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Documentation

Thunderbird Use for Windows

Initial Setup

Before you can begin using Thunderbird, you must set up your email accounts and personal settings.

Note

This process is for setting up a University at Buffalo email account. If you want to use Thunderbird for a non-UB account, contact your Internet Service Provider for the appropriate settings to use.

1. When you first open Thunderbird after installing it, the Import Wizard window will appear. If you have previously installed Netscape 6 or 7, and have already set up your email accounts in that application, select Netscape 6, 7 or Mozilla 1.x, click Next, and follow all on-screen instructions. Otherwise, select Don't import anything, then click Next.
   
2. When the New Account Setup window appears, select Email account, then click Next.
   
3. Enter your name and email address into their respective fields, then click Next.
   

Note

If you do not live in the University at Buffalo Residence Halls or Campus Apartments, you cannot use smtp.buffalo.edu as your Outgoing Server setting. Either connect to UBVPN before sending any email, or contact your Internet Service Provider for the appropriate Outgoing Server and Outgoing User Name settings.

4. Select IMAP, enter imap.buffalo.edu into the Incoming Server text field, enter smtp.buffalo.edu into the Outgoing Server text field, then click Next.
   
5. Enter your UBITName into the Incoming User Name and Outgoing User Name text fields, then click Next.
   
6. Enter a name for your account, then click Next.
   
7. Verify that the information you have entered is correct, then click Finish.
   
8. After a short pause, a dialog box will appear, asking you if you want to use Thunderbird as your default email application. Click the appropriate button.
   

Note

If you share your computer with anyone else, do not save the password on your computer. Doing so will allow anyone with access to your computer to read your email and send email in your name.

9. When the Mail Server Password Required window appears, enter your UBIT Password. If you want to save the password on your computer, select Use Password Manager to remember this password. Click OK.
   

The Thunderbird Window

The Thunderbird window has three panes. The Folders pane on the left side of the Thunderbird window displays all of your email accounts and folders, such as your Inbox and any custom folders you have created.

The Messages pane on the top-right of the Thunderbird window displays a list of all of the messages in the currently selected folder.

The Preview pane on the bottom-right of the Thunderbird window displays the contents of the message currently selected in the Messages pane.

Managing Folders

1. To open a folder and view its contents, click on the folder's name in the Folder pane.
2. To create a new folder, select Inbox, click File, select New, then Folder. Enter the folder name you want to use, then click OK.
   
3. To change settings for a folder, right-click it and select Properties. Click on the desired tab to find the setting you want to change, then click OK.
   

Managing Messages

1. To read a message within the main Thunderbird window, click its entry in the Messages pane. The contents of the message will appear in the Preview pane.
2. To read a message in its own window, double-click its entry in the Messages pane.
3. To copy a message to another folder, select the message and drag it to a folder name in the Folders pane.

Messages are displayed with symbols identifying the status of each message:

	Messages that have arrived and have never been opened.
	Messages that have arrived since the Mailbox was last checked, and have never been opened.
	Messages that arrived before the Mailbox was last checked, and have never been opened.
	Messages that have been opened at least once.
	Messages that have been replied to.
	Messages that have been forwarded to another person.
	Messages that have an attachment.
	Messages that Thunderbird thinks is junk email ("spam").

Printing and Saving Messages

To print a message, select the message and choose File, then Print.

To save a message, select the message and choose File, then Save.

Saving Attachments

When viewing a message with attachments, Thunderbird displays the Attachments bar:

To save attachments to disk, select them and either double-click them, or right-click on an attachment and select Save As. When the Opening window appears, select whether you want to save the attachment to disk, or open it directly in its default application, then click OK.

You can choose how Thunderbird behaves when it downloads an attachment to disk. Click Tools, select Options, then the Attachments tab.

Composing New Messages

1. Click the Write button in the main Thunderbird window, or click File, select New, then Message to open a message composition window.
2. Type in email addresses separated by commas, or add addresses from an address book into the To field.
3. To add a Cc (carbon copy) or a Bcc (blind carbon copy) field, click on the next field and select the appropriate choice from the drop-down menu to the left of the field.

• The Cc field is used to send a copy of the message to another party.
  
  
• The Bcc field is used to send a blind copy of the message to another party, so that the email recipients cannot see to whom else the message was sent.

4. Enter a subject in the Subject field.
5. Type the message in the message text area.
6. To add an attachment, click the Attach button, then select the desired filename in the file browser.
7. When you are ready to send the message, click Send.
   

Address Book

Thunderbird has the option to store frequently-used addresses in an address book. While some email addresses will be added automatically by Thunderbird, you can add and edit your own entries in the address book as well.

Viewing Your Address Book

1. Click the Address Book button in the main Thunderbird window, or click Tools, then select Address Book.
2. Your Address Book entries will display in a new window. Click on an entry to view extended information for it.
   

Adding an Address Book Entry

1. Open your Address Book, then click the New Card button.
2. In the New Card window, enter the desired information into the respective fields, and click OK.
   

Adding an Address Book Entry From a Received Email

1. Open the message that contains the email address that you want to add to your Address Book, by either displaying it in the Preview pane, or in its own window.
2. Click the email address at the top of the Preview pane or the new window, then select Add to Address Book.
   
3. In the New Card window, enter any extended information about the contact, then click OK.
   

Document Information