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Mozilla Thunderbird Help

The free Mozilla Thunderbird email management software is an excellent software. A perfectly good alternative to mainstay programs like Microsoft Outlook and Eudora, Thunderbird has the advantage of price and frequent updates to keep pace with changes.

On the other hand, Thunderbird is burdened with the trouble that plagues many well-done but 'free' programs on the internet: there's no dedicated, 24/7 customer service. This page is meant to be a help to getting your download of Thunderbird up and running.

Important Link: The OFFICIAL online Mozilla help page

THE INFORMATION BELOW IS PROVIDED FOR CUSTOMERS OF ERIK WEEMS WEB SITE DESIGN & HOSTING

Download Thunderbird: MOZILLA THUNDERBIRD (free email client software for Windows and Mac OSX)
IMAP: This setting leaves email on server.
POP3: This setting downloads email to your computer, allowing offline browsing.

(If you have already set up but want to change your server type from IMAP to POP3 (or visa-versa) then create a new account which is a duplicate of all the settings: in the first account, set to POP3 (or IMAP) instead. Just give it an appropriate description name so that you can tell the two apart.)

(2) If you want to download your mail and have it delete off the mail server PERMANENTLY at the same time you can also use these alternative free email client programs:

• EUDORA LITE (free "sponsored" email client)
• Microsoft OUTLOOK Express

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USING THUNDERBIRD (WINDOWS) WITH IMAP and POP

(Windows settings first: OSX Macintosh settings - scroll further down)

Imap will leave email on the server, but allow you to organize, send, receive and delete the mail. Pop downloads the email to your computer.

Step by step setup

1. Download Thunderbird
2. Run the install setup
3. Using the Windows install screen: Agree to the terms;
4. Use common options setting;
5. Installation runs. Click finish when done and Thunderbird will launch.
6. It will ask if you want to import Outlook settings which would include your address book and
   so forth. Say "yes" if your outlook already is set up to work with your mail server
   that I provide as part of your hosting package. (If you say YES then see step 12)
7. Say "none" if you want to use Thunderbird for setting up an email accounts that you will be using as part of the hosting package which I provide.
8. If you see the "account wizard" or "new account setup" screen, then:
9. Make sure "email account" is selected; click "next"
10. Enter your name (or title: i.e., "Webmaster," "Sales Dept" or "Management"); click "next"
11. Enter your email address you will be sending and receiving mail with (e.g., erik@bcpiweb.com); click "next"
12. Server Information: CLICK IMAP or POP according to your need;
13. Enter Incoming Server setting (for example): eeweems.com
    (this is the email server at eeweems.com. For another account, it would be "anotheraccount.com", etc);
14. Enter name of outgoing server: smtp.comcast.net (example); then "next "
    (this is my setting because I use comcast as my service provider for all internet access. if your access is via Verizon, then use either: "outgoing.verizon.net" or "smtp.verizon.net." Other service providers will have their own unique SMTP settings. These are usually posted online and a quick Yahoo or Google search should find them. If you already have a setup in Outlook, see the settings for SMTP under the account in that program and copy that setting over for SMTP.
15. User Names (outgoing and incoming mail) erik@eeweems.com (yours might be "john@mydomain.com", etc) then "next "
16. Account Name: call this whatever will help you to remember. I called mine "erik@eeweems.com."
17. Click Finish.

CHECK THESE TWO THINGS!

Make sure that the SMTP setting (under tools menu/Account Settings/) looks like this (Remember, your SMTP server is the server access provided to you by your service company, e.g., comcast, verizon, etc., not by me at eeweems.com):

ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THE SERVER UNDER THE ACCOUNT
NAME IS "DEFAULT SERVER" see this screenshot [below]:

(Note, Thunderbird allows you to setup many accounts for many different
email accounts if you need to manage more than one)

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APPLE OSX THUNDERBIRD

Below are screenshots with my input as examples on how to set up Thunderbird after you install it to your Apple Mac computer (this tab of screens is under the TOOLS menu where it says "account Settings"):

If you have questions, let me know. Thanks.