Section 153. Create an Email Account

153. Create an Email Account

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Just jump right in!

SEE ALSO

154 Get Your Email

156 Send a Message

Before using Thunderbird, you need to provide it with information regarding the Internet service you use for email. Specifically, you must tell Thunderbird your email address (such as [e-mail]), the name of your incoming and outgoing mail server ( pop.fake.net and smtp.fake.net ), the server type (such as POP or IMAP), and the login and password you use to access your mail service. If you don't know this information, obtain it from your email service, Web service, or your Internet Service Provider before setting up the email account.

TIPS

If you use multiple email services, you must repeat these steps to set up each email account. In step 1, the Account Settings dialog box appears instead of the Account Wizard . Click the Add Account button to display the wizard so that you can create a new email account.

When you set up different accounts, Thunderbird assumes you'll use the same outgoing server for all of them. If your secondary service has problems passing along messages sent from a non-compatible email address, select Outgoing Server (SMTP) in the Account Settings dialog box and click Advanced to enter the outgoing server information for that second account. After setting up the additional outgoing server, display the Server Settings page for that account in the Account Settings dialog box, click Advanced , and select the secondary outgoing server.

153. Create an Email Account

1.	Click Create a New Account When Thunderbird first starts, it displays the Local Folders page with links to common tasks . Click Create a new account in the list on the right. If you don't see the Create a new account link, click Local Folders in the Folders list on the left to display the link, or choose Tools, Account Settings from the menu bar and click New Account . The Account Wizard appears.
2.	Click Email Account On the New Account Setup screen of the Account Wizard, choose the Email account option and click Next .
3.	Enter Email Address On the Identity screen of the Account Wizard , in the Your Name text box, enter the name you want to use to identify your messages to others. In the Email Address box, type your email address as given to you by your web service or ISP. Click Next. NOTE The email address you provide on the Identity screen is the same address to which return messages will be sent unless you modify the email account after you set it up. To modify an existing email account, choose Tools, Account Settings . Then select the appropriate page of options for the account and make changes. For example, to add a reply-to address that's different from the address you entered on the Identity screen, click the account name (such as ATT or Comcast) on the left side of the Account Settings dialog box.
4.	Identify the Server On the Server Information screen of the Account Wizard , select the incoming email server type (POP or IMAP), and enter its address in the Incoming Server box. If you don't know this information, check with your email service provider. You can place incoming mail from this server in its own folder or add messages to the global inbox (with email coming from other service providers) by enabling the Use Global Inbox (store mail in Local Folders) option. Enter the address of your outgoing email server in the Outgoing Server box. Click Next .
5.	Enter User Name On the User Names screen of the Account Wizard, type the user name you've been assigned by your email service in the Incoming User Name box. For example, type [e-mail] or j.fulton. In most cases, this same name should be entered in the Outgoing User Name box as well. If you don't know this information, check with your email service provider. Click Next .
6.	Enter Account Name On the Account Name screen in the Account Wizard, type a name for this email account in the Account Name box and click Next. This name helps you identify this email account from others you might set up so that you can use any name you like (I typically use the name of the email service provider such as ATT, Comcast, Company Email, Google, and so on).
7.	Review Summary Review the summary of your settings. If needed, click Back to return to a previous screen to change a setting. Enable the Download messages now option if you want Thunderbird to check this account for email now (this will happen anyway if this is your first email account). When you're ready, click Finish to save the email account.