[Nov 21, 2008 9:49] Login issues with the Central Mail Service have now been resolved.
After installing and configuring Thunderbird to access your U.Va. email account, you are ready to customize it to your personal preferences for managing email. These types of settings are described below, along with ITC's recommendations for some of them.
Table of Contents
Requirements
- This document was written for Thunderbird version 1.5. The information herein may (or may not) apply to other versions of Thunderbird.
- A live Internet connection via the U.Va. network or an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
- An account on the U.Va. Central Mail Service or another email server at U.Va. (Create a CMS email account)
- Thunderbird installed and configured for a U.Va. email account.
Warnings
Thunderbird has several default settings that differ from other email programs. Please see the sections below for more information about these settings and what is recommended for use here at U.Va.
Account Settings
Account Settings can be accessed by clicking on Tools on the menu bar and selecting Account Settings from the drop-down menu. The table below indicates default Thunderbird settings you may want to change, settings that ITC recommends be changed or those that differ from other email programs. The recommended ITC changes appear in bold. For settings not mentioned, the default setting for your personal preference can be used.
| Thunderbird Default | Recommended Setting |
|---|---|
| Check for New Messages at Startup | Use Default |
| Check for New Messages every 10 minutes. | Use Default |
| Use Secure Connection marked "Never". | Use Default |
| Use Secure Authentication, unchecked. | To connect to the Central Mail Server (CMS) securely, this box should be checked. |
| When I delete a message, Move it to the Trash | This is a personal preference but if you change this setting you will also need to change how the deleted message is processed by using one of the two check boxes that follow this selection. |
Copies & Folders
| Thunderbird Default | Recommended Setting |
|---|---|
| Sent messages are saved in "Sent" folder. | If another folder name is used to keep sent messages, you will need to change this setting. Select "Other" and then specify in the drop-down box which file to use. |
| Drafts are saved in "Drafts" folder. | Personal Preference |
| Templates are saved in "Templates" folder. | Personal Preference |
Composition & Addressing
| Thunderbird Default | Recommended Setting |
|---|---|
| Messages composed in HTML format. | Uncheck this box |
| Reply text entered after text of original message | Change this setting to the more commonly used format of "start my reply above the quote". |
| Global LDAP selected for use in searching addresses | If you have configured Thunderbird to use the U.Va. LDAP server (See LDAP Setup for instructions), you should change this setting by selecting "Use a different LDAP server" and selecting the U.Va. LDAP entry from the drop-down menu. |
Options (Windows) / Preferences (Macintosh)
More settings for Thunderbird can be found on Windows computers by selecting the Tools menu and then selecting Options. For Macintosh computers, this can be found by selecting Thunderbird and then selecting Preferences. If an Option/Preference setting is not mentioned, then the default setting or your personal preference for the setting can be used.
Composition
| Thunderbird Default | Recommended Setting |
|---|---|
| General Tab-Forwarded messages are sent as an attachment. | Change this to "Inline" by selecting "Inline" from the drop-down box. |
| Addressing Tab-Address autocompletion is set to Local Address Book | To also use U.Va. LDAP, you will need to have the Directory Server box checked. Select the U.Va. LDAP server in the drop-down box. |
| Email addresses for all outgoing mail are saved in the Personal Address Book. | Personal Preference |
Address Books
The entries in the Thunderbird address book are stored on the hard drive of the computer being used. Any modifications to your Thunderbird address book are NOT reflected in other email programs. See Address Books in the Thunderbird Features section of this website for more information on how to utilize the Thunderbird Address Book.