Quick Info DoIT Home Forms Forwarding your e-mail Help Desk Service Request Internet Account Request Password Change Server Maintenance Schedule Technical Support Documentation

This guide will help you install and configure Thunderbird to access your SFSU E-mail. Be sure to read the Prerequisites and ensure that you have all the required information. If you are installing for the first time, start with the "Install Thunderbird" instructions. If you already have Thunderbird installed, but are not currently using IMAP, then start with the "Switching from POP to IMAP" section.

Prerequisites
     Obtain Software
     Obtain Account Details
Install Thunderbird
Configure Thunderbird
Switching Thunderbird from POP to IMAP
     Adjusting to using IMAP

Prerequisites

• Mozilla Thunderbird Software Version 2 or higher
• An SFSU Internet account
• A connection to the Internet.

Obtain Software

Mozilla Thunderbird can be downloaded from Mozilla's Website at http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/

Obtain Account Details

You will need:

1. Your account details, which are available by logging into SFSU E-mail Account Services. Make note of the text listed for your Account, Forwarding to..., and Your Mail Server. If you do not already have an account sign up for one.
2. If you are currently forwarding your e-mail and would like to access it using this e-mail program you should remove e-mail forwarding.
3. Your Account (e.g., jdoe@sfsu.edu) will be your IMAP e-mail account address.
4. Your Mail Server (e.g., mail01a) will be your incoming and outgoing server in the account setup.
5. If you do not already know your e-mail password, select Change Password. This will be the password you use in your account setup.

Install Thunderbird

Download the Setup File linked to in the Prerequisites section. Run the setup file once it is downloaded.

1. At the Mozilla Thunderbird Welcome screen, select Next.

    


2. Select "I Accept the terms of the License Agreement" then select Next.

     ha


3. Select "Standard" then select Next.

    


4. Leave the "Launch Mozilla Thunderbird Now" box selected. Select Finish.

      


5. If the Import Wizard appears, make sure that "Don't import anything" is selected. Select Next.
   
       


6. Thunderbird will open with the Account Wizard screen. Continue to step 2 of the Configure Thunderbird section to finish setting up your e-mail.

Configure Thunderbird

1. Open Thunderbird.
2. If it is not already open then open the Account Wizard screen by selecting File > New > Account.
3. Select "Email account" then select Next.

    


4. Enter Your Name and Email Address. The Email Address is your accountname@sfsu.edu. Refer to the Prerequisites section if you do not know your Account Name. Select Next.

    


5. Select "IMAP". Be sure IMAP is selected. Enter the name of your mail server in the Incoming Server and Outgoing Server boxes (e.g., mail01a.sfsu.edu). Refer to the Prerequisites section if you do not know your mail server. Select Next.

    


6. Leave the Incoming User Name field with the default value provided by Thunderbird. Select Next.

    


7. Leave the Account Name field with the default value provided by Thunderbird. Select Next.

    


8. Select Finish. Continue to the next step for addtional settings required by your Account.

      


9. If the Mail Server Password Required screen opens, select Cancel.

      


10. With Thunderbird open, on the Menu bar, select Tools > Account Settings. The Account Settings window will open.
1. Select Server Settings

    


11. Under Security Settings select SSL.




12. Set Outgoing Server Settings
1. Select Outgoing Server (SMTP) on the left sidebar.
2. Select your account name. (e.g., jdoe - mail01a.sfsu.edu)
3. Select Edit.

    


13. The SMTP Server window opens.
1. Select SSL.
2. Verify the Port number is 465
3. Verify that Use name and password is selected and the User Name (e.g., jdoe) is correct under Security and Authentication.
4. Select OK to close the SMTP Server window.

    


14. Select OK to close the Account Settings window.
15. Select "Get Mail" then enter your password. Select OK.
    



16. Select your account (e.g., jdoe@sfsu.edu) from the folders list on the left then select File > Subscribe from the menu.




17. The Subscribe window will open. Any folder that does not have a checkmark to the right of its name is a hidden folder (e.g., Archive).
1. Select any folders that do not have checkmarks that you want to display in Thunderbird.
• Any folders with plus signs to the left may contain more folders and mailboxes. Select the plus sign to see the full contents of the folder.
• Do not select .mailboxlist if you see it.
2. Select Subscribe.
3. Select OK.

    


18. Verify that your e-mail is working by sending a test e-mail to yourself.
19. Congratulations! Your e-mail is configured and ready to be used.

Top of Page

Switching Thunderbird from POP to IMAP

Before you begin, backup your e-mail data. For information, visit the Backups in Microsoft Windows:  Protecting Your Computer Data Web page. If you have other computers set up to access your mail using POP, make certain the POP mail clients are not running. These other mail clients should also be changed to use IMAP instead of POP to access your mail.

To change your Thunderbird for Windows configuration from POP to IMAP, you should do the following:

Delete the POP Configuration

1. Open Thunderbird.
2. On the Menu bar, select Tools > Account Settings. The Account Settings window will open.
1. Select your current POP account. It will be in bold in the left menu list.
2. Select the Remove Account button.

    


3. Confirm that you want to delete the account from Thunderbird. Verify the account name and select OK.




4. Select OK again.


3. Follow the instructions for Configure Thunderbird.

Adjusting to IMAP

• Critical Information: The mailboxes and folders you see under your new account (e.g., jdoe@sfsu.edu) reside on the mail server, not on your computer.  As a result:
• If you delete a message from one of these folders on one computer it will be gone from every computer you check mail from.
• Once a message is deleted from the server it is not easy to have it restored.  It is impossible after thirty days.
• If you want specific messages saved locally on a computer, you can make local folders then copy or move the messages from the server into the local folders.
• The time taken to refresh a folder on the server increases with the number of messages in the folder.  To keep refresh time down, try to keep the number of messages in any folder below 1000.  The inbox on the server is refreshed every time your mail client checks for new messages, so it is especially important to keep the number of messages in the inbox low.
• You do not lose messages you received before switching to IMAP; they will remain in the Inbox under Local Folders.
• Also included with your new IMAP account will be the Drafts, Trash, Junk E-mail, Sent, and Sent Items folders.
• The Trash folder under your new account (e.g., jdoe@sfsu.edu). will contain any messages deleted from your new inbox.
• The Sent folder under your new account (e.g., jdoe@sfsu.edu) will contain any new messages sent from your account.
• To permanently remove messages marked as deleted, select File > Compact Folders from the menu.
• Keep your inbox to less than 1000 messages.

Last Modified: March 11, 2008
doit@sfsu.edu