Mozilla Thunderbird Configuration
Mozilla Thunderbird is a mail client available for free. You can download at: http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/
Note: This guide was written for Thunderbird 1.5 - newer versions may have slightly different interface designs.
First, download and install Thunderbird. When you open Thunderbird for the first time, you need to create a new account and configure your email settings. Follow the steps below. Launch Thunderbird. If the account wizard opens, just cancel it -- we will come back to it in Step 4. This page will lead you through each area that you'll have to configure.
1. Go to Tools | Account Settings.
2. Next, click on Outgoing Server (SMTP). Type in smtp.seas.upenn.edu for the Server Name. The port will be automatically set to 465. Check the User name and password box. Fill in your User Name. Under "Use Secure Connection," select SSL.
Note: If your computer is not connected to the SEAS network, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may require a different SMTP server setting. If you have trouble sending mail, please check with your ISP for the correct setting.
3. Next click on the Add Account button (at the bottom of the "Account Settings" dialog box).
4. The Account Wizard will launch. On the New Account Setup screen, Select Email Account and click Next.
5. On the Identity screen, you should enter your full name and your email address. Most users should enter username@seas.upenn.edu. Then click Next.
6. On the Server Information screeen, select IMAP. The name of the Incoming Server is: username.mail.seas.upenn.edu. (where username is your SEAS username)
7. On the User Names screen, enter your SEAS username.
8. Finally, on the Account Name screen, enter in a name for this mail account, then click the Next button.
9. On the next screen, click the Finish button.
10. Now we will fine tune your mail settings. If you don't see the "Account Settings" dialog box (similar to the image below), go to Tools | Account Settings.
10A. Server Settings - Click on "Server Settings" in the left hand side of the "Account Settings" dialog box. Make sure "Use secure connection (SSL)" is checked. The option to "Check for new messages" should not be set any lower than "every 6 minutes".
Click on the Advanced button. Type in ~/Mail/ for the IMAP server directory. Uncheck the first two items, as shown below.
10B. Copies and Folders - Click on "Copies and Folders" in the left hand side of the "Account Settings" dialog box. Change the "When sending messages..." section to Other. Then choose your "sent-mail" folder on your SEAS email account. This will save all of your sent messages on the SEAS Server in a mail folder called "sent-mail".
Note: If your account was created more than two years ago, it is possible that you won't have the "sent-mail" option. To solve this problem, simply send yourself a test message from webmail (webmail.seas.upenn.edu), and the sent-mail folder will be created automatically. Putting your sent mail in a folder other than sent-mail may cause other mail clients (like webmail) to not see your sent messages.
10C. Composition and Addressing - Click on "Composition and Addressing" in the left hand side of the "Account Settings" dialog box. Uncheck the first option to "Compose messages in HTML format."
11. Disabling Automatic Downloading of HTML images - This helps protect your privacy. By automatically downloading images from an email you are communicating with an external server and this verifies that your email address is valid, possibly making you a target for more junk mail.
- Go to Tools | Options
- Click on the Privacy section. Ensure the first box is checked, "Block loading of remote images in mail messages." Uncheck the option to "Allow remote images if the sender is in my Personal Address Book..." Also ensure that "Block JavaScript in mail messages" is checked.
Send yourself a test message, and check for new messages. If you do not receive the test message, use webmail and send email to CETS explaining the problem and any error messages you have received.