Configuring Thunderbird for Use With UW Email in Windows
Summary: This document provides specific instructions on how to configure the email client application Thunderbird for use with UW email and directory services. The sample images below were created from Thunderbird version 13.01.
Download Thunderbird
Download Mozilla Thunderbird for free
Configure Thunderbird for
Use With UW (Deskmail) Email
Note: Be sure your computer has an active Ethernet connection.
Create Your UW Account in Thunderbird
- StepsActions
- Start Thunderbird.
If you have NO previously defined account, Thunderbird should automatically bring up the "account setup" wizard.
Adding an account to a copy of Thunderbird:
- Click on Local Folders, then under Accounts, click Create a new account
- Use this "wizard" to start setting up your
account.
Note: There will be more steps for you to take later, because the wizard does NOT give you access to all the options.
-
- For Your Name, enter your full name.
- For Email Address, enter
your_UW_netID@uw.edu. (johndoe@uw.edu).
- For Password, enter the
password for your UW NetId (and, optionally, choose
to "remember" it). Continue to the next page,
pictured below:
- The Thunderbird configuration wizard WILL "fail"
because you still have to configure additional
parameters for the program to work with the UW mail
servers.
- Enter information in the fields as outlined below:
-
- For Incoming Server, enter:
- Incoming: IMAP (not POP)
- Server hostname: your_uwnetid.deskmail.washington.edu where your_uwnetid is replaced by YOUR real UW NetID
- Port: 993
- SSL: SSL/TLS
- Authentication: Normal Password
- For Outgoing (SMTP) Server,
enter:
- Server hostname: smtp.washington.edu
- Port: 587
- SSL: STARTTLS
- Authentication: Normal Password
- Server hostname: smtp.washington.edu
- For Incoming Server, enter:
-
When you are finished entering the information, your screen should display a similar window:
- Click "Create Account" or "Done" to create your UW deskmail account in Thunderbird. Continue with the steps below for the UW deskmail account in Thunderbird to work properly.
- Unless the Account Settings dialog box is already
displayed, click on the tool bar Tools -> Account
Settings, to bring up a window similar to the one
pictured below:
- This page asks for a local Account
Name (a label used by Thunderbird). Edit the
Account Name as you prefer, using any name you like
(e.g., the default "myuwid@uw.edu" or "My UW Deskmail").
.
- Select Server Settings under your
account to bring up a page similar to the one pictured
below:
- Click Advanced... to bring up a page
similar to the one pictured below:
- For the IMAP server directory, enter "mail".
- Turn OFF (deselect) the option to show only subscribed
folders.
- Make sure ALL three "namespaces" are blank and turn OFF (deselect)
the option to Allow server to override these
namespaces.
- Click OK to close this window (you return to the Server Settings).
- Click OK to close the account settings window.
Thunderbird is now MINIMALLY configured and should be
able to read your UW email, find folders you may have
created in Alpine, and send mail.
Optional Configuration Information
Configure Thunderbird to use the same sent-mail folder used by Alpine
By setting the Account Prefix Path to mail, Thunderbird and Alpine (Web Alpine, etc.) are looking at the same starting place for folders. Configure Thunderbird so that it uses the same folder Alpine does for copies of sent mail.
Note: You must complete basic
Thunderbird configuration above and see a list of your UW
email folders in Thunderbird prior to performing the steps
below.
- StepsActions
- If it isn't already running, run Thunderbird. Be sure you have an active Internet connection.
- Click your UW email account in the left column of the Thunderbird Mail window, then click View settings for this account (under Accounts).
- Click Copies and Folders under your
account to bring up a page similar to the one pictured
below:
- Under When sending messages, automatically: select Place a copy in, then select Other, and (from the pop-up list next to that) select your sent-mail folder on your UW email account.
- Click OK.
Configure Thunderbird to Use the UW Directory (LDAP)
You can access the combined student/faculty/staff directories by using LDAP with Thunderbird. Learn about LDAP, the UW Electronic Directory Service.
- StepsActions
- If it isn't already running, run Thunderbird (be sure you have an active Internet connection first).
- On the toolbar, click Tools, then Account Settings
- Click Composition and Addressing under your account to bring up a page similar to the one
pictured below:
- Turn OFF (deselect) the option to Compose
messages in HTML. The plain text is the most
reliable way to deliver your information.
- Under When looking up addresses,
select Use a different LDAP server, then
click Edit Directories to bring up a
page similar to the one pictured below:
- Click Add to bring up a page similar
to the one pictured below:
-
- For Name, enter any label you prefer (e.g., "UW LDAP").
- For Hostname, enter directory.washington.edu
- For BaseDN, enter o=University of Washington, c=US
- Click OK (to close the "add directory" window).
- Click OK (to close the "edit directories" window).
- Now select the UW directory from the pop-up list next to "Use a different LDAP server".
- Click OK (to close the "Accounts settings" window).
The UW LDAP directory now is defined in Thunderbird, and is selected. When composing a message, the UW LDAP service will try to match the the name or the UW netID of the person you enter with the list of available entries and will display an array of possible matches for you to select from.
