Email Help

»Introduction

Overview

This section is dedicated to all things email. This includes webmail interfaces, all supported email programs, email etiquette, how to handle junk mail, and much more. There are many things about email that you may not know, and a brief read through our documentation may open new doors for you and change the way you handle your email. We hope you find what you are looking for.

About This Document

Use the links below to view the relevant information. To return to the top, use the "back to top" link, or you can access other sections by using the navigation bar to your left.

»Section Index: Email

Email

• What is IMAP?
• Exchange Webmail Documentation
• How to configure e-mail clients for Exchange accounts

Email Clients

• Outlook
• Outlook Express
• Webmail
• Eudora
• Thunderbird
• PINE

Back to Top | Print This Document

IMAP

IMAP stands for Internet Message Access Protocol. It is a method of accessing electronic mail or bulletin board messages that are kept on a (possibly shared) mail server. In other words, it permits a "client" email program to access remote message stores as if they were local. For example, email stored on an IMAP server can be manipulated from a desktop computer at home, a workstation at the office, and a notebook computer while traveling, without the need to transfer messages or files back and forth between these computers.

IMAP's ability to access messages (both new and saved) from more than one computer has become extremely important as reliance on electronic messaging and use of multiple computers increase, but this functionality cannot be taken for granted: the widely used Post Office Protocol (POP) works best when one has only a single computer, since it was designed to support "offline" message access, wherein messages are downloaded and then deleted from the mail server. This mode of access is not compatible with access from multiple computers since it tends to sprinkle messages across all of the computers used for mail access. Thus, unless all of those machines share a common file system, the offline mode of access that POP was designed to support effectively ties the user to one computer for message storage and manipulation.

Key goals for IMAP include:

• Be fully compatible with Internet messaging standards, e.g. MIME.
• Allow message access and management from more than one computer.
• Allow access without reliance on less efficient file access protocols.
• Provide support for "online", "offline", and "disconnected" access modes
• Support for concurrent access to shared mailboxes
• Client software needs no knowledge about the server's file store format.

The protocol includes operations for creating, deleting, and renaming mailboxes; checking for new messages; permanently removing messages; setting and clearing flags; server-based RFC-822 and MIME parsing (so clients don't need to), and searching; and selective fetching of message attributes, texts, and portions thereof for efficiency.

IMAP was originally developed in 1986 at Stanford University. However, it did not command the attention of mainstream email vendors until a decade later, and it is still not as well-known as earlier and less-capable alternatives such as POP, though that is rapidly changing.

[The above text is taken from "The IMAP Connection" at imap.org. Used by permission of the University of Washington.]

Back to Top | Print This Document

Outlook

1. What is the difference between Outlook modes and how to I change them?
2. How do I set up an Exchange account in Outlook?
3. How do I set up my ONID (or other IMAP account) in Outlook?
4. What about Outlook XP?
5. How do I set an Out of Office message for my Exchange account?
6. How do I set calendar permissions for my Exchange account?
7. How do I set up an Auto Signature for my emails?
8. How do I view the full email header information?
9. How do I sort my inbox by date (or subject, or sender)?

What is the difference between Outlook modes and how to I change them?

Outlook can run as Internet Mail Only mode, or in Corporate or Workgroup mode. The difference between these modes is the protocols they support. POP3 or IMAP accounts, such as ONID email accounts will need to use the Internet Mail Only mode. MAPI protocol, which is used for Exchange Accounts requires Corporate Workgroup mode. To check which mode you are currently using, follow these steps:
1. Go to the help menu and choose About Microsoft Outlook.
2. Look at the first line in the About... window that pops up. If it says version 2002, please skip the next steps and go to What about Outlook XP?.
3. Under the version, on the second line, it will say which mode you are using If Outlook is in the wrong mode for your intended use (see above), the mode can be changed. You will probably need the Installer CD for your version of Outlook or Microsoft Office. Contact your DCA if you do not have this CD. To change modes follow these steps:
4. Go to the Tools menu and choose Options....
5. Click on the Mail Services tab.
6. Click the Reconfigure Mail Support button.
7. Choose the mode you need and click Next> button.
8. After the installation, close Outlook and reopen it.

How do I set up an Exchange Account in Outlook?

Go to Community Networking's Outlook Instructions to learn how to set up your Exchange Account in Outlook.

How do I set up my ONID (or other IMAP account) in Outlook?

1. You must be in Internet Mail Only mode to set this up. See Question 1.
2. Click on the Tools menu and choose Accounts.
3. Click the Add button and choose Mail.
4. Enter your display name. This is the name people will see in their Inbox when you email them. Click Next>.
5. Enter your email address. Click Next>.
6. Select IMAP from the pull down menu. Enter your Incoming Mail Server in the box provided. For ONID users this will be imap.onid.oregonstate.edu. For Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Server enter mail.oregonstate.edu. Click Next>.
7. Under Security and Authentication
8. Click on TLS or SSL
9. Click Ok (Click OK if you get a Symantec warning concerning email encryption).
10. Enter your username and password. Click Next>.
11. After the Wizard, go to the Tools menu and choose Accounts... then double click on the account you just added.
12. Click on the Servers tab and check the box in front of Log on using Secure Password Authentication.
13. Click Ok.

What about Outlook XP?

Outlook 2002, from the Office XP suite supports Exchange accounts, IMAP accounts, POP3 accounts, HTTP (webmail) accounts, and more. With Outlook 2002, you don't have to worry about Outlook modes like in previous versions of Outlook. Setting up any type of account is a straightforward process:
1. Open Outlook
2. From the Tools menu, choose Email Accounts...
3. Check the radio button in front of Add new e-mail account...and click Next>
4. Now select the type of email account you are setting up. For example, choose IMAP for ONID accounts. Click Next> Note: only one Exchange account can be set up at a time.
5. Depending on which protocol you chose in the previous step, you will need to enter your account information. Username will be the part of your email address before the @. For most users, the outgoing mail server will be mail.oregonstate.edu and for ONID users, incoming mail server will be imap.onid.oregonstate.edu.
6. For ONID accounts, you will need to click More Settings... and then click the Advanced tab. Check the box under Incoming Mail Server that says This server requires a secure connection (SSL). Click Ok.
7. Click Next> and Finish.
8. To remove an account, choose Email Accounts... from the Tools menu and check the radio button next to view or change existing e-mail accounts... and select the account you wish to delete and click the Remove button.

How do I set an Out of Office message for my Exchange account?

1. Only Exchange Inboxes support this feature. For the Out of Office service for ONID, please see the ONID homepage.
2. Choose Out of Office Assistant from the Tools menu.
3. Check the radio button by I am currently out of the office and enter your away message in the box below that.
4. Click Ok. To stop the service, click the radio button by I am currently in the office.

How do I set calendar permissions for my Exchange account?

1. Right click on your calendar and choose Properties.
2. Click on the Permissions tab.
3. From here you can control who has access to your calendar. For detailed explanations of how to set permissions, click on the Help button.

How do I set up an Auto Signature for my emails?

1. Open Outlook and choose Options... from the Tools menu.
2. Click on the Mail Format tab.
3. Click on the Signatures... button at the bottom of the window. In Outlook 2000 this button will be called Signature Picker....
4. To create a new signature, click the New... button.
5. Enter your name and click Next>. Enter your signature and click Finish.
6. Now select the signature you just created from the drop down menu and click Ok.
7. You should now see your signature appear at the bottom of new emails.

How do I view the full email header information of a message?

Email header information is useful for revealing the source of a message and the delivery path it took. When reporting email abuse, this header information will be required to track the message.
1. Open Outlook and double click on the message to open it in its own window.
2. Go to the View menu and choose Options....
3. In the options window, look for Internet Headers at the bottom.
4. With the mouse, select all the text in the box and copy it by typing Ctrl-C or right click the mouse and choose Copy from the pop-up menu.
5. Now the header will be stored in the clipboard, and can be pasted into an Email message or document by typing Ctrl-V or by choosing Paste from the Edit menu.

How do I sort my inbox by date (or subject, or sender)?

To sort the inbox, or any Outlook email folder, click once on the column title to sort messages in asscending value. For example, clicking once on the top of the Subject column would sort the messages in alphabetical order by subject. Clicking twice will sort the messages in descending order.

Back to Top | Print This Document

Outlook Express

• Windows:
1. How do I set up Outlook Express to check my ONID e-mail?
2. How do I use the OSU Online Directory in Outlook Express?
3. How do I use Outlook Express to read newsgroups (Usenet)?
4. How do I make Outlook Express my default e-mail reader?
5. How do I make Outlook Express my default newsgroup reader?


• Macintosh:
1. How do I set up Outlook Express to check my ONID e-mail?
2. How do I use the OSU Online Directory in Outlook Express?
3. How do I use Outlook Express to read newsgroups (Usenet)?


• Where can I find more information about Outlook Express?

Where can I find more information about Outlook Express?

Please visit Microsoft's Outlook Express website at http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/display.asp?subid=22&site=578&x=43&y=8

How do I set up Outlook Express to check my ONID e-mail? (Windows)

1. Open Outlook Express.
2. Open the Tools menu and choose Accounts...
3. Click the Add button and select Mail...
4. Enter the name you want other people to see when they receive your email under Display name. Click Next.
5. Enter your e-mail address under E-mail address. This should be in the form username@onid.orst.edu. Click Next.
6. Select IMAP from the pulldown menu.
7. For Incoming mail server, type imap.onid.oregonstate.edu.
8. For Outgoing mail server, type mail.oregonstate.edu, then click Next.

   NOTE: If you are not on campus or using the OSU Modem Pool for dialup, you will need to contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for the name of their Outgoing (SMTP) Mail Server.

9. Fill your ONID username under Account name.
10. Enter your Password. Click Next.
11. Click Finish.
12. Select the account you just created in the Internet Accounts window, then click Properties.
13. Under the Special Folders section, check the box Store special folders on IMAP server.
14. Change Sent Items path: to sent-mail and change the Drafts path: to saved-messages.
15. Click the Advanced tab.
16. Under Incoming Mail (IMAP): check the box next to This server requires a secure connection (SSL).
17. Click OK to close the Account Properties window.
18. Click Close to close to Intetnet Accounts winow.

How do I use the OSU Online Directory in Outlook Express? (Windows)

See http://www.onid.orst.edu/docs/email/outlook_exp.shtml

How do I use Outlook Express to read newsgroups (Usenet)? (Windows)

Note: Due to lack of use, OSU retired the News server in February 2007.

How do I make Outlook Express my default e-mail reader? (Windows)

1. Open Outlook Express.
2. Open the Tools menu and choose Options...
3. Under the General tab, you should see something This application is NOT the default Mail handler and a button that says Make Default. Click the button, then click OK.
4. Outlook Express is now your default e-mail reader!

How do I set up Outlook Express to check my ONID e-mail? (Mac)

1. Open Outlook Express.
2. Open the Tools menu and choose Accounts.
3. Click New.
4. Enter the name you want other people to see when they receive your email under Display name. Click the right arrow to continue.
5. Enter your e-mail address under E-mail address. This should be in the form username@onid.orst.edu. Click the right arrow to continue.
6. Select IMAP from the pulldown menu.
7. For Incoming mail server, type imap.onid.oregonstate.edu.
8. For Outgoing mail server, type mail.orst.edu, then click the right arrow to continue.

   NOTE: If you are not on campus or using the OSU Modem Pool for dialup, you will need to contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for the name of their Outgoing (SMTP) Mail Server.

9. Enter your Password. Click the right arrow to continue.
10. For Account name, type ONID E-mail.
11. Click Finish, then close the Accounts window.
12. Outlook Express is now configured to check your mail!

Off Campus Secure IMAP settings:

Off Campus ONID users may want to use IMAPS, the secure version of IMAP. By following these instructions, you will ensure that your incoming email and password are encrypted and therefore protected during transmission over the internet. This step isn't necessary from on campus, because the information is only transmitted on the local network.

1. Open Outlook Express.
2. Open the Tools menu and choose Accounts.
3. Double click on your ONID account.
4. Click the Click here for advanced receiving options button.
5. Check This IMAP service requires a secure connection (SSL).
6. Click OK, and then close the Accounts window.
7. Outlook Express will now use secure IMAP to check your mail!

How do I use the OSU Online Directory in Outlook Express? (Mac)

See http://www.onid.orst.edu/docs/email/outlook_expmac.shtml

How do I use Outlook Express to read newsgroups (Usenet)? (Mac)

Note: Due to lack of use, OSU retired the News server in February 2007.

Back to Top | Print This Document

Webmail

1. What is the duration of ONID and Webmail accounts?(How long does my e-mail account last?)
2. What are lifetime e-mail accounts from OSU?
3. How to set up e-mail forwarding?
4. How do I purge deleted items / show deleted items? (Why do my e-mails get crossed-out when I delete them?)
5. How do I open and send attachments?
6. How do I sort messages by date/sender/etc?
7. What is my mail/disk quota? (How much mail can I have on my account?)
8. What to do in case of a forgotten password?

What is the duration of ONID and Webmail accounts? (How long does my e-mail account last?)

• Your ONID account will continue to work like normal for one term after you stop taking classes.
• When the second term begins and you still are not registered for classes, your account will be deactivated. Assuming you have Email Forwarding set up on your account, you will still receive your email. You will NOT be able to access files saved on your ONID account.
• If the third term begins and you still are not taking any classes, your account will be completely shut down. You will not receive email, you will not be able to log into your account, and your files will be deleted.
• If you graduate this term, your account will work like normal for Spring term. During the summer, only email forwarding will work. Your account will be completely removed during the Fall term.
• If you want to set up Email Forwarding on your account, log into your account at http://onid.orst.edu/ and click on the "Change Email Forwarding" link.

What are lifetime e-mail accounts from OSU?

• You may have also heard of the lifetime email forwarding addresses. This are not actual email accounts that you can log into, but they provide an email address in the form yourname@lifetime.oregonstate.edu that will automatically forward to whatever email address you choose. You can update the address that your lifetime email forward to at any time, so mail sent to yourname@lifetime.oregonstate.edu will always get to you. To set up lifetime email forwarding, go to http://oregonstate.edu/students/onlineservices/ and click "Online Services Quick Login," log in using your ID# and GAP, and click "Lifetime Email Address." Note that this is totally separate from your ONID email address, and your ONID email will NOT continue to forward after Fall term.

How to set up e-mail forwarding?

• If you would like to change your e-mail forwarding options, please visit: http://onid.orst.edu and log in to ONID. Once logged in, you'll find a menu on the left side of the page with a link for "Change E-Mail Forwarding." From there, you can set the system to deliver your e-mails once again to your ONID account instead of forwarding them to your Hotmail account.

How do I purge deleted items / show deleted items? (Why do my e-mails get crossed-out when I delete them?)

• In Webmail, deleted messages do not immediately disappear from your mailbox listing. To permanently remove a message, do the following:

1. In the mailbox listing, put a checkmark in the boxes next to the messages you want to remove.
2. Click on "Delete".
3. A trash can icon  appears next to deleted messages.
4. Click on "Purge Deleted".

• Once a message has been deleted and purged, it cannot be retrieved. To undelete a message, simply put a checkmark next to it and click on "Undelete".

How do I open and send attachments?

• To view an attachment, open the message that contains the attachment. The attached files are listed in the "Parts" section of the message header. Click on the filename to view the attachment, or click on  to save the file to disk.

• To attach a file to a message, do the following:

1. Click on the "Browse" button in the Compose Window.
2. Select the file you wish to attach and click Open.
3. Click on the "Attach" button.

How do I sort messages by date/sender/etc?

Each of the column headings in the main webmail screen is a link that allows e-mails to be sorted by its column. For example, clickin on the Date colum, illustrated in the picture below, would allow you to sort your messages by the date recieved. The small up-arrow next to the column heading allows you to reverse the sorting order of that column. (ex. newest at the bottom, or newest at the top)

What is my mail/disk quota? (How much mail can I have on my account?)

• So, how do mail and disk quotas work? Your mail quota is the amount of space reserved for your mail inbox. This is where all of your new mail is placed as well as where most of your old mail resides (unless you move it). Disk quota refers to the amount of space available in your home directory. All of the files that you place in this directory count against your disk quota, but not your mail quota. This next part could get a little confusing, so bear with me. Also counted in your disk quota is any mail that is stored in a mailbox other than your inbox. This happens because these extra mail boxes are actually stored in your home directory in a folder called Mail.

• Mail: 250MB Hard
  Disk: 1024MB Soft, 1074MB Hard 
• An explanation of Soft and Hard. A Soft quota refers to a limit that you can go over, but only for a limited amount of time. You cannot go over a Hard quota. In the case of Disk quota, if you have less than 1024MB, everything is fine. If, however, you have 1035MB (still less than the hard quota), you have 7 days to bring that amount down to under 1024MB. If you don't, your account will be locked, and you will have to contact a support person to have it reactivated. If you try to place more than 1074MB into your home directory, you will not be allowed to put anymore files there until you remove some files.

What to do in case of a forgotten password?

If you know your OSU-ID and GAP number (from Student Online Services)…

• In case of a forgotten password, you will need to visit the ONID site to change it: http://onid.orst.edu
• Once at the ONID site, click the “Change Password” link in the upper left corner of the page (right under “Login to ONID” and “Sign up for ONID”), and you will be directed to a new page asking if you know your ONID password or not. At this stage, click the link by the second bullet (the link should be “here” in “click here to change forgotten password”)
• From this page, you will need to enter your OSU-ID (generally your SSN), and your GAP number. Once these are entered, you will be directed to instructions on the final steps of changing your password.

• Your GAP is your General Access PIN, a six digit number which is used to access OSU Online Services.
• Your GAP is initially set to your birth date, in format mmddyy. If you have never changed your GAP, it is in 'expired' status and you will not be able to access ONID until you change your GAP.
• NOTE: It will take up to five minutes for any changes to your GAP to appear in the ONID system.
• If you have forgotten your GAP, you can go to the OSU Online Services Login page, and click on the "Forgot GAP?" button.
• If this does not work for you, do the following:

• After your GAP has been reset (either by the Registrar, Human Resources, or clicking the "Forgot GAP?" button), you must login to OSU Online Services. When you successfully login, it will force you to choose a new GAP. This new GAP is what you should use to signup for ONID.

Back to Top | Print This Document

Eudora

1. What is Eudora?
2. How do I set up Eudora?
3. How do I use the address book?
4. How do I use signatures in Eudora?

What is Eudora?

Eudora is an email client similar to Outlook Express.

How do I set up an email account in Eudora?

Click here for a guided tutorial. (Requires Flash Player.)

1. In Eudora, go to the Tools menu and select OPTIONS.
2. In the Options window, you will see several icons on the left. Select GETTING STARTED.
3. In the REAL NAME field, type your name the way you would like people to see it when they get email from you. For example, John Doe.
4. In the EMAIL ADDRESS field, enter your email address. For example: onid-user@onid.orst.edu.
5. In the MAIL SERVER (INCOMING) field, enter the mail server that was given to you when you created the account. For ONID accounts use imap.onid.oregonstate.edu.
6. In the USER NAME field, enter your ONID username. For example: smithb.
7. In the SMTP SERVER (OUTGOING) field, enter the outgoing mail server that was given to you when you created the account. For ONID accounts use mail.oregonstate.edu.
8. In the list of icons to the left, click the CHECKING MAIL option.
9. Make sure the SECURE SOCKETS WHEN RECEIVING option is set to NEVER.
10. In the list of icons to the left, click the INCOMING MAIL option.
11. In the SERVER CONFIGURATION field, click on the button next to IMAP.
12. Click the OK button to close the settings box.
13. Back on the main page, click the CHECK MAIL button at the top.
14. Enter your ONID password in the box that comes up.
15. Eudora will retrieve mail from your ONID account!

How do I use the address book?

1. In Eudora, go to the Tools menu and select ADDRESSBOOK.
2. Click the New button.
3. In the right pane next to Nickname:, enter the name of the entry (in this example, Joe).
4. In the right-hand pane, click the cursor in the large white area under This nickname will expand to the following addresses. Then type or paste the email addresses of the people you want on the Bosses list. The addresses can be separated by commas or carriage returns.
5. If you wish to add further information to this address book entry, click on the Home, Work, Other, and Notes tabs.
6. Close the address book and agree to save the changes

To use you address book open a new message and type the name of the nickname in the To, CC, or BCC line

The second way to use the address book is to open the Address Book window, click on the nickname to highlight it, and click on the To, CC, or BCC button. A new message window will open with the nickname in the appropriate line.

How do I use signatures in Eudora?

1. From the Tools menu, choose Signatures. This will cause the Signatures Window to appear.
2. Right-click anywhere inside the Signature window to select the drop-down context menu.
3. From this context menu, choose New.
4. To include a particular signature in an outgoing message, select the signature you want from the Signature drop-down on the message toolbar.

Back to Top | Print This Document

Thunderbird

1. How do I set up Thunderbird to check my ONID e-mail?
2. How can I export email messages?
3. Where can I find answers to other Thunderbird questions I may have?

How do I set up Thunderbird to check my ONID e-mail?

1. Open Thunderbird.
2. Go to the Tools menu and choose Account Settings.
3. Click the Add Account button on the lower left.
4. Select the Email Account option and hit Next.
5. On this page enter your Full Name and your ONID Email Address. Click Next when you are finished.
6. Select the IMAP option at the top of this page.
7. In the Incoming Server section, enter imap.onid.oregonstate.edu.
8. In the Outgoing Server section, enter mail.oregonstate.edu, and click Next.
9. Leave the Incoming User Name and Outgoing User Name as your ONID username. Click Next.
10. The Account Name can be whatever descriptive name you want. Click Next when you are done.
11. On the next page, look over your account settings to make sure you entered them correctly, and hit Finish when you are done.
12. Return to the main Thunderbird page. on the left-hand side, you should see your account listed, and Inbox underneath it. Click on Inbox.
13. Enter your ONID Password in the box that comes up.
14. You should now be able to click on your Inbox again and see your mail in Thunderbird.

Off Campus Secure IMAP settings:

Off Campus ONID users may want to use IMAPS, the secure version of IMAP. By following these instructions, you will ensure that your incoming email and password are encrypted and therefore protected during transmission over the internet. This step isn't necessary from on campus, because the information is only transmitted on the local network.

1. Open Thunderbird.
2. Click on the Tools menu and choose Account Settings.
3. Under your ONID account section, choose the Server Settings option in the menu to the left.
4. From this menu, choose the SSL option in the Security Settings section.
5. Click OK when you are finished.
6. Thunderbird should now be set up to use a secure connection.

How can I export email messages?

If you would like to export a single message, select it, and choose File, Save as, then select "file". You can choose to save the file in the following formats: Mail Files (most e-mail programs can read it), HTML (any browser can view it), text (any browser or text editor should be able to view it.)

If you would like to export multiple messages, the process is different (and not as easy). Although Thunderbird currently is unable to export multiple messages (using the method described above), you can accomplish this by doing the following:

You can copy the actual mail files from your Thunderbird folder. To do this:

Follow the following steps:

1. If you use Windows Vista, browse to the following folder: C:\Users\[your user name]\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\q23utkky.default\ImapMail\imap.onid.oregonstate.edu, or if you are using Windows 2000/XP, browse to this Folder: C:\users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\q23utkky.default\ImapMail\imap.onid.oregonstate.edu.
2. Copy these folders to any other mail program (Outlook or Eudora).

Back to Top