Using ThunderbirdUsing Thunderbirdby Len Nasman, Bristol Village Ohio Computer Club

may be copied with permission

IntroductionIntroduction

To send and receive email you must have three things:

➢ 1. An email address supplied by a web mail host.

➢ 2. A computer connected to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

➢ 3. A computer program, (email software, or App) that enables you to compose, send, and read email messages.

This section will focus on installing the Thunderbird email software. I have been usingThunderbird for a number of years now and am very satisfied with it's performance. It isavailable for downloading free. Thunderbird can be set to work with any email host.

I also have Gmail, Yahoo mail, and SmarterMail, mail host accounts. But I prefer Thunderbird for the majority of my email messaging. Thunderbird is free, and has a word processing style user interface. Thunderbird allows email messages to be stored in either the cloud, or the local computer, or both. Thunderbird can maintain multiple address books (or contacts lists) and addresses can be imported or exported to other apps. It is easy to search through email messages for key words or email senders.

Thunderbird provides for creating different folders for the Inbox, draft message, junk message, and archived messages. There are a number of optional add-ons and custom-ize options that make it a powerful but friendly email tool.

Downloading ThunderbirdDownloading Thunderbird

The first step in installingThunderbird is to download thelatest version. Here is a link tothe download page.

https://www.thunder-bird.net/en-US/

I prefer to have my web browser(Firefox) set to ask what to dowith downloads. People who ac-cept the default setting for down-loads usually end up with a longunmanageable list of downloadedfiles. I prefer to use the Save Fileoption and organize files intomanageable folder collections.

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The Thunderbird download web page.

Using Thunderbird

I have created special download foldersfor different install files. Organizing thesefiles helps manage the installation filesfor applications for different computers Iwork with. I copy the download folders toa flash drive when I want to install thesame software on different computers.

✔ Download the Thunderbird installfile.

✔ Once the install file has beendownloaded, double click onthe file [or right click and select Open].

✔ In the Thunderbird Setup dialog box, select Standard, and Use Thunderbird as my defaultmail application.

✔ Select Next.

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A typical download folder collection.

The Save File download option.

Downloading Thunderbird

✔ Accept the default install location and thenselect Install.

✔ Wait while the install routine progresses.

✔ When the install routine has completed, togglethe Launch Thunderbird option ON. Thenselect Finish.

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Using Thunderbird

Thunderbird can be set to get email from anyemail host mailbox.

✔ Enter your Name, email address, Password,and then select Continue.

In the next dialog box you can set the system toremember your password.

Be sure that you have recorded your user name andpassword in a place where you can find it 6 or 7months from now. If you have to re-install Thunderbird,or use your email box from a different computer, youmust have the password handy or suffer from anotherblue bruise on your forehead.

You have to choose between keeping your emailmessages on the mail host cloud [IMAP], or movingmessages to your local computer [POP3].

✔ Select your preferred options and then select Done.

The system will open Thunderbird. There are anumber of settings and options to deal with next.

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Thunderbird Settings

Thunderbird SettingsThunderbird Settings

To open the display options context menu, right click near the top of the Thunderbird win-dow.

✔ I recommend that you toggle several displayoptions on, Menu Bar, Mail Toolbar, and Folder Pane Toolbar.

You may or may not want to display the TodayPane on the right side of the display.

✔ Select View, Folders, All to display the folders panel.

The first line in the folders panel shows theaddress of the email account.

In this example, Thunderbird has been set to workwith a Yahoo mail mail host.

✔ Select the account line in the folders panel,then select the Account Settings option toopen a new dialog box.

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Using Thunderbird

Thunderbird provide a System Integreation option touse it as the default client for E-Mail, Newsgroups, orFeeds.

The Account Settings dialog box pro-vides an option to add a signature to eachoutgoing email message. This signature caneither be in plain text, or can use HTMLcode.

If you want a complete listing of HTMLcodes, just Google HTML codes and reviewthe different publications that appear.

Here are the HTML codes used in thisexample.

<hr> adds a horizontal line

<b> starts bold text

<br> created a new line

</b> stops bold text

The HTML code above results in the signature example shown here.

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Thunderbird Settings

The Server Settings dialog box providesa number of options. The default settingsshould be accepted for most options. How-ever, I always toggle the Empty Trash onExit option ON. If trash is not deleted, it caneventually fill up your server space.

If you are using the IMAP option to keepyour messages on the cloud server, youshould frequently visit your account directlyand dump your deleted messages and trash.

If you are using the POP3 option, yourmessages will be moved to your local com-puter, and will not fill your email host cloudstorage space.

You can set how often to check for mes-sages. The default time is every 10 minutes.

The Copies and Folders dialog box isused to control where things are stored.

In the example shown, Local folders areused rather than folders at the email hostcloud location.

New Local Folders can be created byselecting File, New, Folder.

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Using Thunderbird

The Composition & Addressing dialogbox provides options such as placing a replyabove or below the quote.

The Junk Settings dialog box allows youto train Thunderbird to recognize particularemail address as junk sources by selectingthe Junk tool when a message is selected inthe Message panel.

You should check boxes of your addressbooks so that known email addresses are notconsidered junk sources.

Spam Assassin is a program provided byThunderbird that recognizes well knownjunk mail sources.

You should check the Move new mes-sages to a Junk folder.

You can also have the system automati-cally delete junk messages after a specifiednumber of days.

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Thunderbird Settings

The Synchronization & Storage dialog boxprovides options for how messages are stored. Youcan have the system automatically delete messagesthat are more than a specified number of days old.

Reading MessagesReading Messages

When you select the Inbox folder, a list of mes-sages appears in the Inbox Panel. When a mes-sage is selected in the Inbox Panel, it will appear inthe Preview Panel.

Unread messages will appear in bold type in theInbox Panel. By clicking on the Inbox Panel col-umn headings, Subject, Correspondents, or Date, you can sort the messages in ascending ordescending order. Each time you select a columnheading, the order will be reversed.

If you double click on a message in the InboxPanel, the message will appear in a new TAB. (Inthe example shown, there are two tabs

There is a small X on the right side of messagetabs that is used to close the tab. It is a good ideato close message tabs that are no longer needed. Ihave seen users who had so many open messagetabs, that it became very confusing. 😒

When a message has been selected in the InboxPanel, there are a number of buttons that are usedto operate on that message; Reply, Reply All, For-ward, Archive, Junk, Delete, and More. Usethese to determine how to treat each message.

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Using Thunderbird

There is a setting that controls how often Thun-derbird checks for new messages. However, youcan select the Get Messages option to manuallycheck for new messages.

Writing MessagesWriting Messages

To compose a new message, select the Writeoption. This will open a new window.

If you compose a message, but are not ready tosend it, you can save the message in the Drafts folder. You can reopen the message to add to the composition before sending it.

The Write message window is where new mes-sages are composed. The Contacts Sidebar can beturned on (View, Contacts Sidebar or press F9)and set IT to the desired Address Book.

When you select one or more names from theContacts Sidebar, you can choose to use To:, Cc, orBcc. If you double click on a Contacts Sidebarentry, it will automatically add it using the To:option.

To: addresses are visible to all who receive themessage. Cc: messages (carbon copy) show every-one who receives the message a list of others whoreceived the message. The Bcc: (blind carbon copy) option hides the list of addresses from the recipients. If you Send or Forward messages to a list of people using the To: option you will be sharing email addresses of people who may not want their address to be shared, since shared addresses are likely to get on to junk mail lists. Always use the Bcc: option when sending to a list of addresses.

Once you have added one or more addresses to your new messages, be sure to enter a subject. The subject line lets your correspondents what the message is about. Some email programs automatically treat messages with no subject as junk. Thunderbird will warn you if you forget to add a subject.

Every time you send a message to a new emailaddress, that address will be added to the Col-lected Addresses book.

Thunderbird provides message composing toolsthat are similar to most word processing programs.Select Tools, Options, Composition to set thedefault text styles.

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Writing Messages

You can enhance your messagewith various text styles. Keep in mind,however, that some email programsthat receive messages might not becompatible with HTML text formatting.

You can copy [Ctrl+C] and paste[Ctrl+V] text or graphic images fromany open document window into Thun-derbird.

Be sure to use a font that is largeenough to be easily read by your recip-ients.

Modify ThunderbirdModify ThunderbirdAppearanceAppearance

It is possible to decorate your Thun-derbird by adding a Theme. Select Tools, Add ons, Themes, and search through a largecollection of Theme options.

This version was edited April 16, 2019.

Please credit copies to the Bristol Village Computer Club http://www.bvres.org/bvcchome.html

See the BVCC Schoolhouse http://bvres.org/Schoolhouse-web-page/schoolhouse.html

for other tutorials.

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