Configuring Thunderbird to Read SSCC Email

Thunderbird and Outlook Express for Windows, PINE for Linux, and our web-based mailer, SquirrelMail, are the most popular email programs at the SSCC and the ones SSCC staff know best. This article gives step by step instructions for configuring Thunderbird so you can use it to read your SSCC email. Note that an Internet connection is required, but you do not have to be logged in to the SSCC network. In fact you can read SSCC email from anywhere in the world.

Obtaining Thunderbird

Thunderbird is open-source software and can be downloaded from the Internet at http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/. If your PC is in the Social Science building we'll be happy to install it for you (just contact the Help Desk) but it's very easy to do yourself. Just download the installation program, run it, and accept all the default settings.

Importing Settings from Other Email Programs

The first time you run Thunderbird it will ask if you want to import your settings from another email program. If you've been using another program like Eudora or Outlook Express to successfully read your SSCC email, importing those settings will save time and possibly errors. However, you'll probably want to change how Thunderbird shows folders--see Folders later in this document.

If you do not import your settings the first time you run Thunderbird, you can do it later by clicking Tools, Import.

Creating an Account

If you do not import any settings, Thunderbird will take you directly to New Account Setup. If you need to get to this section later, click Tools, Accoung Settings, Add Account. Then seelct Email account and click Next.

Fill in Your Name (as you'd like it to appear in the From lines of your email messages) and Email Address (username@ssc.wisc.edu), then click Next.

Select IMAP for the server type. In the Incoming Server box type imap.ssc.wisc.edu. In the Outgoing Server box type smtp.ssc.wisc.edu.

Enter your SSCC user name as both your Incoming User Name and Outgoing User Name.

Next give this email account a name. This name is purely for your use within Thunderbird. Feel free to change it to something more meaningful if you wish (especially if you have multiple accounts) but the default is probably fine.

Check the information you've entered, and click Finish if it's correct. However, your account is not quite ready for use yet.

Server Settings

Click Tools, Account Settings, and then Server Settings. Under Security Settings, set Use secure connection to SSL. This will automatically change the Port to 993.

Folders

By default, Thunderbrid will only show you folders you have subscribed to. If you have a slow Internet connection, not subscribing to large folders may speed up the process of checking your mail considerably. However, most users will want to see all their folders.

Click the button on the right labeled Advanced, then uncheck the box labeled Show only subscribed folders. Click OK. If your mailboxes do not appear, collapse your folder list by clicking on the small minus sign next to your account name and then re-expand it.

If you choose to have Thunderbird only show subscribed folders, you can select the folders to subscribe to by clicking on your account name in the Folders window to the left and then choosing Manage Folder Subscriptions under Advanced Features.

Outgoing Server Settings

Next click Outgoing Server (SMTP). Select smtp.ssc.wisc.edu and click Edit.

Make sure Use name and password is checked and your User Name is entered, then set Use secure connection to SSL. Selecting SSL will set the Port to 465 automatically.

Recommended Settings

At this point you can use Thunderbird, but there are a few other things we suggest you set up.

Trash

You have several choices for what Thunderbird should do with messages you delete. Click Server Settings again to see them.

Our suggestion is that you set When I delete a message: to Move it to the Trash folder and then check Empty Trash on Exit. That way if you change your mind about deleting a message you can get it back as long as you haven't quit Thunderbird. Our mail server deletes messages from Trash that are older than 30 days automatically. (It also deletes messages from your spam folder that are older than 14 days.)

Note that you cannot put an entire folder in the Trash. If you need to delete a folder, temporarily change When I delete a message: to Remove it Immediately.

Signatures

If you want to include a signature in all your messages, the first step is to create the signature as a text file using Notepad or TextPad and save it to any convenient location--if you're on the SSCC network we suggest the U: drive. Then in Thunderbird click Tools, Account Settings, click on the account itself, check the Attach this signature: box, and click Choose... to select the signature file you just created.

 

Forwarding

When you forward a message Thunderbird can split the old message into a separate attached file, but you probably want it to be included in the message itself. Click Tools, Options, the Composition button, and the General tab. Set Forward messages: to Inline.

Now you're ready to use Thunderbird.

Last Revised: 2/20/2009