Getting Started with Netscape Messenger

Learn how to open your inbox and get started receiving and sending electronic messages:

To access your email messages, follow these steps:

  1. Open your inbox by clicking Mailbox, located on the component bar, which is in the lower right corner:



  2. In Windows, use the Mail & Discussion Groups Wizard if you need to set required Mail & Groups preferences.


  3. Use the Preferences dialog box to correct or change Mail & Groups preferences.


  4. Use the Security Info dialog box to set defaults for sending and receiving encrypted and digitally signed messages.

Details

To open your inbox without connecting to your server, from the Communicator menu, choose Messenger Mailbox.

See Also

Choosing and Using an IMAP or POP3 Server
Using the Mail & Discussion Groups Wizard (Windows only)
Changing Mail & Groups Preferences
Setting Preferences for Encrypted Messages
Updating Your Message List
Opening a Message and Its Attachments

Troubleshooting

User name and password:
To access your mail server, you may need to enter your user name and password. Review your account information provided by your site or Internet Service Provider. Account information customarily contains user name and password information, as well as host names and port numbers.

Mail & Discussion Groups Wizard (Windows only):
If the Mail & Discussion Groups Wizard comes up when you open your Inbox or click Get Msg on the toolbar, you must set required Mail & Groups preferences. In Windows, use the Mail & Discussion Groups Wizard to help you set required preferences for receiving and sending messages.

Dialup:
If you are using an Internet Service Provider (ISP) account to provide a network connection over a phone line, when you click Get Msg, Netscape Messenger tells your modem software to dial up a connection to your ISP account, if a connection isn't currently established. To update your message list, you must be able to establish a connection.

If you cannot establish a connection, ensure your PPP and TCP/IP software is configured correctly, and that your ISP account is configured for PPP access. Your ISP representative should be able to assist you with configuring your network software.

What's Next?

Selecting Messages from the Message List

About Messenger Windows

Identify Messenger's capabilities and key components.

Netscape Messenger receives, sends, handles, and helps you manage multimedia electronic messages and Collabra messages. To help you with these tasks, Messenger offers the following windows:

What's Next?

About IMAP, POP3, and Mail Servers

About IMAP, POP3, and Mail Servers

Learn the advantages and disadvantages of using IMAP and POP3 servers, so you can choose the right service to access your messages.

Netscape Messenger can work with two different types of servers: IMAP and POP3. If your server supports both type of message storing, these descriptions may help you choose which you want to use:

Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP)

Post Office Protocol (POP)

See also:

Changing Mail & Groups Preferences
Changing Mail Server Preferences

Using the Mail & Discussion Groups Wizard (Windows only)

Use the Mail & Discussion Groups Wizard to help set required preferences for receiving and sending messages. You must provide settings for all preferences in all Mail & Discussion Groups Wizard panels.

If at any point you do not know what the correct setting is, review the account information provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or by your system administrator.

To use the Mail & Discussion Groups Wizard:

Preferences Set with Mail & Discussion Groups Wizard (Windows only)

The Mail & Discussion Groups Wizard asks you to provide settings for preferences that have not been preset. If a setting has not been provided, or you do not know it, you must exit the Mail & Discussion Groups Wizard and consult your ISP or site's help desk.

Preference settings the Mail & Discussion Groups Wizard needs to know are:

About Accessing Messages

To read a message in your inbox or some other mail folder, you must:

  1. Open the folder in which the message resides, such as your inbox.


  2. Select messages from the message list.


  3. Open the message in the message panel, or by opening a Message window.

Selecting Messages from the Message List

Each Message in a message list is represented by a message header summary. A message header summary consists of pieces of information that can help you in identifying determining how to handle the message.

Using the Message Panel

When the message panel is open, it displays the body of the current message and enables you to access inline message attachments.

Displaying Messages in Message Windows

To open a message in its own message window, double-click the message's summary in the message list.

To display multiple messages simultaneously, each in its own Message Window:

  1. Hold down the Control key (Windows) or the Command key (MacOS) while clicking message summaries in the message list. (Please use this feature with caution. Opening too many windows can cause performance problems.)


  2. From the File menu choose Open.

Using a Message Window

After opening a single message in a Message Window, you can display other messages in the current folder.

Details:

Printing Selected Messages

You can print a message from the Message window, or from the Message List window, if the message panel is open and the message you want to print is being displayed.

To print the currently displayed message, click the Print button on the toolbar.

Updating Your Message List

To download new messages into your inbox (POP3) or to update your message list so you can see new messages, from your inbox or any Message List window, click Get Msg, which is the left-most button on the toolbar.

Even though you can update your inbox when it's not displayed, unless you have mail filters that automatically file your new messages, the only folder that receives new messages is the inbox.

Determining If New Messages Have Arrived

The Mailbox button on the component bar can alert you that new messages have arrived on your server. Netscape Messenger checks your server periodically. After finding new messages, the Mailbox button displays a green dot.

About Composing Messages

Learn how to compose and send messages.

You can send a message using any of the following methods:

Using the New Message Window

Use the New Message Window to address, compose, and send email and Collabra messages. The New Message Window contains the following tools:

Addressing a Message

While composing a message in the New Message Window, you can add, edit, or delete items from the address list. An item in the address list can be an email address, a nickname, a mailing-list name, or the name of a discussion group.

Adding Addresses to the Address List

To add addresses to the address list of your current composition, you can use either or both of the following methods:

Recipient Types and What They Mean

An address in an address list can have one of the following recipient types:

To Primary recipients of your message.
CC Carbon Copy, for secondary recipients.
BCC Blind Carbon Copy, for secondary recipients not identified to the other recipients, including those in the CC list.
Group or Discussion Posting to a discussion group.

Editing Addresses in the Address List

To edit addresses in the address list of your current composition

  1. With your cursor, select part or all of an address you want to edit.


  2. Type your correction and press Return.

To change an address's recipient type, click the Recipient button and from the menu choose a different recipient type.

Deleting Addresses from the Address List

To delete addresses from the address list of your current composition

  1. With your cursor, select part or all of an address you want to delete.


  2. Press Delete to remove the selection. If the line is now empty, to delete the empty line, press Delete again.

Quoting Original Text

While you are composing a reply in a New Message Window, you can include text from the original message.

Details

Text from the original message appears in your composition according to font and color preference settings for quoted text. Use the Compose pane of Mail & Groups Preferences to customize these settings.

To quote original text automatically when you reply to a message, set preferences for the quoting of original text. Use Mail & Groups preferences to change your setting.

Using the HTML Mail Question Dialog

The HTML Mail Question dialog comes up when you try to send a message to someone who does not want to receive HTML messages or when Messenger cannot determine whether your recipient can display HTML messages. If you are in doubt as to what to do, sending plain-text only is the most efficient type of message to send.

Click Recipients to record settings for your current message's recipients.

Using the Recipients Panel

Use the Recipients panel to remember whether your current recipients prefer HTML messages. Use the tools of this dialog to move recipients from one column to another.

Once you set a recipient's HTML preference, you won't see the HTML Mail Question dialog again unless Messenger is uncertain about any of your recipients' HTML preferences.

Looking up Addresses through a Directory Service

To lookup an email address for someone you want to send a message to, you can use address lookup services, if they are available where you are working.

To search an address book or directory lookup service:

  1. From the Edit menu of any Folder, Thread, or Message window, choose Search Directory.
  2. Use the Search dialog to:

Using the Search Dialog Box to Lookup Addresses

To use the Search dialog to search through address books or address-lookup services, follow these steps:

  1. Focus your search by pulling down the folder list and choosing an address book or lookup service.
  2. Pull down the type list and choose the address book information type in which you'd like to match your keyword.
  3. Pull down the condition list and choose a search condition.
  4. Enter the keyword in the text entry area to the left of the type and condition lists.
  5. If you want to provide an additional keyword, which enables you to conduct a more detailed search, click More.
  6. Enter an additional keyword type, condition, and keyword.
  7. Click Search to launch your search.

Details

The search results area displays a list of address entry summaries that match your search.

About the Address Book

Use an address book to store and maintain information about individuals and to create mailing lists and nicknames.

After creating entries in an address book, you can use address book entries to look up information about your personal contacts, such as email addresses and phone numbers. You can also access system-wide address books if they are available at your location.

Use the Address Book window to create, store, and edit address book entries. An address book entry stores names, postal addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and other information about an individual, such as whether the recipient prefers plain-text or rich-text messages.

You can also use an address book to associate a number of email addresses with a single nickname, which becomes a mailing list.

Adding a Card to Your Personal Address Book

To create an address book entry for an individual, follow these steps:

  1. From the toolbar of the Address Book window, click New Card, which brings up the New Card dialog.
  2. Use the New Card tab dialog to enter information to store in the address book entry.
  3. In the New Card dialog:

Using the New Card Tab Dialog

To enter or edit a real name, email address, nickname, and special notes associated with an address book entry, or to add or change whether a recipient prefers to receive messages formatted in HTML, use the General tab of the New Card dialog.


  1. In the New Card dialog, click General.
  2. Provide the subject's real first and last names.
  3. Enter or edit the subject's email address. If you do not know the subject's email address, refer to Looking up Email Addresses.
  4. Enter a nickname for the subject's email address. A nickname can be any name you choose. You can use this instead of the subject's email address when sending a message.
  5. Record special notes by typing the notes into the Notes area. Notes are for your convenience and have no direct function.
  6. Choose HTML if the subject prefers to receive HTML. If you do not have HTML chosen, the subject receives the unformatted text of your message composition.
  7. Click another tab to change or enter more information. To add your current entry to the current address book, click OK. To dismiss the New Card dialog without changing the address book, click Cancel.

Using the New Card Contact Tab Dialog

To enter or edit the company name, professional title, postal address, and phone and fax numbers in an address book entry, use the Contact tab of the New Card dialog.


  1. In the New Card dialog, click Contact.
  2. Provide the name of the subject's company, the subject's professional title, and the subject's postal address.
  3. Provide the subject's work phone number, fax number, and home phone number.
  4. Click another tab to change or enter more information. To add your current entry to the current address book, click OK. To dismiss the New Card dialog without changing the address book, click Cancel.

Using the New Card Netscape Conference Panel

To enter or edit the Conference address, and whether the individual uses a 411 Server or a Conference host, use the Netscape Conference tab of the New Card dialog.


  1. In the New Card dialog, click Netscape Conference.
  2. Enter the subject's Conference Address.
  3. Choose 411 Server if the subject uses a 411 Server as the Conference server. Choose Conference Host if the subject uses a Conference host other than 411.
  4. Click another tab to change or enter more information. To add your current entry to the current address book, click OK. To dismiss the New Card dialog without changing the address book, click Cancel.

Adding a Mailing List to Your Personal Address Book

To create a mailing list and add it to your address book:

  1. Click New List on the toolbar of the Address Book window to bring up the Mailing List dialog.
  2. Use the Mailing List dialog to give a name to your mailing list and to add email addresses to it.

Using the Mailing List Dialog

To use the Mailing List dialog to create or edit a mailing list:

  1. Enter or edit the list name. This is the primary name for the mailing list, and the name you use like an email address when sending mail to the members of the list.
  2. Optionally, you can provide a list nickname. You can use the list nickname as you would the list name.
  3. Enter a description. The description you provide hear appears in the message headers similar to a recipients real name.
  4. Add a member to the list by clicking an empty line in the address list and typing the email address of a member. You can add other list names and nicknames to the list too. Remove a member from the list by clicking the member's entry in the address list, then clicking Remove.
  5. To add the list to the current address book, click OK. To dismiss the New Card dialog without changing the address book, click Cancel.

Looking Up and Using Addresses from Address Books

Use the Address Book Window to lookup email addresses and other information from address books and address lookup services.

To lookup an email address by using the Address Book, follow these steps in order:

  1. From the Communicator menu of any window, choose Address Book.
  2. Use the Address Book window to search through your address books.

Searching an Address Book

To search address books for information about individuals and mailing lists, follow these steps:

  1. In the keyword entry area, enter a word for which you want to search.
  2. From the address book section list, choose an address book or lookup service in which to search.
  3. Click Search.

Details:

When deciding on a keyword to enter for a search, try to be as precise as possible. General keywords are real names, but they can also be professional titles, corporate names, phone numbers, or other contact information. After deciding on a keyword, be sure to choose the type of information your keyword needs to match. For example, when searching for a keyword "Pat," be sure to choose "Name" from the search selection list.

The address book search engine displays a list of entries that match your search criteria. This list is called the address book summaries list.

Using the Address Book Summaries List

To use the Address Book summaries list to select entries you want to open or use, follow these steps:

  1. Select address book entries:

  2. Open a composition addressed to the email addresses of selected entries by clicking Compose, which is on the Address Book toolbar.

About Message Folders

The following tasks involve organizing and maintaining message folders:

Filing Messages

To file messages from your Inbox to another folder, or from one folder to another:

  1. Create the folder.
  2. Move selected messages into the folder.

Creating a Message Folder

To create a message folder:

  1. Open the New Folder dialog:
  2. In the New Folder dialog box, enter a name for your new folder.
  3. Click OK.

Opening a Message Folder

To open a message folder and display its message list:

  1. Open the Message Center folder window by going to the Communicator menu and choosing Message Center.
  2. In the folder list, double-click the folder you want to open.

When you open a message folder, the folder's message list is displayed in a Message List window.

Moving Messages From One Folder to Another

You can move messages from one folder to another by using either of these methods:

  1. Select messages in the message list, click File on the toolbar, and choose a folder.
  2. Drag messages from the message list and drop into a folder in the folder list.

Dragging and Dropping Messages

To drag and drop messages from one folder to another:

  1. Open the folder in which the messages currently reside.


  2. In the Message List window, open the folder panel and display the folder to which you are filing.


  3. In the message list, select the messages you want to file, and drag them to the folder displayed in the folder list.

Searching Folders or Discussions for a Message

To search a folder for specific messages, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Search dialog from any Folder, Message List, or Message Window by going to the Edit menu and choosing Search.
  2. Use the Search dialog to:

Using the Search Dialog to Find Messages

To use the Search dialog to search mail folders or discussions for specific messages, follow these steps:

  1. Pull down the folder list and choose where you want to focus your search.
  2. Pull down the type list and choose the part of the message in which you'd like to match your keyword.
  3. Pull down the condition list and choose a search condition.
  4. Enter the keyword in the text entry area to the left of the type and condition lists.
  5. If you want to provide an additional keyword, which enables you to conduct a more detailed search, click More.
  6. Enter an additional keyword type, condition, and keyword.
  7. Click Search to launch your search.

Renaming an Existing Folder (Windows only)

To rename an existing folder:

  1. Open your Message Center. To open the Message Center window, from the Communicator menu, choose Message Center.


  2. In the Message Center window, select the folder you want to rename.


  3. From the Edit menu of the Message Center window, choose Folder Properties.


  4. Use the Filter Properties dialog to change the name of the folder.

Using the Folder Properties Dialog (Windows only)

Use the Folder Properties dialog to change the name of a folder and to view information about the folder's contents.

To change the name of the folder, select the current folder name and type a new name.

About Filtering Messages

To automatically handle messages that match criteria you set, create and maintain a mail filters list by using the Mail Filters dialog.

To bring up the Mail Filters dialog, from the Edit menu, choose Mail Filters.

Using the Mail Filters Dialog

Use the Mail Filters dialog to manage your list of filters.

Activating and Deactivating Filters

To activate or deactivate a filter, use the check column of the filters list:

Changing Filter Precedence

To change the order in which filters are applied, which is called filter precedence:

  1. In the filter list, click a filter's name.
  2. To increase the precedence of the filter, click the Up arrow. To decrease the precedence of the filter, click the Down arrow.

Logging Filter Activity

To log filter activity, which can help to debug filtering:

  1. Click the checkbox Log Filter Use.
  2. To display the filter log, click View log.

Saving the Current Filter List

Using the Filter Rules Dialog

Use the Filter Rules Dialog to edit or define an action you want a filter to perform and the type of messages to which you want to apply the action.

To use the Filter Rules dialog:

  1. Provide or edit the name of a filter in the Filter name box. All filters must have a name.


  2. Provide conditions for matching messages. The filter action applies to all messages that match conditions you set here.


  3. Assign an action for the filter to perform:

  4. Activate the filter by clicking On.


  5. Save the filter and its rules, and return to the Filters Dialog by clicking OK. To abandon changes made to the filter rules, and return to the Mail Filters dialog, click Cancel.

About Setting Mail & Groups Preferences

Learn how to configure and personalize Messenger by setting Mail & Groups preferences.

To bring up the Mail & Groups Preferences dialog:

Using the Mail & Groups Preferences Dialog

Use the main pane of the Mail & Groups Preferences dialog to customize how message text is displayed and to configure how you use the Message List and Message Windows.

Customizing Fonts for Message List and Message Windows

Configuring Reuse of Message List and Message Windows

Enabling sound alert for new messages

To be notified by sound each time you receive new mail, check Enable sound alert when messages arrive.

To dismiss the preferences dialog:

Setting Mail & Groups Preferences for Your Identity

To set Mail & Groups Preferences that identify you by your user name, real name, and whether you prefer to receive HTML messages, use the Identity panel of the Mail & Groups Preferences Dialog.

To bring up the Mail & Groups preferences dialog:

Using the Mail & Groups Preferences Identity Panel

Creating a Personal Card

To create a personal address book card that contains personal information about yourself you want to attach to your outgoing messages, follow these steps (PC and Unix users only):

  1. From the Edit menu of any Communicator window, select Preferences to open the Preferences dialog.
  2. Under the canonical list to the left, under Mail & Groups, click Identity.
  3. On the Identity pane, click Edit Card.

Using the Edit Card Dialog

Use the Edit Card dialog to create your own personal address book card. Your personal card contains personal information about yourself . You can attach your personal card to your outgoing messages.

Using the Edit Card Name Panel

Use the Name panel on the Edit Card dialog to:

Using the Edit Card Contact Panel

Use the Contact tab on the Edit Card dialog to enter or update personal contact information that you want to appear on your personal card. All fields are optional, so you can provide as much or as little information as you like. Contact information contained in address book cards is searchable by those using directory services.

Using the Edit Card Conferences Panel

Use the Conferences panel on the Edit Card dialog to enter or update the information on your signature card that specifies your Conference address and whether you use a 411 Server or a Conference host.

Enter your Conference Address by choosing one of the following selections from the pick list:

Setting Mail & Groups Preferences for Composing Messages

To set Mail & Groups Preferences that control how the Composition Message window works, use the Messages panel of the Mail & Groups Preferences Dialog.

To bring up the Mail & Groups Preferences dialog box:

Using the Messages Panel

Use the Messages panel to set properties associated with your outgoing messages:

Click the More Options button to set the following preferences:

To dismiss the preferences dialog:

Setting Mail Server Preferences

To ensure Netscape Communicator is set up so you can send and receive messages, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Preferences dialog. From the Edit menu of any Communicator window, choose Preferences.


  2. Click Mail Servers.

Use the Mail Servers preferences dialog to verify and identify your mail servers.

Using the Mail Server Panel

Ensure all sections of the Mail Server panel are complete. Netscape Messenger requires correct server settings in order to download and send your messages.

To complete the Mail Servers Preferences dialog, follow these steps:

  1. Mail server user name:
    Enter the user name. Your user name is your login name identified to you by your system administrator or Internet Service Provider. Do not enter your entire email address. Enter only your user name.
  2. Outgoing mail (SMTP) server:
    Enter the name of your SMTP server, or ensure your SMTP server is correctly identified. Your SMTP server delivers your outgoing mail.
  3. Incoming mail server:
    Enter the name of your SMTP server (typically this is the same name as your Outgoing mail server) or ensure your SMTP server is correctly identified. Your SMTP server delivers your incoming mail.
  4. Mail Server Type (PC and MacOS): Ensure your POP3 or IMAP server is correctly identified. POP3 and IMAP servers handle delivery of your incoming mail.

    Choose either:

More Mail Server Preferences dialog
(PC and MacOS)

You can also specify the following preferences for your mail server:

Details

Your user name is only one word and should not include the site and domain portions.

Ensure you have the correct host name supplied for SMTP host. This is the name of the host that is responsible for handling the sending of your outgoing mail and Collabra messages. Most electronic messaging systems use the same host for sending messages as they do for receiving messages.

Ensure you have the correct host name supplied for Mail Host. This is the name of the host that is responsible for handling the downloading of your mail messages. Most mail hosts require a user name and password.

Setting Groups Server Preferences

To ensure Netscape Communicator is set up so you can download Collabra messages, follow these steps:

  1. From any Communicator window, select Preferences from the Edit menu.
  2. Click Mail & Groups.
  3. Click Groups Server.

Using the Groups Server Preferences Panel

To use the Groups Server Preferences panel to provide information necessary to list, subscribe to, and update discussion groups:

  1. Enter the name of your discussion groups server. The names of discussion groups servers vary from site to site, so check with your system administrator, help desk, or Internet Service Provider (ISP) for the name you must provide.


  2. Enter a port number where your discussion groups server listens for requests. The standard default port number is 119, but this may also vary among sites and services.

    Click Secure to send and receive messages using encryption and certificates (the default port number will change to a secure number established by your host server).


  3. If you are using Windows or Unix versions of Netscape Communicator, enter the path to a directory on your PC or workstation where your groups server can download Collabra messages.


  4. Ensure you have the correct host name supplied for groups (NNTP) server. Your NNTP server is the computer that handles your discussion-groups feed. If you do not know the name of your groups server, contact your system administrator or your Internet Service Provider, and ask for the name. Example: news


  5. If you are using Netscape Communicator on Windows or your Unix workstation, provide the path name of a local directory where your groups server can download discussion-group updates.
    PC Example: C:\Program Files\Netscape\Communicator\Collabra
    Unix Example: /usr/people/mozilla/.news

    If you are using Netscape Communicator on MacOS, you do not need to provide the name of a news directory.


  6. Specify if you want to limit the amount of messages copied to your local machine when you open a discussion group.


  7. To change other preferences, click a category on the left. Click OK to close Preferences.

Setting Directory Service Preferences

To add and configure use of directory servers, which enables you to look up email addresses and address book cards, use the Mail & Groups Preferences' Directory Panel. To open the Directory Panel, from the Edit menu of any Communicator window, choose Preferences, then Mail & Groups, then Directory.

Using the Mail & Groups Directory Preferences Panel

Use the Mail & Groups Preferences Directory panel to:

Using the Add Directory Server Dialog

Use the Add Directory Server Dialog to add a directory server to your list of servers. You can then choose the server when search address directories.

Using the Directory Server Property Dialog

Use the Directory Server Property dialog to provide contact information for a directory server you want to use.