Getting Started with Netscape Mail
Using the Mail Account Setup Wizard
If you have just installed Netscape Mail or have yet to set your preferences for sending and receiving mail and newsgroup messages, you will be asked to use the Account Wizard when you first launch Mail.
The Wizard asks you to provide required information, such as your user name and email address. If you do not know a setting, you must exit the Wizard and consult your Internet service provider (ISP) or help desk.
You can add additional mail and newsgroup accounts from the File menu of the Mail window by choosing New, then Account.(Or, you can open the Edit menu of the Mail window, choose Mail/News Account Settings, and then click the New Account button.) Be sure to type the account information exactly as it's given to you. Click Next or Back to move through the panels. To cancel your account creation, click Cancel.
To use the Account Wizard:
Begin from the Netscape browser window.
- Open the Task menu and then choose Mail. You will see the Mail window.
- Open the Edit menu and choose Mail/News Account Settings.
- Click the New Account button to activate the New Account wizard.
- Choose the type of account you want to set up, and click Next.
-
In the Identity section, enter your name (as you would like it to appear in the "From"
field of messages you send) and email address, and click Next.
-
In the Server Information section, select the type of incoming mail server (IMAP or POP3). Enter the incoming server name and the outgoing (SMTP) server name (this is the name of the mail server that sends your messages, and is also known as your
SMTP host). Then click Next.
Note: The name of your SMTP host may not have been reported
to you in your ISP information or by your system administrator. Your SMTP
host may be the same as your POP3 or IMAP host. If in doubt, contact your ISP or system administrator.
-
In the User Name section, enter your user name and click Next.
-
In the Account Name panel, assign a name for this account (for
example, "Work" or "Family"), and click Next.
- Click Finish to set up your account.
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Setting Up Additional Mail and News Accounts
The very first time you launch Mail, you are asked to use the Account
Wizard if you have not already set up an account. You can add additional mail and newsgroup accounts from the File menu of the Mail window by choosing New, then Account. (Or, you can also open the Edit menu of the Mail window, choose Mail/News Account Settings, and then click the New Account button.)
You can also use the Account Settings dialog box to change or add
information for an existing account, including:
- mail and newsgroup server settings (for example, message deletion and download preferences)
- storage settings for message copies and folders
- your reply-to address, organization name, and signature
To use the Account Settings dialog box:
Begin from the Mail window.
-
Open the Edit menu, and choose Mail/News Account Settings.
You will see the Account Settings dialog box.
- To set up a new mail or news account using the Account Wizard, click
the New Account button.
-
To specify an account as your default, highlight it and then click the
Set as Default button.
-
To remove an account and its settings, click the Delete button.
-
To modify information for the outgoing mail server, click the Outgoing (SMTP)
Server item.
-
Click OK to save your changes.
To view or change information for an existing mail or newsgroup account:
- Click the account name in the left-hand side of the Account Settings dialog box. You will see information about the account, such as your email address and signature file.
-
Click the Server category (beneath the Account name). You will see the Server Settings
section, where you can edit mail or newsgroup server settings.
Note: If you need to change server type, server name, or user name, you must delete the existing account and recreate it with the new settings.
-
Click the Copies and Folders category. You will see the
Copy and Folder Settings section, where you can specify whether to
send automatic (blind carbon copies) messages and where you want to store messages.
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Viewing or Changing Your Identity Preferences
To view or change your identity preferences, such as your user name, reply-to address, and signature file:
Begin from the Mail window.
-
Open the Edit menu and choose Mail/News Account Settings.
- Select the account name you want to change.
-
In the Account Settings section, type a name for this account, your
name, email address, reply-to address (only if different from your email address), and
organization (optional).
-
Select "Attach this signature" and then choose the name of the signature
file you want to attach to your messages. Click Choose to locate the signature
file.
-
Select "Compose messages using HTML" if you prefer to create formatted text for mail and newsgroup messages using the HTML editor. Leave this item unchecked to use the plain text editor.
Tip:If you select this option, but you later want to compose a message or reply to a message using the plain text editor, hold down the Shift key and click New Msg or Reply. Shift-clicking the New Msg button or the Reply button opens the plain text editor instead of the HTML editor.
-
Click OK to save your changes.
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Choosing Between IMAP and POP3 Mail Servers
Netscape Mail can work with two types of mail servers: IMAP and POP3. If your
Internet service provider supports both, these descriptions may help you
choose which one to use:
Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP)
Advantages: Your messages and any changes to them stay on your
server, saving local disk space. Also, you always have access to an updated
mailbox, and you can get your mail from multiple locations. Performance
on a modem is faster, since you initially download message headers only.
Disadvantages: Not all ISPs support IMAP.
Post Office Protocol (POP3)
Advantages: Your messages are downloaded to your local computer
all at once, but you can also specify whether to keep copies of the messages on the server. Most ISPs currently support
POP3.
Disadvantages: You must synchronize your local Inbox with your
server's mailbox. This can result in downloading new messages over and
over each time you connect. If you use more than one computer, messages
might reside on one or the other, but not both. POP3 doesn't work as well
as IMAP over a slow link connection. Also, you can't access all mail folders
from multiple locations.
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Setting POP Server Information
To view or change preferences for your POP server account:
Begin from the Mail window.
-
Open the Edit menu and choose Mail/News Account Settings. Locate the account you want, and then click the Server category under the account name. If you chose a POP server when you set up this account, you will see your POP server settings.
You entered the Server Type, Server Name, and the User Name when you created this account. You can change the Port assignment if necessary.
-
Select the setting "Check for new messages every ___" and then specify
the number of minutes between mail checks. If you do not select this setting,
Mail will only check for new messages when you click Get Msg or the Mail icon on the
task bar.
-
Select "Automatically download any new messages" if you want Mail to immediately retrieve messages each time it checks the server.
-
Select "Leave messages on server" to store messages on the server.
- Select "Delete messages on server when they are deleted locally" to remove messages from the server once you delete them from your computer.
- Select "Limit message download to ___" to conserve disk space and download time by setting a size limit for incoming messages. Messages that are over the size limit you specify are displayed in truncated form; simply click on the indicated link to download the remainder.
-
Select "Empty Trash on Exit" to empty the Trash folder whenever you quit
Mail.
- Click OK to confirm your changes.
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Setting IMAP Server Information
To view or change preferences for your IMAP server account:
-
In the Mail window, choose Mail/News Account Settings from the Edit menu. Locate the account name you want and then select the Server item.
- Server name, User Name, Port: the settings in these fields are taken from the information you entered in the New Account Wizard. You can change the Port assignment if you need to.
-
Check "Use secure connection (SSL)" if your IMAP server is configured to
send and receive encrypted mail. If you are unsure, contact the mail server
administrator or your ISP.
-
Check the box at "Check for new messages every ___" and then specify
the number of minutes between mail checks. If you do not check this box,
Mail won't check for new messages until you click Get Msg or the Mail icon on the
task bar.
-
Choose a method for deleting messages:
- Move deleted messages to the Trash folder. (Recommended)
- Mark messages as deleted and remove them only when you compact a folder.
- Remove deleted messages immediately.
- Check "Clean up (Expunge) Inbox on Exit" to remove deleted messages from
the Inbox when you exit Mail. Select this if you choose to mark messages as deleted.
- Check "Empty Trash on Exit" to empty the Trash folder whenever you quit
Mail.
- Click OK.
Advanced IMAP Server Settings
Note: In most cases, advanced IMAP server settings are supplied
by the server automatically. If you are unclear about the settings for
this dialog box, consult your system administrator before proceeding.
- Click Advanced to set additional IMAP options, such as:
-
the IMAP server directory path
-
an all folders or subscribed folders view
- support for subfolders
-
any personal and public (shared folder) namespaces for this directory
- Click OK, and then click OK again to exit the Server Settings panel.
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Setting Newsgroup Server Information
To view or change settings for a newsgroup server:
- In the Mail window, choose Mail/News Account Settings from the Edit menu.
- Locate the account name you want, and then click the Server item to display the Server Settings panel.
- Server name, User Name, Port: the settings in these fields are taken from the information you entered in the New Account Wizard. You can change the Port assignment if you need to.
- Use secure connection (SSL): Check this if your server is configured to send and receive encrypted messages. If you are unsure, contact the mail server administrator or your ISP.
- Check the box "Check for new messages every ___minutes" and then specify the number of minutes between message checks. If you do not check this box, Mail won't check for new newsgroup messages until you click Get Msg.
- Ask me before downloading more than ___ messages: You can conserve disk space and download time by setting a limit for the number of messages you want to retrieve at a time.
- Show newsgroups names in the Mail folder pane as: Choose the way you prefer newsgroup names to be displayed in the folder pane: full length or abbreviated. It's a good idea to choose Abbreviated names if you need to conserve screen real estate (for example, if you're working on a laptop computer).
- Click OK.
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Setting Preferences for Copies and Folders
To set preferences for storing messages and and sending automatic copies:
- In the Mail window, open the Edit menu and choose Mail/News Account Settings. Locate the account you want,
and then select the Copies and Folders item. You see the Copies and Folder Settings panel.
- Select where to store copies of your outgoing mail and newsgroup messages.
If you don't want to use the default Sent folder, click "Sent on xyz" to
specify the folder location.
- Select whether you want to send a blind carbon copy (bcc) to yourself or
another addressee, and enter the address.
-
If you don't want to use the default draft and template folders for draft
and template messages, click "Drafts on xyz" or "Templates on xyz" to specify the folder location.
-
Click OK to confirm your changes.
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Setting Preferences for Your Outgoing SMTP Server
Even if you have multiple mail or news accounts, you generally need to specify only one outgoing (SMTP) server to handle the delivery of your outgoing mail. To view or change the settings for your SMTP server:
-
In the Mail window, choose Mail/News Account Settings from the Edit menu. Locate the account you want and select the Outgoing (SMTP) Server item.
- Server Name: Mail uses the information you entered in the New Account Wizard, but you can change it here.
- Always use name and password: Check this to add an extra level of security by always using your password information , and then enter your user name (you will be prompted for your password initially).
- Use secure connection (SSL): Check this if you know that your server is configured to send and receive encrypted mail and then check "Always." Check "When available" if you're not sure.
- Click Advanced to set up additional SMTP servers. Keep in mind that using more than SMTP server can cause errors in sending mail.
- Click OK to confirm your changes.
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Using Instant Messenger with Netscape Mail
If you use Instant Messenger (IM), Netscape Mail allows you to quickly correspond
with friends and colleagues while you manage your mail. For example, you can quickly
add entries on your Buddy lists to your address books, and send online
colleagues instant messages from any message window.
Once you've signed on to Instant Messenger, you can see whether the
sender or recipients of incoming Mail messages are signed on as well.
When you see the IM presence icon
in the envelope of the message, simply right-click it or the person's name, and then select Send Instant
Message on the pop-up menu to begin a messaging session.
To log on to Instant Messenger, choose Instant Messenger from the Tasks
menu, or click the IM icon
on the task bar.
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Reading Messages
New Mail Notification
Netscape Mail automatically downloads new messages to your Inbox (your primary message folder) if you've set it to check for messages at timed intervals. The Mail icon on the task bar displays a green arrow to notify you when messages have arrived on your mail server:
To have Mail automatically check for new messages:
-
In the Mail window, choose Mail/News Accounts from the Edit menu.
- If you have multiple accounts, locate the name you want and and click the Server item.
-
In the Server Settings panel, check the box at "Check for new messages every ___" and then specify
the number of minutes between mail checks. If you do not check this box, Mail won't check for new messages in the current account until you click Get Msg or click the Mail icon on the
task bar.
You can always retrieve messages manually at any time. To get new messages for the current account, do one of the following:
-
Click Get Msg on the Mail window toolbar.
-
Choose Get New Messages from the File menu of the Mail window.
-
Click the Mail icon on the task bar
.
Note:The first time you retrieve messages for an account, Mail asks you for your password, at which time you can choose to have Mail store your password in the Password Manager. Password Manager can save all your user names and passwords on your own computer in a file that's difficult, but not impossible, to read. For more information on Password Manager, see Understanding Privacy and Security. For information on protecting your stored user names and passwords with encryption technology, see the topic "Encrypting Stored Sensitive Information" under Understanding Privacy and Security.
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Choosing How You View the Mail Window
You can customize the layout of the Mail window (the window you see when
you choose Mail from the Tasks menu). When you're in the Mail window:
- Choose Toolbars from the View menu to show or hide the Mail toolbar or the task bar.
- Open the View menu and uncheck My Sidebar to hide the My Sidebar pane.
- Expand and collapse any pane to switch between a three-pane
or two-pane view. Choose a default view in the Mail and Newsgroup Preferences panel.
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Sorting and Threading Messages
To sort messages by categories such as subject, sender, date, or priority:
-
Click the appropriate label (column heading) in the message list window.
Or, open the View menu, choose Sort, and then select the label you want to sort by.
To group messages by threading:
-
Click the thread button
to the left of the Subject, Sender, and Date column headings.
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Saving and Printing Messages
To save a message as a plain text or HTML file:
-
In the Mail window select the message. Then open the File menu and choose Save As.
You can also save a message as a template or as a draft.
To print a displayed message:
-
Click Print. If you are in a composition window, open the File menu and
choose Print.
To set up the page layout for printing:
-
Choose Page Setup from the File menu.
To preview how the page will look:
-
Choose Print Preview from the File menu.
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Sending Messages
Composing Mail and Newsgroup Messages
To open a composition window to address, compose, and send a new message
or reply to one:
-
In any Netscape window, open the File menu and choose New,
then Message.
- In the Mail window, click New Msg.
-
While displaying a message, click Reply, Forward,or Reply All on the toolbar.
-
>From the Address Book window, select an address and click New Msg.
Tip:You use the Mail/News Account Settings command on the Edit menu to specify that you want to use the HTML text editor for composing messages. In the Account Settings dialog box, select the account, and check "Compose messages using HTML" to use the HTML text editor for all messages. If you want to use the plain text editor occasionally, you can hold down the Shift key while clicking the Get Msg or the Reply button to use the plain text editor on an as-needed basis.
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Using the Message Composition Window
Use the message composition window to address, compose, and send email and
newsgroup messages. First specify whether you want to compose messages
in plain text or HTML in the Account
Settings preference panel (choose Mail/News Account Settings from the Edit
menu).
The message composition window contains the following:
-
Toolbar. You can click the following buttons:
-
Send: Send a completed message.
-
Address: Search for names in your address books.
-
Attach: Attach a file or web page to a message.
-
Quote: Include the text of a message you're replying to.
-
Spell: Check spelling of the message text.
-
Save: Save the message as a draft, template, or file.
-
Attachments pane: When you attach files to a message, you see them listed
in the attachments pane to the right of the addressing area.
If you've chosen to compose messages using the HTML editor, you'll see an additional toolbar with the same text formatting buttons as those of Netscape Composer.
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Addressing a Message
To address an email message:
-
Type the name in the address field.
If you have address autocompletion enabled, simply type the first few letters of the recipient's name and wait for Mail to
complete the address. (Or you can type part of the name and immediately press Enter to have Mail try to complete the address.)
-
If multiple addresses are found, press Enter, select the address you want,
and then click OK.
Note: Use a comma to separate multiple addresses in the same
field. Do not use a comma to separate first or last names.
-
If you want this message to be sent from a different
account, click "From" to select the account you want.
-
If necessary, click "To" to choose a different recipient type:
To |
Primary recipients of your message. |
Cc |
Carbon copy, for secondary recipients. |
Bcc |
Blind carbon copy, for secondary recipients
not identified to the other recipients, including those in the cc list. |
Reply-To |
Use this if you want recipients to reply to a different email address than the one the message is sent from. |
Newsgroup |
Posting to a newsgroup. |
Followup-To |
Redirecting a newsgroup posting, so that subsequent
replies go directly to the redirected newsgroup instead of the original
newsgroup. |
Tip: You can quickly address a message by right-clicking the email address
contained in a message you're reading, and then selecting Send Mail To
from the pop-up menu.
Changing the Account a Message is Sent From
If you have multiple mail accounts, the account listed in the From field
is based on the account (or server) you have currently selected when you
choose to create a new message. However, Netscape Mail also allows you
to change the account a message is sent from while you're composing a message.
Click the From field to view a list of your accounts and then select the
account you want. A copy of the message is saved in your Local Sent folder.
Note: If you choose an account to which you are not currently
logged onto, Netscape Mail asks you to log in to the account.
About Address Autocompletion
Using address autocompletion, you can easily address mail
from the message composition window without having to search for names
or type complete names. Mail automatically checks your address books and completes the name if it finds a unique match. It also prevents mistakes by showing all possible choices with additional information if it finds multiple matches. Address autocompletion is enabled by default.
If you don't want to use an address that Mail provides, simply press Backspace or Delete to erase the address and then enter an alternate address.
To disable address autocompletion:
-
>From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
- Select Address Book from the Mail and Newsgroup Preferences category.
- Under Address Autocompletion, remove the check next to Enable address autocompletion.
- Click OK.
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Selecting Message Sending Options
While you're composing a message, you can select these additional message
sending options from the Options menu:
Select Addresses
Lets you choose the recipient's email address from your Address
Books. Select an address and then click To:, Cc:, or Bcc: to address your message.
Check Spelling
Checks the spelling of the message text.
Rewrap
If you are composing a message using the plain text editor, you can use Rewrap to rewrap long lines of quoted text to fit the compose window. This command rewraps selected quoted text to the window width, or rewraps all quoted text if no text is selected. This command is primarily useful when you are replying to a message where the original message is quoted in your reply, and the original message contains long lines.
You use the Mail/News Account Settings command on the Edit menu to specify that you want to use the plain text editor for composing messages. In the Account Settings dialog box, select the account, and uncheck "Compose messages using HTML" to use the plain text editor for all messages. If you only want to use the plain text editor occasionally, you can hold down the Shift key while clicking the Get Msg or the Reply button to use the plain text editor on an as-needed basis.
Format
Send the message as plain text, or HTML (formatted), or both. If you
choose "Auto-Detect," Mail asks you for the format to use if it's unknown
whether the recipient's mail program can display an HTML message. The format you choose here overrides the send format you specified using the Preferences command on the Edit menu.
Priority
Choose a label or "flag" that indicates whether the message has lowest,
low, normal, high, or highest priority.
File Sent Message
Choose this if you want to file an additional copy of the sent message
in a different folder than your default Sent folder. Then select the folder
you want.
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Replying to a Message
To reply to an email message:
-
Click Reply to respond to the sender alone.
-
Click Reply All to respond to all addressees in the message.
To include the text of a message to which you are replying:
-
In the composition window, click Quote.
To include the original message each time you reply to any message:
-
Choose Preferences from the Edit menu, and then select Message Composition
from the Mail and Newsgroups category.
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Forwarding a Message
When you forward a message, you can specify how to place new text relative
to the original text: inline (in the body of the message), or as an attachment (the default).
To forward a message:
-
Select the message and click Forward.
-
Type the name or Email address of the recipient.
-
Click Send.
To set the default for forwarding messages:
- From the Edit menu, choose Preferences and then select Message Composition
from the Mail and Newsgroups category.
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Saving a Message Draft
To save an email message as a draft that you can complete later:
-
In the composition window, click Save, or open the File menu and choose Save as Draft. The message is saved in your Drafts folder.
To retrieve a message draft:
-
Open the Drafts folder in the Mail window, and then double-click the message you want. Or, select the message and then choose Edit Message as New from the Message menu.
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Creating and Using Templates
Templates are useful for formatting messages that you send regularly, such as weekly status reports. You can save a message
as a template from any window in which it is displayed, including a message composition window.
To save a message as a template:
-
While displaying a message: open the File menu, choose Save As, then Template. The template file is stored in the Templates folder.
To edit or use a template file:
-
In the Mail window, select the Templates folder.
-
Double-click the message you want to edit.
- Edit the message, then save it or send it.
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Creating HTML Mail Messages
Using HTML in Your Messages
Netscape Mail allows you to compose mail and newsgroup messages using either
the HTML (rich-text) formatting editor or the plain-text editor for each mail account you have. In addition,
you can choose whether your addressees should receive HTML or plain-text
messages by default, and how Mail should handle messages when it's not
known if the addressee(s) can receive HTML formatted mail.
To specify whether to use the HTML editor as the default for composing
messages:
-
Choose the mail or newsgroup account you want to use.
-
Open the Edit menu and then choose Mail/News Account Settings.
-
Check "Compose messages using HTML." You see the HTML formatting toolbar in the message composition window. Leave this box unchecked to use the
plain-text editor for this account.
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Choosing HTML Mail Sending Options
You can choose the default method Mail uses to handle sending HTML messages
when it's not known whether the recipient's email program can display formatted
mail:
-
Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
-
Choose Formatting from the
Mail and Newsgroups category.
Note: this preference applies to email messages only, not to newsgroup messages.
-
Select the option you want and then click OK.
If while composing a message you realize that one or more recipients
may not be able to receive HTML formatted mail, you can easily convert
the message to a different format when you click Send:
- In the message composition window, open the Options menu and choose Format.
- Select the format you want to use for sending the message:
- Auto Detect (Mail chooses the appropriate format)
- Plain Text Only (may lose formatting such as bold text)
- Rich Text (HTML) Only (some email programs may have trouble displaying the message)
- Plain and Rich (HTML) Text (this uses more disk space)
- When you've finished composing the message, click Send.
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Specifying Recipients for HTML Messages
You can save time by indicating whether individuals in your address books
prefer to receive either HTML messages or plain text messages.
-
Open the Address Book window and select the individual's card.
-
Click Edit to display the address book card dialog box.
-
In the Name tab, if necessary, uncheck "Send email as plain-text (no HTML)." Leave this
box checked to send only plain text messages to this recipient.
-
Click OK.
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Viewing the Page Source for HTML Messages
You can quickly view the HTML and other code that generates an HTML message
you've received:
-
Open the message and choose Page Source from the View menu.
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Using the HTML Mail Question Dialog Box
The HTML Mail Question dialog box appears when you try to send a message
to someone who does not want to receive HTML messages or when Mail cannot
determine whether your recipient can display HTML messages. If you are
in doubt, send a plain-text message.
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Using Attachments
Attaching a File or Web Page
To attach a file to an outgoing email message:
-
In the message composition window, click Attach or choose Attach File from
the File menu.
-
Select the file you want to include and click Open. The file name appears in the attachments pane.
To attach a web page to an outgoing email message:
-
In the message composition window, choose Attach Web Page from the
File menu.
-
In the dialog box that appears, enter the URL of the page and then click OK. The icon and title of the web page you have attached appear in the
attachments pane.
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Viewing and Opening Attachments
If you receive email attachments that are regarded as native file formats (such as graphic files and html files), you will see them displayed inline (in the body of the message). For other file formats, Mail lets you open them and view them, or save them to a local file.
To open an attachment:
-
Click the paper clip icon
in the message envelope.
- If there is more than one attachment, choose the one you want from the pop-up menu.
- Mail asks if you want to open the attachment, or save it.
- Select "Open it" and then click OK.
To open the attachment, make sure you have the correct program for the particular file format on your computer.
Note: If you use an IMAP mail servers, all attachments remain on the server until you download or open the attachment.
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Saving Attachments
To save an attachment in an email message:
-
Click the paper clip icon
in the message envelope area.
- If there is more than one attachment, choose the one you want from the pop-up menu. (To save all attachments, choose Save All.)
- Mail asks if you want to open the attachment, or save it.
- Select "Save it to disk" and then click OK.
- In the Save Attachment dialog box, give the attachment a filename and location.
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Deleting Messages
Deleting Messages
How you delete messages depends on your mail server type: IMAP or POP3.
Deleted POP3 messages are automatically moved to the Trash folder. IMAP
users can set different options for deleting messages.
To delete IMAP messages from your Inbox or other folders:
-
In the message list, select the messages and click Delete.
By default, Mail marks each selected message for deletion.
-
To delete messages permanently, open the File menu and choose Compact This Folder.
To set deletion preferences for IMAP messages:
-
Choose Mail/News Account Settings from the Edit menu, locate the account
you want, and then choose the Server item under the account name.
-
Select the options you want and click OK.
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Moving Messages to and from the Trash
If you use POP3 to deliver your mail, or if you set up IMAP to use the
Trash folder, follow these steps to delete messages from your Inbox or
other folders:
-
In the message list, select the messages you want to delete.
-
Click Delete. Mail moves the messages to the Trash folder.
To recover messages from the Trash:
-
Click the Trash folder.
-
Select the messages you want to recover, and move them to another folder.
To delete messages permanently:
-
Open the File menu and choose Empty Trash Folder.
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Using Address Books
About Netscape Mail Address Books
Netscape Mail provides you with two address books: the Personal Address
Book, and the Collected Addresses Book. You can create additional ones as well.
Personal Address Book
Use the Personal Address Book to add specific names you want, or to import
address books from other email programs and previous versions of Netscape.
You can create mailing lists, edit individual address entries, and create
additional address books. If you have a Netcenter account, you can synchronize entries with those in your Web Address Book.
Collected Addresses
The Collected Addresses address book collects the email addresses contained
in incoming and outgoing messages. For incoming email messages, Mail stores the addresses in each message as soon as you open it. Addresses from outgoing messages are stored as soon as you click Send.
To enable automatic address collection:
- Choose Preferences from the Edit menu, and then choose Address Book from the Mail and Newsgroups category.
- Check the box labeled Enable Email Address Collection to start collecting addresses.
- Choose whether you want to use this feature for incoming or outgoing messages, or both.
- Choose whether you want to limit the size of the collected address book. The default size is 700 cards. If you add a new card that exceeds the limit, the oldest card is removed and the new card is added, keeping the total number of cards the same.
- Click Ok.
Changing the Address Book Window Display
To open the Address Book window, choose Address Book from the Tasks menu,
or click the Address Book icon
on the task bar .
You can customize how the Address Book window and the cards are displayed:
-
Open the View menu from the address book window to select whether to display
the toolbar and/or task bar.
-
To specify how you want card names displayed (first/last, last/first, or
Display Name) open the View menu, choose Show Name As, and then
make a selection.
-
To sort names in the address card list, open the View menu, choose Sort
and then make a selection.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Adding Entries to Your Address Books
You can use any of the following ways to add entries to your address books:
-
Right-click a name in the From or recipient fields in a message you've opened,
and then select "Add Address to Address Book" from the pop-up menu to add the name
to your Personal Address Book.
-
Click New Card in the address book window to create a new address book card.
- Synchronize entries with your Netscape Web Address Book (you must have a Netcenter account).
-
Open a message, which automatically adds the sender's address to your Collected
Addresses Book.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Creating a New Address Book
Netscape Mail provides a default personal address book, but you can create
additional ones.
To create a new address book:
-
Click the Address Book icon on the task bar or choose Address Book from
the Tasks menu.
-
In the Address Book window, open the File menu, choose New, and then choose
Address Book.
-
Type the name of the new address book, and click OK.
Creating an New Address Book Card
Address book cards can be used to store names, postal addresses, email
addresses, phone numbers, and other information, such as whether the addressee
prefers to receive plain-text or HTML-formatted messages.
To create an address book card for an individual:
-
Click the Address Book icon
on the task bar or choose Address Book from
the Tasks menu.
-
Click New Card in the Address Book window. (If you have multiple address
books, select the one to which you want to add a card.)
-
Each New Card dialog box has four tabs:
- Name tab: Enter the following information:
- Display name (the name that appears in the "To:" field of the composition window)
- Nickname (a shortcut or alias for the real name)
-
Whether the individual prefers to receive HTML-formatted email instead
of plain text (if you intend to compose your messages in HTML).
- Address tab: Enter additional information such as street address,
phone number, and URL.
-
Instant Messenger tab: Enter the person's screen name and choose a Buddy List grouping. Note: You must be logged on to Instant Messenger in order to enter information on this tab.
- Other tab: Store any additional information you want.
To edit an individual card:
-
Select the card in the address list window and click Edit.
Tip: To quickly add entries to your address book, right-click any email address in messages you receive and select Add Address to Address Book from the pop-up menu. The New Card dialog box appears where you can complete the information.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Creating a Mailing List
If you regularly send messages to a group of recipients, you can quickly
address a message by using a mailing list that contains the names you want.
To create a mailing list and add it to your address book:
-
In the Address Book window, choose the address book you want and then click New List.
-
Enter the following information in the Mailing List dialog box:
- Click the drop-down list at "Add to:" to choose an address book in which to store the list.
-
List name: When you enter the list name in the "To" field of a message, everyone on the list receives your message.
-
List nickname: Alias (or shortcut) for the list name.
-
Description: Appears after the list name in the address line of the composition
window.
-
Drag entries from the Address Book window into the list, or type in addresses.
-
Click OK.
To remove a member from the list:
-
Select the member's entry and click Remove.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Searching an Address Book
To search for names and addresses in a personal address book:
-
In a message composition window, click Address, or choose Select Address
from the Options menu.
-
Select an address book to search.
-
Start typing the name of the person you're looking for. If there's a match, the person's name is selected in the bottom right
pane.
-
Click "To:" (or any of the recipient type buttons) to add the person to your recipient list. When you've finished searching for names, click OK to continue composing your message.
-
You see a message composition window with the selected names in the address
field.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Importing Address Books and Mail Messages
If you have an address book from a previous version of Netscape or
another email program, you can add its entries to your personal address
book. When you import another address book and add it to your own, Mail
does not overwrite entries in your address book, but adds the new entries.
You can also import address books and mail messages from Eudora, Outlook, and
Outlook Express. You can import the following types of address book
file formats: tab or comma separated text or .ldif.
To import messages or address book files:
-
>From the File menu, choose Import.
-
Follow the instructions to import mail folders and address
book files.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Exporting an Address Book
To export an address book:
-
Click the Address Book icon
on the task bar or choose Address Book from the Tasks menu.
-
If you have more than one address book, select the one you want.
-
>From the File menu, choose Export.
-
Type a filename for the address book and choose the file type: ldif or tab separated.
-
Click Save.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Syncing Entries with Your Netscape WebMail Address Book
If you have a Netcenter acccount, you can save time managing email from that account by synchronizing or matching entries in your Netscape WebMail Address Book with those in your Netscape Personal Address Book. Whenever you add, edit, or delete an entry in one address book, the other address book is updated so that entries in both address books match.
To perform an adress book sync:
- In the Address Book window, click the Sync button on the toolbar or choose Netscape Address Book Sync from the File menu.
- If you have not already logged in to your Netcenter account, Mail asks you for your user name and password.
- Click OK to begin synchronization.
You can continue to synchronize address books throughout your Mail session (without having to log in again). Just click Sync or choose Netscape Address Book Sync from the File menu.
Note: If you do not have a Netcenter account, you can sign up for one by going to http://www.netscape.com.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Organizing Your Messages
Creating a Folder
To create a message folder:
-
Open the File menu and choose New, then Folder.
- Type the name of the folder.
-
Click the pop-up menu to choose a folder location and click OK.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Renaming a Folder
To rename an existing folder:
-
Select the folder you want to rename.
-
Choose Rename Folder from the File menu.
-
Type the new name and then click OK.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Filing Messages
You can move messages from one folder to another by using either of these
methods:
-
Select the message, click the File button on the toolbar, and then choose the destination folder.
-
Drag and drop messages into the desired folder.
Note: If you drag and drop a message from an IMAP or POP mail server folder to
a local folder on your hard drive, only a copy of the original message is moved (the original message stays on the server).
To copy a message from one folder to another:
-
Select the message and right-click to display the pop-up menu.
-
Select Copy To and then select the destination account and folder from the pop-up menu.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Creating Message Filters
You can use certain criteria to create and maintain message filters that Netscape Mail can use to automatically perform certain actions, such as filing messages in a particular folder when they arrive.
To create a filter that acts on incoming messages:
-
In the Mail window, choose Message Filters from the Edit menu.
- If you have multiple mail accounts, choose the one you to which you want to apply the filter.
-
Click New. You see the Filter Rules dialog box, where you can specify the types of messages to act on, and the action you want the filter to perform.
- Type a name for the filter.
- Select the "match" option you want Mail to use: all of the conditions (criteria) you choose, or at least one of the conditions.
- Click the pop-up menus to choose a search criteria (for example, "Subject," "Sender"; "contains," "doesn't contain") and then type the text or phrase you want to match.
- Click More to add criteria and Fewer to remove them.
- Click the pop-up menu to choose the action you want the filter to apply to the messages (for example, Move to Folder, Delete, Mark as Read).
- Choose a folder in which to store the messages.
- Click OK to confirm your settings.
- To turn a filter on or off: Click the dot to the right of the filter name to enable it (diamond), or click it again to turn it off.
- To edit a filter: Select the filter name and click Edit.
- To delete a filter: Select the filter name and click Delete.
- To change the order in which filters are applied: In the filter list, click a filter's name, and click the up or down arrow
to move it.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Searching Through Messages
Netscape Mail lets you quickly find text in a single message, or use a combination of criteria to perform a thorough search through all messages in a specific mail folder, newsgroup, or account.
To locate text in a single message:
- Select the message and choose Find from the Search menu. Choose Find Again to continue searching for the text throughout the rest of the message.
To search mail folders or newsgroups for specific messages:
-
In the Mail window, choose Search Mail/News Messages from the Search menu. You see the Search Messages dialog box.
-
Search for items in: Click the pop-up menu and choose the folder, newsgroup, or account where you want to focus your search. For a mail account, click "Search subfolders" to include all folders in an account.
-
Search for messages which: Select the "match" option you want Mail to use: all of the conditions (criteria) you choose, or at least one of the conditions.
- Use the pop-up menus to indicate the search criteria (for example, "Subject" , "Sender"; "contains" , "doesn't contain") and then type the text or phrase you want to match.
-
Click More to add criteria and Fewer to remove them.
-
Click Search to begin, or Reset to clear your entries. You see the match results displayed in a list. Double-click a message to open it.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Adding Your Own Message Headers
Use the Customize Headers dialog box to add, remove, or edit arbitrary
headers supported by your system administration in addition to the ones
Mail provides for filtering messages.
Setting Mail and Newsgroup Preferences
Setting General Mail and Newsgroup Preferences
To set general preferences, such as the window layout for mail and newsgroups:
- Choose Preferences from the Edit menu.
- Select the Mail and Newsgroups category.
General Settings
-
Choose the type of three-pane layout to use for the Mail window:
-
Confirm when moving folders to the Trash: Mail asks you to confirm
that you want to delete a folder.
Mail Start Page
The Start Page appears in your Inbox when you first open Netscape
Mail. Mail provides you with a default page, but you can enter a different
web page or URL of your choice. To disable the Start Page, uncheck this option. Click Restore Default to return to the original page provided by Netscape.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Setting Preferences for Displaying Messages
To set preferences for how messages are displayed (for example, font style and color):
- Choose Preferences from the Edit menu.
- Select Message Display from the Mail and Newsgroups Preferences category.
Plain Text Messages
- Choose the font you prefer for viewing plain text messages: fixed width or variable width.
- Choosing a font style for quoted plain text messages can help you more easily distinguish quoted text (usually a message that's been forwarded to you or by you). To customize the display of quoted plain text:
-
Click the Style pop-up menu and choose a font style.
-
Click the Size pop-up menu and choose a font size.
-
Click the Color button to select a text color.
- Wrap text to fit window width: incoming messages are word-wrapped to fit the width of your mail window.
- Display emoticons as graphics: When you receive messages that contain emoticons (also called smiley faces) Mail can convert them to graphics, for example:
This: |
Converts to: |
:-) |
 |
:) |
 |
:-( |
 |
:( |
 |
;-) |
 |
;-p |
 |
Languages
Click the drop-down list to select the character set coding (language) you want Mail to use as the default for incoming mail and newsgroup messages. This is recommended if it's likely you might receive messages in which the character set is not indicated, such as when reading messages in international newsgroups. To apply the default character coding to all messages, click the checkbox labeled "Apply default to all messages."
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Setting Preferences for Message Composition
To set preferences that affect how you create messages (for example, forwarding options and address autocompletion):
- Choose Preferences from the Edit menu.
- Select Message Composition from the Mail and Newsgroup Preferences
category.
Forwarding and replying to messages
- Specify how you want forwarded message text to appear: as an attachment, quoted, or inline (in the body of your message).
- Choose whether you want Mail to always include the original message text in your reply. Then select where you want to place your reply in the message area.
Composing Messages
- Check spelling before sending: Check this to have Mail always check the spelling of your messages when you click Send.
- If you regularly send messages that use an 8-bit character set (for
example, Latin-1or ISO88359-1), you can choose to have Mail send them as "quoted printable MIME-compliant."
- Wrap plain text messages at __ characters: enter a number to set the margin for text in the message area.
- Character Coding: Click the drop-down list to select the character set coding (language) you want Mail to use as the default for outgoing mail and newsgroup messages.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Setting Preferences for HTML Messages
If you regularly compose HTML mail messages, keep in mind that sometimes not all recipients use email programs that display HTML formatting properly. Netscape Mail lets you specify how you want to handle messages that go to those recipients: converted to plain text, as HTML, or as both HTML and plain text.
Whenever you add a person or address card to your address book, you can specify whether that addressee can receive HTML-formatted messages. However, when this information is unknown you can set preferences for how Mail handles these messages:
-
>From the Edit menu, choose Preferences. Then select Send Format from the Mail and Newsgroup Preferences category.
- Choose one of the following options:
-
Ask me what to do (Mail asks you to choose a format before you send the message)
-
Convert the message to plain text (may lose formatting such as bold text)
- Send the message in HTML anyway (some email programs may have trouble displaying the message)
-
Send the message in both plain text and HTML (this uses more disk space)
You can always override these settings for an individual message through the
Options menu of the message composition window.
-
Click OK.
Note: These preferences apply to email messages only, not to newsgroup messages.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Setting Preferences for Address Books
To set preferences for Netscape Mail's address books (for example, email address collection):
- Choose Preferences from the Edit menu.
- Select Addressing from the Mail and Newsgroup Preferences category.
Email Address Collection
In addition to your Personal Address Book, Netscape Mail provides you with a Collected Addresses Book that can automatically store email addresses from either your incoming or outgoing messages, or both. For incoming email messages, Mail stores the addresses in each message as soon as you open it. Addresses from outgoing messages are stored as soon as you click Send.
Check the box to enable automatic address collection, then choose whether you want to use this feature for incoming or outgoing messages, or both.
Addressing Messages
Using address autocompletion, you can quickly address mail without having to search for names or type names completely. Simply type a few characters, and Mail automatically checks your address books and completes the name if it finds a unique match. If multiple matches are found, Mail shows you a list of all possible choices. Check the box to enable address autocompletion.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Getting Started With Newsgroups
Subscribing to Newsgroups
If you've set up an account on a newsgroup server, you can join or subscribe to newsgroups (also called discussion groups). To subscribe to one or more newsgroups on a newsgroup server:
-
In the Mail window, choose Subscribe from the File menu.
- If necessary, click the Server pop-up menu to choose another server.
- Click Subscribe or click in the Subscribe column next to a newsgroup. You see a checkmark next to each newsgroup to which you subscribe. Click Unsubscribe to cancel a selection.
- Click OK. The list of your subscribed newsgroups appears in the Mail window.
If you're an IMAP mail user, you can also subscribe to message folders located on an IMAP server. (Your Inbox is a type of message folder.) Follow the instructions above for subscribing, but select a Mail server from the Server pop-up menu.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Reading Newsgroup Messages
When you open your newsgroup server, you see the list of newsgroups to
which you subscribe. The server downloads the headers of new messages in
each newsgroup.
To read newsgroup messages:
-
In the Mail window, double-click a newsgroup server icon to see its newsgroups. (If there are no
newsgroups, you may need to subscribe to one.)
-
Click a newsgroup name to see its contents.
-
Click a message to read it. Click the twisty icon to see all the messages
in a thread (related topics).
You can click any header to display its message. You can start
a new thread or post a message in response.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Posting Newsgroup Messages
To start new threads (discussions):
-
In the subscription list, select a newsgroup.
-
Click New Msg.
-
Compose your message, and click Send
to post it.
- Click Get Msg to see your posting on the newsgroup.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Contributing to Ongoing Discussions
To post a response to the newsgroup:
-
In the message list, select a message to reply to .
-
Click Reply.
-
Compose your message, and click Send
to post it.
To reply to an individual as well as post a response to the group:
-
In the message list, select a message to reply to.
-
Click Reply All.
-
Compose your message, and click Send to post it.
To redirect a posting to another newsgroup:
-
Click Reply and choose "Followup-To" from the Recipient type pop-up menu.
Subsequent responses will be posted to the newsgroup you specified.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Removing a Newsgroup
To remove a newsgroup from your list:
- Select the newsgroup icon and then press Delete.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Adding a Newsgroup Server
If the newsgroup you want to subscribe to is on a different server, you must first set up access to that server.
To set up an additional newsgroup server, open the File menu in the Mail window and choose New, then Account.
-
In the Account Wizard panel, indicate that the new account you want to set up is a newsgroup account.
Once you've set up access to the new server, you can subscribe to newsgroups on that server. In the Mail window, open the File menu and then choose Subscribe.
[ Return to beginning of section ]
Last Updated 9/27/00
Copyright 1994-2000 Netscape Communications Corporation.