Webmail Tutorial

Introduction
Recommended Schemes
Signing On
The Inbox
Reading Email
Composing and Sending Email
Using Folders
The Addressbook
Setting Preferences
Filters
Quotas
Logging Out
FAQ

Use Webmail

Advice and Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How does Webmail work?

A: Webmail works by directly accessing the email server and displaying it as your Inbox. If you remove a message from your Inbox, it will no longer be accessible via all means to access your email (i.e., Eudora and Unixmail). The folders in Webmail are stored on a separate server space from the email server. You have 40 MB of space available for your use in this area. It is best if you do not leave mail on the email server (your Inbox) for too long as this will reduce the system resources available for the entire school's email.

Q: Can I use Webmail in conjunction with other email programs such as Eudora and Pine or Elm on Unixmail?

A: Yes. See Recommended Email Schemes for instructions on how to most efficiently use all of Haverford's supported methods of reading email.

 

Q: I am concerned that someone may read my cached Webmail when I am using a public computer. How can I prevent this?

A: Always be sure to logout of Webmail and close your web browser after you finish reading your email. You should also empty the cache when you are done using Webmail. This is a wise practice even if you are not reading sensitive email.

In the labs, the cache will be cleaned every time you reboot the computer. If you are concerned about other computers, see your Liaison or the Helpdesk for instructions on clearing the cache.

Q: What happens to all my deleted messages? Can I retrieve them if I accidentally delete them?

A: By default, deleted messages are removed from the system and cannot be retrieved. You can change this setting from the Options/Account Info menu.

Q: Why am I over quota?

A: Most likely, you have too much mail stored in your inbox or personal folders. If you set your options to move deleted mail to the trash, mail in your trash still counts towards your quota. Your deleted messages are probably causing you to go over quota. Empty your Trash Folder by clicking the "Empty Trash" link in the Webmail menu. You may then want to change your options so deleted messages are no longer moved to the trash folder. See the quota section for more information.

Q: Where are my deleted messages? Where did my trash folder go?

 

A: Your deleted message are most likely gone. Starting August 27, 2003, when we upgraded to this version of Webmail, we changed the way deleted messages are treated. Now, by default, deleted messages are not moved to a trash folder. If you would prefer to move your messages a trash folder, see the Setting Preferences section of this tutorial.

Q: I am leaving Haverford. How can I save my Webmail to my personal computer?

A: If all your mail is stored in your Inbox, you can save it to your PC by reading it with Eudora on your PC. See Installing and Using Eudora if you have not used Eudora before. If you have stored mail you wish to keep in Webmail folders, see the Folders section of this documentation.

Q: I am getting an error message that states "message not found" when I try to access one of my messages. How can I fix this?

A: You may have the Don't Synchronize with Pop Server option set. Uncheck this option on the Account Info menu item. This behavior may also happen when another email client such as Eudora checking your email on another computer while you are using Webmail. Eudora may have deleted that message and Webmail hasn't synchronized yet. If you refresh your inbox you should no longer see that message. To avoid this, be sure to close Eudora when you leave your computer. If neither of these solutions are correct, Webmail may just be busy and can't respond to your request. Try again in a few minutes. If the problem persists, call Helpdesk at x1480.

Q: I received an email message, but it appears to be empty. Where is my message?

A: Check the attachments part of the header. The text of your message may be saved as an attachment. Click the attachment to read your text. You may be prompted for a program to use to open the attachment. If you use a PC, select Wordpad or Notepad. If you use a Mac, select SimpleText.

Q: Why is it that after I use Webmail, some of my messages don't show up in Eudora?

A: If you delete messages from your Inbox or move them into folders in Webmail, those messages will no longer be available to other email programs such as Eudora or Pine and Elm on Unixmail.

Q: Can I use Webmail while I am abroad?

A: Yes, you can use Webmail from any computer with an internet connection, regardless of location.

Q: Where is my Sent mail?

A: If the option to Keep a Copy is checked when you compose a webmail message, Webmail saves your sent mail into a folder called "sent-mail-month-year." It creates a new folder for each month you send mail. If this option is not checked, your sent email is not saved.

Note that by default, the option to "Keep a Copy" is initially checked. However, if you uncheck it while composing an email message at any time, the default changes so it unchecked in future emails you compose...until you check the option again.

Q: Where are my personal folders and sent-mail folders from before August 27, 2003?

A: On August 27, 2003 we upgraded Webmail to a new system, and there was no way to move personal folders or sent-mail folders from the old system. You can still see those folders on the old system, and save them directly to your computer. You will not be able to import them to this system. Log onto the old webmail server and follow the instruction for exporting folders, in the Using Folders section.

Q: I have a question that is not addressed here.

A: Fill out this form, and I will answer your question and add it to the FAQ, if necessary.