. Use 465 only if your provider documents implicit TLS there. Gmail and other providers' OAuth sign-in is unsupported; use the Microsoft options above for Microsoft OAuth. Microsoft 365 also requires tenant and mailbox policy to permit SMTP AUTH, and may require administrator consent or approval under Conditional Access. If blocked, ask the administrator to review policy; do not disable Security Defaults or weaken Conditional Access. Microsoft sovereign clouds, including Office 365 operated by 21Vianet, are not supported. Microsoft Learn: SMTP AUTH settings · Official Outlook.com settings. On October 16, 2026, one designated personal Hotmail account passed sign-in, settings persistence, an SMTP test, and actual inbox receipt. This result covers that account and app registration. Microsoft 365 work / school acceptance is waiting for an organization test mailbox; other organization policies and network renewal after natural token expiry still require separate validation.

5. Reconnect after changing the mailbox or sign-in method

   In password mode, enter the credential for the new account after changing the host, port, username, or sender. In Microsoft mode, sign in again after changing the account or method, and use the same primary mailbox in the browser and sender field.

6. Save first, then test when ready

   Save settings only stores the configuration and does not send email. A successful Microsoft browser sign-in also saves the local mail connection, but still sends nothing. Save and send test email then starts the isolated sender with fixed synthetic content; it does not read OneNote or a daily report.

7. Distinguish server acceptance from receipt

   A “server accepted” test result means the test server accepted the message. It does not prove delivery. Check your inbox and spam folder, then select the receipt checkbox only after you personally find the message. That confirmation stays in the current window; close the window or change settings and you must test again.

Reports & delivery → Email delivery

Open original image

This is the versioned offline guide included with your installation. Use the control center Diagnostics page for current product status and exact safe errors.