Intelligent Website Design and Development

Email Setup in Mozilla Thunderbird

  1. Open the application.

    If you are setting up your first email account on this computer, the "Mail Account Setup" will open automatically. Skip directly to step 4.

  2. Choose "Account Settings" from the "Tools" or "Edit" menu (depending on which operating system you are using).

  3. Select "Add Mail Account" from the "Account Actions" drop-down at the bottom left of the window.

  4. Enter your name and email address as you would like them to appear on email you send from your account.

    The email address should have been provided to you along with your username and password.

    There is no need to enter your password at this stage.

    Click "Continue".

  5. Thunderbird will attempt to guess the settings for your account. Unfortunately, in our case, the guesses are not correct.

    Click "Stop" at the far right of the window.

  6. Choose whether you want to read your email on one computer (step 6a) or on more than one computer (step 6b).

    1. If you want to download all your email onto your current computer, choose "POP" from the drop-down alongside "Incoming".

      In this case you will not be able to read your email on more than one computer or use our webmail application.

      There is no need to correct any of the other information at this stage.

      Click "Manual Setup" and continue to step 7a.

    2. To share your email between more than one computer or between your computer and our webmail application, choose "IMAP" from the drop-down alongside "Incoming".

      In this case changes you make from any computer or the webmail application (such as deleting or sending email) will affect other places you read your email.

      Bear in mind that your email account includes a limited quota. If you choose to use IMAP any emails you do not delete from your account will count towards your quota.

      There is no need to correct any of the other information at this stage.

      Click "Manual Setup" and continue to step 7b.

    1. Choose "Server Settings" in the list on the left under the account you have just created.

      Alongside "Server Name" enter "mail.praterraines.co.uk". Check that the "Port" is set to "110".

      Enter the username you were provided to access your email.

      Under "Security Settings", ensure "Connection security" is set to "STARTTLS".

      The remaining default options are good. If you choose to "Leave messages on server", make sure they are deleted after a fixed number of days, otherwise you may eventually exceed your quota.

      Continue to step 8.

    2. Choose "Server Settings" in the list on the left under the account you have just created.

      Alongside "Server Name" enter "mail.praterraines.co.uk". Check that the "Port" is set to "143".

      Enter the username you were provided to access your email.

      Under "Security Settings", ensure "Connection security" is set to "STARTTLS".

      Tick "Clean up ("Expunge") Inbox on Exit" and "Empty Deleted folder on Exit" under "Server Settings".

      The remaining default options are good. Note that the "Check for new messages everyNminutes" setting is ignored because our server supports push email using IMAP IDLE, which is enabled by default in Thunderbird. If you have Thunderbird open, you should therefore receive emails the moment they arrive on the server.

      Continue to step 8.

  8. Choose the account you just set up from the list on the left hand side of the account settings window.

    Choose a name for the account. This name can be anything you like that helps you identify this email from any other email accounts you use.

    You may wish to configure a signature to appear at the bottom of all outgoing emails from this account.

  9. Choose "Outgoing Server (SMTP)" at the bottom of the list on the left hand side of the account settings window.

    Select the account you have just set up in the list at the right of the window and click "Edit".

  10. Enter "mail.praterraines.co.uk" in the "Server Name" field and change the "Port" to "587".

    Tick "Use name and password" and enter the username you were provided to access your account.

    Ensure the "Connection security" is set to "STARTTLS" and click "OK".

  11. Click "OK" again to return to the main window.

    Choose the email account you just set up from the list on the left and click "Read messages".

  12. At the prompt, enter your password. Tick "Use Password Manager to remember this password", and click "OK".

    If your computer is in a shared location or is a laptop, you are strongly advised to configure a Master Password.

    Otherwise anyone gaining access to your computer will be able to read your incoming email, forward sensitive information, and send email appearing to come from you.

  13. Your email should now be configured correctly. Try sending yourself a message and checking it arrives in your inbox.

    You may be prompted to enter your password again when you send your first email.