These instructions are for Thunderbird for Windows. The Macintosh version is similar. The most recent version of Thunderbird is available on the Mozilla web site: http://www.mozilla.com.

NOTE: If you have previously used Netscape 6.x, 7,x, SeaMonkey, or Mozilla 1.x on the same computer where you will be setting up Thunderbird, you may be able to import your current settings. The first time you start Thunderbird, you will be asked if you want to import existing settings from one of the other programs. If you don't import other settings, the account setup wizard will start. Even if the import is successful, you should check all of the settings.

New Account Setup

• After installation, or the first time you start Thunderbird, the account setup wizard will start. If the wizard does not start, exit Thunderbird, then choose Start > Programs > Mozilla Thunderbird > Profile Manager and follow the directions on the screen for creating a new profile. You will get to your email account setup, which begins with the next bullet point.
• Select Email account and click Next.
• Your Name: enter your name.
• Your Email Address: enter your email address, then click Next.
• Server information: select IMAP (DO NOT setup your email for a POP3 server).
  • Incoming mail server:
      -- All Willamette community members use: mail.willamette.edu
  • Outgoing mail server:
      -- On campus: smtp.willamette.edu
      -- Off campus, using Willamette's dial-up service: smtp.willamette.edu
      -- Off campus, using an ISP such as Earthlink, AOL, MSN: use the outgoing mail server provided by the ISP. The name of this server can be found in the ISP's documentation, on their website, or by contacting their customer service department. You can also use Willamette's Authenticated SMTP to send mail through Willamette when you are connected to the Internet with another service provider. For more information on Authenticated SMTP, see Authenticated SMTP or Why can't I send email from off-campus?
  • Click Next.
• Incoming and Outgoing User name: enter your Willamette login name.
• Click Next.
• Account name: the default account name is your email address.
• Click Next.
• Verify your information: if anything is incorrect, use the Back button to go back and make changes. Click Finish to proceed.

Thunderbird will now start, but there is still more configuration to do in Thunderbird's Account Settings.

To open Account Settings:

• Choose Tools> Account Settings from the menu.
• Go through each of the sections described in the remainder of this document.
• When you have finished making all of the changes, click on OK at the bottom of the Account Settings dialog box to save all of your preferences. 

• Click on your account name in the left hand side of the Account Settings window.
• Under Account Settings, you can change your account name, your name (as it appears on email you send), your reply-to address, your organization, and your signature file.
• Reply-to address: leave blank unless you want responses to your messages to go to an email address other than the one you used in the Email address box.
• Organization: enter an organization name if you want to associate one with your address.
• Signature File: use the Choose button to locate a plain text file that has the information you want to appear at the end of every email message you send. You can create your signature file with Notepad (Windows), SimpleText (Mac), or use the "Save As" option in your word processor to save the file as "Text Only". If you want a formatted signature file, you can use HTML.
• Other optional settings are available in the Copies & Folders and the Composition & Addressing sections (see Configuring Other Email Options below).

Changing Your Server Settings

• Continue from above or choose Tools> Account Settings from the menu.
• Click on Server Settings.
• The Port number should be 143 for IMAP. These should be set properly by default.
• Use secure connection (SSL) and Use secure authentication should be turned off.
• The following IMAP server settings are recommended:
  Check for new mail at startup {check this box}
  Check for new messages every ## minutes {check this box and set to at least 5 minutes}
  When I delete a message: Move it to the Trash folder
  Clean up ("Expunge") Inbox on Exit {check this box}
  Empty Trash on Exit {check this box}
• Click on the Advanced button and check the following settings:
  IMAP server directory: {leave blank}
  Show only subscribed folders {checked by default}
  Server supports folders that contain subfolders and messages {check this box}
  Keep the default settings in the next three boxes
  Allow server to override these name spaces{check this box}
  
• Please remove unnecessary messages from your Inbox regularly, either by saving them to another folder or deleting them.

Configuring Other Email Options

• Continue from above or choose Tools> Account Settings from the menu.
• Click on Copies & Folders.
• If you want to keep copies of messages you send, check the box next to Place a copy in: then select the button next to "Sent" folder on:. You can store your sent mail in a folder on the mail server by choosing Mail for <account name> or on your computer by choosing Local Folders.
• Bcc means "blind courtesy copy". Don't check BCC <your address> unless you want a copy of every mail you send to appear in your Inbox. Any address entered in BCC another address will receive a copy of every message you send. It is unusual to use this feature, although this option is sometimes used by people with multiple accounts to "BCC" themselves at their other email addresses.
• You can also specify folders for Drafts and Templates. The folders can be on the mail server, or your local computer (similar to the sent folder, described above).
• Most users will not want to check Show confirmation dialog when messages are saved.
• Click on Composition and Addressing.
• Under Composition, you can select to compose messages in HTML format and you can set your preferences for quoting the original message and the placement of your signature.
• Under Addressing, select Use a different LDAP server.
• NOTE: The LDAP directory service is not available if you are using another Internet service provider.
  • If you upgraded from Netscape or Mozilla and had configured Willamette's LDAP server, select it from the pull-down list. If not, click Edit Directories, then:
    • Click Add.
    • For Directory Server Properties, enter the following:
      Name: Willamette
      Hostname: ldap.willamette.edu
      Base DN: o=willamette.edu
      Port number: 389 (default)
      Bind DN: {leave blank}
      Use secure connection (SSL) {do not check}
      Click OK
  • Make sure Willamette is selected next to Use a different LDAP server.
    
• Offline & Disk Space: Under Offline, if you want to work on your email when you are "offline", check the first box. If you want new folders that you create while online to automatically be stored on your computer's hard drive for use offline, check the second box. If you want choose existing folders for offline viewing, click Select folders for offline use, then choose those folders.
• Under Disk Space, if you are using the "offline" options, check this box and enter 50 in the box (this will limit the downloaded messages to ones that are relatively small in size).
• Return Receipts, Security, and Local Folders: the default settings are correct.

To configure Thunderbird's remaining preferences, you can change several items in the Options settings that may improve Thunderbird's behavior.

• Choose Tools> Options from the menu.
• Click the General button.
  • Under Thunderbird Start Page, clear the checkbox (this will remove the Thunderbird adverstisement)
• Click on the Composition button, then on the General tab:
  • Next to Forwarding Messages, select Forward Messages: Inline.
• Click on the Send Options button.
  • Select the Text Format that best describes what you prefer, depending on whether or not you plan to send HTML-formatted messages.
• Click on the Addressing tab.
  • Under Address Autocompletion, make sure Local Address Book is checked and that Willamette is selected next to Directory Server and the box is checked. Note: If you are working off-campus and using another Internet Service Provider, you do not have access to Willamette's LDAP server.
  • Clear the checkbox next to Automatically add email addresses to my: {Address Book Name} if you do not want Thunderbird to collect outgoing addresses. This feature sounds appealing, but it will fill up your address book with Willamette addresses, which you already have access to with our LDAP server (see previous section) if you are here on campus. Also, this feature collects bad addresses and typos, which can be problematic.