Netscape 6.0 Mail Help Contents

# Getting Started with Netscape Mail

In this section: Using the Mail Account Setup Wizard Setting Up Additional Mail and News Accounts Viewing or Changing Your Identity Preferences Choosing Between IMAP and POP3 Mail Servers Setting POP Server Information Setting IMAP Server Information Setting Newsgroup Server Information Setting Preferences for Copies and Folders Setting Preferences for Your Outgoing SMTP Server Using Instant Messenger 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 set up a mail account with an ISP or email provider, you'll need to provide:

- your user name
- your email address
- the incoming and outgoing mail server names
- the incoming server type ( IMAP or POP3)

To set up a newsgroup account, you'll need to provide:

- your email address
- newsgroup server name

To set up an AOL or Netscape WebMail account, you only need to provide your email address.

To set up a new mail or newsgroup account:

Begin from the Netscape browser window.

1. Open the Task menu and then choose Mail. You see the Mail window.
2. Open the Edit menu and choose Mail/News Account Settings.
3. Click the New Account button to activate the New Account wizard.
4. Choose the type of account you want to set up, and click Next. The information the wizard asks you to provide depends on the type of account you are setting up. The rest of the steps in this section assume you are setting up an account with an ISP or email provider.
5. 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.
6. 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.

7. In the User Name section, enter your user name and click Next.
8. In the Account Name section, assign a name for this account (for example, "Work" or "Family"), and click Next.
9. Click Finish to set up your account.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## 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.

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Mail/News Account Settings. You 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.

2. Click OK to save your changes.

To view or change information for an existing mail or newsgroup account:

1. Click the account name in the left-hand side of the Account Settings dialog box. You see information about the account, such as your email address and signature file.
2. Click the Server category (beneath the Account name). You 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.

3. Click the Copies and Folders category. You 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.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## 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.

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Mail/News Account Settings.
2. Select the account name you want to change.
3. 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).
4. 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.
5. 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.

6. Click OK to save your changes.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## 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.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## Setting POP Server Information

To view or change preferences for your POP server account:

Begin from the Mail window.

1. 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 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.

2. 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.
3. Select "Automatically download any new messages" if you want Mail to immediately retrieve messages each time it checks the server.
4. Select "Leave messages on server" to store messages on the server.
5. Select "Delete messages on server when they are deleted locally" to remove messages from the server once you delete them from your computer.
6. 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.
7. Select "Empty Trash on Exit" to empty the Trash folder whenever you quit Mail.
8. Click OK to confirm your changes.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## Setting IMAP Server Information

To view or change preferences for your IMAP server account:

Begin from the Mail window.

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Mail/News Account Settings.
2. Locate the account name you want and then select the Server category. If you chose an IMAP server when you set up this account, you see your IMAP server settings.

The Server Type, the Server Name, and the User Name were entered when you used the New Account Wizard. You may change the Port assignment, if necessary.

3. Select "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.
4. Select "Check for new messages every ___" and then specify the number of minutes between mail checks. If you do not select this box, Mail only checks for new messages when you click Get Msg or the Mail icon on the task bar.
5. 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.
6. Select "Clean up (Expunge) Inbox on Exit" to remove deleted messages from the Inbox when you exit Mail. Choose this if you chose to mark messages as deleted.
7. Select "Empty Trash on Exit" to empty the Trash folder whenever you quit Mail.
8. 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.

Begin from the Mail window.

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Mail/News Account Settings.
2. Select the account name and click the Server category.
3. 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
4. Click OK, and then click OK again to close.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## Setting Newsgroup Server Information

To view or change settings for a newsgroup server:

Begin from the Mail window.

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Mail/News Account Settings.
2. Locate the account name you want, and then click the Server category to display the Server Settings. If you chose a newsgroup server when you set up this account, you see your newsgroup server settings.

The Server Type, the Server Name, and the User Name were entered when you used the New Account Wizard. You may change the Port assignment, if necessary.

3. Select "Use secure connection (SSL)" if your server is configured to send and receive encrypted messages. If you are unsure, contact the mail server administrator or your ISP.
4. Select "Check for new messages every ___minutes" and then specify the number of minutes between message checks. If you do not check this box, Mail only checks for new newsgroup messages when you click Get Msg.
5. Select "Ask me before downloading more than ___ messages" to conserve disk space and download time, by setting a limit for the number of messages you can retrieve at one time.
Note: The path to the newsrc file is displayed for your information. The newsrc file stores information about the newsgroups to which you are subscribed, and the messages you have read in each newsgroup.

6. Click OK.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## Setting Preferences for Copies and Folders

To set preferences for storing messages and sending automatic copies:

Begin from the Mail window.

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Mail/News Account Settings.
2. Locate the account you want and click Copies and Folders. You see the Copy and Folder Settings section.
3. 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.
4. Select whether you want to send a blind carbon copy (bcc) to yourself or another addressee, and enter the address.
5. 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.
6. Click OK to confirm your changes.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## 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:

Begin from the Mail window.

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Mail/News Account Settings.
2. Locate the account you want and select the Outgoing (SMTP) Server category.
3. Modify the following preferences:

- Server name: Mail uses the server name you entered using the New Account Wizard, but you can change it here.
- Always use name and password: Select this option to add an extra level of security by always using your password information. Then enter your user name (you will be prompted for your password initially).
- Advanced: Click this option to set up additional SMTP servers. Keep in mind that using more than SMTP server can cause errors in sending mail.

4. Click OK to confirm your changes.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## 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 to the right of someone's name in the envelope of the message, simply right-click the person's name, and then select Send Instant Message from 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 Instant Messenger icon on the taskbar.

| Instant Messenger icon

[ Return to beginning of section ]

# Reading Messages

In this section: New Mail Notification Choosing How You View the Mail Window Sorting and Threading Messages Saving and Printing 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 taskbar displays a green arrow to notify you when messages have arrived on your mail server.

| New mail notification

To have Mail automatically check for new messages:

Begin from the Mail window.

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Mail/News Accounts.
2. If you have multiple accounts, locate the name you want and click the Server category.
3. In the Server Settings section, select the box "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 taskbar.

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.
- Open the File menu (in the Mail window) and choose Get New Messages.
- Click the Mail icon on the taskbar.

| Mail icon

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, for an intruder to read. For more information on Password Manager, open the Help menu, choose Help Contents, then choose "Understanding Privacy," and then choose "Password Manager." For information on protecting your stored user names and passwords with encryption technology, see the topic "Encrypting Sensitive Information" under "Understanding Privacy."

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## 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).

Begin from the Mail window:

- Open the View menu and choose Toolbars to show or hide the Mail toolbar or the taskbar.
- 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.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## Sorting and Threading Messages

To sort messages by categories such as subject, sender, date, or priority:

Begin from the Mail window.

- 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.

| Thread button

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## Saving and Printing Messages

To save a message as a plain text or HTML file:

1. In the Mail window, select the message.
2. 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.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

# Sending Messages

In this section: Composing Mail and Newsgroup Messages Using the Message Composition Window Addressing a Message Selecting Message Sending Options Replying to a Message Forwarding a Message Creating and Using Templates

## 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: Use the Mail/News Account Settings command on the Edit menu to specify 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.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## 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 (Open the Edit menu and choose Mail/News Account Settings).

The message composition window contains the following:

- Toolbar.

You can click the following buttons:

- Send: To send a completed message.
- Address: To search for names in your address books.
- Attach: To attach a file or web page to a message.
- Quote: To include the text of a message to which you're replying.
- Spell: To check spelling of your message text.
- Save: To save the message as a draft, template, or file.

- Attachments field: When you attach files to a message, the file names are listed in the Attachments field to the right of the Addressing area.

If you've chosen to compose messages using the HTML editor, you see an additional toolbar with the same text formatting buttons as those of Netscape Composer.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## Addressing a Message

To address an email message:

1. Type the name in the address field.

If you have address autocompletion enabled (it's enabled by default), 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.)

2. 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.

3. If you want this message to be sent from a different account, click "From" to select the account you want.
4. If necessary, click "To" to choose a different recipient type:

- To: For primary recipients of your message.
- Cc: For secondary recipients (carbon copy).
- Bcc: For secondary recipients not identified to the other recipients, including those in the cc list (blind carbon copy).
- Reply-To: For recipients to reply to a different email address than the one the message is sent from.
- Newsgroup: For posting to a newsgroup.
- Followup-To: For 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 From Which a Message is Sent

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

Address autocompletion allows you to 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:

Begin from the Mail window.

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
2. Under the Mail and Newsgroups category, click Address Books.
3. In the Addressing Messages section, remove the check next to Enable address autocompletion.
4. Click OK.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## Selecting Message Sending Options

While you're composing a message, you can select these additional message sending options from the Options menu:

Select Addresses

The Select Addresses option 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. You can also click Spell.

Rewrap

If you are composing a message using the plain text editor, you can use the Rewrap command to rewrap long lines of quoted text to fit the composition 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.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## Replying to a Message

To reply to an email message:

- Select the message.
- Click Reply to respond to the sender alone.
- Click Reply All to respond to all addressees in the message.

To include the original message each time you reply to any message:

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
2. Under the Mail and Newsgroups category, click Message Composition.
3. Select "Automatically quote the original message when replying."
4. Click OK.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## 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 (by default).

To forward a message:

1. Select the message and click Forward.
2. Type the name or Email address of the recipient.
3. Click Send.

To set the default for forwarding messages:

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
2. Under the Mail and Newsgroups category, click Message Composition.
3. Click OK.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## 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 choose Edit Message as New from the Message menu.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## 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 from within 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:

1. In the Mail window, select the Templates folder.
2. Double-click the message you want to edit.
3. Edit the message, then save it or send it.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

# Creating HTML Mail Messages

In this section: Using HTML in Your Messages Choosing HTML Message Sending Options Specifying Recipients for HTML Messages Viewing the Message Source for HTML Messages Using the HTML Mail Question Dialog Box

## 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:

1. Choose the mail or newsgroup account you want to use.
2. Open the Edit menu and choose Mail/News Account Settings.
3. Select "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.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## 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:

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
2. Choose Send Format from the Mail and Newsgroups category.

   Note: this preference applies to email messages only, not to newsgroup messages.

3. 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:

1. In the message composition window, open the Options menu and choose Format.
2. 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)
3. When you've finished composing the message, click Send.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## 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.

1. Open the Address Book window and select the individual's card.
2. Click Edit to display the address book card dialog box.
3. In the Name tab, if necessary, deselect "Send email as plain-text (no HTML)." Leave this box checked to send only plain text messages to this recipient.
4. Click OK.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## Viewing the Message Source for HTML Messages

You can quickly view the HTML and other code that generates an HTML message you've received:

1. Open the message.
2. Open the View menu and choose Message Source.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## 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.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

# Using Attachments

In this section: Attaching a File or Web Page Viewing and Opening Attachments Saving Attachments

## Attaching a File or Web Page

To attach a file to an outgoing email message:

1. In the message composition window, click Attach or open the File menu and choose Attach File.
2. Select the files from your hard drive that you want to include and click Open. The file name appears in the Attachments field.

To attach a web page to an outgoing email message:

1. In the message composition window, open the File menu and choose Attach Web Page.
2. 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 field.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## Viewing and Opening Attachments

If you receive email attachments that are regarded as native file formats (such as graphic files and html files), you 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:

1. Click the paper clip icon in the message envelope.

| Paper clip icon

2. If there is more than one attachment, choose the one you want from the pop-up menu.
3. Mail prompts you to open the attachment or save it.
4. 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 server, all attachments remain on the server until you download or open the attachment.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## Saving Attachments

To save an attachment in an email message:

1. Click the paper clip icon in the message envelope.

   | Paper clip icon

2. If there is more than one attachment, choose the one you want from the pop-up menu. (To save all attachments, choose Save All.)
3. Mail prompts you to open the attachment or save it.
4. Select "Save it to disk" and then click OK.
5. In the Save Attachment dialog box, give the attachment a filename and location.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

# Deleting Messages

In this section: Deleting Messages Moving Messages to and from the Trash

## 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:

Begin from the Mail window.

1. In the message list, select the messages and click Delete. By default, Mail marks each selected message for deletion.
2. To delete messages permanently, open the File menu and choose Compact This Folder.

To set deletion preferences for IMAP messages:

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Mail/News Account Settings.
2. Locate the account you want, and then click the Server category under the account name.
3. Select the options you want and click OK.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## 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:

1. In the message list, select the messages you want to delete.
2. Click Delete. Mail moves the messages to the Trash folder.

To recover messages from the Trash:

1. Click the Trash folder.
2. Select the messages you want to recover, and drag them to another folder.

To delete messages permanently:

- Open the File menu and choose Empty Trash.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

# Using Address Books

In this section: About Netscape Mail Address Books Adding Entries to Your Address Books Creating a New Address Book Creating a New Address Book Card Creating a Mailing List Searching an Address Book Importing Address Books and Mail Messages Exporting an Address Book Syncing Entries with Your Web Address Book

## 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 Netcenter WebMail 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:

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
2. Under the Mail and Newsgroups category, click Address Books.
3. Select Enable Email Address Collection to start collecting addresses.
4. Choose whether you want to use this feature for incoming or outgoing messages, or both.
5. 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.
6. Click Ok.

#### Changing the Address Book Window Display

To open the Address Book window:

- Open the Tasks menu and choose Address Book, or click the Address Book icon on the taskbar.

| Address Book icon

To customize how the Address Book window and the cards are displayed:

- Open the Tasks menu and choose Address Book. You see the Address Book window.
- Open the View menu to select whether to display the toolbar and/or taskbar.
- Open the View menu, choose Show Name As, and then select how you want card names displayed (first/last, last/first, or Display Name).
- Open the View menu, choose Sort, and then select a sort option (sort by Name, Email, Work Phone, or Organization).

[ 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.
- 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 address books.

To create a new address book:

1. Click the Address Book icon on the taskbar or open the Tasks menu and choose Address Book.

| Address Book icon

2. In the Address Book window, open the File menu, choose New, and choose Address Book.
3. Type the name of the new address book, and click OK.

## Creating a New Address Book Card

Address book cards can be used to store names, postal addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and information such as whether the addressee prefers to receive plain-text or HTML-formatted messages.

To create an address book card for an individual:

1. Click the Address Book icon on the taskbar or open the Tasks menu and choose Address Book.
2. Click New Card. (If you have multiple address books, select the one to which you want to add a card.)
3. 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: Type additional information such as street address, phone number, and URL.
   - Instant Messenger tab: Type 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:

1. In the Address Book window, choose the address book you want, and then click New List.
2. 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.
3. Drag entries from the Address Book window into the list, or type in addresses.
4. 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:

1. In a message composition window, click Address, or open the Options menu and choose Select Address.
2. Select an address book to search.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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:

1. From the File menu, choose Import.
2. 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:

1. Click the Address Book icon on the taskbar or open the Tasks menu and choose Address Book.
2. If you have more than one address book, select the one you want.
3. Open the File menu and choose Export.
4. Type a filename for the address book and choose the file type: ldif or tab separated.
5. Click Save.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

## Syncing Entries with Your Netscape WebMail Address Book

If you have a Netcenter account, 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 address book sync:

1. In the Address Book window, click the Sync button on the toolbar or choose Sync Netscape Address Book from the File menu.
2. If you have not already logged in to your Netcenter account, Mail prompts you for your Netcenter user name and password.
3. 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 Sync Netscape Address Book from the File menu.

Note: If you have a Netcenter account, but the Sync button is dimmed, Netscape has not yet updated your existing account to take advantage of the Sync feature. Netscape notifies you (via an email message) when your Netcenter account has been updated. If you do not yet 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

In this section: Creating a Folder Renaming a Folder Filing Messages Creating Message Filters Searching Through Messages

## Creating a Folder

To create a message folder:

Begin from the Mail window.

1. Open the File menu, choose New, and then Folder.
2. Type the name of the folder.
3. 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:

1. Select the folder you want to rename.
2. Open the File menu and choose Rename Folder.
3. Type the new name and 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 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, the message is moved to the local folder and removed from the server folder.

To copy a message from one folder to another:

1. Select the message and right-click to display the pop-up menu.
2. 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:

Begin from the Mail window.

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Message Filters.
2. If you have multiple mail accounts, choose the one to which you want to apply the filter.
3. 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.
4. Type a name for the filter.
5. Select the "match" option you want Mail to use: "all of the conditions" (criteria) you choose, or "at least one" of the conditions.
6. Use 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.
7. Click More to add criteria and Fewer to remove them.
8. Use 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).
9. Choose a folder in which to store the messages.
10. Click OK to confirm your settings.
11. Use the Message Filters dialog box to manage your filters, as follows:

- 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:

Begin from the Mail window.

- Select the message, open the Search menu, and choose Find. Choose Find Again to continue searching for the text throughout the rest of the message.

To search mail folders or newsgroups for specific messages:

Begin from the Mail window.

1. Open the Search menu and choose Search Mail/News Messages. You see the Search Messages dialog box.
2. Under Criteria, click the pop-up menu to search for items in either a folder, newsgroup, or account. For a mail account, click "Search subfolders" to include all folders in an account.
3. Select the options to allow Mail to search for messages that match all or at least one of the conditions (criteria) that you choose.
4. 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.
5. Click More to add criteria and Fewer to remove them.
6. 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 ]

# Setting Mail and Newsgroup Preferences

In this section: Setting General Mail and Newsgroup Preferences Setting Preferences for Displaying Messages Setting Preferences for Message Composition Setting Preferences for HTML Messages Setting Preferences for Address Books

## Setting General Mail and Newsgroup Preferences

To set general preferences, such as the window layout for mail and newsgroups:

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
2. Click the Mail and Newsgroups category.

General Settings

1. Choose the type of three-pane layout to use for the Mail window:
2. Choose "Confirm when moving folders to the Trash" so that Mail prompts 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, deselect 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):

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
2. Under the Mail and Newsgroups category, click Message Display.

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.

- Select "Wrap text to fit window width" so that incoming messages are word-wrapped to fit the width of your mail window.
- Select "Display emoticons as graphics" so that 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 menu 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, select "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):

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
2. Under the Mail and Newsgroupgs category, select Message Composition.

Forwarding and replying to messages

Begin from the Message Composition section of the Preferences dialog box.

- Specify how you want forwarded message text to appear: as an attachment 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

Begin from the Message Composition section of the Preferences dialog box.

- Select "Check spelling before sending" to have Mail always check the spelling of your messages when you click Send.
- Choose to have Mail use "quoted printable" MIME encoding when sending regular messages that use an 8-bit character set (for example, Latin ISO88359).
- In the "Wrap plain text messages at __ characters" field, enter a number to set the margin for text in the message area.
- For Character Coding, 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 email 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:

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
2. Under the Mail and Newsgroups category, click Send Format.
3. Choose one of the following options:
   - Ask me what to do (Mail prompts 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.
4. 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):

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
2. Under the Mail and Newsgroups category, select Address Books.

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 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, and choose whether you want to use this feature for incoming or outgoing messages, or both.

Addressing Messages

Address autocompletion allows you to 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

In this section: Subscribing to Newsgroups Reading Newsgroup Messages Posting Newsgroup Messages Contributing to Ongoing Discussions Removing a Newsgroup Adding a Newsgroup Server

## Subscribing to Newsgroups

If you have set up an account on a newsgroup server, you can join (subscribe) to newsgroups (also called discussion groups). To subscribe to one or more newsgroups on a newsgroup server:

Begin from the Mail window.

1. Open the File menu and choose Subscribe.
2. If necessary, click the Server pop-up menu to choose another server.
3. Click Subscribe or click in the Subscribe column next to a newsgroup. You see a check mark next to each newsgroup to which you subscribe. Click Unsubscribe to cancel a selection.
4. Click OK. The list of your subscribed newsgroups appears in the Mail window.

If you are 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:

Begin from the Mail window.

1. Double-click a newsgroup server icon to see its newsgroups. (If there are no newsgroups, you may need to subscribe to one.)
2. Click a newsgroup name to see its contents.
3. Click a message to read it. Click the thread button 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):

1. >From the list of your subscribed newsgroups in the Mail window, select a newsgroup.
2. Click New Msg.
3. Compose your message, and click Send to post it.
4. 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:

1. In the message list, select a message to reply to.
2. Click Reply.
3. Compose your message, and click Send to post it.

To reply to an individual as well as post a response to the group:

1. In the message list, select a message to reply to.
2. Click Reply All.
3. 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 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 choose Subscribe.

[ Return to beginning of section ]

10/13/00

Copyright © 1994-2000 Netscape Communications Corporation.