Getting Started with Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups
Using the Mail Account Setup Wizard
The very first time you launch Mail & Newsgroups, if you have not already set up an account,
Mail & Newsgroups displays the Account Wizard so you can create an account. Later, you can
add additional mail and newsgroup accounts
from the File menu of the Mail window by choosing New, then Account.
The Wizard asks you to provide required information, such as your user name
and email address. If you do not know a setting, you can exit the Wizard and
ask your Internet service provider (ISP) or help desk.
Setting Up Mail Accounts with an ISP or Email Provider
To set up a mail account with an ISP or email provider, you'll need to provide:
- your user name
- your email address
- the incoming and outgoing mail server names
- the incoming server type (IMAP or POP)
To set up a newsgroup account, you'll need to provide:
- your name
- your email address
- newsgroup server name
- account name
To set up a new mail or newsgroup account, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- Click Add Account to start the Account wizard.
- Choose the type of account you want to set up, and click Next. The information
the wizard asks you to provide depends on the type of account you are setting
up. The rest of the steps in this section assume you are setting up an account
with an ISP or email provider.
- In the Identity section, enter your name (as you would like it to appear
in the "From" field of messages you send) and email address, and click Next.
- In the Server Information section, select the type of incoming mail server
(IMAP or POP). Enter the incoming server name
and the outgoing (SMTP) server name (this is the name of the mail server that
sends your messages, and is also known as your SMTP host). Then click Next.
Note: Only one outgoing mail server (SMTP) needs to be specified,
even if you have several mail accounts. The name of your SMTP host may not
have been reported to you in your ISP information or by your system administrator.
Your SMTP host may be the same as your POP or IMAP host. If in doubt, contact
your ISP or system administrator.
- In the User Name section, enter your user name and click Next.
- In the Account Name section, assign a name for this account (for example,
"Work" or "Family"), and click Next.
- Verify that the information you entered is correct. If necessary, verify
the information you entered with your ISP or system administrator.
- Click Finish to set up your account.
You are now ready to retrieve messages from your account.
You can add additional mail and newsgroup accounts
from the File menu of the Mail window by choosing New, then Account.
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Setting Up Additional Mail and News Accounts
You use the Account Settings dialog box to add a new account or to change
information for an existing account, including:
- mail and newsgroup server settings (for example, message deletion and download
preferences)
- storage settings for message copies and folders
- your reply-to address, organization name, and signature
To add a new account or change settings for an existing account, begin from
the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- To set up a new mail or news account using the Account Wizard, click Add
Account. Be sure to type the account exactly as it is given to you. Click
Next or Back to move through the screens. To cancel your account creation,
click Cancel.
- To specify an account as your default account, select it and then click
the Set as Default button. Your changes will take affect the next time you
start Mail & Newsgroups. After you restart, your default account appears as the first
account in your list of accounts in the Mail window.
The default account
is the one that you want to log into when you first start Mail & Newsgroups. Also, Mozilla
Mail & Newsgroups automatically checks the default account for new messages when you
first start Mail & Newsgroups. (For POP accounts, Mail & Newsgroups doesn't download the new messages
until you click Get Msgs on the Mail toolbar.)
- To remove an account and its settings, click the Remove Account button.
- To modify information for the outgoing mail server, click the Outgoing
Server (SMTP) item. See Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings - Outgoing Server (SMTP) for more information.
- Click OK to save your changes.
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Changing the Settings for an Account
To view or change information for an existing mail or newsgroup account, begin
from the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- Click the account name in the left-hand side of the Account Settings dialog
box. You see information about the account, such as your email address and
signature file, in the right side of the dialog box.
- Click the Server Settings category (beneath the name of your account). You
see the Server Settings section, where you can edit mail or newsgroup server
settings. The settings available depend on the type of server (IMAP, POP,
or newsgroup server). For more information, see Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings - Server Settings.
Important: If you need to change the server type (for example, from POP to IMAP) you must first remove the existing account. Next, you must quit Mozilla
and restart it. You can then reopen the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog
box and recreate the account with the new server type by clicking Add Account.
- Click the Copies & Folders category. You see the Copies & Folders
section, where you can specify whether to send automatic (blind carbon copies)
messages and where you want to store copies of outgoing messages, message
drafts, and message templates. For more information, see Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings - Copies & Folders.
- Click the Addressing category. You see the Addressing section, where you
can choose addressing settings for this account that override the global directory server settings
specified for all address books in the Preferences dialog box. For more information, see Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings - Addressing.
- Click the Offline & Disk Space category (IMAP and News accounts only). You see the Offline & Disk
Space section, where you can specify settings that apply when you are working
offline (disconnected from the Internet) or that save download time and conserve disk space. For more information, see Offline and Disk Space Settings (IMAP) or Offline and Disk Space Settings (News).
- Click the Disk Space category (POP accounts only). You see the Disk
Space section, where you can prevent messages larger than a specified size from being downloaded to your hard disk. For more information, see Disk Space Settings (POP).
- Click the Security category. You see the Security section, where you can configure your mail account for signing and encrypting mail messages that you send. Digital Signing settings enable you to identify yourself to others in mail messages that you send. Encryption settings let you ensure that your mail messages remain private while they are in transit. For more information, see Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings - Security.
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Reading Messages
Getting New Messages
When you start Mail & Newsgroups, if your default account is an IMAP account, Mail & Newsgroups automatically
gets new messages and displays them in the Inbox (the primary message folder).
For a POP account, you must click Get Msgs to retrieve your messages. By default, when you retrieve messages from your POP account, the messages are deleted from the POP server. You can change your POP server settings to store a copy of messages on the server in addition to downloading them to your computer.
You can
also set up Mail & Newsgroups to get new messages at startup and to check for new messages
at timed intervals.
The Mail & Newsgroups icon on the status bar displays a green arrow to notify you when new
messages have arrived.
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New mail notification |
To set up Mail & Newsgroups to automatically check for new messages, begin from the Mail
window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- If you have multiple accounts, select an account and click the Server Settings
category for that account.
- Select from the following options:
- In the Server Settings section, select "Check for new mail at startup"
if you want Mail & Newsgroups to check this account automatically for new messages
whenever you start Mail & Newsgroups. For POP accounts, Mail & Newsgroups doesn't download new messages
until you click Get Msgs or unless you choose "Automatically download any
new messages".
- Select "Check for new messages every ___ minutes" and then specify the number
of minutes between mail checks. If you do not select this setting, you
can check for new messages at any time by clicking Get Msgs in the Mail
window.
- Click OK. Your settings take affect the next time you start Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups.
You can always retrieve messages manually at any time. To get new messages
for the selected account or newsgroup, do one of the following:
- Click Get Msgs on the Mail toolbar.
- Open the File menu (in the Mail window) and choose Get New Messages.
To get new messages for all your mail accounts, begin from the Mail window:
- Click the triangle on the Get Msgs button in the Mail toolbar.
- Choose Get All New Messages. Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups retrieves new messages for all
your mail accounts. If you are not currently logged into one of your mail
accounts, Mail & Newsgroups first prompts you to enter your user name and password before
retrieving new messages for that account. (If you have already stored your
user name and password using the Password Manager, Mail & Newsgroups doesn't prompt you
for this information.)
Note: You can also open the File menu (in the Mail window) and choose "Get New Messages for".
To get new messages for a specific mail account, begin from the Mail window:
- Click the triangle on the Get Msgs button on the Mail toolbar.
- Choose the account for which you want to retrieve mail.
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Mail & Newsgroups icon |
Note: Mail & Newsgroups prompts you for your password the first time you retrieve messages for an account.
You can choose to have Mail & Newsgroups store your
password in the Password Manager at that time.
Password Manager can save all your user names and passwords on your own computer
in a file that's difficult, but not impossible, for an intruder to read.
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Choosing How You View the Mail Window
You can customize the layout of the Mail window (the window you see when you
choose Mail & Newsgroups from the Tasks menu):
- Open the View menu and choose Toolbars to show or hide the Mail toolbar
or the status bar.
- Open the View menu and uncheck My Sidebar to hide My Sidebar.
- Expand and collapse any pane to switch between a three-pane or two-pane
view. Choose a default view in the Mail and
Newsgroup Preferences panel. If you change the default view, you must exit
Mail & Newsgroups and then restart to have your change take effect.
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Sorting and Threading Messages
To sort messages by categories such as subject, sender, date, or priority,
begin from the Mail window:
- Click the appropriate column heading in the message list window.
Or, open the View menu, choose Sort, and then select the column you want to
sort by.
To reorder column headings, begin from the Mail window:
- Click and drag a column heading to the left or right to reposition the column.
To group messages by threading (subject), so each message is grouped with all
its responses:
- Click the thread button to the left of the Subject, Sender, and Date column
headings.
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Thread button |
Tip: To help you identify unread messages in a collapsed thread where you've read
the parent message, Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups underlines the parent message.
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Saving and Printing Messages
To save a mail message as a plain-text or HTML file:
- In the Mail window, select the message.
- Open the File menu and choose Save As, and then choose File.
- Choose a file name and location and click Save.
To print a selected message:
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Sending Messages
Composing Mail and Newsgroup Messages
You can address, compose, reply to, or send a new message by doing one of the
following:
- In any Mozilla window, open the File menu and choose New, then Message.
- Click Compose on the Mail toolbar.
- While displaying a message, click Reply, Forward, or Reply All on the Mail
toolbar.
- From the Address Book window, select an address and click Compose on the Address Book.
Tip: Use the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings command on the Edit menu to
specify the HTML text editor for composing messages. In the Account Settings
dialog box, select the account, and check "Compose messages in HTML format"
to use the HTML text editor for all messages. If you want to use the plain-text
editor occasionally, you can hold down the Shift key while clicking the Compose or the Reply button to use the plain-text editor on an as-needed basis.
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Using the Message Composition Window
Use the Compose window to address, compose, and send mail and newsgroup messages.
First specify whether you want to compose messages in plain text or HTML in
the Account Settings Preferences
panel (Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings).
To view the Compose window, click on the Compose button on the Mail toolbar.
The Compose window contains the following:
If you've chosen to compose messages using the HTML editor, you see an additional
toolbar with text formatting buttons similar to those in Mozilla Composer.
For help using the HTML editor, see the Composer
online help.
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Addressing a Message
To address a mail message:
- Type the name in the address field.
If you have address autocompletion enabled (it's
enabled by default), simply type the first few letters of the recipient's
name and wait for Mail & Newsgroups to complete the address. (Or you can type part of the
name and immediately press Enter to have Mail & Newsgroups try to complete the address.)
- If multiple addresses are found, select an address and press Enter.
Note: Use a comma to separate multiple addresses on the same line.
Do not use a comma to separate first or last names. (example: emailaddress1@netscape.com,
emailaddress2@netscape.com, emailaddress3@netscape.com)
- If you want this message to be sent from a different
account, click the "From" field to select the account you want.
- If necessary, click "To" to choose a different recipient type:
- To: For primary recipients of your message.
- Cc: For secondary recipients (carbon copy).
- Bcc: For secondary recipients not identified to the other recipients,
including those in the cc list (blind carbon copy).
- Reply-To: For recipients to reply to a different email address
other than the one the message is sent from.
- Newsgroup: For posting to a newsgroup.
- Followup-To: For redirecting a newsgroup posting, so that subsequent
replies go directly to the redirected newsgroup instead of the original
newsgroup.
Tip: You can quickly address a message by right-clicking the email
address contained in a message you're reading, and then selecting Send Mail
To from the pop-up menu.
Changing the Account From Which a Message is Sent
If you have multiple mail accounts, the account listed in the From field is
based on the account (or server) you selected when you choose
to create a new message. However, Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups also allows you to change the
account a message is sent from while you're composing a message. Click the From
field to view a list of your accounts and then select the account you want.
A copy of the message is saved in the Sent folder of the account where you sent the message.
About Address Autocompletion
Address autocompletion allows you to address mail easily from the Compose
window without having to search for names or type complete names. Mail & Newsgroups automatically
checks your address books and an LDAP directory server (if available) and completes
the name if it finds a unique match. It also prevents mistakes by showing all
possible choices with additional information if it finds multiple matches. Address
autocompletion is enabled by default.
If you don't want to use an address that Mail & Newsgroups provides, simply press Backspace
or Delete to erase the address and then enter an alternate address.
To disable address autocompletion:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
- Under the Mail & Newsgroups category, click Addressing. (If no options
are visible in this category, double-click the category to expand the list).
- In the Address Autocompletion section, deselect "Local Address
Books" and "Directory Server."
- Click OK.
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Selecting Message Sending Options
While you're composing a message, you can select these additional message sending
options from the Options menu:
- Select Addresses: The Select Addresses option lets you choose the
recipient's email address from your Address Books. Select an address and then
click To:, Cc:, or Bcc: to address your message.
- Check Spelling: Checks the spelling of the message text. You can
also click Spell.
- Rewrap: If you are composing a message using the plain-text editor,
you can use the Rewrap command to rewrap long lines of quoted text to fit
the Compose window. This command rewraps selected quoted text to the window
width, or rewraps all quoted text if no text is selected. This command is
primarily useful when you are replying to a message where the original message
is quoted in your reply, and the original message contains long lines.
You use the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings command on the Edit menu to specify
that you want to use the plain-text editor for composing messages. In the
Account Settings dialog box, select the account, and uncheck "Compose messages
in HTML format" to use the plain-text editor for all messages. If you only
want to use the plain-text editor occasionally, you can hold down the Shift
key while clicking the Compose or the Reply button to use the plain-text editor
on an as-needed basis.
- Format: Send the message as plain text, or HTML (formatted), or both.
If you choose "Auto-Detect," Mail & Newsgroups asks you for the format to use if it's unknown
whether the recipient's mail program can display an HTML message. The format
you choose here overrides the send format you specified using the Preferences
command on the Edit menu.
- Priority: Choose a priority to indicate whether the message
has lowest, low, normal, high, or highest priority.
- Copy Message To: Choose this if you want to file an additional
copy of the sent message in a different folder than your default Sent folder.
Then select the folder you want.
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Replying to a Message
To reply to a mail message:
- Select the message.
- Click Reply to respond to the sender alone.
- Click Reply All to respond to all addressees in the message.
To include the original message each time you reply to any message:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
- Under the Mail & Newsgroups category, click Message
Composition.
- Select "Automatically quote the original message when replying."
- Click OK.
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Forwarding a Message
When you forward a message, you can specify how to place new text relative
to the original text: inline (in the body of the message; this
is the default), or as an attachment.
To forward a message:
- Select the message and click Forward.
- Type the name or email address of the recipient.
- Click Send.
To set the default for forwarding messages:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
- Under the Mail & Newsgroups category, click Message
Composition. (If necessary, double-click the Mail & Newsgroups category
to expand the list.)
- Click OK.
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Saving and Editing a Message Draft
To save a mail message as a draft so you can complete it later:
To edit or send a message draft:
- From the Mail & Newsgroups window, click the Drafts folder for the account where you
created the message draft.
- Click the message that you want to edit.
- In the top-right corner of the message, click the Edit Draft button. (Alternatively,
from the Edit menu, choose Edit Draft.)
- Edit the message as necessary.
- Click Send to send the message or click Save to save the message so you
can complete it later.
Tip: You can also double-click the message to open it for editing.
This is especially useful if the message pane is closed.
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Creating and Using Templates
Templates are useful for formatting messages that you send regularly, such
as weekly status reports. You can save a message as a template from any window
in which it is displayed, including from within a Mail compose window.
To save a message as a template:
- While displaying a message: open the File menu, choose Save As, then Template.
The template file is stored in the Templates folder.
To edit or use a template file:
- In the Mail window, select the Templates folder for the account where you created the message template.
- Double-click the message you want to edit.
- Edit the message, then save it or send it.
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Creating HTML Mail Messages
Using HTML in Your Messages
HTML messages can include formatted text, links, images, and tablesjust like
a web page. However, some recipients may not be able to receive HTML messages.
Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups allows you to compose mail and newsgroup messages using either
the HTML (rich-text) formatting editor or the plain-text editor for each mail
account you have. In addition, you can choose whether your addressees should
receive HTML or plain-text messages by default, and how Mail & Newsgroups should handle messages
when it's not known if an addressee can receive HTML formatted mail.
To specify whether to use the HTML editor as the default for composing messages,
begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- Select the mail or newsgroup account you want to use.
- Select "Compose messages in HTML format." You see the Formatting toolbar
in the Compose window. Leave this box unchecked to use the plain-text editor
for this account.
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Choosing HTML Mail Sending Options
You can choose the default method Mail & Newsgroups uses to handle sending HTML messages
when it's not known whether the recipient's mail program can display formatted messages.
To choose HTML sending options for mail messages, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences. (If no options are visible in
this category, double-click the category to expand the list.)
- Under the Mail & Newsgroups category, click Send Format.
Note: This preference applies only to mail messages, not to newsgroup
messages.
- Select the option you want and then click OK.
If while composing a message you realize that one or more recipients may not
be able to receive HTML-formatted mail, you can easily convert the message to
a different format when you click Send:
- In the Compose window, open the Options menu and choose Format.
- Select the format you want to use for sending the message:
- Auto Detect: Mail & Newsgroups chooses the appropriate format.
- Plain Text Only: May lose formatting such as bold text.
- Rich Text (HTML) Only: Some mail programs may have trouble displaying
the message.
- Plain and Rich (HTML) Text: This uses more disk space.
- When you've finished composing the message, click Send.
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Specifying Recipients for HTML Messages
You can save time by indicating whether individuals in your address books prefer
to receive either HTML messages or plain text messages.
- Open the Tasks menu and choose Address Book.
- Select the address book on the left and then select the individual's card
on the right.
- Click Properties to display the "Card for" dialog box.
- In the Name tab, use the "Prefers to receive messages formatted as" drop-down
list to select HTML if you know this recipient can read HTML-formatted messages
(such as messages that include links, images, or tables). If this
recipient can only read messages sent as plain text (no formatting), then
choose Plain Text. If you don't know or are not sure, choose Unknown. If you
choose Unknown, Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups determines the sending format based on the Send
Format settings for Mail & Newsgroups in the Preferences dialog box. If Mail & Newsgroups still can't
determine the correct format, it will prompt you to choose a sending format
when you send the message.
- Click OK.
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Viewing the Message Source for HTML Messages
You can quickly view the HTML and other code that generates an HTML message
you've received:
- Open the message.
- Open the View menu and choose Message Source.
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Using the HTML Mail Question Dialog Box
The HTML Mail Question dialog box appears when you try to send a message to
someone who does not want to receive HTML messages or when Mail & Newsgroups cannot determine
whether your recipient can display HTML messages. If you are in doubt, send
a plain-text message.
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Using Attachments
Attaching a File or Web Page
To attach a file to an outgoing mail message:
- In the Compose window, click Attach or open the File menu and choose Attach
File. You see the "Enter file to attach" dialog box.
Tip: You can also click inside the Attachments area to attach a file.
- Type the name of the file you want to attach, or select a file from your
hard drive that you want to attach.
- Click Open. The file name appears in the Attachments area.
Tip: You can also drag and drop one or more files from your desktop into the Attachments area in the Compose window.
To attach a web page to an outgoing mail message:
- In the Compose window, open the File menu and choose Attach Web Page.
- In the dialog box, enter the URL of the page and then click OK. The web
page URL appears in the Attachments area.
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Viewing and Opening Attachments
If you receive a mail attachment that consists of a file type that Mozilla
can display (such as graphic files and HTML files), you see the attachment displayed
inline (in the body of the message). For other file types, Mail & Newsgroups lets
you open the attachment using another application, or you can save the
attachment on your hard disk.
To open the attachment, make sure you have a program on your computer that
can open files of the same type as the attachment's file format. For example,
if you want to open a GIF file, make sure you have a program on your computer
that can open GIF files.
To open an attachment:
- Double-click the attachment you want (if there is more than one).
- In the Downloading dialog box, choose what you want Mozilla to do with the attachment:
- If Mozilla finds an application on your hard disk that can open the attachment, you can open the attachment using that application. Click "Choose" to use a different application to open the attachment.
- If Mozilla can't find an application on your hard disk that can open the attachment, you can save the attachment. You won't be able to open the attachment, but at least you can save it on your hard disk until you can install an application that can open it.
- Click "Advanced" to add a new file type to the list of helper applications. Mozilla uses helper applications to determine how different file types are opened by other applications from within Mozilla.
- Click OK.
Note: If you are viewing your mail using an IMAP mail server, all attachments remain on the server.
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Saving Attachments
To save an attachment:
- In the right side of the message envelope, select the attachment that you
want to save.
- Right-click (Control + Click on Mac) the attachment and choose Save As from the
pop-up menu.
- Choose a file name and location for the attachment on your hard disk and
then click OK. Mail & Newsgroups downloads the attachment and saves it to the specified
location.
Tip: To save all attachments, right-click the first one in the attachment
list, and choose Save All. You can then specify the location where you want
all the attachments to be saved.
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Deleting Messages
How you delete messages depends on your mail server type: IMAP or POP. Deleted
POP messages are automatically moved to the Trash folder. IMAP users can set
different options for deleting messages.
To delete IMAP messages from your Inbox or other folders, begin from the Mail
window:
- In the message list, select the messages and click Delete. By default,
Mail & Newsgroups moves the selected messages to the Trash folder.
- To delete messages permanently, open the File menu and choose Empty Trash.
To set deletion preferences for IMAP messages:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- Locate the IMAP account you want, and then click the Server Settings category
under the account name.
- Select the options you want for deleting messages and click OK.
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Moving Messages To and From the Trash
If you use a POP server to deliver your mail, or if you set up IMAP to use the Trash
folder, follow these steps to delete messages from your Inbox or other folders:
- In the message list, select the messages you want to delete.
- Click Delete. Mail & Newsgroups moves the messages to the Trash folder.
To recover messages from the Trash:
- Click the Trash folder.
- Select the messages you want to recover, and drag them to another folder.
To delete messages permanently:
- Open the File menu and choose Empty Trash.
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Using Address Books
About Address Books
Address books store email addresses and contact information for people you
typically send mail to, such as colleagues, friends, and family. Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups
provides you with two address books: the Personal Address Book and the Collected
Addresses Bookand you can create additional address books as well. The
contents of these address books are stored locally on your hard disk. Your address
book may also list email addresses from an LDAP directory, which is located
on an LDAP directory server. The directory server stores email addresses of
people that are not included in your locally-stored address books.
Personal Address Book
Use the Personal Address Book to add specific names of your choice, or to
import address books from other mail programs and previous versions of Mozilla.
You can create mailing lists, edit individual address entries, and create additional
address books.
Collected Addresses
The Collected Addresses Book automatically collects the email addresses contained
in incoming and outgoing messages, as well as the screen names for buddy lists
migrated from Mozilla. For incoming mail messages, the Collected
Addresses Book saves the sender's address in each message as soon as you open
it. Addresses from outgoing messages are stored as soon as you click Send. You
can choose which addresses you want to collect (only addresses from mail messages
or addresses from both mail and newsgroup messages) by changing the
preferences for email address collection.
LDAP Directory (if available)
An LDAP directory (also known as an address lookup service) stores email addresses
of recipients who are not in your locally-stored address books. LDAP directories
offer you access to large, centrally maintained databases of email addresses,
which is especially useful with address autocompletion.
To enable automatic address collection, begin in the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
- Under the Mail & Newsgroups category, click Addressing. (If no options
are visible in this category, double-click the category to expand the list.)
- Under Email Address Collection, choose whether you want to:
- Use this feature for incoming or outgoing messages, or both.
- Use this feature for newsgroup messages.
- Limit the size of the Collected Address book. The default size is 700 cards.
If you add a new card that exceeds the limit, the oldest card is removed and
the new card is added, keeping the total number of cards the same.
- Click OK.
Opening the Address Book Window
To open the Address Book window:
- Open the Tasks menu and choose Address Book, or click the Address Book
icon on the status bar.
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Address Book icon |
Changing the Address Book Window Display
To customize how the Address Book window and the cards are displayed:
- Open the Tasks menu and choose Address Book. You see the Address Book window.
- In the Address Book window, open the View menu and choose from the following
display options:
- Choose Show Name As, and then select how you want card names displayed
(first/last, last/first, or Display Name).
- Choose Sort, and then select a sort option (sort by Name, Email, Work
Phone, or Organization).
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Adding Entries to Your Address Books
You can use any of the following ways to add entries to your address books:
- Click a name in the From or recipient fields (for example, To or Cc) in
a message you've received, and then select "Add to Address Book" from the
drop-down list.
- In the Address Book window, click New Card to create a new address book
card.
- Open a message, which automatically adds the sender's address to your Collected
Addresses Book (if enabled).
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Creating a New Address Book
Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups provides a default personal address book, but you can create
additional address books.
To create a new address book:
- Click the Address Book icon on the status bar or open the Tasks menu and
choose Address Book. You see the Address Book window.
|
|
Address Book icon |
- In the Address Book window, open the File menu, choose New, and choose
Address Book. You see the New Address Book dialog box.
- Type the name of the new address book, and click OK.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Creating a New Address Book Card
Address book cards can be used to store names, postal addresses, email addresses,
phone numbers, and information such as whether the addressee prefers to receive
plain-text or HTML-formatted messages.
To create an address book card for an individual:
- Click the Address Book icon on the status bar or open the Tasks menu and
choose Address Book.
- Click New Card. (If you have multiple address books, select the one to
which you want to add a card.)
- Each New Card dialog box has four tabs:
- Name tab: Enter the following information:
- First and Last (first and last name of person as you want it to
appear in the address book).
- Display name (the name that appears in the "To" field of the Compose
window).
- Nickname (a shortcut or alias for the real name).
- Email address (primary and additional address).
- Prefers to receive messages formatted as: If you know this recipient
can read HTML-formatted messages (such as messages that include links,
images, or tables), choose HTML. If this recipient can only read messages
sent as plain text (no formatting), then choose Plain Text. If you
don't know or are not sure, choose Unknown. If you choose Unknown,
Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups determines the sending format based on the Mail & Newsgroups Send Format settings in the Preferences dialog box. If
Mail & Newsgroups still can't determine the correct format, Mail & Newsgroups will prompt you to
choose a sending format when you send the message.
- Phones (enter phone number information for this person)
- Address tab: Type additional information such as street address,
phone number, and URL.
Tip: If you enter address information, Mozilla displays a Get Map button next to the address when you view this entry's address book card in your address book. Clicking the Get Map button displays a web page that contains a map to the address.
- Instant Messenger tab: Type the person's screen name and choose
a Buddy List grouping.
Note: You must be logged on to Instant Messenger in order to enter
information from this tab.
- Other tab: Store any additional information you want.
Tip: To quickly add entries to your address book, right-click any mail
address in messages you receive and select Add to Address Book from the drop-down
list. The New Card dialog box appears where you can complete the information.
Viewing or Editing Card Properties
To view or edit the properties for an individual card:
- Select the card in the Address List window and click Properties.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Creating a Mailing List
If you regularly send messages to a group of recipients, you can quickly address
a message by using a mailing list that contains the names you want.
To create a mailing list and add it to your address book:
- In the Address Book window, click New List.
- Enter the following information in the Mailing List dialog box:
- Click the drop-down list at "Add to" to choose an address book in which
to store the list.
- List name: When you enter the list name in the "To" field of a message,
everyone on the list receives your message.
- List nickname: Alias (or shortcut) for the list name.
- Description: Appears after the list name in the address line of the
Compose window.
- Drag entries from the Address Book window into the list, or type in addresses.
- Click OK.
- The list appears in the left and right sides of the Address Book window.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Editing a Mailing List
Mailing lists are stored in the address book in which you created them.
To remove a member from the list, begin from the Mail window:
- Open Tasks menu and choose Address Book.
- Expand the address book containing your mailing list by clicking the small
triangle beside the address book title.
- Highlight the mailing list by clicking its name. The list members appear
to the right of the mailing list name.
- Click the entry you wish to delete.
- Click the Delete button.
To add members to a mailing list:
- Open Tasks menu and choose Address Book.
- Expand the address book containing your mailing list by clicking the small
triangle beside the address book title.
- Highlight the mailing list by clicking its name.
- Click Properties.
- Add or remove entries as necessary.
- Click OK when you are done.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Searching Address Books and Directories
Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups lets you quickly search an address book or directory by subject or sender, or use a combination
of criteria to perform a thorough search through an address book or directory.
To quickly search an address book or directory by subject or sender, begin from the Address Book window:
- In the Address Book window, in the list of address books, select the address
book or directory that you want to search.
- To the right of "Subject or Sender contains:", type the subject text or sender name that you want to find. You can type only part of the subject or sender, or you can type the exact word or name that you want to find.
As soon as you stop typing, Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups displays only those entries where the subject or sender contains the search text you entered.
- Click Clear to erase the search text and show all entries.
Searching for Specific Entries
You can search address books or directories for specific entries. If you are not already viewing the Advanced Address Book Search dialog box, begin from the
Address Book window:
- Open the Search menu and choose Search Addresses. You see the
Advanced Address Book Search dialog box.
- Next to "Search in", choose the address book or directory through which you want
to search.
- Select the matching option Mail & Newsgroups uses to search for entries either that match all
or at least one of the conditions (criteria) that you choose.
- Click More to add criteria and Fewer to remove them.
- Click Search to begin, or click Clear to reset your entries. The search
results appear in lower part of the dialog box.
- To sort the entries in a different order, click the column that you want
to sort by.
- To view the card for an entry, select the entry and click Properties.
- To compose a message to selected recipients, select one or more entries and click Compose.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Importing Address Books
If you have a Mozilla address book from another user profile or
computer, or if you have an address book from a previous version of
Mozilla
or another mail program, you can import its entries into the Address Book window as a new address book. You can import
address book files that are in these formats: Communicator 4.x (pab.na2), Mozilla (.ldif), tab-delimited (.tab), comma-separated (.csv), or text (.txt) formats.
When you import an address book, Mail & Newsgroups creates a new address book with the
imported entries.
You can also import mail messages and settings from Netscape Communicator, Eudora, Outlook, and Outlook Express.
To import an address book into Mozilla, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Tools menu, and choose Import. You see the Mozilla Mail Import Wizard.
- Follow the instructions to import address books.
Tip: Communicator address book files (pab.na2) are stored in your user profile directory (for example, C:\Program Files\Mozilla\Users, where \Users contains the user profiles directories).
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Exporting Address Books
You can export a Mozilla address book if you later want to import it into another user profile, move it to another computer, or use it with another program that can import address books. You can export an address book to one of these file formats: Communicator 4.x or Mozilla (.ldif), tab-delimited (.tab), comma-separated (.csv), or text (.txt) formats.
To export an address book, begin from the Address Book window:
- Select the address book that you want to export.
- Open the File menu, and choose Export.
- In the Export Address Book dialog box, browse to the location where you want to save the address book file.
- Choose the file format for the exported address book (.ldif, comma-separated, or tab-delimited).
- Enter a name for the address book file. Be sure to include the appropriate file extension (.ldif, .csv, .tab, or .txt).
- Click Save.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Adding and Removing LDAP Directories
In general, you add or remove directory servers using instructions provided
by your system administrator. Check with your system administrator for the information
you will need in order to add a new directory server.
To add a new directory server:
- Open the Edit menu, and choose Preferences. You see the Preferences dialog
box.
- Under the Mail & Newsgroups category, select Addressing. (If no options
are available in this category, double-click the category to expand the list.)
- Under Address Autocompletion on the right side of the dialog box, click
Edit Directories.
- In the LDAP Directory Servers dialog box, click Add.
- Type the following information in the Directory Server Properties dialog
box General tab:
- Name: Enter the name of the directory service (for example, InfoSpace
Directory).
- Host Name: Enter the name of the server, such as ldap.infospace.com.
- Base DN: This setting is used to set the Base Distinguished Name.
Enter codes to restrict searching to a specific country or organization.
For example, c=JP restricts the search to Japan only. Base DN also specifies
the organization to search on within the directory (for instance, o=Mozilla
Communications Corporation, c=US).
- Click the Advanced tab to configure LDAP directory server settings.
- Type the following information:
- Port Number: Enter the port number for the LDAP server. The default
is 389.
- Don't return more than _ results: This setting lets you limit the number
of autocompletion matches returned by the directory server. Enter the
maximum number of email address matches to display for autocompletion.
- Scope: Defines the limits of the search. Choose one of the following:
- One Level: Retrieves matching entries by searching the base DN
and one level below the base DN.
- Subtree: Retrieves matching entries by searching the base DN
in addition to all levels below the base DN. This is the least restrictive
search.
- Search Filter: Enter the search filter to apply to matching results that are within the specified scope of the search.
- Click OK to close the Directory Server Properties dialog box.
- Click OK to close the LDAP Directory Servers dialog box.
To delete a directory server:
- Open the Edit menu, and choose Preferences. You see the Preferences dialog
box.
- Under the Mail & Newsgroups category, select Addressing. (If no options
are available in this category, double-click the category to expand the list.)
- Under Address Autocompletion on the right side of the dialog box, click
Edit Directories.
- In the LDAP Directory Servers dialog box, select the directory that you
want to delete and click Delete.
- Click OK, then click OK again to close the Preferences dialog box.
Directory Server Settings
If you are not already viewing the Directory Server Settings dialog box, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Tasks menu, and choose Address Book.
- In the list of address books, select a directory.
- Click Properties.
General Tab
- Name: The name of the directory service (for example, InfoSpace
Directory).
- Host Name: The name of the server, such as ldap.infospace.com.
- Base DN: The Base Distinguished Name. Codes entered here restrict searching to a specific country or organization.
For example, c=JP restricts the search to Japan only. Base DN also specifies
the organization to search on within the directory (for instance, o=Mozilla
Communications Corporation, c=US).
Advanced Tab
- Port Number: The port number for the LDAP server. The default
is 389.
- Don't return more than _ results: This setting lets you limit the number
of autocompletion matches returned by the directory server. Specify the
maximum number of email address matches to display for autocompletion.
- Scope: Defines the limits of the search:
- One Level: Retrieves matching entries by searching the base DN
and one level below the base DN.
- Subtree: Retrieves matching entries by searching the base DN
in addition to all levels below the base DN. This is the least restrictive
search.
- Search Filter: Specifies the search filter to apply to matching results that are within the specified scope of the search.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Organizing Your Messages
Creating a Folder
To create a message folder, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the File menu, choose New, and then Folder. You see the New Folder
dialog box.
- Type the name of the folder.
- Click the drop-down list and choose a folder location and click OK. Your
new folder appears in your Mail Folders list.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Renaming a Folder
To rename an existing folder, begin from the Mail window:
- Select the folder you want to rename.
- Open the File menu and choose Rename Folder. You see the Rename Folder dialog box.
- Type the new name and click OK.
Note: If you rename a folder that you've been using to store filtered
messages, the filter will automatically update to use the renamed folder.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Moving or Copying a Folder
You can copy a folder and its contents to another mail account, or move a folder
within the same mail account.
To move or copy a folder, begin from the Mail window:
- Select the folder you want to move or copy.
- Do one of the following:
- To move the folder under another folder within the same account, drag
the folder over the name of the other folder. The folder you moved becomes
a subfolder of the other folder.
- To copy the folder to another account, drag the folder over the name
of another account.
- To copy the folder under another folder in another account, drag the
folder over the name of another folder in another account. The folder
you copied becomes a subfolder of the other folder.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Filing Messages in Folders
You can move messages from one folder to another by using either of these methods:
- Select the message, click the File button on the toolbar, and choose the
destination folder.
- Drag and drop messages into the desired folder.
Note: If you drag and drop a message from an IMAP or POP mail server
folder to a local folder on your hard drive, the message is moved to the local
folder and removed from the server folder.
To copy a message from one folder to another:
- Select the message and right-click to display the pop-up menu.
- Select "Copy To" and then select the destination account and folder from
the drop-down list.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Labeling Messages
You can apply labels to messages to help you organize and prioritize them. You can apply a standard color and text label to messages, or you can customize the label colors or label text to suit your needs.
One powerful way to use labels is to use a message filter to automatically label incoming messages. For example, you can set up a message filter so that incoming messages from your boss are labeled "Important" and appear in red. See Creating Message Filters for more information.
Applying a Label
To apply a label to a message, begin from the Mail window:
- Select the message you want to label.
- Open the Message menu, and choose Label.
- Choose the label you want to apply from the list.
The message header changes to the label color you chose. To see the label text, you must display the Label column in the Mail window.
To display the Label column, begin from the Mail window:
- Click the Show/Hide Columns icon
and select Label from the list.
Note: Message labels apply on a per-account basis. For example, if you move or copy a labeled message to another mail account, the label is not preserved. Similarly, if you forward a labeled message to another recipient, the label is not preserved. For IMAP mail accounts, if your IMAP server supports user-defined keywords, message labels will persist when you log in to your mail account from a different location. In an AOL mail acount, when a labeled message is automatically moved from New Mail to the Old Mail folder, it loses its label.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Customizing Labels
You can customize label colors or text to suit your needs.
To customize labels, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu, and choose Preferences. You see the Preferences dialog box.
- Under the Mail & Newsgroups category, click Labels. (If no options
are available in this category, double-click the category to expand the list.)
- Edit the label text, or replace it with your own label text. The label can be up to 32 characters long.
- To change the label color, click the color chip next to that label and select a new color.
- Click OK.
Your changes are immediately applied to all labeled messages in all your mail accounts.
Tip: To restore the default label text and colors, follow the steps above to display the label settings, and click Restore Defaults.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Sorting Messages by Label
To sort messages by label, begin from the Mail window:
- To display the Label column if it is hidden, click the Show/Hide Columns icon
and select Label from the list.
- Click the Label column to sort messages by color, and within each color, to sort messages alphabetically by label text.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Removing Labels
To remove a message label, begin from the Mail window:
- Select one or more labeled messages.
- Open the Message menu, and choose Label.
- Choose "None" for the message label.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Marking or Flagging Messages
You might want to mark a message you've read as unread if you later want to re-read the message or respond to it.
To mark a message as unread, begin from the Mail window:
- Select a Mail or Newsgroup folder to display its messages.
- Click in the Read column of each message you want to mark as unread. Messages marked as unread display a
symbol in the Read column. Messages marked as read display a
symbol in the Read column. If the Read column is not visible, click the Show/Hide Columns icon
and select Read from the list.
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Read column |
You can flag messages that you later want to download for offline use.
To flag messages, begin from the Mail window:
- Select a Mail or Newsgroup folder to display its messages.
- Click in the Flag column of each message you want to download. A flag
appears
where you clicked to indicate that the message has been flagged. If the Flag column is not visible, click the
Show/Hide Columns icon
and select Flag from the list.
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Flag column |
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Creating Message Filters
Message filters allow you to manage and organize your messages. You can create
message filters that Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups uses to automatically perform certain actions
on incoming messages based on criteria you specify. For example, you can create
a message filter that automatically moves incoming messages to a particular
folder. Message filters operate on a per-account basis.
If you are not already viewing the Message Filters dialog box, begin from the
Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Message Filters. You see the Message Filters
dialog box.
- If you have multiple mail accounts, choose the one to which you want to
apply the filter.
- Click New. You use the Filter Rules dialog box to specify the types of
messages to act on, and the action you want the filter to perform.
- Type a name for the filter.
- Select the matching option you want Mail & Newsgroups to use: "all of the following
conditions" (criteria) you choose, or "at least one" of the conditions.
- Use the drop-down lists to choose the search criteria (for example, "Subject,"
"Sender," "contains," "doesn't contain") and then type the text or phrase
you want to match.
Tip: To search for messages that contain a header not listed in the first drop-down menu (for example, if you want to search for messages that include the header Resent-From), choose Customize and type the header you want to search for. Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups adds your custom header to the drop-down list, so you can then choose it to search for matching entries.
- To restrict your filter to messages that only match a certain priority,
choose "Priority" from the drop-down list.
- Click More to add criteria and Fewer to remove them.
- Use the drop-down list to choose the action you want the filter to perform
on the messages (for example, Move to Folder).
Tip: To automatically label incoming messages, choose "Label the message" from the drop-down list.
- Choose a destination folder in which to store the messages, or create a
new folder.
- Click OK to confirm your settings.
- Click OK in the Message Filters dialog box. The filter begins filtering incoming messages as soon as you click OK.
To manage your filters, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Message Filters. You see the Message Filters
dialog box.
- If you have multiple mail accounts, choose the one to which you want to
apply the filter.
- Choose from the following:
- To turn a filter on or off: Click the checkbox to the right of the filter
name to enable it, or click it again to turn it off.
- To edit a filter: Select the filter name and click Edit (or double-click
the filter name). Use the Filter Rules dialog box to make your changes.
- To delete a filter: Select the filter name and click Delete.
- To change the order in which filters are applied: In the filter
list, click a filter's name, and click "Move Up" or "Move
Down" to move it.
Note: Filters are applied to each incoming message in the order
you choose, until a filter action results in the message being deleted or
moved to a different folder.
- Click OK when you are done managing your filters. If you created a new filter,
it begins filtering incoming messages as soon as you click OK.
Note: If you delete a folder that you've been using
to store filtered messages, the filter will no longer work. Incoming messages that match the filter criteria will appear in your Inbox. If you rename or move the folder, the filter will automatically update to use the renamed or moved folder.
Tip: Filters don't apply to existing messages. If you have existing
messages that you want to move to another folder, you can search
for those messages and then file them into the
other folder.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Filtering Messages From a Specific Sender
Mozilla lets you quickly create a filter for messages from a particular sender. For example, if you want to automatically move all incoming messages from your child's teacher into a folder called "School", Mozilla lets you quickly set up a filter to do this.
To create a filter for messages from a specific sender, begin from the Mail window:
- Select a message from a specific sender.
- Open the Message menu, and choose Create Filter. You see the Filter Rules dialog box. Using the sender's email address, Mozilla prefills the filter name, the filter matching criteria, and the filter action (Move to folder).
- Choose a destination folder in which to store the incoming messages from the specified sender, or create a
new folder.
- Click OK to confirm your settings. You see the Message Filters dialog box, where you can create, delete, or edit message filters.
- Click OK. The filter begins filtering incoming messages from the specified sender as soon as you click OK.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Searching Through Messages
Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups lets you quickly find text in a single message, search messages by subject or sender, or use a combination
of criteria to perform a thorough search through all messages in a specific
mail folder, newsgroup, or account.
To locate text in a single message, begin from the Mail window:
- Select the message, open the Search menu, and choose Find in This Message.
- Type the text that you want to locate.
- Click Find to locate the first occurrence of the text.
- Continue clicking Find to locate additional occurrences, or click Cancel
when you are done.
- Choose Find Again from the Search menu to continue searching for the text
throughout the rest of the message.
To quickly search for messages by subject or sender, begin from the Mail window:
- To the right of "Subject or Sender contains:", type the subject text or sender name that you want to find. You can type only part of the subject or sender, or you can type the exact word or name that you want to find.
As soon as you stop typing, Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups displays only those messages where the subject or sender contains the search text you entered.
- Click Clear to erase the search text and show all messages.
Searching for Specific Messages
You can search mail folders or newsgroups for specific messages. If you are not already viewing the Search Messages dialog box, begin from the
Mail window:
- Open the Search menu and choose Search Messages. You see the
Search Messages dialog box.
- Next to "Search for messages in", choose the account, newsgroup, or folder through which you want
to search.
- Click "Search subfolders" to include all subfolders
in the search.
- Select the matching option Mail & Newsgroups uses to search for messages either that match all
or at least one of the conditions (criteria) that you choose.
- Use the drop-down lists to indicate the search criteria (for example, "Subject" and "contains") and then type the text or phrase
that you want to match.
Tip: To search for messages that contain a header not listed in the first drop-down menu (for example, if you want to search for messages that include the header Resent-From), choose Customize and type the header you want to search for. Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups adds your custom header to the drop-down list, so you can then choose it to search for matching entries.
- Click More to add criteria and Fewer to remove them.
- Click Search to begin, or click Clear to reset your entries. The search
results appear in lower part of the Search Messages dialog box. To open a
message so you can read it, select the message and click Open, or double-click
the message.
- To sort the messages in a different order, click the column that you want
to sort by.
- To move or copy a message in the Results area to another folder, select
the message and then choose the destination folder from the File drop-down
list. If the destination folder is within the same account, the message is
moved to that folder. If the destination folder is within a different account,
the message is copied to that folder.
- To delete a message in the Results area, select the message
and then click Delete.
- To open the folder where the message is stored, select the message and click Open Message Folder.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Importing Mail from Other Programs
This section describes how to import mail messages and settings
from Netscape Communicator, Outlook, Outlook Express, and Eudora. To import address books from these programs, see Importing Address Books.
Importing Mail Messages
To import mail messages from Netscape Communicator, Outlook, Outlook Express, or Eudora, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the File menu, and choose Import. You see the Mozilla Mail Import Wizard.
- Follow the instructions to import mail messages.
For Netscape Communicator, the wizard imports all Communicator mail folders included under Local Folders. Imported mail is added as a new folder under Local Folders in the Mozilla Mail window.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Importing Mail Settings
To import mail settings from Outlook, Outlook Express, or Eudora, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the File menu, and choose Import. You see the Mozilla Mail Import Wizard.
- Follow the instructions to import mail settings.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Getting Started With Newsgroups
Subscribing to Newsgroups
If you have set up an account on a newsgroup server,
you can join (subscribe) to newsgroups (also called discussion groups).
To subscribe to a newsgroup, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the File menu and choose Subscribe. You see the Subscribe dialog box.
- If necessary, click the Account drop-down list to choose another newsgroup account.
- Select a newsgroup.
- Click Subscribe or click in the Subscribe column next to the newsgroup.
You see a checkmark next to each newsgroup to which you subscribe. Click
Unsubscribe to cancel a selection.
- Click OK. The list of your subscribed newsgroups appears in the Mail window.
If you are an IMAP mail user, you can also subscribe to message folders located
on an IMAP server. (Your Inbox is a type of message folder.) Follow the instructions
above for subscribing, but select a mail server from the Server drop-down list.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Reading Newsgroup Messages
When you open your newsgroup server, you see the list of newsgroups to which
you subscribe. The server downloads the headers of new messages in each
newsgroup.
To read newsgroup messages, begin from the Mail window:
- Double-click a newsgroup server icon to see its newsgroups. (If there are
no newsgroups, you may need to subscribe to one.)
- Click a newsgroup name to see its messages.
- Click a message to read it. Click the thread button to display all the
responses below the original message. You can click any header to display
its message. You can start a new thread or post
a message in response.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Posting Newsgroup Messages
To start new threads (discussions):
- From the list of your subscribed newsgroups in the Mail window, select a
newsgroup.
- Click Compose.
- Compose your message, and click Send
to post it.
- Click Get Msgs to see your posting on the newsgroup.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Contributing to Ongoing Discussions
To post a response to the newsgroup:
- In the message list, select a message to reply to.
- Click Reply.
- Compose your message, and click Send
to post it.
To reply to an individual as well as post a response to the group:
- In the message list, select a message to reply to.
- Click Reply All.
- Compose your message, and click Send to post it.
To redirect a posting to another newsgroup:
- Click Reply and choose "Followup-To" from the "Recipient type" drop-down
list. Subsequent responses will be posted to the newsgroup you specified.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Monitoring Threads
To monitor unread messages in threads that are of interest to you:
- Select a message in a thread.
- Open the Message menu, and choose Watch Thread.
- If you want to monitor additional threads, repeat steps 1 and 2 for messages
in additional threads.
- When you're ready to monitor messages in these threads, Open the View menu,
choose Messages, and then choose Watched Threads with Unread. Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups
only displays the watched threads that contain unread messages.
- Open the View menu, choose Messages, and then choose All to return to viewing
all messages in the newsgroup.
To ignore a message thread:
- Select a message in the thread.
- Open the Message menu, and choose Ignore Thread. Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups marks all messages
in the thread as read, and new replies posted to the thread will appear as
read.
- To view ignored threads, open the View menu, choose Messages, and then choose
Ignored Threads.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Removing a Newsgroup
To remove a newsgroup from your list:
- Select the newsgroup icon and press Delete.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Adding a Newsgroup Server
If the newsgroup you want to subscribe to is on a different server, you must
first set up access to that server.
To set up an additional newsgroup server, open the File menu in the Mail window
and choose New, then Account.
- Using the Account Wizard, indicate that the new account you want to
set up is a newsgroup account.
Once you've set up access to the new server, you can subscribe
to newsgroups on that server. In the Mail window, open the File menu, and choose
Subscribe.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Working Offline
Setting Up Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups to Work Offline
Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups' offline feature lets you download your mail and read it offline
(while disconnected from the Internet). If you use a dial-up (modem) connection
to access your mail and you want to reduce the time you are connected, or,
if you need to temporarily disconnect from your company's network while traveling
or switching locations, you can download your mail so that you can read it
offline. The offline feature can automatically download incoming
messages and then later send all your outgoing messages when you reconnect.
If you occasionally want to work offline, Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups lets you easily:
- Download your Inbox for offline use.
- Download an individual folder for offline use.
- Download only selected or flagged messages for offline use.
If you frequently work offline, Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups also lets you:
- Set up one or more of your accounts for offline use.
- Set offline and disk space preferences for each account.
- Select the items (accounts, folders, and newsgroups) that you want to view
offline.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Downloading Your Inbox for Offline Use
Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups can automate the offline process for your Inbox messages. You
can tell Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups to automatically download your Inbox messages for offline
use. Later, when you go back online, Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups automatically synchronizes
your Inbox messages with the server.
To automatically download your Inbox for offline use, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- In the left side of the dialog box, choose the account you want to use offline,
and select Offline & Disk Space. (This category is not available for POP accounts.)
- Check the box labeled "Make the messages in my Inbox available when I am
working offline."
- Click OK.
- Open the File menu, choose Offline, and then choose Work Offline.
- In the Work Offline dialog box, click Download.
Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups automatically downloads all messages in your Inbox so you can
read and respond to them while working offline. After disconnecting, Mozilla
Mail & Newsgroups remains open so you can continue to work with your messages.
To reconnect to the Internet so you can work online:
- Open the File menu, choose Offline, and then choose Work Online.
When you go back online, Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups automatically synchronizes your Inbox
messages with the server, by replicating any changes you made while working
offline.
Tip: Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups saves any messages that you send while working offline
in the Unsent Messages folder under Local Folders. When you reconnect, choose
Send Unsent Messages from the File menu to send all your saved messages at once.
To have Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups automatically send your unsent messages when you reconnect,
use the Preferences command on the Edit menu to change your offline
preferences.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Downloading an Individual Folder for Offline Use
To download a specific folder for offline use, begin from the Mail window:
- In the left side of the Mail window, select the folder that you want to
download for offline use.
- Open the Edit menu, and choose Properties.
- Click the Offline tab.
- Check "Select this folder for offline use".
- Click Download Now if you want to immediately begin downloading the folder's
messages. Alternatively, you can continue working, and when you are ready
to go offline, proceed to the next step.
- From the File menu, choose Offline, and then choose Work Offline.
- In the Work Offline dialog box, click Download.
Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups automatically downloads all messages in the selected folder so you
can read and respond to them while working offline. After disconnecting, Mozilla
Mail & Newsgroups remains open so you can continue to work with your messages.
Note: Message headers that have been downloaded for reading offline
display a darker gray envelope or newsgroup icon.
To reconnect to the Internet so you can work online:
- Open the File menu, choose Offline, and then choose Work Online.
- Open the File menu, choose Offline, and then "Download/Sync Now,"
from the submenu.
- Click OK.
Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups automatically synchronizes the offline folders with the server,
by replicating any changes you made while working offline.
Tip: Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups saves any messages that you sent while working offline
in the Unsent Messages folder under Local Folders. When you reconnect, choose
Send Unsent Messages from the File menu to send all your saved messages at once.
To have Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups automatically send your unsent messages when you reconnect,
use the Preferences command on the Edit menu to change your offline
preferences.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Downloading Selected or Flagged Messages for Offline Use
To download selected messages for offline use, begin from the Mail window:
- Select a Mail or Newsgroup folder to display its messages.
- Select the messages you want to download, as follows:
- To select a group of adjacent messages, click the first message, and
then Shift-click to select the last message in the group.
- To select messages anywhere in the message list, hold down the Ctrl
key (Windows and Linux) or the Command key (Macintosh) and click each
message.
- Open the File menu, choose Offline, and then choose Get Selected Messages
from the submenu. Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups downloads the selected messages.
- Open the File menu, choose Offline, and then choose Work Offline from the
submenu.
- In the Work Offline dialog box, click Download.
To download flagged messages for offline use, begin from the Mail window:
- Select a Mail or Newsgroup folder to display its messages.
- Click in the flag column of each message you want to download. A flag appears
where you clicked to indicate that the message has been marked. If the flag column is not visible, click the
Show/Hide Columns icon
and select Flag from the list.
- Open the File menu, choose Offline, and then choose Get Flagged Messages.
Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups downloads the flagged messages.
- Open the File menu, choose Offline, and then choose Work Offline from the
submenu.
- In the Work Offline dialog box, click Download.
After you disconnect, Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups remains open so you can continue to work
with your messages.
Note: Message headers that have been downloaded for reading offline
display a darker gray envelope or newsgroup icon.
To reconnect to the Internet so you can work online:
- Open the File menu, choose Offline, and then choose Work Online from the
submenu.
Tip: Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups saves any messages that you sent while working offline
in the Unsent Messages folder under Local Folders. When you reconnect, choose
Send Unsent Messages from the File menu to send all your saved messages at once.
To have Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups automatically send your unsent messages when you reconnect,
use the Preferences command on the Edit menu to change your offline
preferences.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Setting Up Your Accounts for Working Offline
To set up one or more accounts for working offline, you use the Offline and
Disk Space preferences in the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box. Once set,
you don't need to change these preferences each time you want to work offline.
The offline and disk space preferences you can set for an account depend on
the type of account (IMAP, POP, or Newsgroup).
Here's a summary of the steps you will follow to set up your accounts for
offline use:
- For each account that you want to work with while offline, use the Mail & Newsgroups
Account Settings dialog box to set the Offline & Disk Space preferences
for that account. You must select the items (accounts, folders, newsgroups)
that you want to download for offline use. See Selecting
Accounts, Folders, and Newsgroups for Offline Viewing for more information.
Once set, you don't need to change these settings. See the sections below
for information on setting offline and disk space preferences for IMAP,
POP, and Newsgroup
accounts.
Tip: To set the Offline & Disk Space preferences for the current
account, open the File menu, choose Offline, and then choose Offline Settings.
- Open the File menu, choose Offline, and then choose Download/Sync Now from
the submenu.
- Select the type of messages (mail or newsgroup or both) that you want to download.
Important: You must select at least one category (Mail messages, Newsgroup
messages) in order for the download to work.
- In the Download/Sync Now dialog box, click OK to download the selected items.
See Downloading and Synchronizing Your Messages
for more information.
- Open the File menu, choose Offline, and then choose Work Offline.
- In the Work Offline dialog box, click Download.
For subsequent offline sessions, you can skip step 1.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Selecting Accounts, Folders, and Newsgroups for Offline Viewing
Before you can read mail and newsgroup messages while offline, you must first
select them for downloading. You can set up an entire account for offline use.
You can also choose which folders and newsgroups that you want to use offline.
Note: Keep in mind that selecting more items may increase download time
and disk space used.
To select accounts, folders, and newsgroups for offline viewing, begin from
the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu, choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- Choose the Offline & Disk Space category for the account you want to change.
- Click Select. You see your accounts, mail folders, and subscribed newsgroups.
Note: You see only the newsgroups and folders that you've already
subscribed to.
- Select the items (folders, newsgroups) that you want to make available
for offline use.
Note: POP accounts and local mail folders don't appear in the list.
Your AOL account is not included in the list because working offline with
your AOL account is not available.
- Click OK.
Once set, you don't need to change these settings each time you want to go
offline. However, if you do want to change them, you can easily do so before
going offline, since the same Select button is available when using the Download
and Sync command.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Downloading and Synchronizing Your Messages
If you have already selected mail folders and newsgroups for offline
use, you are now ready to download and synchronize them. If you haven't yet
selected items to download, you can choose them before you go offline.
If you are not already viewing the Download/Sync Now dialog box, follow these
steps:
To download and synchronize your messages, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the File menu, choose Offline, and then choose Download/Sync Now.
- Select the categories (mail messages or newsgroup messages) that you want
to download.
Important: You must select at least one category (Mail messages,
Newsgroup messages) in order for the download to work. If the checkboxes
are disabled, it means that you haven't yet selected items to download.
Use the Select button to select items to download.
- To send messages in your Unsent Messages folder before going offline, check
"Send Unsent Messages".
- To go offline immediately after Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups finishes downloading, select
"Work offline once download and/or sync is complete".
- To set or change the items to download, click Select. See Selecting
Accounts, Folders, and Newsgroups for Offline Viewing for more information.
You can skip this step if you've already selected items for download.
- Click OK. Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups begins downloading the selected items.
If you chose to work offline once the download completes, then Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups
immediately switches to offline mode. Otherwise, when you are ready to go offline,
open the File menu, choose Offline, and then choose Work Offline.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Working Offline and Reconnecting Later
To work offline and reconnect later, begin from the Mail window.
When you are ready to work offline:
- Open the File menu, choose Offline, and then choose Work Offline. Mail & Newsgroups prompts
you to download messages, if you want, before going offline.
- Click Download to download messages before going offline. If you want to
work offline without downloading messages, click Don't Download.
Note: Message headers that have been downloaded for reading offline
display a darker gray envelope or newsgroup icon.
Tip: To set Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups' download behavior when going offline, open
the Edit menu, choose Preferences, and then choose the Offline & Disk Space category. You
can choose to have Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups prompt you to download messages when
going offline, to automatically download messages, or to not download any messages.
To reconnect and synchronize your messages:
- Open the File menu, choose Offline, and then choose Work Online.
- Open the File menu, choose Offline, and then choose Download/Sync Now.
Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups synchronizes your messages with the server by replicating any
changes you made while working offline.
Tip: To set Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups' behavior when going online, open the Edit
menu, choose Preferences, and then choose the Offline & Disk Space category. You can choose
to have Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups prompt you to send unsent messages, to automatically
send unsent messages, or to not send unsent messages.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings
This section describes the settings in the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box. This dialog box lets you specify settings for each individual account. Unlike the Preferences dialog box, which applies settings to all accounts, the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box lets you specify settings on a per-account basis. If you are not currently viewing the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box, follow these steps:
- Begin from the Mail window.
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings.
- Select the name of the account whose settings you want to view or change.
Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings - Account Settings
This section describes how to view or change your Account Settings, such as
your user name, reply-to address, and signature file. If you are not already
viewing the Account Settings, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- Select the name of the account to display the Account Settings panel.
- Account Name: The name for this account.
- Identity: Stores your name, email address, reply-to address (only if different from your email address), and organization (optional).
- Attach this signature: Lets you choose the signature
file you want to attach to your outgoing messages. Click Choose to locate the signature
file (optional).
- Compose messages in HTML format: Lets you create formatted
text for mail and newsgroup messages using the built-in HTML editor. Leave this item
unchecked to use the plain-text editor. HTML messages can include formatted
text, links, images, and tables, just like a web page. However, some recipients
may not be able to receive HTML messages.
Tip: If you select this option, but you later want to compose a message
or reply to a message using the plain-text editor, hold down the Shift key
and click Compose or Reply in the Mail toolbar to temporarily choose the plain-text
editor. Shift-clicking the Compose button or the Reply button switches to
the other editor.
- Advanced: Lets you choose a different outgoing server (SMTP) for outgoing messages from this account.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings - Server Settings
Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups can work with two types of mail servers: IMAP and POP. If you are not sure which server type your Internet service provider supports, ask your service provider. If your
Internet service provider supports both, the following descriptions may help you choose
which one to use.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
About Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP)
Advantages: Your messages and any changes to them stay on your server,
saving local disk space. Also, you always have access to an updated mailbox,
and you can get your mail from multiple locations. Performance on a modem is
faster, since you initially download message headers only.
Disadvantages: Not all ISPs support IMAP.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
About Post Office Protocol (POP)
Advantages: Your messages are downloaded to your local computer all
at once, but you can also specify whether to keep copies of the messages on
the server. Most ISPs currently support POP.
Disadvantages: You must synchronize your local Inbox with your server's
mailbox. This can result in downloading new messages over and over each time
you connect. If you use more than one computer, messages might reside on one
or the other, but not both. POP doesn't work as well as IMAP over a slow link
connection. Also, you can't access all mail folders from multiple locations.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
IMAP Server Settings
If you are not already viewing the IMAP server settings, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- Select the account name and click the Server Settings category name. (If
you chose an IMAP server when you set up this account, you see your IMAP server
settings.)
- Server Type: The server type (IMAP Mail Server) that you specified when you created this account. To change the server type associated with this account, you must delete the account and then re-create it.
- Server Name: The server name that you specified when you created this account. If you are having problems getting mail from this account, verify with your service provider or system administrator that the server name you entered is correct.
- User Name: The user name that you specified when you created this account.
- Port: Unless otherwise instructed to do so by your service provider or system administrator, leave this setting unchanged.
- Use secure connection (SSL): Choose this setting if your mail server is configured to send and receive encrypted mail. If you are unsure, contact your service provider or system administrator.
- Check for new mail at startup: Choose this setting if you want Mail & Newsgroups to automatically
check this account for new messages whenever you start Mail & Newsgroups.
- Check for new messages every ___ minutes: Choose this setting to automatically check for new messages, and then specify the number of minutes between mail checks. If you do not select this setting, you can check for new messages at any time by clicking Get Msgs in the Mail window.
- When I delete a message: Choose the behavior you want for deleted messages. "Move it to the Trash folder" is recommended unless you are instructed to use a different setting by your system administrator or service provider. Messages marked as deleted are removed only when you compact folders.
- Clean up (Expunge) Inbox on Exit: Removes deleted messages from
the Inbox when you exit Mail & Newsgroups. Choose this if you chose to mark messages
as deleted.
- Empty Trash on Exit: empties the Trash folder whenever you quit
Mail & Newsgroups.
- Local directory: The location on your hard disk where mail for this account is stored.
Advanced IMAP Server Settings
In most cases, advanced IMAP server settings are automatically
supplied by the server. If you are unsure about the settings for this dialog
box, contact your ISP or system administrator.
If you are not already viewing the advanced IMAP server settings, begin from the Mail window.
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- Select the account name and click the Server Settings category.
- If the mail server type is an IMAP server, you can click Advanced to set additional IMAP options, such as:
- the IMAP server directory path
- showing only "subscribed folders"
- support for subfolders
- any personal and public (shared folder) namespaces for this directory
[ Return to beginning of section ]
POP Server Settings
If you are not already viewing the POP server settings, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- Select the account name and click the Server Settings category name. (If
you chose a POP server when you set up this account, you see your POP server
settings.)
- Server Type: The server type (POP Mail Server) that you specified when you created this account. To change the server type associated with this account, you must delete the account and then re-create it.
- Server Name: The server name that you specified when you created this account. If you are having problems getting mail from this account, verify with your service provider or system administrator that the server name you entered is correct.
- User Name: The user name that you specified when you created this account.
- Port: Unless otherwise instructed to do so by your service provider or system administrator, leave this setting unchanged.
- Use secure connection (SSL): Choose this setting if your mail server is configured to send and receive encrypted mail. If you are unsure, contact your service provider or system administrator.
- Check for new mail at startup: Choose this setting if you want Mail & Newsgroups to automatically
check this account for new messages whenever you start Mail & Newsgroups. For POP accounts,
Mail & Newsgroups doesn't download the new messages until you click Get Msgs on the Mail toolbar.
- Check for new messages every ___ minutes: Choose this setting to automatically check for new messages, and then specify the number of minutes between mail checks. If you do not select this setting, you can check for new messages at any time by clicking Get Msgs in the Mail window.
- Automatically download any new messages: Choose this setting if you want Mail & Newsgroups to retrieve messages immediately each time it checks the server.
- Leave messages on server: Choose this setting to store a copy of messages on the mail server in addition to downloading them to your computer.
- Delete messages on server when they are deleted locally: Choose this setting to remove messages from the server once you delete them from your computer.
- Empty Trash on Exit: Choose this setting to empty the Trash folder whenever you quit Mail & Newsgroups.
- Local directory: The location on your hard disk where mail for this account is stored.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
News Server Settings
This section describes how to change news server settings. If you are not already viewing news server settings, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- Select the account name and click the Server Settings category. (If you
chose a newsgroup server when you set up this account, you see your newsgroup
server settings.)
- Server Type: The server type (IMAP Mail Server) that you specified when you created this account. To change the server type associated with this account, you must delete the account and then re-create it.
- Server Name: The server name that you specified when you created this account. If you are having problems getting mail from this account, verify with your service provider or system administrator that the server name you entered is correct.
- Port: Unless otherwise instructed to do so by your service provider or system administrator, leave this setting unchanged.
- Use secure connection (SSL): Choose this setting if your mail server is configured to send and receive encrypted mail. If you are unsure, contact your service provider or system administrator.
- Check for new messages every ___ minutes: Choose this setting to automatically check for new messages, and then specify the number of minutes between mail checks. If you do not select this setting, you can check for new messages at any time by clicking Get Msgs in the Mail window.
- Ask me before downloading more than ___ messages: Choose this setting to conserve
disk space and download time, by setting a limit for the number of messages
you can retrieve at one time.
- Local directory: The location on your hard disk where mail for this account is stored.
Note: The path to the newsrc file is displayed for your information.
The newsrc file stores information about the newsgroups to which you are
subscribed, and the messages you have read in each newsgroup.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings - Copies & Folders
This section describes the settings for sending automatic copies, and for storing copies of outgoing messages, message drafts, and message templates.
By default, Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups stores copies of your outgoing messages in the Sent
folder for the current account. Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups also stores message drafts in
the Drafts folder and message templates in the Templates folder for the current
account.
If you are not already viewing the settings for Copies & Folders, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- Select the account, and click Copies & Folders. You see the Copies & Folders section.
- Place a copy in: Select where to store copies of your outgoing mail and newsgroup messages.
If you don't want to use the default Sent folder for the current account,
click Other and then choose an account and then choose the folder for storing
copies.
- Bcc: Select whether you want to always send a blind carbon copy (bcc) to yourself.
- Bcc another address: Select whether you want to always send a blind carbon copy (bcc) to another addressee, and enter the address.
- Keep message drafts in: Select where to store message drafts. If you don't want to use the default
Drafts folder for the current account, click Other and then choose another
account and folder for storing drafts.
- Keep message templates in: Select where to store message templates. If you don't want to use the
default Templates folder for the current account, click Other and then choose
another account and folder for storing templates.
- Show confirmation dialog when messages are saved: Choose this option if you want Mail & Newsgroups to display a confirmation dialog box when you save a
draft message or a template. If checked, a dialog box will appear when you save a draft or
template to remind you where Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups is saving the draft or template.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings - Addressing
You use Addressing settings to override the global LDAP server settings specified
for all address books in the
Preferences dialog box. LDAP server settings affect the behavior of address
autocompletion, and you can change these settings for each account if necessary. Address autocompletion uses your address books to find matching entries when
you type email addresses in the addressing area of the Compose window.
If you are not already viewing the Addressing settings, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- Select the account and click the Addressing category.
- Use my global LDAP server preferences for this account: This
is the default. Select this if you don't want to override the global LDAP
server preferences for this account.
- Use a different LDAP server: Select this option and then choose
another LDAP server from the list if you want to use a different LDAP
directory server for address autocompletion with this account. If necessary, click Edit Directories to edit individual directory server
settings, add a directory server, or delete a directory server. For more information,
see Adding and Removing LDAP Directories.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings - Offline & Disk Space
Offline & Disk Space settings let you conserve disk space or set up an account so that you
can use it while offline (disconnected from the Internet). The settings available
depend on the mail server type (IMAP, POP, or News) associated with the account.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Offline and Disk Space Settings (IMAP)
If you are not already viewing the offline and disk space preferences for an
IMAP account, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu, choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- Choose the Offline & Disk Space category for an IMAP account.
- Make the messages in my Inbox available when I am working offline: Select this option
so that messages in your Inbox will be available when you are working offline.
- When I create new folders, select them for offline: Select this option so that
new folders you create are automatically selected for offline use. If
left unchecked, new folders won't be automatically selected for offline use.
You can manually select folders for offline use using the Download/Sync
Now command (available from the File menu, under Offline) or by clicking
the Select button.
- Select: Click to select the items (accounts, folders, newsgroups)
that you want to make available for offline use. See Selecting
Accounts, Folders, and Newsgroups for Offline Viewing for more information.
- Do not download messages locally that are larger than _KB:
Select this option to conserve disk space by preventing large messages from
being downloaded. Enter the maximum size for downloaded messages.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Disk Space Settings (POP)
Messages from POP accounts are always downloaded to your local machine. This
section describes how you can save disk space for a POP account. If you are
not already viewing the Disk Space preferences for a POP account,
follow these steps:
Begin from the Mail window.
- Open the Edit menu, choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- Click the Disk Space category for a POP account.
- Do not download messages locally that are larger than _KB:
Select this option to conserve disk space by preventing large messages from
being downloaded. Enter the maximum size for downloaded messages.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Offline and Disk Space Settings (News)
If you are not already viewing the offline and disk space settings for a News account, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu, and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- Choose the Offline & Disk Space category for a News account.
- Select: Click to select the items (accounts, folders, newsgroups)
that you want to make available for offline use. See Selecting
Accounts, Folders, and Newsgroups for Offline Viewing for more information.
- Do not download messages locally that are larger than:
Select this option to conserve disk space by preventing large messages from
being downloaded. Enter the maximum size for downloaded messages.
- Download only unread message bodies: Select this option to download only the messages
you haven't read.
- Download message bodies for messages since _ days ago: Select this option to download only messages
that were posted within the time period you enter.
- When it is time to clean up messages: Click one of the three choices
to specify when newsgroup messages should be deleted. Unless you choose
"Keep all messages," enter the number of days to keep messages or the
number of newest messages to keep.
- Keep only unread messages: Select this option to delete messages immediately
after you read them.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings - Security
This section describes how to configure the Mail & Newsgroup Account Settings that control message security. Before you do so, however, you must obtain one or more email certificates. For details, see Signing & Encrypting Messages.
If you are not already viewing the Security settings for your mail account, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings.
- Click Security under the name of the mail account whose security settings you want to configure.
The main purpose of the Security panel is to select two certificates:
- The email certificate you want to use for signing email messages you send to other people.
- The email certificate you want other people to use when they encrypt messages they send to you.
Depending on the policies of the certificate authority (CA) that issues your certificate(s), you can use one certificate for both purposes or two different certificates. Even if you use just one, you must specify it twice, once for digital signing and once for encryption.
The certificates you select here are included with every signed message you send. These certificates allow your recipients to verify your digital signature and to encrypt messages that they send to you.
If you have an email certificate intended for signing messages, you can use it to sign either email messages or newsgroup messages.
You use the Digital Signing area in the Security panel to specify how you want to sign your messages:
- Digitally sign messages: Select this checkbox if you want to digitally sign all the messages you send. (A personal certificate must be specified below before you can select this checkbox.)
- Use the following personal certificate: If this field is empty or if it displays the wrong certificate, click Select to choose from those you have on file.
Regardless of whether the "Digitally sign messages" checkbox is selected here, you can change your mind before you send an individual message.
You use the Encryption area in the Security panel to specify how you routinely want to use encryption when sending your messages:
- Never: Select this option if you never want to use encryption, or only occasionally.
- If possible: Select this option if you want to use encryption whenever you have certificates for all the recipients. If you don't have all the necessary certificates, the message will be sent unencrypted.
- Always: Select this option if you always want to use encryption. If you don't have all the necessary certificates, the message won't be sent unless you explicitly turn off encryption for that message only.
Regardless of which encryption option you select, you can change your mind before you send an individual message.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings - Local Folders
Local Folders is the account where Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups saves any messages that you send while working offline. Messages you send while working offline are saved in the Unsent Messages folder under Local Folders. Any folders you create under the Local Folders account reside on your hard disk, so Local Folders is a good place to save messages that you want to keep.
If you are not already viewing the Local Folders settings, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- Select the Local Folders category.
- Account Name: The name associated with the Local Folders account.
- Local directory: The location on your hard disk where mail for this account is stored.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings - Outgoing Server (SMTP)
Even if you have multiple mail or news accounts, you generally need to specify
only one outgoing (SMTP) server to handle the delivery of your outgoing mail.
If you are not already viewing the Outgoing Server (SMTP) settings, begin from the Mail window:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings. You see the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings dialog box.
- Select the Outgoing Server (SMTP) category.
- Server name: Mail & Newsgroups uses the outgoing (SMTP) server name that you
entered using the Account Wizard. To change the outgoing (SMTP) server
name, type it in Server Name field.
- Use name and password: If your SMTP server requires authentication
to send mail, select this option to be prompted to enter your user name
and authentication password. Then enter your
user name. The first time you send mail, you will be prompted to enter your
authentication password.
- Use secure connection (SSL): If your outgoing SMTP server is configured
to send encrypted mail, you can choose how often you want to use SSL (Secure
Sockets Layer). If you are not sure which option to choose, check with your
ISP or system administrator.
- Advanced: Click this option to set up additional outgoing SMTP
servers. Keep in mind that using more than one SMTP server can cause errors
in sending mail.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Mail & Newsgroup Preferences
This section describes the settings in the Mail & Newsgroups preferences panel. If you are not currently viewing the panel, follow
these steps:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
- Double-click the Mail & Newsgroups category to expand the list.
Mail & Newsgroups Preferences - Mail & Newsgroups
Mail & Newsgroups preferences allows you
to set general preferences that apply to all accounts. If you are not already
viewing the Mail & Newsgroups preferences, follow these steps:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences. You see the Preferences dialog
box.
- Click the Mail & Newsgroups category.
- General Settings: Choose the type of three-pane layout to use for the Mail window. Choose to allow Mail & Newsgroups to prompt you before deleting folders. Select Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups as the default mail application for Windows and from within other applications such as Microsoft Word.
Note: Setting Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups as the default mail application may disable another mail application. To restore it, deselect this option.
Mail Start Page: Select this to set the Start Page. The Start Page appears in your Inbox when you first open Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups. This page is the default page, but you can enter a different web page or
URL of your choice. To disable the Start Page, deselect this option. Click Restore
Default to return to the original page provided by Mozilla.
When a new message arrives: Select this if you want Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups to play the default system sound whenever a new message arrives.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Mail & Newsgroups Preferences - Message Display
Message Display preferences allow you to choose how messages are displayed
(for example, font style and color) in all accounts. If you are not already
viewing the Message Display settings, follow these steps:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences. You see the Preferences dialog
box.
- Under the Mail & Newsgroups category, click Message Display. (If no options
are available in this category, double-click the category to expand the list.)
Plain-Text Messages: Select the font you prefer for viewing plain-text messages: fixed width
or variable width. Choosing a font style, size, and color for quoted plain-text messages can help you more easily
distinguish quoted text (usually a message that's been forwarded to you or
by you).
- Wrap text to fit window width: Select this so that incoming messages are word-wrapped to fit the width of your Mail window.
- Display emoticons as graphics: Select this so that when you receive messages
that contain emoticons (also called smiley faces) Mail & Newsgroups can convert them to
graphics, for example:
This: |
Converts to: |
:-) |
 |
:) |
 |
:-( |
 |
:( |
 |
;-) |
 |
;-p |
 |
Languages: Click the Character Coding drop-down list to select the language you want Mail & Newsgroups to use
as the default for incoming mail and newsgroup messages. This is recommended
if it's likely you might receive messages in which the character set is not
indicated, such as when reading messages in international newsgroups.
- Apply default to all messages: Select this to apply the default character coding to all messages.
Tip: You can later view or change the character set coding (language)
for a specific folder. In the Mail window, select a folder from the list of
Mail folders. Open the View menu, and choose Folder Character Coding.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Mail & Newsgroups Preferences - Composition
Composition preferences affect how you create messages
(for example, forwarding options and address autocompletion) in all accounts.
If you are not already
viewing the Composition settings, follow these steps::
- Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
- Under the Mail & Newsgroups category, select Composition. (If
no options are available in this category, double-click the category to expand the
list.)
- Forwarding and Replying to Messages: Use the Forward Messages drop-down list to choose how you want forwarded message text to
appear: as an attachment or inline (in the body of your message).
- Automatically quote the original message when replying: Select this to include the original message text in your reply. Then use the drop-down list to select
where you want to place your reply in the message area.
- Composing Messages: Select to have Mail & Newsgroups always check the spelling
of your messages when you click Send. Choose to have Mail & Newsgroups use "quoted printable" MIME encoding when
sending regular messages that use an 8-bit character set (for example, Latin
ISO88359).
- Wrap plain text messages at __ characters: Enter a number
to set the right margin for text in the message area.
- Character Coding: Select the language you want
Mail & Newsgroups to use as the default for outgoing mail and newsgroup messages.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Mail & Newsgroups Preferences - Send Format
Send Format preferences allow you to specify how you want to format your outgoing messages. If you are not already viewing the Send Format settings, follow these steps:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences. You see the Preferences dialog
box.
- Under the Mail & Newsgroups category, click Send Format. (If no options
are available in this category, double-click the category to expand the list.)
For example, if you typically send mail to multiple recipients that have
the same domain name (for example, your colleagues all have email addresses
that end in "netscape.net"), and you know that this domain name is capable
of displaying HTML messages, then you can add the netscape.net domain to the
list of HTML Domains so that Mail & Newsgroups will automatically send messages in HTML
format to these recipients. Similarly, if you typically send mail to recipients
at a domain that you know can only receive Plain Text messages, you can add
that domain name to the list of Plain Text domains, so that Mail & Newsgroups automatically
sends messages to that domain in plain-text format.
Note: If you regularly compose HTML (formatted) mail messages, keep in mind that
sometimes not all recipients use mail programs that can display HTML formatting
properly. Send Format preferences allow you to specify how you want to format messages that
go to recipients who cannot display HTML-formatted mail. You can convert messages to plain text, format them only as HTML,
or format them as both HTML and plain text. These preferences apply to all your
mail accounts, but only to mail messages and not to newsgroup messages.
Whenever you add a person or address card to your address book, you can specify
whether that addressee can receive HTML-formatted messages. However, when this
information is unknown, you can set Send Format preferences for how Mail & Newsgroups formats
these messages.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Mail & Newsgroups Preferences - Addressing
Addressing preferences allow you to control the settings for Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups address books
(for example, email address collection and address autocompletion). If you are not already viewing the Addressing settings, follow these steps:
- Open the Edit menu, and choose Preferences. You see the Preferences dialog
box.
- Under the Mail & Newsgroups category, select Addressing. (If no options
are available in this category, double-click the category to expand the list.)
- Email Address Collection: Select how Mail & Newsgroups will add senders' and recipients' addresses to your Collected Addresses book (from incoming, outgoing, or newsgroup messages).
Note: If multiple matches are found, Mail & Newsgroups shows you a list of all possible choices. In addition to your Personal Address Book, Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups provides you with
a Collected Addresses Book that can automatically store email addresses from
your incoming or outgoing messages, or both. For incoming mail messages, Mail & Newsgroups
stores the addresses in each message as soon as you open it. Addresses from
outgoing messages are stored as soon as you click Send. Your changes take effect the next time you start Mozilla.
- Address Autocompletion: Address autocompletion allows you to quickly address mail without having to
search for names or type names completely. Select from which location Mail & Newsgroups will search for matching addresses: "Local Address Books" (Personal Address Book, Collected Addresses Book, or any other local address book) or "Directory Server" (an available LDAP directory server).
Note: If multiple matches are found, Mail & Newsgroups displays a list of all possible choices.
If you select Directory Server, choose a directory server from the list. A directory server lets you look up addresses that are not stored
in one of your local address books. See Adding and Removing
LDAP Directories for information on setting LDAP directory server settings.
Note: Directory server settings you enter from the Preferences dialog
box apply to all your mail accounts. You can override these settings for
individual accounts by specifying different LDAP directory servers or server
settings using the Addressing settings for an account in the Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings
dialog box.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Mail & Newsgroups Preferences - Labels
This section describes how to use the Labels preferences panel. You use the Labels preferences to define the label text and colors for message labels. If you are not currently viewing the panel, follow
these steps:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
- Under the Mail & Newsgroups category, select Labels. (If no options
are available in this category, double-click the category to expand the list.)
- Customize Labels: Specifies the label text and the color for each label. You can edit or replace the default label text with your own text (up to 32 characters). To change the label color, click the color chip next to that label and select a new color.
- Restore Defaults: Restores the default label text and colors.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Offline & Disk Space Preferences
This section describes how to use the Offline & Disk Space preferences panel. If you are not currently viewing the panel, follow
these steps:
- Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
- Click Offline & Disk Space.
The Offline & Disk Space preferences allow you to set preferences for startup mode, working offline,
going online, and disk space.
- Offline: Select whether you want Mail & Newsgroups to remember the state (offline or online) in
which you last exited the program, or if you want to be asked which mode to
start in each time you start the program. Select how you want Mail & Newsgroups to handle messages
when going online or offline.
- Disk Space: Select this to conserve
disk space by automatically compacting message folders when it will save the
amount of disk space you enter.
See Working Offline for information on working
offline.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
20 March 2002